🌍Unit V

World War I, or the Great War, was supposedly the war to end all wars. The war engaged most of the world’s most powerful nations and countries of every continent participated. The war was caused by a culmination of many factors that exploded into a conflict after the assassination of Austria’s Archduke. Imperialism, colonialism, militarism, a grand system of alliances, and rampant nationalism played parts in the eruption of war. With over 15 million dead, the war had devastating consequences that will profoundly change the power struggle in Europe and the world. The rise of America to power which will then choose post-war isolationism would lend itself to a weak international system of cooperation challenged by a global depression. Power vacuums in countries such as Germany and Italy would be filled with dictators and fervent nationalism that will open the doors to yet another global war.

Militarism

Militarism

• Started as Germany vs. Britain

  • Britain’s Two power rule = Britain’s fleet (navy) must be greater than the next 2 biggest European countries’ navy

    • Dreadnought = Britain’s turbine-powered, “all-big-gun“ warship that dominated the world’s navies 1906-1941

  • Germany was competing against Russia and France to expand their army

• War seen as solution and very patriotic

Alliances

• Friendship pacts with other countries

  • if an ally is attacked, you must help fight

  • By WWI, almost all European countries were part of some alliance

• Otto Von Bismark’s goals (Chancellor 1861-1890)

  • Keep Germany out of a two front war → didn’t want to split forces

  • isolate France diplomatically → because France and Britain are allies

  • maintain good relations with Britain

  • Three Emperor’s League = Austria-Hungary, Germany, Russia

    • Germany didn’t want France and Russia both attacking Germany, but then Germany leaves the league

• Wilhelm II undoes Bismark’s plans

  • undoes plan to avoid two front war

  • Germany doesn’t sign Reinsurance Treaty, Wilhelm believes that his own influence to Russia’s royalty will be enough to keep relations with Russia

• Triple Alliance = Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire

• Triple Entente = France, Great Britain, Russia, (US joins later)

Nationalism

• Devotion to the interests of one’s nation

  • Colonialism ties into nationalistic feelings

  • “Hate by water and hate by land; Hate of the heart and hate of the hand: We love as one; We hate as one; We have but one foe alone — England.“ The Hymn of Hate (popular German song)

• Aspirations for independence in a country under foreign domination

  • Ex: ethnic minorities in Austria-Hungary

Imperialism

• fighting for colonies

• France vs. Germany

• Russia vs. Austria

• England vs. Germany

Assassination

• Assassination took place in Sarajevo in the Balkans (controlled by Austria-Hungary)

• Serbians didn’t want to be part of Austria-Hungary

• Black Hand = secret society that wanted Balkans to be part of Serbia

  • 7 members

  • Gavrilo Princip = assassin

Otto von Bismarck

• Built up a system of alliances to protect Germany and keep peace in Europe

  • Extended a “hand of friendship“ to Britain, Russia, France

• Keep Germany out of a two front war → didn’t want to split forces

• isolate France diplomatically → because France and Britain are allies

• maintain good relations with Britain

• Three Emperor’s League = Austria-Hungary, Germany, Russia

  • Germany didn’t want France and Russia both attacking Germany, but then Germany leaves the league

• Wilhelm II dismissed Bismark into retirement in 1888 and undoes Bismark’s plans of avoiding two front war

  • Upset Bismark’s “delicate balance of power“ by announcing that Germany’s navy will be great enough to rival Britain → made Britain a potential rival

Franco-Prussian War

• aka War of 1870

• Led directly to the creation of the German Empire in 1871

• Caused Germany to gain confidence and increase aggression due to winning this war

• France wanted to restore its honor and regain Alsace-Lorraine back from Germans

• Caused tension between the two countries, contributing to WWI

Alsace-Lorraine

• Taken by Germany from France after Germany’s victory in the Franco-Prussian War

Wilhelm II

• Last German Emperor and King of Prussia 1888-1918

• Withered left army gave him a sense of inferiority, egotistical to compensate

• “Everyone who is against me, I shall crush!“

• Was interested in extending Germany hegemony over the Balkans and the Ottoman Empire

