The Period in Perspective The period between 1914

The Period in Perspective The period between 1914 and 1945 was one of the most destructive in the history of humankind. As many as 60 million people died as a result of World Wars I and II, the global conflicts that began and ended this era. As World War I was followed by revolutions, the Great Depression, totalitarian regimes, and the horrors of World War II, it appeared to many that European civilization had become a nightmare. By 1945, the era of European domination over world affairs had been severely shaken. With the decline of Western power, a new era of world history was about to begin.

• Peace settlements caused lingering resentment. • The League of Nations was formed.

The Impact Today The events that occurred during this period still impact our lives today. • World War I led to the disintegration of empires and the creation of new states. • Communism became a factor in global conflict as other nations turned to its ideology. • The Balkans continue to be an area of political unrest. • Boundaries were redrawn in the Middle East and other parts without regard to the local ethnic groups.

March Revolution (Russia) • Bread riots broke out when the govt rationed bread after the price of bread went up. • March 1917, strikes broke out in Petrograd (St. Petersburg) • Women were a big factor, because they were the ones working 12 hour days and standing in line for bread. • 10, 000 women marched demanding “Peace and Bread” and “down with autocracy” • General strike shut down all factories in Petrograd

Sec 4 End of the War • War had not gone well for either side. • The Allies lost Russia to Revolution that threatened to spread to the whole world • Western Front was a stalemate, but now Germany could concentrate on one front. • All countries were “war weary”, except the USA; we had gotten into it 3 ½ years after the start. • US soldiers were called “doughboys” • It was a good thing for the British and French that we showed up.

Last German Offensive • The German army attacked in March of 1918. By April they were 50 miles from Paris. (capital of France) • The advance was stopped with the help of 140, 000 fresh American soldiers. • Then the Allies began an advance on Germany with more than 1 million US soldiers arriving.

How it ended • The German military leaders informed the German govt that the war was not winnable. • Soon the government of Germany would change. • German govt officials found out that the Allies would not make peace with the existing autocratic imperialist govt. • So Reformers created a new liberal govt, but it was too late; the German people were feeling revolutionary

German mini-revolt and change in govt • Naval troops in the North mutinied (what is mutiny? ) • Following the news of this, councils of workers and soldiers were forming in several northern cities; and they took over military and civilian offices. • William II (Emperor) left the country on Nov. 9, 1918 • Social Democrats set up a new govt and signed an armistice (truce to end fighting) • 11 -11 -11 -1918

Communist Riots/Rebellions in Germany • Dec 1918 a German Communist Party was formed and tried to take over. • The new Socialist Democrats with help from the German army put down the rebellion and executed two of the leaders • Munich (southern Germany) saw a similar Communist attempt at takeover. It was crushed also.

What about A-H? • Regional ethnic groups throughout the Austria-Hungary Empire began setting up independent republics. • These new nations were Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia. • Yugoslavia was also formed from A-H; it was not a republic, but a monarchical state

A Flawed Peace After winning the war, the Allies dictated a harsh peace settlement that left many nations feeling betrayed.

The Allies Met and Debated • Key Leaders Come Together • Group of leaders known as the Big Four dominate peace talks: • -U. S. A. : President Woodrow Wilson • -France: Georges Clemenceau • -Great Britain: David Lloyd George • -Italy: Vittorio Orlando

Peace Settlements • January 1919, representatives from the winning side began meeting in Paris • USA had been in the war to “make the world safe for democracy” • Pres. Wilson had “Fourteen Points” – Open peace settlements – Reduction of military – The right of each ethnic group to have its own nation (self determination) – Democratic governments would best ensure peace. (Wilson said that the war had been fought as a peoples war against “absolutism and militarism”) – League of Nations

Peace Settlements • Each country wanted the peace settlements to go their way. • Britain: wanted to “make Germany pay” – Didn’t want overly harsh punishments • France: wanted national security. To be safe from Germany they wanted: – to take away Germany's military. – to create a country between France and Germany (Rhineland) and to break up Germany • France also wanted reparations

