World War I: Causes and Global Impact

The Great War: A Modern World in Turmoil

• The rise of militarism, imperialism, nationalism, and complicated alliances were all factors in the outbreak of the First World War.
• The conflict had global consequences, including the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire.

The Middle East and Europe on the Brink

• In 1914, conflicts in the Middle East and Europe reached a boiling point, sparking World War I.
• The Ottoman Empire was weakening economically and militarily, leading to the breaking away of its provinces.
• As the Ottoman Empire declined, it created a power vacuum amidst rising nationalism and imperialism.

Causes of WWI

• Assassination: The assassination was the spark that ignited the war.
• Militarism: Military spending and army strength in European countries were on the rise to protect their growing empires.
• Alliance system: Several countries in Europe formed alliances for protection against attacks.
• Imperialism: For decades, Europeans competed for territories worldwide.
• Nationalism: "Uber-patriotism" inspired loyalty to one's flag, while also fueling desires for independence among various groups.

The Spark: Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

• Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austrian throne, was assassinated in Sarajevo in June 1914 by a member of the Serbian nationalist group, the Black Hand.
• After the assassination, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, triggering the alliance system.
• Russia entered the war to protect Serbia, Germany supported Austria-Hungary and declared war on Russia and France, which drew in France's ally, Great Britain.

Enthusiasm for War

• Europeans were enthusiastic about the outbreak of war.
• Nationalism was a strong motivator.
• The Crimean and Franco-Prussian Wars, which weren't particularly deadly, were in the distant past.

Technological Advancements

• Technological advancements in warfare transformed The Great War into the world's deadliest war.
• Mustard gas, machine guns, airplanes, zeppelins, and submarines were all utilized.

Western Front and Trench Warfare

• German troops advanced through Belgium and into France shortly after the war's start.
• Allied forces, including France, Great Britain, and Russia, halted their advance in September 1914.
• Resulting in a long siege with parallel trenches along the Western Front.
• Trench warfare was synonymous with WWI.
• "No man's land" varied from 25 yards to 1 mile.

Trench Warfare Conditions

• Trench warfare proved to be deadly with minimal gains.
• During the Battle of Somme, 20,000 British soldiers lost their lives on the first day, with only 7 miles of ground changing hands after months of fighting.
• Living conditions in the trenches were harsh, plagued by rats, mud, and "trench foot."

The Warring Sides

• Allied Powers include: Great Britain, France, Russia, Italy (later on) and The U.S. (later on).
• Central Powers are: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire (later on), Italy (at first).

War Propaganda

• War propaganda was extensively used by both sides during WWI.
• A German soldier is depicted single-handedly defeating Russian, British, and French soldiers.
• Belgium is presented as a small nation defending against Germany, which depicted with sausages.

Home Fronts

• Citizens were urged to cultivate their produce in Europe and the United States.
• Farmlands were converted into battlefields, governments ensured food supplies for troops.
• Recruitment posters aimed at shaming young men into enlisting.

Disillusionment and the Home Front

• Soldiers grew disillusioned, despite propaganda efforts.
• Some soldiers didn't see the men in the opposing trenches as mortal enemies, leading to the Christmas Truce of 1914.
• The war impacted the home front and European colonies abroad.
• German submarine attacks on merchant ships reduced food supplies in Britain and France.
• Germany's economy struggled due to Britain's blockade.
• Women and immigrants filled jobs vacated by fighting men.
• The U.S. economy benefited from selling food and supplies; war bonds were sold, and "victory gardens" were grown.

Total War and Civilian Targeting

• The concept of total war emerged during the Great War, utilizing all aspects of society for the war effort.
• Zeppelin attacks on civilians occurred, though civilian and aerial warfare is more synonymous with WWII.
• The British prime minister implemented a military draft, requested resources from the British colonies, and asked labor unions to work harder.

