The Great War - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

The Great War

WORLD WAR ONESlide2

Why was WWI referred to as the Great War? Slide3

MILITARISM (ARMS RACE)

Definition-

The policy of building up a strong military to prepare for war

Goal : To make your countries military bigger and better than other countries

Why

would you want your military bigger than other countries

?

What problems can arise when compete against other countries military strength? Slide4
Slide5

NATIONALISM

Problems:

Alsace-Lorraine – land had been conquered by Germany in 1871. French saw the land as theirs.

Serbs wanted independence from Austria-Hungary.

Definition: 2 types

1. Extreme pride or loyalty in ones country

2. minorities strong want for independence Slide6

IMPERIALISM

Definition-

When one country takes over another country both economically and politically

(creating an empire)

By the late 1800’s

European countries had colonized much of the world.

Asia, Africa, and the Pacific Islands Slide7

EMPIRES before WWISlide8

Alliances

Definition-

agreements between nations to give aid and to protect one another

Usually, these alliances were made in secretSlide9
Slide10

Germany

Russia

Austria-Hungary

Three Emperors League (1873)

The Dual Alliance (1879)

The Triple Alliance (1882)

The Franco-Russian Alliance (1894)

The Entente Cordiale (1904)

The Anglo-Russian Entente (1907)

The Triple Entente (1907)

Italy

France

Britain Slide11

ASSASSINATION

Definition-

To murder by surprise attack for political reasons

Archduke Francis Ferdinand (heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire)

Traveled to Sarajevo (capital of Bosnia)

Was assassinated by

Gavrilo

Princip

, a Serbian nationalist Slide12

ASSASSINATION

Why is the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand referred to as the

spark

that started the war?Slide13

The Domino Effect

Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand is assassinated by a Serbian

nationalist

.

Austria blames Serbia for Archduke’s death—declares WAR

Germany pledges support for Austria-Hungary due a previously established

alliance.

Russia pledges support for Serbia

Germany declares WAR on Russia

France pledges their support for Russia

Germany declares WAR on France

Germany invades Belgium on the way to invade France

Great Britain supports Belgium and declares WAR on GermanySlide14
Slide15

Causes of WWI

M

-Militarism

A

-Alliances

N

-Nationalism

I

-

ImperialismA-AssassinationSlide16

First Days of War

2 sides

Central Powers

Germany

Austria- Hungary

By end of 1914

Ottoman Empire

Bulgaria

Allies

Russia

France

Serbia

Great Britain

By the end of 1914

Italy

RomaniaSlide17

STALEMATE

Definition-

A situation in which neither side is able to gain the advantage

WWI became a “war of attrition”

One side tries to win by wearing out the other side

Trenches

Muddy

Rat infested

“No Man’s Land”

Not prepared for Modern Warfare

Machine guns

Rapid fire artillery

Hang grenades Slide18
Slide19

Weapons of WWI

Barbed wire : defensive tool

Because of heavy machine gun fire (night and day)

b

odies often had to be left “

hangin

’ on the wire” , sometimes for months Slide20

1915: Grenade developed by William Mills

British began using it

Originally had a 7 second fuse

Bomber had to hold it for 3 seconds before throwing it, or the enemy might throw it back Slide21

Mortars: Fires explosive mortar bombs

The 9.45 inch heavy mortar “The Flying Pig” Slide22

Trench Club : made of wood and pressed with hobnails

The head is drilled out and filled with lead Slide23

NEW WEAPONS

Machine Gun

Developed by American Hiram

Maxim

Tanks

British invention

Equipped with machine guns

Slow, but effective on dry ground

Development of underwater listening devises

Detect U-boats Slide24

Airplanes

Originally – just observing

Started arming planes

Machine guns

The “Red Baron” most successful pilot in WWI

80 confirmed victoriesSlide25

Chemical Warfare

Tear Gas: used as a terror weapon

Instilled confusing and panic

Non –lethal

Sent over first before an offensive attack

Soldiers given cotton pads soaked in urine or baking soda

Helped neutralize the chlorine in tear gas

Mustard Gas: actual a liquid not a gas

In pure form :colorless and odorless

Mixed with chemicals: looks brown and smells like garlic

Gas Rattle: warning of a gas attack, load clacking noise Slide26

AMERICA RESPONDS

More than 1/3 of the nation’s 92 million people were first- or second-generation immigrants.

Most American’s feared Germany’s

militarism

and opposed the autocrat Kaiser Wilhelm.

Trade and investments were important to business minded Americans.

On August 4

th

1914-President Wilson officially proclaims the United States a neutral country.

Two movements developed:

The preparedness movement

the peace movement. Slide27

British Propaganda Campaign

Propaganda: Information intended to sway public opinion.

British newspapers published false propaganda, which spread to the U.S.

These stories turned American public opinion against Germany

Reports of Germans killing civilians, destroying buildings and churches, and even entire towns crowded the newspapers Slide28

German Submarine Warfare

The German U-Boat- a new weapon that changed rules of naval warfare by targeting ships without warning

Sinking of the

Lusitania-

a British passenger liner carrying weapons for the Allies is sunk by the Germans

-128 Americans on board were included in the dead

Pres. Wilson protests-Germans promise to stop sinking passenger ships without warning

Germany sinks the

Sussex

-

a French passenger ship—SUSSEX PLEDGE->Germany agrees U-Boats will warn ships before attacking

Wilson is doubtful of promise, embraces preparedness, and loans more money to AlliesSlide29

Moving Toward War

America’s neutrality begins to weaken due to a series of demands and broken promises made by the Germans

On Feb 1 - 1917 Germany violates the SUSSEX PLEDGE and resumes unrestricted submarine warfare

Wilson who was re-elected to president by running under the slogan “He kept us out of war.” cuts diplomatic ties with Germany.

