WORLD WAR I NOTES

1914-1918

MAIN CAUSES

M Militarism
A Alliances
I Imperialism
N- Nationalism
The spark that started the Great
War Assassination of Austrian
Archduke Franz Ferdinand by a
Serbian Nationalist.

WHO WAS INVOLVED?

The Allied Powers (The Allies)
Great Britain, France, Russia (until
1917), Italy (after 1915), and the
United States (after 1917)
This started as the Triple Entente

WHO WAS INVOLVED?

The Central Powers:
Germany, Austria-Hungary,
Bulgaria, The Ottoman Empire
Started as the Triple Alliance
Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy

WORLD DIVIDED

THE MECHANIZATION OF WAR

Mechanization: having things done by
machinery (a result of the Industrial Revolution!)
Machines in factories mass-produced guns, shells,
and bombs very quickly
Machine guns changed the ways were fought
Trench Warfare: Soldiers dug down and fought
from ditches
Many soldiers were killed (30 million soldiers and
civilians were killed or injured!)
Nearly 13 million of the dead were civilians
It caused a stalemate very little land was gained

THE MECHANIZATION OF WAR

New Weapons
Machine guns, submarines, flame-throwers,
poison gas, artillery guns, airplanes,
zeppelins and tanks were used

TIMELINE - 1914
Archduke Franz Ferdinand (heir to the
throne of Austria-Hungary) is
assassinated by a Serbian terrorist

TIMELINE 1914 (CONT)

Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia
(July 28, 1914)
Russia prepares to help Serbia
Germany declares war on Russia
(August 1, 1914)
Germany declares war on France
(August 3, 1914)

1914 CONTINUED
Germany invades Belgium and France
Great Britain declares war on Germany
(August 4, 1914)
Japan declares war on Germany (August 13,
1914)
Unites Sates declares neutrality (not
supporting either side)

TIMELINE 1914 (CONT)

The Christmas Truce (December 25 t h , 1914)
Soldiers in the trenches of the western front took a
break from fighting, came out of their trenches, and
exchanged songs & greetings, cigarettes, & other
gifts, played soccer, and had a short time of peace in
the middle of a bloody war.

1915-1916

Italy joins the Allies

Sinking of the Lusitania (May 7, 1915) 128
Americans killed
The Battle of Ypres (April 21-May 25, 1915)
First use of poison gas by the Germans
Result: stalemate

1916
The Battle of Verdun (February
21-December 19, 1916)
German army attacked French
fortress in Verdun
One of the longest (9 months)
and deadliest (over 350,000
French and 350,000
casualties) battles of war
Result: French were able to
hold off Germans and achieve
victory

1916
The Battle of Somme (July 1 November 13,
1916)
Over 200,000 British troops were killed on the
1 st day alone!
Over 650,000 Germans, 420,000 British and
195,000 French casualties
Result: French & British gained only five
miles, but defeated the Germans

1917
The Battle of Passchendaele (July 31
November 10, 1917)
Also called the 3 rd battle of Ypres
217,000+ German casualties
Result: Decisive victory for Allies left
Germans crippled

RUSSIAN REVOLUTION
Most Russians were poor and starving
Russia was exhausted by WWI
First Russian Revolution February Revolution
February 1917 Riots protesting the shortage
of food forced Russias Czar Nicholas II from
power
He wanted to keep fighting in WWI but his
citizens did not
US President Woodrow Wilson believed that
the Allies would be stronger now that Czar
Nicholas II was gone

RUSSIAN REVOLUTION
The Russian Royal Family
Czar Nicholas II

Russian Revolution

RUSSIAN REVOLUTION (CONT)

Communist/Bolshevik Revolution October
Revolution
The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, seized power in
Russia and began the communist revolution
Russia signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (March 3, 1918)
with Germany and dropped out of the war
Germany then could send their troops on the Eastern Front
to the Western Front

RUSSIAN REVOLUTION (CONT)

Russia became the Soviet Union, A
Communist government everyone
contributes towards good of all with no one
benefitting any more or less. Decisions of
government made by entire community , not
by a single ruler or group. No private
ownership of businesses.
Idea created by Karl Marx (during the
Industrial Revolution)
Supports the violent revolution of the workers
class against the borgeois ruling class