The spark that lit the fuse….

• The one event that started the Great War happened was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

• The Archduke Franz Ferdinand was in line to become the king of Austria-Hungary.

Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Duchess Sophie Sarajevo, Bosnia - June 28th, 1914.

Causes of World War I - Assassination

Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand was killed in Bosnia by a Serbian nationalist who believed that Bosnia should belong to Serbia.

Causes of World War I - Assassination

Gavrilo Princip after his assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand.

Causes of World War I - Assassination

World War IWorld War IWorld War IWorld War I

Allied PowersAllied Powers::Allied PowersAllied Powers:: Central Central PowersPowers::Central Central PowersPowers::Great Britain

France

RussiaItaly

Germany

Austria-Hungary

Ottoman Empire

World War IThe Allied Powers

– Serbia– Great Britain– France– Russia– Italy– Japan– United States– Belgium– Montenegro– Romania– Portugal– China

– Liberia– Greece– Siam– San Marino– Panama– Cuba– Brazil– Guatemala– Haiti– Honduras– Costa Rica– Nicaragua

Figure 31.1: Approximate Comparative Losses in World War I

Trench FootTrench Foot

World War I World War I  In 1993, Terry Cunningham interviewed Arthur Savage, 92, about  In 1993, Terry Cunningham interviewed Arthur Savage, 92, about his memories of the World War I, excerpted as follows: his memories of the World War I, excerpted as follows: 'My memories are of 'My memories are of sheer terror and the horror of seeing men sobbing because they had trench sheer terror and the horror of seeing men sobbing because they had trench

foot that had turned gangreen. They knew they were going to lose a leg. foot that had turned gangreen. They knew they were going to lose a leg. Memories of lice in your clothing driving you crazy. Filth and lack of privacy. Memories of lice in your clothing driving you crazy. Filth and lack of privacy.

And cold deep wet mud everywhere. And of course, corpses. I'd never seen a And cold deep wet mud everywhere. And of course, corpses. I'd never seen a dead body before I went to war. But in the trenches the dead are lying all dead body before I went to war. But in the trenches the dead are lying all

around you.'around you.'

Trench FootTrench Foot

Many soldiers fighting in the First World War suffered from trench foot. This was caused by your feet being constantly wet and damp. If untreated, trench foot could turn gangrenous and result in amputation.  In the Trenches men stood for hours on end up to their ankles in mud. The symptoms were feet gradually go numb and the skin would turn blue or red.The only remedy for trench foot was for the soldiers to dry their feet and change their socks several times a day. By the end of 1915 British soldiers in the trenches had to have three pairs of socks with them and were under orders to change their socks at least twice a day. As well as drying their feet, soldiers were told to cover their feet with a grease made from whale-oil. It has been estimated that a battalion at the front would use ten gallons of whale-oil every day!

Trench RatsTrench Rats

In the trenches there was no time for burial so hundreds of bodies stuck half buried in the mud. The smell of rotting flesh

hung heavy in the air and as well as scraps of food left around the trenches  this attracted Rats! One pair of rats

could produce 880 offspring in a year so soon the trenches where full of them. Most of the Rats grew extremely large and

could eat a man alive if he couldn't defend himself. On one body at least three rats where found; normally the victims

eyes had been eaten first and then the rats ate the rest of the body from there.

· In 1915, a German submarine torpedoed the Lusitania, a British passenger ship, killing approximately 1,200 people, including 128 Americans.

· Americans were infuriated with the destruction of the Lusitania.

– secret message from Germany to Mexico urging Mexico to attack the U.S. if the U.S. declared war on Germany

Moving Toward WarZimmermann telegram:

– Germany promised to help Mexico regain land it lost to the U.S. in the Mexican War.

* The U.S. declared war on the Central Powers in 1917.

(above) Zimmermann Telegram as Received by the German Ambassador to Mexico, 01/19/1917 (right) decoded words

* Germany was an angry, humiliated nation, setting the stage for World War II.

-Versailles Treaty

- Germany was forced to:

· take full blame for the war· completely disarm

· pay huge reparations to the Allies

· give up it’s colonies to the Allies