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In 1900, Europeans were enjoying greater peace and prosperity than ever before.

Despite minor conflicts, Europeans had not experienced a major war on their continent for almost a century.

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By the early 1900s great powers of Europe were plunging toward war.

4 Factors fueled this: Militarism: Alliances: Imperialism: Nationalism:

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Militarism Glorification of armed strength Occurs when military values and goals take

over civilian society.

Generals became influential in government.

Germany and Britain competed to build the most powerful navy.

Military planning played a key role in the outbreak of World War I.

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Alliance System: By 1914, Europe was divided into two large

alliances. One side was Austria-Hungary and Germany. Italy joined them to form the Triple Alliance in

1882. The other side was known as the Triple Entente

which consisted of Russia, France, & Great Britain. Although these alliances sought to preserve the

existing balance of power, any dispute involving any two of these countries threatened to drag in all the others.

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Imperialism: When a nation tries to dominate the political, economic, and cultural affairs of another region.

Many European powers believed that the sign of a great power was possession of overseas colonies.

Competing claims created an atmosphere of tension between the major powers.

European great powers were competing economic interests.

By 1900, ¼ of the world was under British rule

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Nationalism: Love of one’s country It is also the belief that each ethnic group

should have its own nation. Belief that nations should promote their

nation’s interests. Nationalists sometimes assert their nation

as superior to others. Nationalism threatened to tear Austria-

Hungary apart.

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Unable to achieve reform through moderate means, some reformers turned to forming secret revolutionary movements.

Demonstrations forced the tsar to create a national assembly in Russia in 1905.

Reformers in Turkey overthrew the Sultan in 1908.

In Mexico, a revolution overthrew the country’s military dictator in 1910.

Even in China, nationalism reformers overthrew the emperor in 1912.

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New technologies made warfare tremendously more destructive than ever before.

Imperial governments and the old class system of Europe were forever shattered.

The violence of the war prepared the way for the rise of both communism and fascism.

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Balkan “powder keg”: The state of unrest in the Balkans which allowed the assassination of the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne.

On June 28, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austrian Empire, was assassinated by a member of a terrorist group, the Black Hand, a Slav nationalist group.

The Austrians decided to teach Serbia a lesson. Austria-Hungary invaded tiny Serbia.

Russia entered the conflict to protect Serbia. Germany entered the war to fulfill its obligations to protect

Austria. Britain and France came in to honor their alliance with

Russia.

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Central Powers: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, and the Ottoman Empire (Triple Entente)

Allied Powers: Great Britain, Russia, and France. President Woodrow Wilson called upon Americans to take

no sides and to remain neutral. New type of Soldier the drafted civilian Propaganda: Ideas, facts, or rumors spread

deliberately to further one’s cause or to damage an opposing cause.

In the oceans, German submarines, called U-boats, were used to attack large ships.

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New and improved weapons were used in fighting the war, including machine guns, poison gas, submarines, tanks and airplanes.

Germany used U-boats and poison gases as a weapon against enemies.

Soldiers dug deep protective trenches Soldiers spent years in these trenches, facing shelling from

artillery fire for hours each day. Since neither side could advance, fighting lines became

stationary.

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Germany launched its main attack on France By September 1914 Germany had reached the

Marne River near Paris. Paris was saved

Russia helps distract German troops by attacking Prussia.

Battle of Tannenberg: Russia vs. Germany Russian Army defeated Half its force lost including 90,000 prisoners

In 1915 Britain and France try to capture Constantinople. They wanted to remove the Ottoman Empire from the war.

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The British decided to blockade the North Sea to keep merchant ships from reaching Germany.

The blockade became an attempt to ruin the German economy & starve the German people.

Germany will also set up a blockade and they will use U-boats to sink ships carrying food and arms to the British.

May 1915 Lusitania (British passenger liner) was sunk off the coast of Ireland.

By late 1915 the war became a stalemate on land as well as on sea. War of Attrition: A slow wearing-down process in which each side

as trying to outlast the other.

