What do you know about World War I

What do you know about World War I? Write down any ideas, events, people, places that come to your mind when you think of World War I! Don’t get confused by World War II!!

aka, WWI

Militarism Alliances Imperialism Nationalism

Everybody is building armies Everybody is building weapons Protection for their empires

Partnerships between countries who agree to defend and protect each other Triple Alliance – Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy Triple Entente – France, Russia, Great Britain

Countries want to be most powerful They get power from land resources They get land resources from taking over other places

Strong devotion to a person’s national group or culture Many groups/states want to break away from the Ottoman Empire in southeast Europe

Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austrian throne Killed by Serbian nationalist in Sarajevo, Bosnia

THE SPARK

Austria want to attack Serbia, but scared of Russia So, Germany gives Austria a “blank check” of support & protection Austria then issues Serbia an ultimatum Serbia doesn’t accept ultimatum, so Austria declares war. . . Russia mobilizes to protect Serbia Germany defends Austria & declares war on Russia

1905 Schlieffen Plan = If war expected, Germany should attack France first, before Russia What is the benefit in this? So, Germany declares war on France, but must cross over Belgium. . . So, Great Britain declares war on Germany to protect Belgium

Germany wanted war with Russia while its military was weak Great Britain saw German military growth as a threat, anticipated war France wanted Alsace and Lorraine back from Germany Russian Tsar needed to regain power and helping Serbia might do that. . .

Central Powers Allied Powers Germany France Austria-Hungary Great Britain Ottoman Empire Russia (leaves in 1917) United States (joins in 1917)

Navy fleets strong Wanted to control waterways New technology made it war at sea unpredictable Submarine power Germany had U-Boats and torpedo power Sea mining

Using airplanes to wage war was a CRAZY idea All that changed during WWI. . . Reconnaissance Fighter Planes pilots Bombers Zeppelins Poor, (aka, blimps) poor pilots Little training, didn’t live long, parachutes were “cowardly”

War of Attrition = winning the war was not based on winning battles, but who could afford to lose more men Britain, France, & Germany could use colonies to supply fighting men Only Russia and the U. S. used only their own men Why war of attrition? Because Could of modern weapons rely on machine guns, aerial bombs, and poison gas to get enemy to kill (and MANY did die!)

Germany attempts to invade France Battle of the Marne (France), Aug. 1914 France holds on, Germany eventually falls back Western front stalemate begins Some say Germany lost war at this point Schlieffen Plan fails when can’t defeat France quickly as expected Now, has to battle on 2 fronts – East & West

Eastern Front Western Front

Battle of Verdun, Feb. 1916 Germany wanted to break stalemate Battled France for 10 months, but no one moved… Over ½ million soldiers killed; longest battle Battle of the Somme, July 1916 France decides to break stalemate Artillery could be heard in England! Allies only move 6 miles Battle of Messines Ridge, summer 1917 Suddenly German trenches explode – how? !? British spent 18 months digging tunnels to the German trench and burying explosives!

U. S. tries to stay neutral Tried to make peace But U. S. trading ships being threatened by German subs! And, Germany tries to convince Mexico to fight us (the Zimmerman Note)! April 1917 - Wilson requests Congress to declare war, Congress officially declares war! U. S. troops in Paris by July 4, 1917 U. S. troops are enthusiastic and energized to fight, unlike the tired British and French

Machine guns Tanks Airplanes Poison gases Filth, lice, rats, etc. Poison gas Decaying bodies Trench foot Trench mouth WWI bloodiest war in history up to that time. . . 22 million killed (half civilians), 20 million wounded, 10 million refugees

War extremely unpopular in Russia, despite successes in battle against Germany Huge death toll Losing territory Food shortages (remember this happened to another country? ) Russians thought had little to gain Russian Tsar Nicholas II even less popular. . . Offered Secret Had no reforms police wife rule while in battle

Tsar’s government collapses Nicholas II abdicates his throne Provisional government set up Meeting of 3, 000 workers, soldiers, socialists stall provisional govt. All European eyes on them. . .

Vladimir Lenin Revolutionary founded Bolshevik Party Exiled from Russia, but returned in 1917 Some believe that Germany helped Lenin return Bolsheviks: “majority group” of Russian Socialists Believed in dictatorship Working class followers Lenin’s goal: To get Russia under Bolshevik control to create Communist state

BOLSHEVIK (OCTOBER) REVOLUTION Fall 1917 - Provisional govt. on its way to creating a republic, but Bolsheviks gain popularity Nov. 6– Bolsheviks take control of government with military coup

WWI OUT, COMMUNISM IN Treaty of Brest Litovsk (March 1918) Russia leaves WWI, gives up land to Germany Civil War erupts, 1917 -1922 “Reds” (Bolsheviks) vs. “Whites” (anti-Bolshevik) Czar family killed (July 1918) Reds/Bolsheviks win Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR) created 1922

War ends on Nov. 11 th, 1918 European Allies were furious with Germany after WWI and wanted a treaty that punished Germany and made them pay for the damage of the war President Wilson thought that the treaty should try to lay the groundwork for world peace (Wilson’s Fourteen Points). . . So that WWI would be the “war to end all wars”

The war has ended & you will attend the Versailles peace talks as a representative of one of the “Big Three” nations – France, G. B. , & U. S. Discuss the possible outcomes for each of the situations presented, and convince the rest of the delegates of what your country wants the treaty to include. Work as a group to complete the worksheets in preparation of the Versailles peace talks. Debate with other countries to come up with a peace conclusion.

Your group will have 20 minutes to read over the materials and complete the worksheets. Then, each group will have 5 minutes to confer with the other groups and make any necessary changes to your issues. As a class, we will create our own Treaty. This will call for friendly debate, country-to-country. Finally, we will compare our Treaty to the real Treaty of Versailles and discuss its merits.

Blame Germany (option 1) Cost £ 6, 600, 000/$34. 1 billion (option 2) German military Most harsh (option 1) Colonies France & G. B. split them (option 2) Rhineland Allies take control (option 1) Alsace Lorraine to France (option 1) Saar to France for 15 years (option 1) Poland Independence (option 3) Danzig Free city (option 3) Finland, etc. Independence (option 1) Czechoslovakia Independence (option 2)

Who or what caused WWI? What was WWI like for the soldiers & on the homefronts? What would have happened if the U. S. never joined? Or, if Russia never left? Who wins WWI? Who loses WWI? What do you think happens next in Europe? What could be some causes to WWII?