World War I

What was Europe like in 1914? Europe was divided into many independent nation-states
but they had very similar cultures based on Christianity.

Most nations were monarchies: Many were constitutional monarchies (Britain) some were aristocracies (Russia). Portugal and France were the only Republics.
Travel between nations was very easy. You didnt have to show a passport.

What was Europe like in 1914?

Britain, Germany, and France were the world powers and the most industrialized.
They controlled 80% of the worlds inhabited land (imperialism). Their merchants controlled over 50% of international waters. They controlled over 50% of the industrial markets.

Europe tries to avoid conflict worked very hard In the 19th century, European powers
to keep a balance of power in Europe. Many political and military alliances were created. Most countries tried to avoid conflict using military superiority-You wont attack a nation with a bigger army! Many nations created agreements, but the most important were the Triple Alliance and the Entente Alliance.

Britain: Maintain balance and merchant power

Goals of Powers

France: Contain Germany

Russia: Expand if possible

Germany: Unite German-speaking people and not fight on 2 fronts. Austria: Hold everything together and get more territory.
Italy: Try to solidify own territory.

Most countries tried to avoid conflict using military superiority-You wont attack a nation with a bigger army!

Triple Alliance
Made by Germany, AustriaHungary, and Italy in 1882 They agreed that they would give each other military support in case of war. Had strong ethnic ties: Germany and Austria-Hungry share a border and the German language.

Triple Entente
Made by Russia, Britain, and France after Triple Alliance.

They agreed to a moral responsibility to support each other but didnt require going to war.
None of them trusted each other (war and colonialism) but they mistrusted Germany more.

Tension builds
Economic power and competition for world power created a lot of division and mistrust.

Nationalism played an important role. National groups (especially in eastern Europe) without their own state or territories expressed nationalism loudly.
By the 20th century, the sovereign states had general agreement that borders were fixed. One state was not supposed to want to take another state.

The War Begins

June 28, 1914: the Archduke, Francis Ferdinand, the heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, was shot and killed by a Serbian revolutionary.

Ethnic Groups of Austria-Hungary

The War Begins

In response, Austria-Hungary invaded Serbia.

Russia was Serbias ally. They mobilized their army and attacked Austria-Hungary.
Germany is AustriaHungarys ally and invades Belgium and tries to invade France. Britain joins to support France.

The War Begins

Colonial territories of each nation in Asia, Africa, and America also go to war.
Japan, China, Italy, and the US also joined the allies. Turkey (Ottoman Empire) joined the central powers. By the end of the war in November 1918, the war included over 30 countries and over 1.4 billion people.

This was a modern war: A war between whole societies NOT a war between armies or kings.

The War

Modern society included extreme nationalism which allowed people to be more easily mobilized to fight each other. It was a World War because it included every major nation in every part of the world.

The War
WW1 was also the first industrial war. New industrial power meant nations could produce weapons and goods faster than ever before.

Even scientists were creating new weapons, poison gases, and machines.
All the production kept the war going.

At first, people thought the war would be very short. By the end, the suffering was so great that some soldiers revolted. In Russia, soldiers refused to fight. The Russian revolution happened shortly after ending the monarchy.

In 1906, a German observer said, if war breaks in Europe, it will not be a single win-lose battle. It will be a national war that is a long and tiring struggle with another country. The other country will not defeated until its whole national force is broken. It will be a war that completely exhausts our own people, even if we are the winner.

Effects of the War Britain and France

won the war. They gained about 7 miles of land. But, they lost hundreds of thousands of soldiers. In Germany and France, almost an entire generation of young men were killed. WWI left the European nations in ruins. More than 21 million were injured and over 9 million were killed.

Germany: 2 million dead, starvation, country not physically destroyed.

Italy: 600,000 dead, northBritain: 750,000 dead and east destroyed 1.5 million USA: 116,000 dead wounded/crippled, serious France: Lots of land debt, but no physical (farmland) destroyed, 2 damage. million refugees, 1.4 million Russia: 1.7 million dead dead, 2.5 million wounded/crippled Belgium: 50,000 dead

Casualties

Effects of the War

The map of Europe was completely changed. 4 Empires (German, Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman, and Russian) came to an end. They were replaced by 3 republics and a communist state.

9 new countries were created which made some nationalists happy but further divided Europe. This actually created more tension since some nationalists didnt feel their needs were met.

New Map of Europe

Effects of the War

Many colonized people in Africa and Asia who had fought in the war gained the confidence to protest and resist colonial control. Nationalism increased in colonized nations.

The idea of European superiority began to decrease.

Effects of the War

The huge cost in lives and property of the war did NOT solve the political problems and tensions in Europe.

The allies forced Germany to take the blame for the war and they had to sign the Treaty of Versailles.

The German army was reduced to 100,000 men. They could not have tanks or an air force.

Treaty of Versailles

The area between Germany and France was demilitarized. Allied troops stayed for 15 years. They were also forced to pay $31 billion in damages to the allies. It was impossible for Germany to pay!

Treaty of Versailles
Germany lost all of its African and Asian colonies.

Some German land was given to Belgium.

Some of the land Germany had taken from the Russians was turned into new nation states.

Treaty of Versailles A German coal mine

and other industrial areas were given to France Germany was not allowed to keep submarines. They could only have 6 large ships. Germany was not represented during the creation or the signing of the treaty.

Change in Government
Shortly before the end of the war, the Kaiser (German king) gave up his power and fled to Holland.

The monarchy was ended and a republic took its place.

Germany faced major food shortages and Friedrich was shocked by the defect.

Ebert
The new government was not respected.

Impact on Germany
Germanys economy was devastated. In 1914, 1 dollar = 4.2 marks. In 1923, 1 dollar = 4.2 trillion marks. Savings of the middle class were wiped out. Workers began to strike. There was huge unemployment. It was 30% in 1930.

There were no strong leaders to guide the new republic.

To cope, the government started to print money it didnt have. This meant the value of the mark went down but the prices went up.

Hyperinflation

What would you do?

Imagine that you are German. How do you feel after being defeated? How do you feel about the Treaty of Versailles?

How do you feel about the economic conditions?

How do you feel about the new nations that have land that used to be yours? How do you feel about reparations (the money paid to another country for war damages)