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America supplied food, raw materials, and weapons to both sides

Contraband: war materials supplied by a neutral nation to a belligerent one.

Arthur Zimmermann: In January 1917 he sent a secret telegram to the German ambassador in Mexico proposing an alliance between Germany and Mexico.

The British will intercept the telegram and decode it. The telegram was then published in American newspapers.

USA declared war on Germany on April 6, 1917

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World War I showed Russia’s economic weakness Roots of the Revolution:

The Russian Tsars (emperors) ruled as autocrats (absolute rulers). Through a network of secret police and strict censorship, new ideas

were repressed. The vast majority of Russians were illiterate serfs who lived in

poverty. The serfs remained bound to the land

Tsar Alexander II decided to listen to reformers and emancipated (liberated) the serfs in 1861.

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In 1914, Nicholas II brought Russia into the war against Austria-Hungary and Germany.

Poorly trained and badly equipped Russian soldiers suffered disastrous defeats.

• In 1917, worker-led food riots broke out in cities all across Russia.

• When soldiers refused to fire on striking workers in March 1917, Nicholas realized he was powerless to govern the nation.

• Nicholas gave up his throne, and the leaders of the Duma declared Russia a republic.

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Vladimir Lenin was a follower of Karl Marx, living in exile in Switzerland.

The Germans sent him back to Russia by railroad, hoping he would cause unrest in Russia.

This would help to end the war on the Eastern front, allowing Germany to concentrate on defeating the western allies

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Lenin’s supporters, known as the Bolsheviks, promised “Peace, Bread and Land”; peace to the soldiers, bread to the workers, and land to the peasants.

The Bolsheviks seized power by force in a second revolution on November 7, 1917.

In 1918, the Bolsheviks renamed themselves the Communist Party.

They also changed the name of their to country to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.) or Soviet Union.

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A civil war broke out between those who supported Lenin’s program, known as the “Reds” (red army) and those who wished to return to the rule of the Tsar, known as the “Whites”. (Mensheviks the moderate group)

Several foreign powers, including the United States, intervened, sending troops to help the “Whites.”

The Reds defeated the Whites. This victory secured the position of the new Communist

government.

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President Wilson announced America’s war aims in the Fourteen Points. No secret treaties Freedom of the seas for all nations Removal of all economic barriers, such as tariffs Reduction of national armaments Adjustment of colonial claims so they are fair to both the

imperialist powers and colonial peoples Establishment of a general association of nations (League

of Nations)

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In May 1918 Germans once again reached the Marne River 37 miles from Paris.

Ferdinand Foch: stopped the Germans at Chateau-Thierry. In July 1918 Allies began a counter attack

Bulgaria surrendered in September Turks asked for peace

In November 1918 a German delegation signed an armistice,

an agreement to stop fighting. November 11, 1918 at 11:00am all fighting would cease

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Costs of the war were very high Left more than 8.5 million soldiers dead 21 million more were wounded Germany suffered most severely (Lost

more than 1.8 million soldiers) USA lost 110,000 in battle Civilian deaths/injuries were also very high Total cost of war was $300 billion

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Meet in Versailles in January 1919 4 major Allied powers dominated the conference

President Woodrow Wilson (USA) Prime Minister David Lloyd George (GB) French Premier Georges Clemenceau Italian Prime Minister Vittorio Orlando

Different views of what the peace treaty should allow. Took 6 months to come up an agreement

The Allied powers made separate peace treaties with all five central powers.

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Treaty of Versailles: Treaty signed with Germany Dealt very harshly with Germany Made Germany admit it was guilty of starting the war. Must alone pay reparations: payment for war damages Took large chunks of territory from Germany

New independent Poland was created

Placed restrictions on German government Created the League of Nations

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The League of nations purpose was to promote disarmament and prevent war.

Had no military force of its own it depended on the help of its member states.

The League consisted of a Council, representing the Great Powers, and an Assembly in which all member states were represented.

It also created a new Court of International Justice.

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