World WAR I7th Grade

A. FRANZ FERDINAND World War I, known at the time as the Great

War, began in 1914 following the assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand.

The war had many causes, including tension following the outcome of the Franco-Prussian War and the increasing

1) nationalism,

2)imperialism, and

3)militarism in the years before the war.

Causes of the First World War

Franco-Prussian War

Beginning in July 1870, France and Germany engaged in a nine month conflict known as the Franco-Prussian War.

German states finished their push for unification, which helped Germany to emerge victorious from the conflict.

As part of the victory, Germany acquired the region of Alsace-Lorraine on the border of France and Germany and imposed a harsh settlement on France. This settlement was a source of

continuous tension between France and Germany in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Militarism

Militarism is a political belief that a country should maintain a strong military for national interests.

In the years before World War I, many countries in Europe embraced this policy.

As a result, there was a significant increase in military spending because of the desire to expand empires or protect overseas colonies.

Imperialism

Another source of tension between European countries was imperialism.

An increased desire for

international power,

natural resources, and

friendly markets led to greater rivalries among European nations.

Germany, Russia, France, and Great Britain were nations that attempted to consolidate power by gaining the largest empire.

Nationalism  The feelings of intense patriotism, known as

nationalism, also impacted Europe in the pre-war years.

The idea of nationalism was especially popular in the Balkans, which was surrounded by three large but declining empires:

Russia,

the Ottoman Empire,

the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Nationalism continued…(S)

  The Balkan League was established as a way to advance the independence movements of Bulgaria, Montenegro, and Serbia.

After winning their independence from the Ottoman Empire, Serbians and others supported the creation of a new country for the South Slavs in the region.

Other nations, such as Great Britain, France, and Germany tried to preserve a balance of power, ensuring that tensions in the Balkans continued.

Leading to the assertion that the Balkans was the "powder keg of Europe.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cd2ch4XV84s (:50)

Alliances  A complicated alliance system was in place in the

years before World War I.

In the late 1800s, the Triple Alliance united Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy.

Reacting with fear to the growth of Germany's power and influence through the Triple Alliance, France and Russia formed their own alliance.

They were later joined by Great Britain, and the alliance between these three nations was known as the Triple Entente.

Alliances…

The countries of both the Triple Alliance and the Triple Entente agreed to the mutual defense of all the member nations.

They agreed that an act of war against one nation would be considered an act of war against the whole alliance.

Though the system was meant to deter aggression, it actually resulted in bringing more countries into the war once the hostilities began.

Assassination of Franz Ferdinand

In 1914, a Serbian militant group called the Black Hand conspired to assassinate Franz Ferdinand, the archduke of Austria-Hungary, when he visited Sarajevo.

Sarajevo was the capital of the province of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which was controlled by Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Black Hand members were extreme nationalists who believed that all areas with a significant Slavic population, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, should be united as Yugoslavia.

Assassination of Franz Ferdinand

Franz Ferdinand and his wife were killed on June 28, 1914. The assassination of the archduke led Austria to declare war on Serbia and is believed by historians to be the event that triggered the outbreak of World War I.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgPYgXnu-Aw

Outbreak of War… After the assassination of the archduke, the first

declaration of war was made by Austria-Hungary on Serbia, an ally of Russia, on July 28, 1914.

This declaration was quickly followed by Russian threats against Austria-Hungary and the subsequent German declaration of war against Russia and France.

Outbreak continued…. Once the fighting in World War I began,

the Allied Powers, centered on the pre-war Triple Entente, included Great Britain, Serbia, France, and the Russian

Empire.

Other nations that joined the Allied Powers included Belgium, Italy, Japan, Greece, Romania, Portugal, and the United States.

On the opposite side of the conflict were the Central Powers, based on the Triple Alliance.

The Central Powers included Austria-Hungary, Germany, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria.

WHERE IS THE US….

The United States attempted to avoid participation in World War I for as long as possible.

Public opinion slowly turned against Germany and its allies, however, resulting in the U.S. declaration of war on April 6, 1917.

Isolationism and the US...

     In line with their usual policy of isolationism, the United States declared neutrality immediately following the outbreak of war in Europe.

Isolationism refers to a foreign policy that is both militarily non-interventionist and economically protectionist.

The United States attempted to follow a policy of isolationism throughout a greater part of its history, especially when dealing with European wars.

This policy was difficult to maintain during World War I, however, because of the close relationship between the United States and Great Britain and also because of the growing anti-German sentiments of people in the U.S. throughout the war.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y59wErqg4Xg (42 sec. Start)

Unrestricted Submarine Warfare

 In February of 1915, Germany announced that it would be pursuing a policy of unrestricted submarine warfare in retaliation to the blockade of Germany by the British Royal Navy.

The Germans announced that they would attack any ship found within the war zone.

Unrestricted Submarine Warfare

(ATTACK)S On May 7, a German U-boat attacked the British

passenger ship Lusitania.

Over 1,000 civilians were killed, including over 100 Americans. Outrage swept through the United States, and Germany temporarily agreed not to attack any more passenger ships.

