The First World War
1914-1918
Causes of the War
Historians have traditionally cited four long-
term causes of the First World War
NATIONALISM – a devotion to the interests and
culture of one’s nation
IMPERIALISM – Economic and political control
over weaker nations
MILITARISM – The growth of nationalism and
imperialism led to increased military spending
ALLIANCE SYSTEM – By 1907 Europe was
divided into two armed camps
Nationalism
Often nationalism led
to rivalries and conflicts
between nations.
Additionally, various
ethnic groups resented
domination by others
and wanted
independence. Finally,
Russia and Austria- Germany was allied with Austria-
Hungary while Russia, France and
Hungary disagreed over Britain were partners
the treatment of Serbs
in central Europe.
Imperialism
For many centuries,
European nations built
empires. Colonies
supplied raw materials
and provided markets
for manufactured
goods. As Germany
industrialized, she
competed with other
nations and colonies
made her more
competitive.
Militarism
Empires had to be defended and
European nations increased
military spending enormously in
the late 19th and early 20th
century.
By 1890 the strongest nation
militarily in Europe was Germany
Germany had a strong army and
built up a navy to rival England’s
fleet.
France, Italy, Japan and the
United States quickly joined in the
naval buildup.
Alliance System
TRIPLE ENTENTE By 1907 there were two
major defense alliances in
Europe
The Triple Entente, later
known as the Allies,
consisted of France, Britain,
and Russia
The Triple Alliance, later
FRANCE BRITAIN RUSSIA
known as the Central
Powers, consisted of
Germany, Austria-Hungary,
and Italy (Soon joined by
the Ottoman Empire)
FIRST MOROCCAN CRISIS
First Moroccan Crisis - In 1904 France had concluded a secret
treaty with Spain partitioning Morocco and had also agreed not to
oppose Britain’s moves in Egypt in exchange for a free hand in
Morocco. Germany, however, insisted upon an open-door policy
in the area; and, in a dramatic show of imperial power, the
emperor William II visited Tangier and, from his yacht on March
31, 1905, declared for Morocco’s independence and integrity. The
resultant international panic, the First Moroccan Crisis, was
resolved in January–April 1906 at the Algeciras Conference,
where German and other national economic rights were upheld
and where the French and Spanish were entrusted with the
policing of Morocco. On Feb. 8, 1908, a further Franco-German
agreement reaffirmed Morocco’s independence while recognizing
France’s “special political interests” and Germany’s economic
interests in North Africa.
SECOND MOROCCAN CRISIS
The Second Moroccan Crisis was precipitated when the German
gunboat Panther was sent to Agadir on July 1, 1911, ostensibly to
protect German interests during a local native uprising in
Morocco. This “Agadir Incident” sparked a flurry of war talk during
the summer and fall (the British even made preparations for
eventual war), but international negotiations continued, and the
crisis subsided with the conclusion of the convention of Nov. 4,
1911, in which France was given rights to a protectorate over
Morocco and, in return, Germany was given strips of territory from
the French Congo. Spain at first objected; but, through the
intervention of Great Britain, a Franco-Spanish treaty was
concluded on Nov. 27, 1912, slightly revising the previous Franco-
Spanish boundaries in Morocco.
TRIPLE ALLIANCE
An agreement between Germany, Austria-Hungary,
and Italy formed in May 1882 and renewed periodically
until World War I. Germany and Austria-Hungary had been
closely allied since 1879. Italy sought their support
against France shortly after losing North African ambitions to
the French. The treaty provided that Germany and Austria-
Hungary were to assist Italy if it were attacked by France
without Italian provocation; Italy would assist Germany if
Germany were attacked by France. In the event of a war
between Austria-Hungary and Russia, Italy promised to
remain neutral. This abstention would have the effect of
freeing Austrian troops that would otherwise have been
needed to guard the Austrian-Italian border.
TRIPLE ENTENTE
Association between Great
Britain, France, and Russia, the nucleus
of the Allied Powers in World War I. It
developed from the Franco-Russian
alliance that gradually developed and
was formalized in 1894, the Anglo-
French Entente Cordiale of 1904, and
an Anglo-Russian agreement of 1907,
which brought the Triple Entente into
existence.
Bosnian crisis of 1908
State of severe international tension caused by
the annexation by Austria-Hungary of the Balkan provinces
of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Congress of Berlin (1878) had
given Austria-Hungary the right to occupy and administer Bosnia
and Herzegovina temporarily, but the provinces officially
remained possessions of the Ottoman Empire. Still, the Austrian
administration tried mightily and at great expense to improve the
strategically valuable region economically and to link it closely
with Austria-Hungary. When in July 1908 the Young Turks staged
a revolution in Constantinople (now Istanbul), established a
constitutional government, and inaugurated a reform program,
Austria resolved to annex Bosnia and Herzegovina before the
new Turkish regime could regain control over them.