Naval Blockades and the Lusitania

• Britain initiated a naval blockade to target Germany's economy.
• The Germans retaliated with their blockade against Britain; submarines attacked ships, including neutral ones.
• The sinking of the Lusitania killed 139 Americans, leading Germany to suspend their submarine campaign fearing American protests.

U.S. Enters the War

• The United States entered the conflict in 1917 because of the sinking of U.S. merchant ships
• Also due to the Zimmerman Note:
  • A telegram sent from the German foreign minister to their ambassador in Mexico proposing an alliance if the U.S. got involved.
  • Germany was prepared to help Mexico reclaim territory lost in the Mexican American War.
• A revolution began in Russia.
• War was becoming one between "democracies" and autocratic dictatorships in Wilson's eyes.
• Following two years of conflict, the influx of American soldiers energized the war front.

The Ottoman Empire

• The Ottomans allied with Germany, aiming to reclaim land from Russia.
• They pushed back the British invasion near the Gallipoli Peninsula.
• Emir of Mecca (Saudi Arabia) was promised his own kingdom if he revolted against the Turks.
• The British also promised Jews the Balfour Declaration, a policy favoring a future Jewish state.
• Zionism, with Theodore Herzl, aimed to establish a Jewish homeland in Palestine.

Austro-Hungarian Empire Problems

• The Austro-Hungarian Empire was polyglot of nations, ethnicities, and religions that was held together by loyalty to the ruling Habsburg dynasty.
• The forces of nationalism unleashed could not allow it to survive.

Russian Issues

• Russian soldiers were ill-equipped and led by incompetent generals.
• Defeats to the Germans led to ammunition shortages.
• Food and fuel shortages occurred on the home front.
• Striking workers were joined by mutinying soldiers.
• The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, took over the Russian government in 1917.
• Shared Marx's class conflict ideas.
• Made peace with Germany & Austria-Hungary in 1918.

Wilson, Lenin, and WWI

• Wilson was a reluctant leader that saw the war as a way to be a “moral mediator”.
• Lenin, a communist, believed capitalism led to world issues.
• Both saw the war as an opportunity to reshape the vision of the world.

The End of the War

• The addition of U.S. soldiers shifted the war in favor of the Allies.
• The Germans began retreating in August 1918.
• Germany agreed to a truce on November 11, 1918, at 11:00 a.m.

Impact of The Great War

• Nearly 10 million men died, and twice as many were wounded.
• Reduced populations in the European generation.
• Millions of refugees lost their homes.
• Combatants came from corners of the globe.
• Forests were ravaged, trenches littered the landscape.

Paris Peace Conference and Treaty of Versailles

• Delegates from the victorious nations (U.S., Great Britain, and France) in 1919 met in Paris to end the war.
• The opinions of Italy, Russia, defeated nations, or other groups like Arabs, Jews, and Africans were not considered.
• The delegates had personal objectives for the conference.
• Wilson's Fourteen Points aimed for a League of Nations, self-determination, free trade, and no secret alliances.
• France and Britain wanted to severely punish Germany.
• Ultimately, both sides compromised and no one was fully happy.
• The U.S. did not join the League of Nations, because they did not wish to become entangled in foreign issues.
• Areas of the Ottoman Empire became French & British colonies.
• Germany was held responsible for the war and had to pay reparations.
• Germany was no longer allowed to have a “real” military.
• Germany was humiliated as a result, and little was done to prevent a future war.
• New countries: Poland, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia were formed out of Russia & the old Austrian-Hungary Empire.

Recap

• Factors of WWI: Collapsing Ottoman Empire, an assassination, militarism, alliance system, imperialism, and nationalism.
• Global in scale: Europeans, Americas, Arabs, Africans were involved.
• Trench warfare characterized WWI and saw 10 million deaths was a large event.
• The war triggered a revolution in Russia, the end of the Ottoman Empire, refugees, the formation of new nations, mandates in the Middle East, problems in Palestine, and German humiliation: arrival of Lenin & Communism.
• Treaty of Versailles failed because Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points could not be fully carried out.