• Kaiser’s desire to build up Germany’s navy alarmed Great Britain

• Cousin of Czar Nicholas II

• Gave up his throne on November 9, 1918, because he knew Germany would lose

Archduke Franz Ferdinand

• Heir presumptive to the throne of Austria-Hungary

• Black hand assassinated him in Sarajevo June 1914 due to his perceived threat to Serbian independence

Franz Joseph

• Emperor of Austria 1848-1916 and King of Hungary 1867-1916

• Signed declaration of war on Serbia, triggered WWI

Sarajevo

• Location of Archduke Franz Ferdinand’s assassination

• Sarajevo was located in Bosnia, under Austro-Hungarian rule starting in 1878

Gavrilo Princip

• Serbian nationalist

• Member of the Black Hand

• Assissnated Archduke Franz Ferdinand

Triple Alliance

• Consisted of Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy

• Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria later joined

• A secret agreement created in May 1882, renewed at 5-year intervals

• Agreed to support each other if attacked by Russia or France

• Italy left in 1914 by not supporting the countries

• Triple Entente and Triple Alliance would fight against each other in WWI

Dual Alliance

• Defensive alliance between Germany and Austria-Hungary

• Created on October 7, 1879

• Part of Bismark’s system of alliances plan

• Germany and Austria-Hungary promised to support each other if attacked by Russia

Triple Entente

• Consisted of Great Britain, France, Russia, (later US too)

• France was angry with Germany from Franco-Prussian War & Great Britain was suspicious of Germany’s growing navy

• Triple Entente and Triple Alliance would fight against each other in WWI

Treaty of London

• Treaty of London (1839) = insured that Belgium was neutral

• Treaty of London (1915) = secretly allowed Italy to switch to Triple Entente’s side

Blank Check

• Given on July 5, 1914

• Germany gives AH Blank Check, supporting everything AH does

• Causes AH to send ultimatum and declare war on Serbia

Austria-Hungary’s Ultimatum

• said that Serbia must stop all support of underground groups

• Terms: suppression of all Austrian activity in Serbia AND Serbian land must be open to investigation from AH froces

• Serbia agrees to all terms but investigation

• July 28, 1914 AH declares war on Serbia

Von Schlieffen Plan

• Germany’s plan in case Germany went to war with France

• 1. Plan to attack France

• 2. Avoid French fotifications on immediate border

• 3. Belgium had neutrality pact, Germany broke that by invading Belgium → wanted to quickly destroy France in order to aboid two-front war with France AND Russia

• 4. August 4, 1914 Britain declares war on Germany

Belgium

• was neutral throughout WWI

• Germany sent ultimatum to Belgium, demanding a way through towards France

• Belgium declined, so Germany invaded Belgium, which is not allowed as a acknowledged neutral country

Battle of the Marne

• Battle of the Marne River, 25 miles from Paris

• German troops pretty close to taking Paris but were defeated by French and Germans had to retreat a bit

• Destroys Von Schlieffen plan, two front war with Russia and France takes place

Taxicab Army

• September 6-7, 1914

• 1,300 Paris taxis sent backup soldiers of French army to fight in the Battle of the Marne

• Was able to successfully stop German armies from advancing to Paris

Battle of Verdun

• February 21-December 18, 1916

• One of 2 major offensives

• Failed German offensive

• First time poisonous mustard gas was used

• Longest battle of WWI

• France vs. Germany

• French Victory but large # of casualties on both sides

• Large scale chlorine gas used by Germans on French army

• Trench warfare

Battle of the Somme

• One of 2 major offensives

• July 1916

• Takes used

• Failed French-British offensive

Western Front

• “You will be home by Christmas“

• Battle of the Marne = Germany failed to take Paris

• Stalemate and Trench Warfare = terrible living conditions, could be in treches for weeks

  • 600 miles of trench systems up to Swiss border

Ottoman Front

• France and Britain wanted to get supplies to Russia → needed to go through Meditarranean and Blank Sea

  • must go through straits controlled by Ottoman Empire

• Gallipoli Campaign

  • April 1915 troops land in Gallipoli

  • Open straits to get supplies to Russia

  • Attacked by Turks (led by Ataturk)

