1. The War to End all Wars

3. Bonkers about the Balkans
Serbia wanted to unite all Slavic (ethnicity) states
Because Russia was a predominately Slavic nation, they backed Serbia
Austria-Hungary had just annexed Bosnia and Herzegovinian and refused to let this happen

4. June 28, 1914
Archduke Franz Ferdinand – heir to Austria-Hungarian throne
Campaign to Sarajevo
Assassinated by a Serbian terrorist
AH blames Serbia

5. June 28, 1914
Germany, allied with AH says they will give any help necessary
July 28th – AH declares war on S
Russia mobilizes army against AH and Germany
Germany gives Russia 12 hours to stop; Russia ignores; Germany declares war on Russia – August 1
Under Germany’s Schlieffen Plan (attack France to West and Russia to the East, speedy end to the war), France – August 3
Germany enters France through neutral Belgium
Great Britain, allied to France and honoring Belgium’s neutrality declares war on Germany – Aug. 4

6. Alliance Dominoes…

7. New Face, New Names Triple Entente – Allied Powers
Italy joined when Germany disregarded Belgium’s neutrality
Most of the Balkan nations joined
Japan joins
Triple Alliance – Central Powers
The Ottoman Empire (Turkey) and Bulgaria joined in 1915

8. New Weapons Machine gun Poison gas (Mustard gas) Carried by the wind
Burned out soldier’s lungs
Deadly in the trenches where it would sit at the bottom
Submarine
Airplane
Tank
Hand grenades
Flame Throwers

9. New Weapons

10. Western Front, the beginning
Germany invaded France through Germany trying to capture Paris
Battle of the Marne, September 1914
Stopped German advances towards Paris
Stalemate – no longer advancing, enter Trench Warfare

11. Trench Warfare
both sides dug trenches protected by mines and barbed wire
6,250 miles
6 to 8 feet deep
Immobilized both sides for 4 years
Life
Bored, shell shock, unsanitary

12. Trench Warfare

13. Christmas Truce, 1914 unofficial truce lasted for several days
“We shook hands, wished each other a Merry Xmas, and were soon conversing as if we had known each other for years…”

14. Total War - 1915 Mobilizing ALL resources
Draft – soldiers
Rationing of resources at home so troops would be taken care of
Propaganda – divert attention to war and influence public opinion
Targeting civilians (non – military), too

15. Western Front, 1916 -1917 Battle of Verdun Battle of the Somme
Longest battle
21 February-18 December 1916
Battle of the Somme
Bloodiest battle
Nationality
Total casualties
Killed & missing
Prisoners
United Kingdom
350,000+ -
Canada
24,029
Australia
23,000
< 200
New Zealand
7,408 
South Africa
3,000+
Newfoundland
2,000+
Total British Empire
419,654
95,675
French
204,253
50,756
Total Allied
623,907
146,431
Germany
465,000
164,055
31,000

16. Total War – German Subs
Unrestricted Submarine Warfare – Germans did not care if it was a civilian liner, they would fire – wanted to keep Allies from supplies
Lusitania was a British ship believed to be carrying goods from the US to Great Britain
May 1915, Germany fired, killing about Americans
President Wilson had no choice but to consider war

17. Eastern Front August 1914, Battle of Tannenberg
almost complete destruction of the Russian Second Army
Russia is getting destroyed – moral and confidence in government of Tsar Nicholas II is wavering

18. Eastern Front – Russia leaves
Internal Affairs
War and government = unpopular with people
Rise of Vladimir Lenin – promised to get Russia out of war
Russia leaves WWI to combat an internal revolution

19. Zimmerman Telegram
Germany sends telegram to Mexico saying if you help against US and Japan, we will help you get Texas/other land lost back form US
United States intercepts
President Wilson and Congress declare war on Germany, April1917

20. 1917-1918 Allied forces moral and supplies renewed
“drafted 2.8 million men and by summer 1918 was sending 10,000 fresh soldiers to France every day.”
Allied victories become increasingly common and more frequent than Central Powers

21. Last Chance for Success
Spring 1918, Germans sought to divide British and French troops before large amounts of US forces arrive
Allies response: Hundred Day Offensive
September 1918, German General admits defeat and asks government for peace

22. Central Powers Collapse
Allies wouldn’t bargain with autocratic imperial government
Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicated Nov. 9
November 11, 1918, Democratic Republic of Germany signs armistice
A truce, an agreement to end the fighting
Austria-Hungary collapsed under revolution
New states formed
Austria
Hungary
Czechoslovakia
Yugoslavia

23. “making the world safe for democracy”
Peace Settlements of 1919
27 Allied nations met in Paris to make final settlements
Wilson’s Proposal – Fourteen Points (1st US President to Europe)
Openly reaching peace with nations, not secret alliances
Reducing armaments
Ensure self-determination (right of each people to have its own nation)
“making the world safe for democracy”

24. Paris Peace Conference
Many nations wanted Germany to “pay for this dreadful war”
Georges Clemenceau (France) desired revenge and wanted
Germany to loose all weapons
Pay reparations
Separate buffer state between France/Germany
Big Three made all the decisions
United States – Wilson
Great Britain – David Lloyd Georges
France – Clemenceau

25. Peace Settlements League of Nations, Jan. 25, 1919
June 28, 1919 – Treaty of Versailles
Germany took responsibility for starting war
Germany pay reparations
Germany reduce army to 100,000, cut navy and eliminate air force
Germany gave Alsace and Lorraine back to France
Germany lost eastern land to Poland
New Map of Europe