World War One

What is the meaning of A World War?

- A war involving nearly every nation of the world

When was the First World War?

- 1914-1918

What are the causes of WW1?

- The causes stands in one word : MANIA

What does MANIA stand for?

M= Militarism
A= Alliances
N= Nationalism
I= Imperialism
A= Assassination

1. Nationalism:

- What is Nationalism?

**Love for one’s nation that varies from pride to hatred of all other nations
** Someone loves his nation and willing to die for it.

Disadvantages of Nationalism
1. One disadvantage of nationalism is the hate that can be directed against outsiders - hate that
sometimes culminates in war.

2. It can cause division in societies when one nationality classes itself as superior to another.

3. The most damaging weakness in Nationalism is that Nationalism may give a certain cultural
group a sense of not belonging to a country.

Example of the effect of Nationalism

- Catalonia – Spain
- Quebec – Canada
- Pakistan- Kashmir – India
- Kurds – Iraq and Turkey
- Unification of Germany

Unification of Germany

The State of Germany in the early 1800s :

** In the 1700s Central Europe was a fragmented area of roughly 300 sovereign, independent states
(kingdoms, duchies, principalities, free cities, etc.). The German states were bound together in a loose
political entity known as the Holy Roman Empire.

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**A rivalry developed between the Holy Roman Empire’s two largest (and strongest) states: the Kingdom
of Austria, and the Kingdom of Prussia.

** In 1806 the Holy Roman Empire was dissolved, and a German Confederation was created, a
conglomeration of 39 states

German States desire to unite:

** German states united under Prussia.

** Unite by Blood & Iron under the leadership of “Otto Von Bismarck”

** Otto Von Bismarck “The Iron Chancellor”

 Prince Otto Edward Leopold von Bismarck was the mastermind of German Unification and was
the first chancellor of the united German nation.

 Bismarck caused Germany to transform from a loose net of 39 states into the strongest industrial
nation of Europe.

 A master strategist, Bismarck initiated decisive wars with Denmark, Austria and France( took
from France Alsace and Lorraine) to unite 39 independent German states under Prussian
leadership.

Germany Unite under Prussia

 Fredrick William I Ruler of Prussia

 On Jan 18, 1871 William I was proclaimed Kaiser of united Germany.

2. The Alliance System

- An alliance is an agreement made between two or more countries to give each other help if it is
needed.

Alliance system
- European powers formed rival alliances to protect themselves

The Triple Alliance The Triple Entente

Germany Great Britain

Austria- Hungary France

Italy Russia

3. Imperialist Competition
- Imperialism occurs when a strong nation takes over a weaker nation or region and dominates
its economic, political, or cultural life.

4. Militarism – building up military

 Militarism is a rise in military expenditure, and an increase in military and naval forces.

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  It is also the preference for usage of force as a solution to problems.

Balkan Crisis and Nationalism

Why were the Balkans a Problem Area before 1914?

 The Slavic peoples in Bosnia and Herzegovina had the desire not to be part of Austria-Hungary
Empire and instead be part of Serbia. In this way, nationalism led directly to the War.

The “Spark” The Assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand

- The Archduke Francis Ferdinand of Austria was the heir of Austro- Hungarian Empire.
and his wife Sophie visited Sarajevo (Bosnia's capital).

What happened on 28 June 1914?

- On June 28th 1914, there were 7 men as part of a terrorist cell called the Black Hand. Gavrilo
Princip was their leader.

- Their target was the heir to the Austrian-Hungarian Empire, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, who was
visiting Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia.

- The political objective of the assassination was to break Austria-Hungary's south-Slav

provinces off so they could be combined into a Greater Serbia or a Yugoslavia. They wanted to
be independent from Austria and set up their own state which could run itself.

- Princip fired two shots. The first bullet wounded the Archduke in his neck, the second inflicted
the Duchess in her stomach.

- The Archduke and his wife died and Austro-Hungarian Empire wanted revenge.