Gallipoli

• Great Turkish victory

• April 1915 troops land in Gallipoli

• New Zealand, Australia, Breat Britain, Ireland, France, India, Newfoundland vs. Ottoman Empire

• Open straits to get supplies to Russia

• Attacked by Turks (led by Ataturk)

Eastern Front

• Mainly Russia vs. Germany

• After early victories, Russia is gradually pushed east

• Russia lack equipment, but use numbers to tie up Germans for more than 3 years

  • behind other European countries by 40-50 years

  • made up for it by many soldiers → had the largest # of casualties

  • short on food, clothing, and weapons

• Russia also fought Austria-Hungary

Nicholas II

• Last emperor of Russia 1894-1917

• commited to aristocratic rule

• Emperor of Russia during WWI

Battle of Tannenburg

• August 1914

• Germany vs. Russia

• complete German victory

• showed that Russia army was incompetant of fighting in a technologically advanced war

Advantage of Russian military

• A lot of people

Disadvantages of Russian military

• 40-50 years behind in technology

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

• March 3, 1918

• Russia withdrew from WWI

• Peace treaty signed by Russia vs. Germany, AH, Ottoman Empire

Russian Revolution

• Mar 8, 1917 – Jun 16, 1923

• Russia abolishes monarchy

• Russia becomes socialist

Lusitania

• May 7, 1915

• American passenger ship sunk by Germany U-boats

• turned public opnion against Germany

Zimmerman Note

• January 19, 1917

• a secret telegram sent by Germany to Mexico

• Germany asked to form an alliance with Mexico and Japan if the United States declared war on Germany

• From Germany to Mexico: if you help Germany out, Germany will help Mexico get back land from the US

  • get back New Mexico, Texas, Arizona

• Unknown to Germany, note was intercepted by Great Britain → showed US, led to US in WWI

• Germany doesn’t deny sending it

Sussex Pledge

• statement by the Germans that they would not sink passenger ships without warning during World War I

• Violation of Sussex Pledge - Lusitania resumes unrestricted warfare

• Leads to US declaring war

Woodrow Wilson

• President of US during WWI

• wanted US to remain neutral

• after war, was an idealist and wanted peace without victory

Red Barron

• Baron Manfred von Richthofen

• German pilot that shot down at least 80 planes

• wouded July 6, 1917

  • could’ve damaged his brain

• bad judgement flying into British territory led to his death in April 1918

Big Bertha

• German siege howitzer

• built by Krupp

• the largest, most-powerful mobile artillery pieces in use by any army at that time

U-Boat

• German submarines that sunk ships sailing towards England during GB’s naval blockade

Annie Oakley

• American rifle star

• Performed before many crowned heads of state in Europe

• Kaiser Wilhelm II challenged her to shoot his cigarette and she succeeded

• Could’ve killed Wilhelm, potentially avoiding WWI

Most important weapon of WWI

• Machine gun

  • reason why trench warfare and stalemate occurred

  • no one wanted to be easily killed by machine gun

Other technological breakthroughs during WWI:

• Chemical weapons

  • Chlorine

  • Mustard Gas

Propaganda’s role in war

• Poster’s were made igniting fear, especially of Germans

• ex: German soldier taking away a Berlin girl

Trench warfare

a type of combat in which the opposing sides attack, counterattack, and defend from relatively permanent systems of trenches dug into the ground

No Man’s Land

• the area of land between two enemy trench systems, not controlled by either side

• very hard to survive getting through to the opponent side’s trenches

Going “over the top”

• Trench warfare

• used by British troops to describe the moment they emerged from the trenches to charge out over open land and attack the enemy

War of attrition

• Definition: a prolonged war or period of conflict during which each side seeks to gradually wear out the other by a series of small-scale actions.

