World War 1: Causes, Key Players, and Effects

Key Development Leading to World War 1

• Six powerful nations were divided into two alliances.
• Triple Alliance consisted of Austria-Hungary, Germany, and Italy.
• Triple Entente consisted of Britain, France and Russia.

Clash over Bosnia

• In 1908, Austria-Hungary annexed Bosnia.
• Bosnia was a key ally of Serbia.
• Russia protested Austria-Hungary's annexation of Bosnia.
• Germany supported Austria-Hungary.
• These events created tensions that led to World War 1.

End of World War 1

• World War One ended when Germany signed the armistice on 11 Nov 1918.
• An armistice is a temporary peace agreement.

Effects of World War 1

• Germany suffered the heaviest casualties with 2 million deaths.
• The United States had the least casualties with 0.11 million deaths.
• More than 18 million were killed, and 9 million civilians died.
• France lost approximately 1.4 million soldiers and an additional 300,000 civilians
• France was the most affected and experienced devastation of large parts of its industrial region.
• Britain became much weaker because the war was costly, and lost soldiers.
• Kaiser Wilhem was overthrown in Germany in a revolution.
• The Weimar Republic replaced the imperial government in Germany.
• The Austria-Hungary empire collapsed, breaking into smaller countries.
• The USA emerged as the world's greatest power.
• The USA benefited from the sale of weapons during the war.

Paris Peace Conference

• The purpose was to decide the terms of the treaty of Versailles.
• Britain, France, and the USA strongly believed that Germany was responsible and deserved punishment.
• Germany forced Russia to sign the Treaty of Brest-Litvosk in March 1918.

Aims of the Big 3: The USA

• Woodrow Wilson was an idealist and visionary.
• Wilson proposed the 14 points to achieve world peace.
• He thought Germany should be punished but not destroyed completely.
• Believed in self-determination and that nations should rule themselves.
• He was thought be to be 'soft' on Germany.

Aims of the Big 3: Britain

• Lloyd George had a moderate view on punishing Germany.
• He wanted to protect British interests.
• He wanted to rebuild Britain’s economic prosperity.
• He wanted to maintain British Empire.
• He was under pressure from the public to punish Germany.
• He had long-term concerns over Russia.
• He was mindful that a weak Germany would affect Britain’s security.

Aims & Motivations of France

• Clemenceau was a tough politician with a reputation for being uncompromising.
• France suffered enormous damage, and there were 1.7 million deaths.
• The French public wanted a harsh treaty to punish Germany.
• Clemenceau wanted to break Germany into smaller states.
• Germany had to be kept weak, so it would not be able to threaten France in the future.

Germany & The Treaty of Versailles

• Germany was not consulted about the terms during the treaty discussions.
• The Allies' response was for Germany to sign or face an invasion.
• Germany was eventually forced to sign the treaty.

Reasons Germany resented the diktat

• War Guilt Clause
• Loss of German territories
• Reparations
• Disarmament
• Being left out of the League of Nations

Impact of the Treaty of Versailles on Germany

• In the short term, Germans felt they did not lose the war and that the country had been stabbed in the back by the Jews.
• In the medium term, reparations led to hyperinflation, and German savings were wiped out, and the Weimar government was blamed.
• In the long term, the treaty was a sore to many Germans, and they blamed it for Germany’s problems, which was exploited by Adolf Hitler in the early 1930s.

Aim of the League of Nations

• Resolve International Disputes without going to war.
• Act as a government and police force.
• Disputes to be taken to the league to be resolved.
• Collective security between members to protect each other if attacked.
• Members could impose economic sanctions on aggressor nations.

Concerns About the League of Nations

• Lloyd George and Clemenceau were skeptical and wanted to act independently.
• Britain and France were against disarmament as it was against their national interest to protect their territories.
• Economic sanctions were not going to stop aggressors.
• The LON did not have an army of their own.

Implications of the USA not joining LON

• Economic sanctions would be difficult to enforce.
• The USA could supply weapons and goods to aggressor countries.
• The USA had the most powerful military. The, absence of the USA made it difficult or LON to take military action

Other Attempts to Keep the Peace outside of LON

• Rapallo Treaty (1922): USSR and Germany re-established ties.
• The Dawes Plan (1924): Meant to help Germany with hyperinflation and restructure reparation payment.
• Kellog-Briand Pact (1928): Agreement between 65 nations not to use force.
• The Locarno Treaties (1925): Designed to maintain peace in Europe among Germany, France, Britain, Italy, and Belgium.
• The Young Plan (1929): Designed to support the German economy and ensure Germany could repay reparations.

Conclusion

• The Paris Peace Conference impacted Germany greatly.
• Hitler took advantage to rise of Nazis.
• LON had difficulties in the 1920s with limited success.
• In the 1930s, Germany, Italy and Japan were gearing up for war, which would challenge league unity.