- The bombing and murders of 28 June led to the outbreak of World War I exactly one month later.
The Austrian- Hungarian Empire with the support of their ally Germany declared war on Serbia.
The Serbs had a pact with Russia, who in turn had an alliance with France and Britain. Just six
weeks after a man was killed by a single bullet the alliances were triggered. Germany invaded
France and the First World War had begun.

The First World War

It was named……
- The Great War
- The War to End all Wars

A series of Events

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 • The assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria by a Serbian Nationalist Gavrilo
Princip
• Austria – Hungary blamed the Serbian government and declared war on Serbia
• Russia as Serbia's friend began mobilization to defend Serbia

• Germany as supporter of Hungary declared war on Russia

• France ( on Russia's side) enters the war.

• Britain promised to help Belgium to stay neutral, so Britain declares war on Germany.
• Soon the conflict became worldwide.

World War 1 was between:

Central power Allies

Germany Great Britain
Austria-Hungary France
Ottoman Empire Russia
Bulgaria Italy
Japan
USA “ 6th April 1917”

** Italy changed sides because GB and France promised to give Italy lands”

The Schlieffen Plan

- The plan was devised in 1905 by General Alfred Von Schlieffen.
The plan:
- Its aim was to make sure Germany did not fight a war on two fronts – against Russia and France
at the same time.
- This would be achieved by invading western front first, defeating France in six weeks and then
concentrating on the Eastern front and taking Russians.
- The Schlieffen plan’s success depended on the speed in executing it.

What Happened?

- Germany made vast encircling movement through Belgium to enter Paris to avoid the French
fortifications.
- Belgians put up a stiff fight, delaying the German troops from invading France.
- The British quickly sent troops to France.
- The Germans underestimated the speed of the British mobilization
- The French and the British Forces withdrew south. “ Marne”

- Battle of Marne
- Stopped the Germans
- Both sides dug trenches for shelter

On the other side? “ Eastern front”

- Russia mobilized in just 10 days and Germany was forced to withdraw troops from the Schlieffen
Plan to defend her eastern border.

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Battle of Marne A Great Victory WHY?
1. It managed to stop the advance of the German troops.
2. It saved Paris from being captured by the Germans.
3. It enabled the French to continue the war.
4. It marked the beginning of the trench warfare the deadlock that would take another three
years and countless lives to break.

The Stalemate
The Trenches” 1914-1917”

The Three Phases of the War were:

1. Maneuver… When German troops swept into Luxembourg and Belgium as part of the "Schlieffen
plan"

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 2. Stalemate … a stalemate, neither side able to advance and overtake the other. A static war at the
Western Front, after the war's start in 1914 until April 1917 (Trench warfare)

3. Maneuver …. USA joined the war “ 6th April 1917”

Who Dug the Trenches?

The German commander, General Erich von Falkenhayn,

Why digging the trenches?

1. Not wanting to lose the territory in France and Belgium Germany had gained, he ordered his army
to dig trenches to defend against French and British troops.
2. The trenches provided necessary protection from artillery shells and machine guns, and gave
soldiers a major advantage when warding off a frontal assault.

- Realizing that they could not break through these trenches, the British and French soon began
digging their own.

What are trenches?

- Elaborate systems of defense

- Trenches are holes underground from 6 to 8 feet deep and 4 to 6 feet wide.

- These trenches were dug through the beautiful countryside of France, and often through private
property.

What was life really like in the trenches?

1. Daily Death in the Trenches
- The constant shellfire, made the trenches collapse and many men were buried as a consequence of
such large shell-bursts.
- Many men died on their first day in the trenches as a consequence of a precisely aimed sniper’s
bullet.

2. Mud & Water

- Because both sides were digging in countryside, the land was either clay or sand.
- The trenches became waterlogged when it rained.
- The trenches were hard to dig and kept on collapsing in the waterlogged sand.

3. Trench Foot
- Soldiers who spent prolonged periods of time standing in waterlogged trenches were liable to suffer
from frostbite and/or trench foot.
- Trench Foot was a fungal infection of the feet caused by cold, wet and unsanitary trench
conditions. It could turn gangrenous and result in amputation.

4. Rat Infestation

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 - Millions of rats infested trenches. Gorging themselves on human remains (grotesquely disfiguring
them by eating their eyes and liver) they could grow to the size of a cat.

