Main Concepts

1. Lead up to WWI

2. WWI

3. WWI outcomes

Lead up to WWI

• Underlying vs Immediate causes (MANIA)

  • MANI = underlying

    • Militarism - increased military focus/spending - primarily represented by Germany who saw the greatest increase in military spending

    • Alliances - complicated IR’s that led to a chain reaction of involvement. Main 2: Triple Entente (Allies) - France, UK, Russia, Triple Alliance (Central Powers) - Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy

    • Nationalism - strong collective identities and action on behalf of nations

      • Led to idea of supremacy over other nations → blind to faults

      • Heightened in Balkans after Bosnia was annexed by Austria-Hungary → Serbia upset

    • Imperialism - expansion of territory through colonies to gain power, resources, influence, etc.

      • Fashoda Incident: Conflict between France and Britain for Fashoda in Africa where both believed they were entitled to the land.

      • Scramble for Africa - territory in Europe was already claimed had to go to Africa for more space

  • A = immediate

    • Assassination - Serbian nationalists who wanted the separation of Bosnia (?) from Austria-Hungary assassinated Archduke Ferdinand of Austria (next in line for the throne)

    • Catalyst for setting off WWI

      • Triggered the July Crisis (period of time where multiple countries were declaring war on each other because of alliances: Austria-Hungary on Serbia → Germany pulled in because of Austria-Hungary → etc

WWI

• Variations on nationalism

  • Chauvinism

    • Extreme form of nationalism with extreme patriotism/bias towards nation

      • Use of propaganda

  • Jingoism

    • Extreme form of nationalism (chauvinism) that utilizes military force

      • Forcefully using military to support national ideals

    • Eg. Germany

• Total War

  • Type of war that utilizes civilian resources/infrastructure b/c war is the priority

  • Unrestricted weaponry/combatants/objectives/etc - rules of war not followed

    • Industrial warfare, sieging, raids, collective punishment

• Schlieffen Plan

  • Proposed 1905, enacted 1914

  • Tactic that Germany developed to successfully fight a war with both Russia and France

    • Assumed that Russia (attacking from East) would be slow to mobilize troops b/c of size of country - at least 6 weeks to have army ready)

      • During this time would attack France by going through Belgium

    • Problems:

      • Belgians fought against German troops entering

        • Germany entering went against Treaty of London → UK involvement

      • Russian troops mobilized very fast (10 days vs 6 weeks)

        • Took troops away from Western front → weakened on both fronts

  • Failure of Schlieffen Plan led to trench warfare on Western front

• Types of Warfare

  • trench Warfare

    • War of inches

    • Both sides dig in trenches to attack each other

  • War of Attrition

• Changes in Allegiance

  • 1915 - Italy meets with Triple Entente (Treaty of London)

    • Allies propose Italy getting territory from Austria-Hungary/Ottoman Empire if swap sides (TA → TE)

      • Goal to divert Central Powers forces from battlefield

    • May 1915 - Italy declares war on Austria-Hungary (leaving the Triple Alliance)

      • Waits another year to declare war on Germany

  • 1917 - Russian Revolution

    • Russian citizens very upset → overthrow Tsar in favour of Lenin’s Bolshevik Party (Socialism/communism)

      • Many economic problems b/c of war - people wanted out

    • Russia signed treaty with Central Powers in March 1918 (Brest-Litovsk Treaty)

    • No longer part of TE or TA - focused on internal revolution

• Advances in Technology

  • Tanks

    • First introduced 1916 by Allies at Battle of Somme

      • Initially very dangerous

  • Machine Guns

  • Tactical Air Support

  • Gas

    • Chlorine gas - chemical warfare (later banned by Geneva Convention)

    • Used for psychological warfare

• US Involvement

  • Initially neutral but once Zimmerman Telegram was intercepted engaged in war

    • ZT - Germany trying to convince Mexico to join the war and offered US’s territory if they won

• Canada Involvement

  • Already involved b/c of UK’s involvement - dominions of UK

  • Entered with low public service/support - citizens asked to support war effort (victory bonds, enlisting)

    • Created income tax in order to support the war effort

  • Increase in propaganda + censorship

  • War Measures Act (Intro August 1914) - gave extreme power to government

    • Allowed gov. to intern Ukrainian-Canadians

    • Mandatory conscription (1917)

      • Saw conscientious objectors

  • Saw shift in Canadian nationalism from beginning to end of war

    • UK focused → Canada as independent nation

  • Reputation of hardworking/successful soldiers

    • Battle of Ypres - first major involvement/debut of gas attacks

    • Battle of Somme/Courcelette

    • Battle for Vimy Ridge

    • 2nd Battle of Passchendaele - significant war of attrition

Ending WWI

• 100 Days Offensive/Last 100 Days

  • Major Allied push to get Germany out of France - intending to end WWI

  • Led to armistice that went into effect Nov. 11, 11 AM 1918 (Remembrance Day)

    • Officially ended war but peace treaty wasn’t finalized till 1919

• Treaty of Versailles (May 1919)

  • Negotiations on repercussions various nations would have to face + how to prevent future total war

  • Saw negotiations primarily with UK, US, and France (+Italy but not really)

    • France wanted extreme reparations on Germany (France lost most/suffered most destruction)

    • US’s Woodrow Wilson wanted less extreme reparations b/c their economy was tied to Germany + suffered the least

      • Proposed 14 points - very idealist. Influenced the armistice that ended the war

        • (Don’t need to memorize) Called for open diplomacy w/o secret treaties, ensured free, equal trade, fewer arms, adjusted colonial claims, allow for Russia to define own borders without influence from Central Powers, restoration of Belgium/return of territory to France, adjust European borders, separation of Austria/Hungary into Austria and Hungary, creation of Romania, Serbia, Montenegro, Poland, Turkey, create League of Nations

    • UK wanted reparations but less harsh than France

    • Defeated countries (Central Powers) + Russia were not included in negotiations

  • Outcome of the Treaty of Versailles (GARGLE)

    • Guilt - Germany accepts full blame for war

    • Army - German army reduced to 100k, demilitarization of the Rhineland (major manufacturing + industrial area in Germany), no war materials/armaments

    • Reparations - £6,600 million

    • German territory - Had to return Alsace-Lorraine to France, colonies split among Allied forces

    • League of Nations - created to try and keep peace in Europe

    • Extra - forbade union of Germany with Estonia and political union of Austria and Germany

  • Germany very upset with GARGLE but couldn’t do anything about it - already weakened and Allies threatened to invade if not signed

  • Dominions of UK given ability to sign independently (increased Canadian nationalism - seen as independent nation from UK)

  • Ratified immediately by France, Italy upset b/c didn't get what they were promised in Treaty of London but signed, not signed or ratified by US → “officially” ended war with Central Powers in 1921 independently of the League of Nations

• League of Nations

  • International organization with goal of international peace

    • Not joined by US, left by USSR → made not that influential b/c 2 world powers weren’t part of it

  • Couldn’t enforce mandates - depended on member states to do so

  • Collective security for all members/small states impacted by war (peaceful disputes)

  • Respected sovereignty of members/independent states (not enforced)

  • Disarmament of members/protection of smaller nations from invasions (also failed here)

• Impacts of the War

  • Increased national debts everywhere but US

    • Smaller working class b/c many lost in the war

  • New nations struggled - economically/politically unviable (didn’t know how to govern themselves without larger nation helping them)

    • Saw rise in extremism and internal divides

  • Germany saw hyperinflation as result of reparations

    • League of Nations sent in Charles Dawe to fix the issue (huge hit to Germany pride/nationalism b/c they couldn’t fix their own problems)