1. World War I Dates: 1914-1918 Great Nations at the start of the Great War (World War I): Great Britain (England) France Germany Austria-HungaryRussia Italy USAOttoman (Turkish) Empire

2.  Militarism – Extreme readiness for war by building up of arms, army and readiness (population). ◦ Caused a buildup of military during late 1870-1914, esp. 1890s. ◦ By 1914 all but Britain had large army and plans for mobilization  Alliances – Used to boost defensive power, these proved to be the cause of major tensions due to the connections between so many nations.  Imperialism - Caused competition for pride, land, resources.  Nationalism – Nations acted in their own self- interest, desiring to be free from the influence of other countries and prove their ethnicity as best.

3.  Britain vs. Germany ◦ Industrialization ◦ Navy buildup (British “two power standard”, Germany was #2)  France vs. Germany ◦ Franco-Prussian War (1870)  (Germany Won) ◦ Morocco (1905, 1911) (France Won)  Austria-Hungary vs. Russia ◦ Balkans and ethnic disputes ◦ Non-frozen seaport for Russia

4.  Unification of Germany by Otto von Bismarck through wars and diplomacy from 1864-1871.  1879 – Dual Alliance between Germany and Austria Hungary (Secretly included Russia)  1882- Italy joins making the Triple Alliance  1887 – Reinsurance Treaty between Russia and Germany after Austria Hungary breaks 1879 treaty with Russia.  1890 – Kaiser Wilhelm II forces Bismarck to Resign and lets Russian treaty expire

5.  1892 and 1894 – France and Russia make treaties  1904 – Britain signs am entente cordiale or friendly understanding with France  1907 – Britain signs a treaty with Russia, completing the Triple Entente (Britain, France, and Russia)  1908 – Austria annexed Bosnia and Herzegovina

6.  Balkans as the “Powder Keg of Europe”  Austria-Hungary and Serbia both hoped to absorb all the Southern Slavic people into their nation.  1912- First Balkan War - Serbia, Bulgaria, and Greece take remaining Balkan lands from the Ottoman Empire (Albania was created).  1913 – Second Balkan War – Bulgaria attempts to take the spoils from first war from Greece and Serbia but loses.

7.  June 28, 1914 Franz and Sophie Ferdinand visit Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia. ◦ Assassinated by Serbian Nationalist Gavrilo Princip (19) of “Black Hand” ◦ Serbian officials knew of attempt but were not involved. ◦ Austria-Hungary asks for and receives a “ blank check” promise of support from Germany to attack Serbia. ◦ July 23 48 hour Ultimatum made by Austria to Serbia. Serbia accepts all but one demand (Austrian-Hungarian officials into Serbia) ◦ July 28, 1914 Austria declares war on Serbia

8.  July 28 - Austria-Hungary’s declaration of war lead to…  July 29 - Russia mobilizing on Austria-Hungary leading to…  July 29-31 - Germany asking Russia to stop or else leading to…  August 1 – Germany declaring war on Russia (after no response) and then…  August 3 – Germany declared war on France and marched through neutral Belgium, which lead to…  August 4 - Britain declaring war on Germany to defend Belgium.

9.  Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, and Ottoman Empire)  Allied Powers (Britain, France, Russia, Italians (switch sides, Spring 1915) and later the U.S.) ◦ Japan sided with the Allies under Emperor Hirohito ◦ T.E. Lawrence of Arabia led the Arab resistance against the Ottoman Empire

10.  Japanese over German China and Pacific island colonies  English and French over 3 out of 4 German African colonies  In India, Mohandas Gandhi urged Indian support for the War

11.  All resources devoted to war  No unemployment  Rationing is widespread including both foods and materials  Suppression of information including propaganda

12.  Machine Gun  Flamethrower ◦ Used Napalm or jellied gasoline  Artillery ◦ Long range guns that could fire different types of rounds, including some filled with poison gas or even propaganda literature.  Poison gas ◦ Including mustard, chlorine, phosgene, etc. that caused blinding, blisters, and even death. ◦ First used by the Germans in 1915, but both sides used it by the war’s end.  Tank ◦ Introduced in 1916 by the British, but both sides were using them by war’s end. ◦ Heavily armored with mounted machine guns. ◦ Used to cover uneven ground and barbed wire.