5. Frogs, Lice and Worse

- Lice caused Trench Fever, a painful disease that began suddenly with severe pain followed by high
fever.

6. Bad Smell because of the dead bodies.

7. Mustard gas

- Burned out soldier’s lungs

Censorship

Censoring Soldiers Letter

- Although Soldiers in the trenches were allowed to send letters home to their loved ones, the letters
that they sent were heavily censored by the Ministry of Defense, details of where the soldier was
stationed were deleted as were details of any movements that the soldier was involved with letters
home were often unreadable because of the censors.
- The government censored the letters by using blue penciling.

What were the censors looking for?

1. The censors were looking out for two things in World War I. They didn't want the soldier to say
anything that would be of value to the enemy, such as where they were. They always wanted to
camouflage how strong the troops were.

2. Officers also were looking to see any weakening of desire among the troops. It's very important in
wartime for officers to know about morale issues.

The Third Phase

War of Maneuver
America Joins the Allies
- Why did it take so long for America to get involved in the war?
- America was isolationist (impartial) not to join either side.

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 - From 1914-1917 America adopted a policy of neutrality and isolation. This approach had the full
support of the majority of Americans.

- President Woodrow Wilson “ American president during WW1”

Monroe Doctrine, 1823

- In December 2, 1823, President James Monroe articulated United States’ foreign policy
- It stated that USA would not interfere in European wars or internal dealings, and in turn, expected
Europe to stay out of the affairs of the New World.
- It became a defining doctrine in the foreign policy of the United States

What does Neutrality mean?

- Neutrality meant that USA claimed the right to trade with anyone that they wanted; that they
claimed the right to loan money to anyone who wanted it; that they should have freedom of
relations, that is, the ability to travel, to work with, and to interact with anyone in the world that
they wished to work with.

Why did US get involved in WW1?

Because of 3 reasons:
1- Unrestricted Submarine warfare
2-The economy
3- Zimmerman Telegram

1. Unrestricted submarine warfare

- It was a German policy stated that the North Sea was a war zone in which all merchant ships,
including those from neutral countries were liable to be sunk without warning by German U-
Boats. “Why?”

- At the beginning of World War I, Britain blockaded (stopped) all German ships. The British fleet
was dispatched to the North Sea where it established a ring of steel off the German coast that
effectively prevented the movement of supplies into Germany by sea. An important war strategy
aimed at strangling the enemy economically.

** The U.S. government immediately and strongly protested the war-zone designation, warning
Germany that it would take any steps it might be necessary to take in order to protect American lives
and property.

What Was the Sussex Pledge?:

- The Sussex Pledge was a promise given by the German Government to the United States of
America.
“Germany promised to alter their naval and submarine policy of unrestricted submarine warfare and stop
the indiscriminate sinking of non-military ships. Instead, Merchant Ships would be searched and sunk

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only if they contained contraband (illegal cargo), and then only after safe passage had been provided for
the crew and passengers.”

- Sussex Pledge did not last

- The U.S., broke diplomatic relations with Germany.

2. Economy
- The USA lent lots of money to Britain and France. The loans would be lost if Germany won. USA
had to back the Allies to protect their financial investment in WW1

 U.S. trade with Germany and Austria (1914: $169 Million; 1916: $1 Million)
 U.S. trade with England and Allies (1914: $825 Million; 1916: $3,214 Million)

 U.S. bank loans to England and Allies (Allies loans: $2 Billion plus. Central Powers
loans: 27 million)

Why was the balance of trade in favor of the Allies?

- Due to the success of the Blockade conducted by the British to prevent all supplies to Germany.

3. Zimmerman Telegram
- In January of 1917, the British intercepted and decoded a secret telegram sent from German
Foreign Secretary Arthur Zimmerman to the German ambassador in Mexico and published it on
American newspapers.

- He proposed that Mexico ally with Germany against the United States. He promised them the
territories of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona.