Wilson asks Congress for permission to arm American Merchant ships.

The

Zimmerman

Note – Intercepted German telegraph

Arthur Zimmerman (Germany’s foreign secretary)

Made an offer to Mexico

If Mexico declared war of U.S. Germany would give Mexico land they had lost to the U.S.

Note was not taken seriously

Mexico was having a civil warSlide30

Moving Toward War

Revolution in Russia removes the autocrat Czar Nicholas II from power. This removes concerns from Americans on being allied with the czar.

Between March 16-18 Germany sinks 3 United States ships

March 20-Wilson’s cabinet votes for war

Slide31

America in the War

Selective Service Act – draft of young men for military service

accepted by public

more that 24 million men registered

lottery picked 3 million draftees

Volunteers and National Guardsmen made up the American Expeditionary Force (AEF)

11,000 women volunteered to serve

Nurses, drivers, clerksSlide32

Training

September – Draftees arrive at camps for training

Learned how to use:

Bayonet

Rifle

Dig trench

Put on gas mask

Throw grenade

Goal: 2 months of training

Reality: less than that Slide33

Americans on the Home Front

Liberty Bonds – sold to support the allied cause

Raised more than $20 million

Paid for ¼ of war costs

Loaned $10 million to Allies

Industry – produced war goods

War Industries Board

Told manufacturers what and how much to produce, and fixed prices

National War Labor Board

Settle labor disputes

Slide34

American on the Home Front

1917 – Lever Food and Fuel Control Act

Government controlled how much food people could buy

Price controls, rationing

Gasless days

Daylight savings time – lowered fuel consumption

Enforced Loyalty

Fear of espionage (spying)

“100 percent Americanism” = literacy test for immigrants

Hostility towards Germans

Books, music, and words banned

Attacks on people with German heritage

Espionage Act/ Sedition Act

Illegal to discuss anything disloyal about the American government, constitution, or army /navy.

Convicted 1,000 people under Act Slide35

The Convoy System

In April 1917 ALONE German U-Boats (submarines) had sunk more than 400 Allied and neutral ship

Average of 13 ships a day!!!

Convoy – a group of unarmed ships surrounded by a ring of destroyers, torpedo boats, submarines, and other naval vessels

Armed with hydrophones to track and destroy German U-boats

Extremely effective

U-boats did not sink a single U.S. ship travelling to EuropeSlide36
Slide37

American Soldiers in Europe

June 1917 - AEF arrived in France

American Soldiers = strong, good health, energetic

Allied soldiers = tired, dirty, low moral

AEF soldiers nicknamed “Doughboys”

African Americans in the War

300,000 African Americans volunteered to serve, few saw combat

Served in Segregated areas

Marines refused to accept African Americans

Army and Navy used African Americans for manual labor only

The 369

th

Infantry Regiment (Harlem Hell Fighters)

Persuaded white officers to allow them to fight under French offices

French integrated the regiment into their army

The entire regiment received France’s highest combat medal for their serviceSlide38

Turning the Tide of War

1917 - Russian Revolution = Russia’s withdrawal from WWI

Germans two front war ends

Forces attack British lines

Stalemate broken

Goal: to overtake Paris Slide39

American’s Save Paris

American’s under General Pershing

Stopped German advance

Battle of Chateau-Thierry

After Saving Paris

250,000 new American soldiers arrived in France each month

Allies began pushing German’s back

Allies demanded total surrender of Germans before peace talks

Sept 1918 – Battle of St.

Mihiel

First attack entirely in American handsSlide40

Ending the War

Central Powers collapsed against Allies

Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire = peace with Allies

Austria- Hungary fell

Poles, Czechs, Slovaks declare independence

Germany = signs armistice or cease-fire on Nov 11

th

, 1918Slide41

Results of the War

8 million soldiers dead

50,000 of those Americans

Stopped Immigration in the U.S.

Almost all men were taken out of the work force

Minorities (African Americans, Mexican Americans) took over jobs

Great Migration – movement of African Americans from the South to the North for work

Women joined the work force

Slide42

Global Peacemaker

President Wilson’s Fourteen Points

How to keep the peace after war

Removal of trade barriers and reduction of military forces

Hoped they would be the basis of peace negotiations

The Paris Peace Conference

1919

Wilson’s Fourteen Points broken apart

The League of Nations

Organization to ensure peace and security for it’s members

U.S. would not agree to it, feared it would drag the U.S. into foreign wars Slide43

The Peace Treaty

French, Britain, and Italy wanted harsh penalties for Germany

9 new countries formed

“buffer zone” – keep Russia separated

The four victors would take over German colonies

Germany must pay war reparations

Payment for economic injury

Germany owed Allies $33 billion

Treaty of Versailles signed June 28

th

1919 Slide44

Reactions in America

President Wilson returns with Treaty

“irreconcilable” senators will not sign it

Would not agree to the League of Nations

President Wilson tours the country

Wanted to win American support for League

Didn’t work

Congress declared the war over, but would not sign the treaty

Congress created separate treaties with Germany, Austria, and Hungary Slide45

Postwar America

America became a world power

U.S. the “banker to the world”

Europeans owed $11.5 billion to the U.S.

Problems?

What to do with returning soldiers?

No jobs for them

Some women left jobs voluntarily or were fired

African Americans discriminated against, just like before

Americans disillusioned with war, would lead to a social revolution