World War IWorld War I

1914 - 1918

Causes of the War Unified Germany and Italy

upset diplomatic status quo Alliance system threatened

balance of power in Europe– Triple Alliance: Germany,

Austria-Hungary & Italy– Triple Entente: Great Britain,

France & Russia

Nationalism (mixed with racism) fueled competition between countries

Militarism created popular fascination with weapons and armies

European Alliances in 1914

The “Eastern Question” Slow decay of the Ottoman

Empire created power vacuum in Balkans

Austria expanding southward after being shut out of unified Germany

Russia wanted to control straits & protect fellow Orthodox Slavs

Gavrillo Princip & “The Black Hand” assassinated Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand June 28, 1914 in Sarajevo

The Balkans in 1914

The Assassination

Latin Bridge, Sarajevo

Gavrillo Princip

Archduke Franz Ferdinand& his family

Funeral procession

The Lamps Go Out

Austria declared war on Serbia July 28th

Germany declared war on Russia Aug. 1st

Germany declared war on France Aug. 3rd

Following Schlieffen Plan, Germany invaded Belgium to attack France

Britain declared war on Germany Aug. 4th German soldiers

marching off to war

The Opposing Sides in World War I

Allies: Great Britain, France, Russia, Italy, Belgium, Portugal, Serbia, Romania, Greece

Central Powers: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Ottoman Empire

The Western Front Initial German advance stopped at the 1st Battle of the

Marne (Sept. 1914) Trench Warfare produced unwinnable stalemate

– Machine Guns– Mines– Mustard Gas

1916 casualties:– Somme Offensive: 400,000– Verdun: 700,000

Canadian soldiers going “over the top,” with the predictable results

The European Theater of War

The Ossuary, Verdun

Before

After

Village of Esnes, France

The Eastern Front

War went badly for Russians after initial victories

March 1917: Czar overthrown, but Kerensky’s provisional government continued the war

Oct./Nov. 1917: Lenin seized power in the Bolshevik Revolution

Jan. 1918: Treaty of Brest-Litovsk ended war in the East

March 1918: Germany transferred all troops to Western Front for final offensive

Eastern Front in WWI

Wilson, America & World War I

Attitudes toward War:– Reinforced belief in American

exceptionalism– Concerned that immigrants kept

their old loyalties Wilson saw duty to lead rest of

world to peace & democracy Declared neutrality Tried to mediate peace settlement

Neutrality really pro-Allies – Wilson protested British blockade,

but more angered by u-boat attacks– U.S. loaned $2 billion to Allies; $27

million to Germany

Preparedness

Preparedness began in 1916, despite Wilson’s campaign slogan, “He Kept Us Out of War”

National Defense Act (June 1916) - army increased from 90,000 to 175,000 and national guard increased to 440,000

Naval Construction Act (Aug. 1916) & creation of US Shipping Board

Paid for by Revenue Act of 1916 - taxed incomes, estates, cap, & excess profits – Base rate increased to 2%, & surtax went up to 13%

above $2 million – Estate tax graduated up to 10%

The Decision to Declare War German U-Boats violated

neutral shipping rights & rules of war– Lusitania sunk May 7, 1915– Arabic Pledge, Sept. 18, 1915

Germany resumed unrestricted submarine warfare Jan. 31, 1917

Zimmerman Telegram (published in March) offered German alliance to Mexico & Japan

War declared April 6, 1917Burial of Lusitania victims

The Zimmerman Telegram

The Last Year of the War John Pershing &

token American force arrived in 1917, but bulk of U.S. army arrived in 1918

German advance halted at 2nd Battle of the Marne (July 1918)

U.S. led Meuse-Argonne Offensive (Sept. 1918)

Armistice took effect Nov. 11, 11:00 a.m.

Total Number of DeathsCountry Men mobilised Killed Wounded POW’s + missing Total casualties

casualties in % of men mobilised

Russia 12 million 1.7mill 4.9mill 2.5mill 9.15mill 76.3

France 8.4 mill 1.3mill 4.2mill 537,000 6.1mill 73.3

GB + Empire 8.9mill 908,000 2mill 191,000 3.1mill 35.8

Italy 5.5mill 650,000 947,000 600,000 2.1mill 39

USA 4.3mill 126,000 234,000 4,500 350,000 8

Japan 800,000 300 900 3 1210 0.2

Romania 750,000 335,000 120,000 80,000 535,000 71

Serbia 700,000 45,000 133,000 153,000 331,000 47

Belgium 267,000 13,800 45,000 34,500 93,000 35

Greece 230,000 5000 21,000 1000 27,000 12

Portugal 100,000 7222 13,700 12,000 33,000 33

Total Allies 42million 5 million 13million 4 million 22million 52%

             

Germany 11million 1.7million 4.2million 1.1million 7.1million 65

Austria 7.8million 1.2million 3.6million 2.2million 7 million 90

Turkey 2.8million 325,000 400,000 250,000 975,000 34

Bulgaria 1.2million 87,000 152,000 27,000 266,000 22

TotalCentral Powers

22.8mill 3.3million 8.3million 3.6million 15 million 67

             

Grand Total 65 million 8.5mill 21million 7.7mill 37million 57%

Meuse-ArgonneAmerican Cemetary

Wartime Control of Economy

From 1916 to 1919, annual gov’t expenditures increased 2,500% ($33.5 billion)

Bernard Baruch’s War Industries Board fixed prices & directed production – “Cost-plus” contracts allowed for profits & higher

wages to prevent strikes – National War Labor Board enforced collective

bargaining, but forbade strikes Women & African-Americans entered industrial

workforce to replace soldiers– Women gained support for 19th Amendment as result– 500,000 blacks moved north to take jobs – led to riots

in East St. Louis (1917) & Chicago (1919)

Suppression of Civil Liberties George Creel’s Committee on Public

Information produced propaganda Anti-German sentiment went wild

– language banned– thousands of German nationals detained

as enemy aliens– Amish persecuted

Espionage Act (June 1917) - $10,000/20 years in prison for inciting disloyalty or insubordination

Sedition Act (May 1918) - extended to opposing Liberty Bonds, questioning constitutionality of conscription, or criticizing American gov’t in any way

CPI Propaganda

Poster

CPI Propaganda Posters

The Paris Peace Conference, 1919

Wilson’s 14 Points (Jan. 1918):– Open covenants– Free trade– Arms reduction– Self-determination– League of Nations

Clemenceau: crush Germany & secure permanent alliance

Lloyd-George: end German naval power & take colonies

The Big 3: Georges Clemenceau, Woodrow Wilson & David Lloyd-George

The Treaty of Versailles

Self-determination very limited:– Colonies divided up– Ireland had to revolt

Soviet Union lost territory, although not there to agree

War Guilt Clause & reparations angered Germany

The Defeat of the Treaty & League of Nations

Wilson didn’t seek bipartisan support– Failed to include any prominent

Republicans in negotiating team– Refused to compromise

Sen. Henry Cabot Lodge led Republican opposition in Senate

Wilson went on speaking tour to rally public support– Collapsed Sept. 25, 1919 in Pueblo,

CO– Stroke left him incapacitated – wife

& secretary ran White HouseSen. Henry CabotLodge (R-MA)