Italo-Turkish War (1911-1912)
The First Balkan War (1912-1913)
The First Balkan War was fought between the members of
the Balkan League —Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece, and
Montenegro—and the Ottoman Empire. The Balkan
League was formed under Russian auspices in the spring of
1912 to take Macedonia away from Turkey, which was already
involved in a war with Italy. Montenegro opened hostilities by
declaring war on Turkey on Oct. 8, 1912, and the other
members of the league followed suit 10 days later. Under a
peace treaty signed in London on May 30, 1913, the Ottoman
Empire lost almost all of its remaining European territory,
including all of Macedonia and Albania. Albanian
independence was insisted upon by the European powers,
and Macedonia was to be divided among the Balkan allies.
The Second Balkan War (1913)
The Second Balkan War began when Serbia, Greece,
and Romania quarreled with Bulgaria over the division
of their joint conquests in Macedonia. On June 1, 1913,
Serbia and Greece formed an alliance against Bulgaria,
and the war began on the night of June 29/30, 1913,
when King Ferdinand of Bulgaria ordered his troops to
attack Serbian and Greek forces in Macedonia. The
Bulgarians were defeated, however, and a peace treaty
was signed between the combatants on Aug. 10, 1913.
Under the terms of the treaty, Greece and Serbia
divided up most of Macedonia between themselves,
leaving Bulgaria with only a small part of the region.
The Major Players: 1914-17
Allied Powers: Central Powers:
Nicholas II
[Rus]
Wilhelm II [Ger]
George V [Br]
Victor Emmanuel
III [It]
Enver Pasha
[Turkey]
Pres. Poincarè [Fr]
Franz Josef [A-H]
Technology: Chemical Weapons
WWI was the first major war to
use chemical weapons
Mustard Gas and Chlorine Gas
were the two most popular weapons:
They caused suffocation, blindness,
and death.
Trench Warfare
Both sides dug long trenches that faced each
other. The trenches ran for miles.
From time to time, one side would attempt to
cross the “No-Man’s Land” the area in
between the trenches.
Trench warfare made WWI extend from a few
months of fighting to four years of fighting.
Trench Warfare
German Soldiers
The conditions in these trenches were horrific. Aside from the fear of
bombardment, soldiers also had to contend with mud, flooding, lice, vermin, and
disease associated with living in such an unhealthy environment.
Technology:
Airpower
Both sides used aircraft for observation,
limited bombing, and air battles
Airplanes were slow, clumsy, and unreliable,
The most famous German pilot was Baron von
Richthofen (The Red Baron)
Red Baron
Technology:
Tanks
Krupp’s “Big Bertha” Gun
SUBMARINES
Both humans and animals were susceptible to the
effects of poison gas. Dogs were used during World War
I as sentries, sled dogs, pack animals, and messengers.
WAR ECONOMY
The organization of a country's production
capacity and distribution during a time of
conflict. A war economy must make
substantial adjustments to its consumer
production in order to accommodate defense
production. Governments must choose how
to allocate their resources in a war economy
very carefully in order to achieve military
victory while meeting vital domestic
consumer needs.
The Spark: An Assassination
The Balkan region was considered
“the powder keg of Europe” due to
competing interests in the area.
Russia wanted access to the
Mediterranean Sea. Germany
wanted a rail link to the Ottoman
Empire. Austria-Hungary, which had
taken control of Bosnia in 1878,
accused Serbia of subverting its rule
over Bosnia.
Finally, in June of 1914, Archduke
Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austrian
throne was gunned down by a
Serbia radical igniting a diplomatic
crisis.
The Assassin:
Gavrilo
Princip
(Black
Hand)
Summer of 1914
Triple Entente/Triple Alliance Actions
July 23rd Austria Hungary Presents Serbia with
an ultimatum
July 28th Austria-Hungary declares war on
Serbia
July 29th Russia Mobilizes its troops
August 1, 1914 Germany mobilizes troops.
Summer of 1914
Triple Entente/Triple Alliance Actions
August 2nd Germany declares war on Russia
Germany invades Poland and Luxemburg,
invasion of France starts
August 3: Germany declares war on France
August 4: Germany declares war on Belgium
and invades it.
August 4:England declares war on Germany
August 5: Austria declares war on Russia and
Great Britain.
Who Declared War?
Austria-Hungary Declares War on Serbia
Russia Declares War on Austria Hungary
Germany Declares War on Russia
Germany Declares War on France
England Declares War on Germany and
Austria Hungary
Japan declares war on Germany
The Fighting Begins
The Alliance system pulled
one nation after another
into the conflict – The
Great War had begun. On
August 3, 1914, Germany
invaded Belgium, following
a strategy known as the
Schlieffen Plan. This plan
called for a quick strike
through Belgium to Paris,
France. Next, Germany
would attack Russia
The plan was designed to
prevent a two-front war for The Schliefflen Plan
Germany.