April 2nd ,1917 President Wilson asked congress to declare war on Germany
- America Joins the war “ 6th April 1917”

The Last Year

1917:
- Two important events occurred in this year:
1. USA interfere in WW1 “ 6th April 1917”

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 2. Russia withdraw from WW1 because of the Russian Revolution and Russia became USSR
(The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics)

- The Russians sign the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk to go out of the war and give Germany all of
Poland, Lithuania, and Ukraine

- Germany now only has a one-front war…

- German troops from the Eastern Front (Russian borders) were sent west.

Last Battles of WWI

- The Second Battle of the Marne.

An Armistice
- U.S. President Woodrow Wilson informs Germany that they will be treated fairly, if they agree to
an armistice and surrender.
The Germans asked for a ceasefire – Armistice at 11 11 11 1918

- The war officially ended on

November 11th 1918
.
New Technology: New Weapons
- Poison gas (mustard gas)
- Hand grenades
- Flame throwers
- Tanks
- Airplanes
- U-Boats

Causalities
The total number of military and civilian casualties in World War I

The Unknown Soldier Tomb

. Throughout World War I, many soldiers have died without their remains being identified.
Following the war, a movement arose to commemorate these soldiers with a single tomb, containing the
body of one such unidentified soldier.
The idea came from the reverent David Railton.

The First Unknown Soldier memorial

- On the morning of 11 November 1920 - the second anniversary of the armistice that ended World
War One - the body of the Unknown Warrior was brought in a procession.

- In Britain, the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior was created at Westminster Abbey, while in
France La tombe du soldat inconnu was placed in the Arc de Triomphe.

The Role of propaganda

Propaganda means:
- Information, especially biased or misleading, used to promote a political cause or point of view

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The Role of Propaganda
All forms of information were controlled

Propaganda had two roles

1- It was used to promote patriotism and nationalism. It was also used to get young men to fight for their
country portraying that it was what a real man, a worthy and god fearing man would do.
2- It was used to support the war and get society to go along with the governments ideas.

The Flu Pandemic

- One of the deadliest natural disasters in human history
- Depleted (ate up) all armies about 3% of the world's population (1.8 billion at the time) died of
the disease

What happened to the Ottoman Empire?

- The Allies ended the Ottoman Empire with the help of a British soldier called T.E Lawrence.
(Known as Lawrence of Arabia)
- Moustafa Kamal (Known as Ataturk) broke the Sultan’s Rule. In 1923 Turkey became a republic
of Modern Turkey.

Treaty of Versailles
German Losses

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The Paris Peace Conference and the Treaty of Versailles
- The Paris Peace Conference convened in January 1919 at Versailles just outside Paris.
- The conference was called to establish the terms of the peace after World War I.
- 27 nations participated, the representatives of the United Kingdom, France, the United States,
and Italy became known as the “Big Four.”

Who were the Big Four?

1. Woodrow Wilson “ The president of USA”
2. David Lloyd George” The prime minister of GB”
3. George Clemenceau “ The prime Minister of France”
4. Vittrio Orlando “ The prime minister of Italy”

** Italy left the conference early because they didn’t take the lands

- Germany was forced to sign the Treaty of Versailles.

- This was a Diktat – the terms were forced onto Germany, as they were not involved in
deciding the terms

The Treaty had Three Clauses

• The main terms involved:
– Changes to what land Germany owned
– Reductions in the size of the military
– Admitting war guilt and repairing damage done

Treaty of Versailles
The Three Clauses

Territorial “ Land” Military Moral & Financial

Germany lost lands in East, west • The Reduction of the • Sign a statement of
and North: army to 100,000 Guilt
- West: • Give fleet to allies • Pay reparations to
** France retook Alsace and • No tanks France and Belgium.
Lorraine. • No air forces Write a blank cheque.
**Rhineland became DMZ” Not • No submarines The figure was set later
allow to put troops in this area” at 66oo million= 6.6
billions
- East: • Not to unite with
** wide strip of land given to Poland Austria
separate Prussia from the rest of
Germany
Treaty of Versailles
Most angering was Article 231 – the War Guilt Clause – where Germany was forced to take the
entire blame for the war

This meant that they would be forced to pay for all damages from the war

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Absent Nations
Treaty negotiations were weakened by the absence of important nations.
- Russia
-The Allies also excluded the defeated Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey, and
Bulgaria).

