War & Society 1914-1920

Chapter 23

Road to WarKey factors precipitated war in Europe

• Imperialist expansion

• Militarism

- Russia’s army

- France and Germany

- Britain, Italy, & Austria

• Nationalism

Europe Divided, pg 587

• Triple Entente : France, Great Britain & Russia (later referred to as “Allies”)

• Triple Alliance (Central Powers): Germany, Austria, Ottoman Empire (later Italy)

Outbreak of WWI, 1914• Serbia’s struggle for

independence• Problem with Austria &

Russia’s impact • Assassination,

Archduke Ferdinand, June 28, 1914

• “Black Hand”

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Gavrilo Princip (assassin) of the “Black Hand”

Outbreak of WWI

• Austria threatens Serbia

• Why would Austria turn to Germany before attacking Serbia?

• Austrian declares war July 28, 1914

• Russia mobilizes

• Germany reacts by declaring war (8.1.14)

Widening of the War

• Schlieffen Plan/ 2-front war

• Aug 3- Germany dec. war on France

• Aug 4- Great Britain dec. war on Germany

• excitement of war (parades)

• What were some of the “first timers” in WWI?

The Great War• failure of Schlieffen Plan

- western front stalemate (4 years)

• eastern front

- Russia defeats Austria

- Russian advances into Germany

Russian failures• Tannenberg,1914

• Masurian Lakes, 1914

• Russian Revolution• War turns to

Western Front

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The Great Slaughter

Trench warfare Remarque’s All quiet on the western front elaborate trenches Machine-gun nests/ barbed wire separated by “no man’s land” Battle of Verdun- Feb 1916 (700,000) Battle of Somme- July 1916 (21k) (1mil) horrors of trench warfare

Entry of United States

• most important allied cause

• Neutrality?

• trade throughout the war

- $3 billion (allies) vs. $376 million (central powers)

America’s entry: 3 factors

• Lusitania (5/7/1915)

- 1198 people killed (128 US, pg 589)

• Germany submarine warfare (Jan 1917)

• Zimmerman Note - German/Mexican alliance (Jan 1917)

• Wilson’s declaration of war speech

Raising an Army

• Selective Service Act of 1917

- 3 million drafted into military

- 2 million volunteer

- 10% African American

Labor Shortages- women doing “Men’s” Work (p594)

U.S. entry (continue)

• America enters war (4-6-1917)

• Psychological boost for allies

• 2 million Americans on the western front by 1918

Last years of the war2nd Battle of the Marne• Germany strikes western front

(03/1918)

- rapid success / 10 miles per day - US arrives - German offensive halted - plea for armistice (9-1918)

Last years of the war (continue)

2nd battle of the MarneGerman General Paul von Hindenburg

later commented that “the American infantry in the Argonne (forest) won the war”

End of War

Carnage ends (11-11-1918)

- What is significant about Nov 11?

The Push for Peace • Wilson’s Fourteen Points (p 603):

• Creation of a League of Nations

• Wilson becomes international figure

Treaty of Versailles

• Attending the Paris peace conference in 1919, (from left to right) British prime minister David Lloyd-George, Italian prime minister Orlando, French premier Clémenceau and US president Wilson. The peace treaty following the end of World War I was signed between the Allies and Germany on 28 June, mandating German disarmament and war reparations, and establishing the League of Nations.

Paris Peace Conference (1/1919)

Treaty of Versailles• Signed June 28, 1919• What did the treaty officially do?

• New countries (p 601)

• German War guilt clause

Treaty of Versailles (continue)

War Guilt Clause• embarrassed Germany

- $33 billion reparations bill - stripped of military (100k men) - reduce navy & eliminate air forceembarrassed/ inflation/ debt• U.S. loans $millions to Germany until

depression

WWI conclusion• US (post-WWI) world’s strongest

economy/ new hegemony power

• US fails to enter L.O.N.

• destruction of land & cities

• death of 10 million people/ 20 million or more wounded

• seeds of WWII planted