The Big Three • Final decisions were made by – USA: Pres. Wilson – Britain: Prime Minister David Lloyd George – France: Premier Georges Clemenceau • Italy was the fourth biggest country to help with the peace agreements, so it wanted to be called the Big Four • Germany (Veimar Republic) was not invited. And Russia was in revolution.

settlements • Each of the Big Three gave in slightly to their original demands. • A League of Nations developed (US Senate didn’t ratify it, so US was not in the League of Nations) • No buffer (Rhineland) for France • Treaty of Versailles 1919 – Five separate treaties with defeated nations: Germany, Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Turkey (was Ottoman Empire)

settlements • Germany didn’t like the settlements and the German people were outraged. – gave up Alsace and Lorraine. This was taken from France in 1871. – Land in the east was taken to make Poland – Army was reduced to 100, 000 men, navy was cut back, and the air force was eliminated. – Reparation payments • D. L. G feared a spread of communism, so he did not want harsh punishment for Germay.

The worse of the settlements • German Guilt: Germans were very upset at part of the Treaty (Article 231), the so-called German Guilt clause, which declared the Germany and A-H started the war.

New countries are created • Part of the settlement called for a redrawing of the political map of Europe. The new nations were created from the old Empires of Germany and Russia: – Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland • From Austria-Hungary: – Austria, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia • In the Balkans: – Romania got new land from Russia, Hungary, and Bulgaria – Yugoslavia was formed from Serbia and combined various Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (ethnic groups)

From the old Ottoman Empire • The Allies had promised Arabs their own nations during the war, but changed their minds after the war. • France took control of Syria and Lebanon • Britain took control of Iraq and Palestine • These lands were called mandates; Pres. Wilson had been against outright annexation of land. So Fr and Gr. Br governed these nations under the mandate system on behalf of the League of Nations, but Fr and Gr. Br didn’t own them

Spanish Flu • • 1 in 4 Americans contracted it A bird flu Killed healthy people Estimated 50 million died around the world

http: //www. history. com/topics/world-war-i/treaty-of-versailles • The Versailles Treaty • Britain, France oppose Wilson’s ideas; want to punish Germany • Allies, Germany sign accord, Treaty of Versailles, in June 1919 • -creates League of Nations—international organization to keep peace • -blames Germans for war, forces Germany to pay damages to nations • -League to rule German colonies until deemed ready for independence

A Troubled Treaty {continued} A Peace Built on Quicksand

• Mobilized Dead Wounded Missing/Po. W • Russia 12, 000 1, 700, 000 4, 950, 000 2, 500, 000 • Germany 11, 000 1, 773, 700 4, 216, 058 1, 152, 800 • Great Britain 8, 904, 467 908, 371 2, 090, 212 191, 652 • France 8, 410, 000 1, 375, 800 4, 266, 000 537, 000 • Austria-Hungary 7, 800, 000 1, 200, 000 3, 620, 000 2, 200, 000 • Italy 5, 615, 000 650, 000 947, 000 600, 000 • US 4, 355, 000 126, 000 234, 300 4, 526 • Turkey 2, 850, 000 325, 000 400, 000 250, 000 • Bulgaria 1, 200, 000 87, 500 152, 390 27, 029 • Japan 800, 000 300 907 3 • Rumania 750, 000 335, 706 120, 000 80, 000 • Serbia 707, 343 45, 000 133, 148 152, 958 • Belgium 267, 000 13, 716 44, 686 34, 659 • Greece 230, 000 5, 000 21, 000 • Portugal 100, 000 7, 222 13, 751 12, 318 • Montenegro 50, 000 3, 000 10, 000 7, 000

Legacy of the Great War • http: //www. history. com/topics/world-war-i/treaty-ofversailles/videos/world-war-i-global-connections • Liberal, rational society of the 20 th century had been destroyed • 8. 5 million battlefield deaths, 26 million other deaths • Incredible destruction • Power of governments increased over individuals (byproduct of “planned economies”) • Freedom of the press and speech were restricted • Political turmoil led to revolutions and threats of revolutions which led to greater turmoil

Real Result of the Great War and the Treaty of Versailles 1919 Basically, WWI set up problems that created WWII