13.  Airplanes ◦ First used for watching the enemy then bombing then “dog fights” between planes ◦ Planes were first made of wood and cloth with no parachutes, the engine could fall out. ◦ French were first to design timer for the machine gun and propeller ◦ Eddie Rickenbacker (America) vs. Baron Manfred von Richthofen (Germany aka Red Baron) were the most famous pilots  Submarines (also called the U-boat) ◦ 1914 Germans used them the most ◦ Underwater missiles (torpedoes) ◦ ¾ of crews never made it home ◦ Mostly used in the Atlantic and the North Sea to break blockades of supplies  By 1917, the convoy system reduced sinking by u-boats by 50%

14.  Home by Christmas turns into a stalemate  Germans were guided by the Schlieffen Plan ◦ General Alfred Graf von Schlieffen ◦ Proposed taking France through Belgium, then focusing on Russia due to its lack of railroad, slow mobilization and superior numbers.  Germans push to take Paris, France but are stopped at the First Battle of the Marne River (Sept 3-9, 1914)  Germans then pushed towards the sea, but were stopped by the British in a series of battles (Masurian Lake, Sept 1914; Ypres, Nov 1914)

15.  After this, trench warfare became the norm. It included: ◦ Flooded trenches, rats, mud, artillery shelling, and lack of sleep and food ◦ Death with the average death count at 6400 per day ◦ No man’s land – Space between opposing trenches  Filled with mines, barbed wire, dead bodies, huge holes from artillery ◦ After days of artillery shelling, troops would go “over the top” of the trenches to attack, often retreat, and then counter attack. ◦ May 1915 – Italy signed a secret treaty to join the Allies, opening up a southern front  Feb. 1916 - Battle of Verdun ◦ Won by the Germans against British and French forces ◦ 600000 men lost for 4 miles gained

16.  July 1916 - Battle of the Somme ◦ Eventually won by the British ◦ 500000 Germans, 600000 Allies men lost for 5 miles gained  U.S. entrance in April 2, 1917 due to: ◦ Unrestricted submarine warfare  May 2, 1915 American tanker sunk by German U-boat  May 7, 1915 Lusitania is sunk by German U-boat  128 Americans were killed in the attack  Germany backs off for a time, but resumed attacks in 1917.

17.  Oct 1917 – Battle of Caporetto ◦ Austrians, with German reinforcements, push back Italians ◦ Only with British and French help is the advance stopped 20 miles north of Venice  Flu epidemic begins in East Asia and spreads west ◦ Troops moving cause fast spread ◦ 22 million die worldwide ◦ Over 500,000 Americans  March to May 1918 – 2nd Battle of Marne River ◦ The French, led by Marshal Ferdinand Foch and 140000 American Troops defeated the Germans with 350 tanks. ◦ The Zimmerman note  Sent to Mexico April 2, 1917  Attempted to get Mexico to attack the U.S. on the side of the Central Powers

18.  June 1918 - Germans 50 Miles from France were halted at Chateau-Thierry by US and French Forces (50% troop loss). ◦ The use of tank helped halt the attack.  November 1918 - Ottoman, Bulgarians, Austria Hungary had all surrendered at this point  Sept 26, 1918 Battle of Argonne - Leads to armistice  Nov 9, 1918 Armistice due to a revolt against Wilhem II, who fled to the Netherlands  War ends 11/11/18 at 11 am.