The War Becomes A Stalemate
Unable to save Belgium, the Allies
retreated to the Marne River in
France where they halted the
German advance in September (6-
14) of 1914. Both sides dug in for a
long siege. By the spring of 1915,
two parallel systems of deep
trenches crossed France from
Belgium to Switzerland. Between
enemy trenches was “no man’s
land” – an area pockmarked with
shell craters and filled with barbed British soldiers standing in mud
wire.
BATTLE OF TANNENBERG
After invading the north-eastern part of the
German empire, Russians were defeated and
Gen. Samsonov committed suicide (August
26-30, 1914).
BATTLE OF THE MASURIAN LAKES
(SEPTEMBER 7-14, 1914)
The Battle of the Masurian Lakes was a German offensive in
the Eastern Front during the early stages of World War I. It
pushed the Russian First Army back across its entire front,
eventually ejecting it from Germany.
OCTOBER 31, 1914
The Ottoman Empire entered the war against the
Triple Entente.
The Gallipoli Disaster, April 1915- Jan. 1916
Turkish Genocide Against Armenians
Districts & Vilayets of Western
1914 1922
Armenia in Turkey
Erzerum 215,000 1,500
Van 197,000 500
Kharbert 204,000 35,000
Diarbekir 124,000 3,000
Bitlis 220,000 56,000
Sivas 225,000 16,800
Other Armenian-populated Sites in
Turkey
Western Anatolia 371,800 27,000
Cilicia and Northern Syria 309,000 70,000
European Turkey 194,000 163,000
Trapizond District 73,390 15,000
Total 2,133,190 387,800
BATTLE OF VERDUN
(FEBRUARY-DECEMBER 1916)
700.000 CASUALTIES (EXCLUDING CIVILIANS)
First Battle of The Somme
July-November 1916
During the First Battle of the
Somme—which began on July 1,
1916, and lasted until mid-
November—the British suffered an
enormous number of casualties
(60,000 on the first day). Final
casualties for this phase of the war
totaled 1.2 million, yet only 7 miles of
ground was gained. This bloody
trench warfare, in which armies
fought for mere yards of ground,
Gas attacks were common features lasted for three years.
of trench life and often caused
blindness and lung disease
BATTLE OF JUTLAND (MAY 31– JUNE 1 1916)
AN INCONCLUSIVE BATTLE – A STRATEGIC
ENGLISH VICTORY?
STALEMATE AND EXHAUSTION
300.000 TRIALS FOR SELF-INFLICTED
WOUNDS, DESERTION, MUTINY, ETC…
REVOLTS AMONG SOLDIERS AND
COMMON PEOPLE
STARVATION AND FOOD-RATIONING
Americans Question Neutrality
In 1914, most Americans saw no
reason to join a struggle 3,000
miles away – they wanted
neutrality. Some simply did not
want their sons to experience the
horror of warfare. Some
German-Americans supported
Germany in World War I.
However, many Americans felt
closer to the British because of a
shared ancestry and language.
Most importantly, American
French propaganda poster economic interests were far
portrayed the Germans as
inhuman. stronger with the Allies.
The War Hits Home
During the first two years of the war,
America was providing (selling) the
allied forces dynamite, cannon
powder, submarines, copper wire
and tubing and other war material.
Both the Germans and British
imposed naval blockades on each
other. The Germans used U-boats
(submarines) to prevent shipments to
the North Atlantic. Any ship found in
the waters around Britain would be
sunk.
The Lusitania Disaster
United States involvement in
World War I was hastened by the
Lusitania disaster. The Lusitania
was a British passenger liner that
carried 1,198 persons on a fateful
trip on May 7, 1915.
A German U-boat sank the British
passenger liner killing all aboard
including 128 American tourists.
The Germans claimed the ship
was carrying Allied ammunition.
Americans were outraged and
public opinion turned against
Germany and the Central Powers.
May 7, 1915
The N.Y. Times reports on the Lusitania
1916 Election
The November 1916 election
pitted incumbent Democrat
Woodrow Wilson vs.
Republican candidate
Supreme Court justice
Charles Evans Hughes.
Wilson won a close election
using the slogan, “He kept us
out of war.” That slogan
would prove ironic because
within a few months the
United States would be
embroiled in World War I.
America Edges Closer To War
Several factors came together to bring
the U.S. into the war:
1. Germany ignored Wilson’s plea
for peace.
2. The Zimmerman Note (Jan 16,
1917), a telegram from the German
foreign minister to the German
Ambassador in Mexico, proposed
an alliance with Mexico and a return
of their “lost territory” in Texas, New
Encoded message from Mexico, and Arizona.
