World War I Summary PDF

World War I - a summary - An Overview… In 1914, World War I (called the Great War or The War to End All Wars during that time) led many European nations to war. The fighting spread, causing nations from around the world to join the conflict. New military technologies and the horrors of tren...

World War I - a summary - An Overview… In 1914, World War I (called the Great War or The War to End All Wars during that time) led many European nations to war. The fighting spread, causing nations from around the world to join the conflict. New military technologies and the horrors of trench warfare led to unprecedented levels of death and destruction. By the time the war ended in 1918, more than 16 million people – both soldiers and civilians – were dead Causes of the War Causes complex and still debated to this day, however the acronym M-A-I-N is often used to explain the causes of the war – militarism, alliances, imperialism, and nationalism. These factors caused growing unrest in pre-war Europe. Causes of War- (M and A) Militarism, the belief in maintaining a strong military for national interest, led to vast military forces across Europe standing ready to be put into action. As military forces expanded throughout Europe, many countries formed alliances for protection. An alliance is an agreement between two or more nations to defend each other if one nation is attacked. Despite forming alliances to ensure peace, the agreements accelerated war because once a nation was attacked, the alliance system caused more countries to get involved in the conflict. Causes of War- (I and N) Imperialism is the process of countries building empires by gaining control of weaker nations. Several European nations were competing to build powerful empires. The competition created by imperialism intensified tension and rivalries in Europe during the early 1900’s. Nationalism is an intense loyalty to a country that goes beyond just patriotism. By placing their own country above everything else, nationalists in many countries generated hatred of other nationalities, which led to problems with foreign relations. Powder Keg Historians often refer to the tensions in Europe (militarism, alliances, imperialism, nationalism) prior to the outbreak of war as a powder keg waiting for a spark to ignite an explosion of violence and conflict. The spark that ignited World War I was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the next in line to be king of Austria-Hungary. Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, were shot to death by the Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip on June 28, 1914. Princip, along with other nationalists were struggling to end Austro-Hungarian rule over Bosnia and Herzegovina. In response, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, causing a domino effect that brought most of Europe to war. Allied and Central Powers In 1914, two powerful alliances, the Allied Powers, or Allies, and the Central Powers, marched into war. The major Allies included the nations of Great Britain, France, Russia, Serbia, and Belgium. The major Central Powers consisted of Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, and the Ottoman Empire. The U.S. At the outbreak of fighting in 1914, America remained neutral under the leadership of President Woodrow Wilson. Several events, such as Germany’s use of unrestricted submarine warfare against commercial and passenger ships, made it difficult for America to stay neutral. (Lusitania… 1,195 deaths, 123 Americans) America joined the Allied Powers in 1917. In the same year, Russia withdrew from the war because of a revolution in their homeland. Trench Warfare Most conflict during World War I was centered around trench warfare. Trenches – complex networks of long, deep ditches – were designed as protective defenses, but led to a drawn-out war with terribly high casualties. New deadly weapons made it nearly impossible for either side to gain ground or have a decisive victory. Unable to advance, troops began digging trenches for protection from machine-gun fire and artillery shells. The result was a maze of trenches on both sides. Soldiers would charge across the area of land between the trenches, known as “No Man’s Land.” No Man’s Land As they charged the enemy trench, they faced massive firepower from machine guns, rifles, and artillery. They suffered appalling casualties to gain extremely minor areas of land, if any at all. Those fortunate enough to survive enemy fire faced horrendous conditions in the trenches. The trenches were filled with muddy water, human waste, rats, wounded soldiers and the mangled bodies of the dead. Lice fed on the living soldiers, and rats fed on the dead and the dying. Disease and infections were rampant. Mechanized War In addition to trench warfare, technological advancements made the war more deadly and terrifying than any that had been experienced up until that time. World War I was the first mechanized war. New weapons and innovations, such as tanks, planes, submarines, chemical weapons, machine guns and artillery forever changed the face of warfare. 14 Points After four horrific years of war, the Central Powers surrendered in November of 1918. Following the war, President Woodrow Wilson proposed a list of plans that sought to establish lasting peace based on reconciliation. His plan was called the Fourteen Points. Part of his plan called for the creation of an international peacekeeping organization known as the League of Nations. Wilson thought the organization could prevent future conflicts through negotiations. The League of Nations achieved several positive contributions, however the U.S. refused to join the organization. Treaty of Versailles Despite Wilson’s efforts, several European leaders wanted to punish those responsible for the war. The final peace agreement – The Treaty of Versailles – was extremely harsh on Germany. The terms of the treaty stated Germany had to: ○ accept total responsibility for causing the war, ○ give up some of its land, ○ agree to pay the Allied nations billions of dollars in war reparations, and ○ decrease the size of their military. The Treaty was successful short-term, but caused lingering issues that contributed to the outbreak of the Second World War.