• WWI was a war of attrition because both sides attempted to wear down their enemies to the point of defeat by continuously attacking their forces

  • not focused on major strategic victories but on continual trench warfare where both sides attempted to gain small inroads in land

Battle of Amiens

• August 1918

• Americans help tip the balance of power in Allies favor

• Spring offensive fails (32 German divisions attack but stopped) (March 1918)

• November 9. 1918 Kaiser Wilhelm II gave up his throne because he knew Germany would lose

• Weimer Republic (A German country) signs an armistice on November 11, 1918

• “Victory had been bought so dear as to be nearly indistinguishable from defeat“ —Winston Churchill

Date of the Armistice:

11th hour of November 11, 1918

Paris Peace Conference

• At Versailles

• Wilson’s Peace Plan — 14 points

  • ending secret treaties, as Wilson thought alliances caused war

  • freedom of the seas (ex: Lusitania)

  • removing economic barriers (bc barriers made things economically tight in countries)

  • reducing the size of national armies and navies (aka militarism in MANIA)

  • adjusting colonial claims/fairness toward the colonial people

  • self-determination = let people decide what country they want to belong to

  • League of Nations = precursor of UN

    • Wilson’s biggest point

    • wanted countries to discuss with each other before going into war

Versailles Treaty

• Territorial

  • Germany surrenders Alsace-Lorraine

  • Germany surrendered Saar Coal Mines to French control with provision that after 15 years Saar inhabitants would decide if they wanted to rejoin Germany

    • Saar was full of resources that Germany had to give up

  • Poland becomes an independent nation

    • Germany’s Polish Corridor is given to Poland for water access

  • Territories in Africa and Pacific given as mandates to Britain, France, and Japan

• Disarmament

  • size of German army limited to 100,000 volunteers; no conscription

  • subs, airplanes, war industries banned

  • forbidden to place any troops in Rhineland a strip of territory in Western Germany

    • Rhineland can act as a buffer zone between Germany vs. France, Belgium and the Netherlands

• War Guilt and Reparations

  • sole blame placed on Germany

  • agreed to pay reparations to all Allies, $31 billion

1. George Clemenceau

• a French leader

• supported David Lloyd George

• wanted Germany to be punished harshly

2. Lloyd George

• a British leader

• He and Clemenceau lost most lives during war

• they wanted Germnay to pay reperations and be weak after war

• supported France’s goal of peace and vengeance

• wanted security buffer zone (Rhineland) → in case Germany attacked again

3. Vittorio Emanuele Orlando

• an Italian leader

• wanted to expand Italy's influence and shape it into a major power that could hold its own alongside the other great nations

4. Woodrow Wilson

• US President

• wanted peace without victory

Woodrow Wilson’s 14 Points

• ending secret treaties, as Wilson thought alliances caused war

• freedom of the seas (ex: Lusitania)

• removing economic barriers (bc barriers made things economically tight in countries)

• reducing the size of national armies and navies (aka militarism in MANIA)

• adjusting colonial claims/fairness toward the colonial people

• self-determination = let people decide what country they want to belong to

• League of Nations = precursor of UN

  • Wilson’s biggest point

  • wanted countries to discuss with each other before going into war

League of Nations

• precursor of UN

  • Wilson’s biggest point

  • wanted countries to discuss with each other before going into war

OUTCOME of the PARIS PEACE CONFERENCE:

• Germany - had to pay major reparations, lost lots of land/colonies, reduced its army into volunteers

• Britain - granted a mandate (control but not possession) over some German-controlled territory in the Middle East

• France - gained control of Alsace-Lorraine, Saar, occupation rights in the Rhineland for 15 years, and supervisory control over some German territories in the Middle East

• US - League of Nations was created

• Italy - gained control over southern Tyrol, a region in the Alps inhabited by 200,000 Germans

Costs of War:

• Social

  • 10 million+ soldiers killed

  • 10 million civilians killed (including starvation)

  • created hatred leading to WWII

• Political

  • end of 3 dynasties

    • Hohezollerns - Germany

    • Hapsburg - Austria-Hungary

    • Romanous - Romania

  • creation of countries (ie: Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, Czechoslovakia)

• Economic

  • tarriffs implemented

  • costs trillions of dollars

  • Russia turns communist

How did WWI lead into WWII?

• problems not resolved in WWI were pushed into WWII

• Germany’s punishments were too harsh for them to take → led to Nazi’s dictatorship for a powerful Germany again

Armenian Genocide

• Young Turk government mass killed and deported Armenian subjects of the Ottoman Empire

• Christian Amenians shared area in Ottoman Empire with Muslims for ages