19.  Extended from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea  Russians and Serbs battled Germans, Austria- Hungarians, and Turks (Ottoman Empire)  1914 – Armenian Massacre 2 million Christians killed by Turks  August 1914 - Battle of Tannenberg ◦ Germans beat 2 Russian Armies ◦ Russia not industrialized which meant short on food, ammo, clothes, etc. due to Germany’s blockade of Baltic Sea and Ottoman Empire’s blockade of Black Sea

20.  December 1914 - Limanova ◦ 17-day battle where Austria defeats Russia  Fall of 1915 – Bulgaria joins the Central Powers ◦ With the help of German, Bulgaria overruns Serbia  Feb 1915 to Jan 1916 – Battle of Gallipoli ◦ British, Australian, New Zealand and French troops vs. Ottoman Empire, with help from Germany and Austria-Hungary ◦ Allies Retreat losing 250000 troops ◦ Allies wanted Constantinople to open Russia and Austria via the Danube River through the Bosporus and Dardanelles (Black Sea Entrance)

21.  Russian withdrawal from the war ◦ Fall of Czar Nicholas II  Lack of food for population  Lack of victory on the battlefield ◦ March 1917 – March Revolution  Replaced the Czar with a provisional government ◦ Nov.1917 - Communist Revolution  Lead by Vladimir Ilyich Lenin ◦ March 1918 - Treaty of Brest-Litovsk  Peace with Germany  Surrendered about 25% of their land and population to Germany as part of the treaty  Done with the war

22.  LodzNovember 1914  GaliciaMay 1915  KovelJune 1916  CzerowitzJune 1916  Kerensky OffensiveJuly 1917

23.  8.5-10 million soldiers died  1 millon civilians died  21 Million wounded  $350 billion dollars total cost

24.  Jan 18, 1918 - Versailles Peace Conference ◦ 32 countries in attendance ◦ The Big Four  USA (Woodrow Wilson)  France (Georges Clemenceau)  Great Britain (David Lloyd George)  Italy (Vittorio Orlando) ◦ No Central Power representation ◦ No Russian representation

25. ◦ Issued first in Jan. 1918 (before war’s end) ◦ Point 1 - Called for the end of secret treaties ◦ Point 2-5 – Called for freedom of the seas, free trade, reduced armies and navies, and colonies resolved ◦ Points 6-13 - creating new nations (self determination) by ethnic lines ◦ Point 14 – Creation of a “League of Nations”  Executive council (5), General assembly (32))

26.  Motives differed during the conference: ◦ Britain  David Lloyd George won reelection on saying he would squeeze Germany dry  Britain wanted revenge and rewards (mostly African colonies) ◦ France  Most of fighting took place on their land  Revenge and security from Germany  Wanted Alsace-Lorraine back, the creation of a buffer zone known as the Rhineland (between Germany and France)  Also wanted reparations from Germany ◦ Italy  Wanted the promise Austrian lands and one of its captured cities ◦ US wanted peace for all (Peace without victory) instead of rewards

27. ◦ 5 treaties in total (Germany, Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria, Ottoman) ◦ Germany  Had to claim guilt for the War (War Guilt Clause)  Lost land  Alsace-Lorraine to France  Colonies to League of Nations as Mandates (Controlled but not owned)  Lost armed forces (No subs, planes, and weapons)  Lost money (33 billion over 30 years (reparations)  Germans signed only after threat of more war

28. ◦ Austria-Hungary  Divided into Austria and Hungary  Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia were created from their lands  Romania and Italy increased in size from their lands  Austria could never unite with Germany  Had to pay reparations ◦ Bulgaria  Lost Aegean Sea coastline to Greece  Had to pay reparations

29. ◦ Ottoman Empire  Divided into Turkey  Divided into Palestine, Iraq, Trans-Jordan as mandates under British control  Divided into Syria and Lebanon as mandates under French control ◦ Russia  Romania was increased by their lands  Poland, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania were all created from their lands

30.  Problems with the Treaty: ◦ Too much put on Germany  Guilt  Debt ◦ Territory was not as justly divided by national/ethnic lines ◦ Not enough given to Japan and Italy as promised ◦ Russia excluded and lost more land than Germany ◦ No American support for the Treaty or the League of Nations