Germany to Mexico 3. Next came the sinking of four
unarmed U.S. merchant ships by
German subs.
Zimmerman
note
intercepted
by a British
agent and
decoded
Unrestricted submarine Warfare
On February 1,
1917, Germany
declared
unrestricted
submarine warfare,
meaning that its U-
boats would torpedo
any British ships or
those trading with
the UK without
warning.
America Declares War
On April 2, 1917, senators,
representatives,
ambassadors, members of
the Supreme Court, and
other guests crowded into
the Capital building to hear
Wilson deliver his
declaration of war.
Wilson said, “The world
must be made safe for
democracy.”
Congress passed the
resolution on April 6.
American Power Tips the Balance
America was not ready for
war. Only 200,000 men
were in service when war
was declared, so Congress
passed the Selective
Service Act in May of 1917.
In sum, About 2 million
American troops reached
Europe.
In November 1917, the first
battle involving U.S. troops.
Propaganda
To popularize the war, the
government set up the
nations first propaganda
agency called the
Committee on Public
Information (CPI).
George Creel led the
agency and persuaded
many of the nation’s artists
to create thousands of
paintings, posters, cartoons
and sculptures to promote
the war.
American economy
The Entire U.S. Economy
Was Focused On The War
Effort. The Shift From A
Consumer Economy To
War Economy Required A
Collaboration Between
Business And Government.
In The Process, The
Power Of The U.S.
Government Expanded.
Congress Gave President
Wilson Direct Control Over
The Economy.
War Industries Board
The War Industries Board
(WIB) encouraged companies
to use mass-production
techniques. Under the WIB
industrial production and
wages increased 20% and
union membership increased
from 2.5 million to 4 million.
To deal with disputes between
management and labor,
President Wilson set up the
National War Labor Board in
1918.
Attack on Civil Liberties
As the war progressed, Civil
Liberties were compromised.
Anti-Immigrant feelings were
openly expressed especially
anti-German and Austrian-
Hungarian.
Espionage and Sedition Acts
were passed by Congress.
These acts were designed to
prevent anti-war protests but
went against the spirit of the
First Amendment (free Any anti-American
speech) sentiments were targeted
Socialists and labor leaders during wartime
were targeted for disloyalty.
Fresh U.S. Soldiers Join Fight
After 2 ½ years of fighting,
the Allied forces were
exhausted. One of the main
contributions of the
Americans was fresh and
enthusiastic troops.
American infantry were
nicknamed “doughboys”
because of their white belts.
Most doughboys had never
ventured far from the farms
or small towns they lived in.
American Troops Go On the Offensive
When Russia surrendered to
the Germans in 1917, the
Central Powers were able to
focus on the Western Front .
By May, the Germans were
within 50 miles of Paris. The
Americans arrived and
immediately played a major
Men of the 42nd Division during the role in pushing the Germans
Second Marne. These men were back. In July and August the
killed by artillery fire just 5 minutes
after this photo was taken Americans helped the Allies
win the Second Battle of the
Marne.
1 August 1917 – The Pope’s Note to the Heads
of the Belligerent Peoples
At the height of the First
World War Benedict XV
(September 6, 1914 – 1922)
addressed this open letter to
the heads of the peoples
engaged in this international
conflict. However, this letter,
which expressed to the full
Benedict XV’s horror at the
carnage and slaughter of the
Great War, failed to be acted
upon at an international level.
ZIMMERWALD CONFERENCE
SEPTEMBER 5-8, 1915.
It was the first of three
international socialist
conferences convened
by anti-militarist socialist
parties from countries that
were originally neutral
during World War I. The
individuals and organizations
participating in this and
subsequent conferences held
at Kienthal and
Stockholm are known jointly
as the Zimmerwald
movement.
SUMMER-FALL 1917
After two disastrous
attacks in Galicia and
Carpathians (June-July),
Russia entered in a
definitive crisis. The
October Revolution
brought about the definitive
abandonment of the war
(Treaty of Brest-Litovsk:
March 3, 1918).
The battle of Amiens - August 8-12, 1918
(North-Eastern France)
It was the opening
phase of the Allied
offensive later known
as the Hundred Days
Offensive that
ultimately led to the end
of the First World War.
Germany collapses, the war ends
On November 3, 1918,
Germany’s partner, Austria-
Hungary, surrendered to the
Allies. That same day,
German sailors mutinied
against their government.
Other revolts followed, and
Germany was too
exhausted to continue.
So at the eleventh hour, on
the eleventh day, of the
eleventh month of 1918,
Germany signed a truce
ending the Great War.
War ends 11/11/18
THE FIRST WORLD WAR IS OVER
MANY THANKS
FOR YOUR
ATTENTION
