World War I

Causes of the Great War

• At the beginning of the 20th century the most powerful nations of Europe were Great Britain, Germany, France, Austria-Hungary, Italy, and Russia.

Why did these countries go to war along with the rest of the world in 1914? (4 reasons)

1) Militarism – A race was taking place in Europe to build the strongest militaries. As a result, industrial factories were producing as many weapons as possible. Many countries passed laws to force citizens into the military. Such laws were called conscription laws

Causes of the Great War

2) Imperialism – Europe had been taking over the world. Countries competed for lands in places such as Africa and Asia

3) Nationalism – Europeans obsessed with the idea that their country was superior. Some nationalities such as the Serbs demanded their own country

4) Military alliances: Countries banded together for protection. They signed treaties to stick up for each other in times of war.

- triple alliance: Germany, Austria - Hungary and Italy - triple entente: Great Britain, France and Russia

World War I starts

• The war began due to the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand who was the next in line for the throne of Austria- Hungary. He was killed by a Serb nationalist named Princip.

- Austria – Hungary declared war on Serbia which brought most of the world into the conflict. Germany gave permission to Austria-Hungary to attack Serbia - this is why some people blame Germany for starting World War I.

- Russia was an ally to Serbia. The Russians tried to protect the Serbs which resulted in a state of war between Austria-Hungary and Russia. Before long, all of the major powers were at war.

The Course of the War

• Germany tried to end the war quickly by capturing Paris and then turning east to defeat the Russians. This was called the Schlieffen Plan

- Germany failed to capture Paris. Most of the rest of the war was characterized by a slow, deadly struggle known as trench warfare

- By the end of the war roughly 10 million people had been killed. World War I had far greater casualties then any previous wars

A Failed Peace

• The Great War concluded with the Allied Powers seen as victorious and the Central Powers seen as defeated.

• The Treaty of Versailles officially ended the War. This treaty was very cruel to Germany and its allies.

- Germany was forced to give up all of their colonies, return Alsace-Loraine and additional land to France, pay expensive war reparations, and give up most of its military forces.

- The Treaty of Versailles left Germany wounded and angry

A failed Peace Continued

• The treaty of Versailles attempted to guarantee the future of world peace through the League of Nations

- Was supposed to be a place where all of the nations could meet to discuss their problems

- It had no means to enforce any agreements and the United States never joined

- The League failed to prevent World War II

The Russian Revolutions

• The March Revolution - Russia in 1917 was full of discontent. People were

frustrated with a lack of political power, a lack of food and fuel, and the never ending hardships created by its unsuccessful participation in World War I

- Russia performed poorly in World War I due to a lack of leadership, poorly trained troops and a lack of weapons. In 1917 a Revolution broke out in Petrograd that resulted in the removal of the Czar from power. The new government was a republic led by Alexander Kerensky. The Russian parliament was called the Duma. Kerensky was unable to be an effective leader because he chose to keep Russia in the war. His provisional government was quickly overthrown

The October Revolution

• The Bolshevik party was responsible for overthrowing Kerensky’s government

- The Bolsheviks slogan was bread, land and peace. They believed that Russia needed to get out of World War I

- The Bolsheviks were led by Lenin who had been in exile during the March Revolution

- Once the Bolsheviks took power they had to fight a civil war against the Mensheviks. During the Russian Civil War the czar and his family were executed.

- The Bolsheviks won the war and changed their name to the communist party. The country was ruled by a strong central government who gave order to the soviets – a term meaning a council of soldiers and workers

• Lenin’s war time plan was war communism: - men were forced to serve in the military - The central government took direct control of all

state property - full war mobilization - Any enemies of the Communists were jailed or

often executed• The communists were hated by the U.S. Great

Britain etc. because they did not want to see Russia leave the war. The U.S. and others tried to help the Mensheviks but were unsuccessful.

• Russia was renamed the Soviet Union by Lenin

Trotsky

• Lenin’s right-hand man

• Led and trained Red Army– Allowed Lenin to

defeat the Mensheviks

• Later exiled from Soviet Union

• Assassinated in Mexico City by KGB with ice pick through the head