Stalemate

 On January 31, 1917, following years of stalemate where neither the Allied nor the Central Powers were winning, Germany decided it would again resume utilizing unrestricted submarine warfare in an attempt to destroy the British Navy.

This action shocked the world and resulted in a U.S. threat against Germany, moving the United States closer to war.

Zimmermann Note

 The final straw for the U.S. came in February of 1917.

British intelligence intercepted a telegram from German diplomat Arthur Zimmermann to officials in Mexico proposing a Mexican attack on the United States.

The telegram was sent to President Woodrow Wilson and published throughout the U.S. on March 1, 1917.

Declaration of War

     Due to the events above, public opinion slowly turned against Germany. On April 2, 1917, Woodrow Wilson called a special session of Congress in order to ask for a declaration of war against Germany.

During his speech, Wilson called the war made by Germany a "war against mankind," referencing particularly the use of unrestricted submarine warfare.

Declaration of War continue…

The United States declared war on April 6, 1917. American involvement broke the stalemate that had marked the early years of the war.

Following 1917, the tides turned in favor of the Allies, and they were ultimately victorious.

Treaty and the League…

The Treaty of Versailles, signed on June 28, 1919, officially ended World War I.

The treaty set up the international association of countries known as the League of Nations.

The League was ineffective in dealing with the problems of post-war Europe and was replaced by the United Nations following World War II.

The lesson below discusses the Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations in more detail.

The Treaty of Versailles

The Treaty of Versailles ended World War I and was based on the principles set forth in Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points.

The treaty included many territorial clauses, and areas that were formerly considered part of large empires were given the chance to form their own sovereign states, an idea known as national self-determination.

Poland, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, Yugoslavia, and Turkey were all created following the war.

Because of this, large empires such as the German Empire, Austro-Hungarian Empire, and Ottoman Empire ceased to exist.

Treaty of Versailles continue….

The treaty also placed the responsibility for World War I entirely on Germany and included the following "war guilt" clauses:

Germany was required to pay reparations of upwards of $11 billion to the Allied countries.

The Rhineland, or the area on either side of the Rhine River in western Germany, would be a demilitarized zone.

TREATY OF V. continue…

The German military was to be stripped to no more than 100,000 troops, and conscription was abolished.

Germany was prohibited from manufacturing items such as tanks, submarines, and military aircraft.

The idea behind the above clauses was the prevention of another world conflict. Though other countries in Europe also agreed to disarm, the restrictions concerning Germany were the harshest.

The British blockade of Germany was an important part of the German military defeat but became a tactic used by the Allies to pressure Germany to sign the Treaty of Versailles.

The blockade continued even after the signing of the armistice and eventually resulted in the deaths of 750,000 German civilians, mostly due to starvation.

LEAGUE OF NATIONS…

The League of Nations was an association of world nations set up according to the Fourteen Points and the Treaty of Versailles.

The organization's main purpose was to encourage international cooperation and in order to maintain world peace.

LEAGUE of Nations…(S2)

The League of Nation did not have any real power, particularly because it lacked its own armed forces.

Instead, it relied on forces from the world powers to enforce its sanctions.

The League also did not represent all the nations in the world. Germany, for example, was excluded from joining the League.

The League also suffered because of the absence of the United States.

Though President Wilson's original aim was to support such an association, members of the U.S. Congress such as Senator Henry Cabot Lodge opposed American ratification of the Treaty of Versailles, as well as American entry into the League.

LEAGUE….(S)

The United States ultimately rejected the terms of the Treaty of Versailles and refused to participate in the League of Nations.

This is because many Americans believed the treaty and the League would interfere with American interests and would eventually pull the U.S. into yet another foreign war.

For this reason, the inter-war period was marked by a return to the policy of isolationism for the United States.

The mandate System…

In 1919, the League set up a mandate system to manage former territories of the German and Ottoman Empires.

Most of these territories were located in the Middle East and included Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, and Iraq.

COMING TOWARDS THE END….

Though the United States was prosperous during the 1920s, many other countries in the world were suffering.

World War I had ended in 1919, and many countries in Europe found themselves with huge war debts.

This caused a strain, and many countries suffered economic collapse.

These countries developed many ways of dealing with economic problems. Mainly, people believed that a strong government would be able to help the economy.

Questions to consider…

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Fascism Fascism is a political philosophy that

gives total power to a dictator, and often, individual freedoms are denied.

Fascist governments usually have a strong military and try to inspire extreme nationalism (loyalty to a nation) in their people.

Fascism was popular in the 1920s and 1930s in places like Germany and Italy.

Italy's fascist government was formed under Benito Mussolini, who is often called the father of fascism.

Rise of Fascists…

Historians believe the rise of fascist governments was caused by the economic issues following World War I as well as the fear of the spread of communism.

Fears about communism grew as a result of the Russian Revolution and the establishment of the Soviet Union following World War I.

People believed the fascists could provide a strong government that would protect against the spread of communism.