War and Revolution

CHAPTER 23

On June 28, 1914, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Archduke Francis Ferdinand, was assassinated in the Bosnian city of Sarajevo. One of the conspirators described the scene:

“As the car came abreast, [the assassin] stepped forward from the curb, drew his automatic pistol from his coat and fired two shots. The first struck the wife of the Archduke, Sophia, in the abdomen. She was an expectant mother. She died instantly. The second bullet struck the Archduke close to the heart. He uttered only one word: “Sophia”—a call to his stricken wife. Then his head fell back and he collapsed.”

This event was the immediate cause of World War I, known at the time as The Great War, but underlying forces had been moving Europeans toward war long before the assassination of Francis Ferdinand.

Causes of World War I• Nationalism

– Absolute devotion to the well-being of one’s nation

• Leads to competition & rivalries between nations

– Ethnic groups long for independence• Turn to large nation states for protection• Russians agree to protect Slavic peoples’

including the Serbs• Serbs live under the rule of Austria-Hungary• Tension between Russia and Austria-Hungary

grows over Serbian independence

Causes of World War I• Imperialism

– Used by nations of Europe to extend control across the globe

• Increases economic profit

• Supplier of raw materials and new markets

– With German industrialization…• Germany competes with France and Britain

for global colonial conquest

Causes of World War I• Militarism

– Development of armed forces to be used diplomatically

– Imperial competition leads to military growth

– 1890: Germany = largest army

– 1897: Germany focuses on competition with Britain for naval dominance

• Who will control the shipping lanes?

• Other global powers enter naval arms race

• Why are shipping lanes important?

Causes of World War I• Alliance System

– The Triple Entente (Allies)• France, Britain, and Russia

– The Triple Alliance• Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy

– Italy will leave the Alliance, creating…

– Central Powers• Germany Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire

– Alliances ensure security via a balance of power. But also set the stage for global war

Causes of World War I• Assassination

– The Balkan “Powder Keg”• European powers have an interest in the

Balkan Peninsula– Russia wants the Med. Sea– Germany wants railway to Ottoman

Empire– A-H wants more control of Bosnia

• Archduke Franz Ferdinand visits Bosnian capital

– Shot dead by Serbian nationalist» Member of the Black Hand, promote

Serbian nationalist

II. “The Great War”• Central Powers

– Advantages• Superior army (From which

country?)

• Increased mobility over larger area

– Strategy• “Schlieffen Plan” Attack

through Belgium, outflank the French army, make a quick kill run for Paris

– Attempt to avoid 2 front war

• The Allies– Advantages

• 2 to 1 advantage in manpower & resources

• Naval superiority (From which country?)

– Strategy• Force Germany to fight a 2

front war– French attack on the Western

Front

– Russians attack on the Eastern Front

All Quiet on the Western Front

• Question to Consider:– The young man in the story was not much older

than you when he fought in the war. Do you think the style of combat in WWI was more traumatic than today’s warfare?

II. “The Great War”

• Reading Strategy: Determining Importance– Using information from Chapter 23 of your

textbook, construct a timeline using at least four major events for each year of the war (1914-1918).

II. “The Great War”• New Technologies

– The impact of industrialization on war• Flamethrowers

• Poison gas & gas masks

• Armored tanks

• Armed airplanes

• U-Boats (German submarines)

• Blimps

II. “The Great War”• Role of the U.S.

– Tried to remain neutral, make $$$

– Caught in naval battle b/t UK & GER• British naval blockade of Germany (p725)

• Germany: Unrestricted Submarine Warfare– Sink all British ships (passenger ships)

– Lusitania = +1000 die, 128 Americans

– Zimmerman Note creates public outcry

– April, 1917: U.S. Declares war on GER• Provides Allies with men, morale, money

III. The Russian Revolution• Bkrd: Russia unprepared for WWI

– Poor weaponry, leadership

– Huge losses cause criticism of Nicholas II• Absolute ruler, crazy wife, crazier Rasputin

• The March Revolution (1917)– Strikes in Petrograd, led by factory women

• Angered by war, bread rationing

• Soldiers ordered to shoot protestors, join instead

– Nicholas II asked to step down, does so• Replaced by Alexander Kerensky

III. The Russian Revolution– Soviets challenge authority of new gov’t

• Councils of reps. for workers & soldiers

• Bolsheviks – led by V.I. Lenin– Marxists dedicated to violent revolution

– Control of soviets was key to overthrow

– Hoped to end war, redistribute land, etc.

• November Revolution– Bolsheviks gain support, overtake gov’t

• Power turned over to Council of Soviets

• Withstand civil war against loyalists & liberals aided by Allied forces (Trotsky)