The World Redrawn

- There were empires that dissolved and new countries were created.
Before World War I, Eastern Europe was dominated by the Austro-Hungarian, Russian and Ottoman
Empires
- Countries created out of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire were: Austria, Hungary,
Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia as independent states.
Russia suffered land losses: Romania, Poland, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania became
independent nations.

League of Nations

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 - The League of Nations came into being on 1 January 1920 with the Treaty of Versailles,
as a result of World War One.

- The League of Nations was to be based in Geneva, Switzerland. This choice was natural
as Switzerland was a neutral country and had not fought in World War One.

- If a dispute did occur, the League, under its Covenant, could do three things - these were
known as its sanctions:
1. Verbal sanctions - warning an aggressor nation that she would need to leave another
nation's territory or face the consequences.

2. Economic sanctions. The League could order League members not to do any trade with
an aggressor nation in an effort to bring that aggressor nation to heel.

3. Physical sanctions. This meant that military force would be used to put into place the
League’s decision. However, the League did not have a military force at its disposal and
no member of the League had to provide one under the terms of joining.
The League also had other weaknesses:
America’s president, Woodrow Wilson, had presented the idea of the League to the senate
consent, but the senate refused to join it. As America was the world’s most powerful nation, this
was a serious blow to the prestige of the League. However, America’s refusal to join the League,
fitted in with her desire to have an isolationist policy throughout the world.
Germany was not allowed to join the League in 1919. As Germany had started the war,
according to the Treaty of Versailles, one of her punishments was that she was not considered to
be a member of the international community and, therefore, she was not invited to join. This was
a great blow to Germany but it also meant that the League could not use whatever strength
Germany had to support its campaign against aggressor nations.
Russia was also not allowed to join as in 1917, because they left the war early.

United Nations

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 - The United Nations was formed was on 24 October 1945 to replace the League of Nations
which had failed to prevent World War 2.

- The United Nations is a global organization of sovereign States (not dependent upon, or subject
to, another power) which voluntarily join the UN to work for world peace and security.

- The United Nations is a forum for nearly all the nations of the world. There are 193 countries
that are member states of the United Nations, the most recent to join the UN was South Sudan in
July 2011, and 2 countries that are non-member observer states: the Holy See/Vatican State and
the State of Palestine. (Total of 195)

- 51 countries founded the UN. The idea for the United Nations

- The United Nations Charter was signed on 26 June 1945 in San Francisco, United States.
Delegates from 50 Allied nations created the United Nations Charter. Poland, which was not
represented at the Conference, signed the charter later and became one of the original 51
Member States.

Organs of the United Nations

- The UN originally consisted of six main sections, known as organs: The General Assembly, The
Security Council, The Economic and Social Council, the Secretariat, the United Nations Trustee
Council and the International Court of Justice.

The Security Council: The Council is composed of 15 Members: five permanent members: China,
France, Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and ten non-
permanent members elected for two-year terms by the General Assembly. "veto power" refers to the
power of any of the 5 permanent members of the United Nations Security Council to veto (object) any
decision. The role of the Security Council is to determine the existence of an act of aggression and a
threat to peace and then recommends terms of settlement. Under the UN Charter, the Security Council
can take enforcement measures such as economic sanctions and international military action or to
establish Special Political Missions in order to maintain or restore international peace and security. When
war breaks out in a country, the UN sends Peacekeepers to help resolve the conflict and to monitor and
observe peace processes. UN peacekeepers consist of soldiers and military officers, civilian police
officers and civilian personnel from many countries. Because of their light blue berets or helmets they are
often called "Blue Berets" or "Blue Helmets".

Secretariat: The UN Secretariat, headed by the Secretary-General (António Guterres the former Prime
Minister of Portugal), administers the programs and policies of the organization.

The Secretary-General is appointed for a 5-year term.

The Rise of Dictators

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 - Dictator – an absolute ruler. A ruler who controls his country by force, and does not allow
people their freedom.
- Totalitarian state – where the political leader totally controls the way citizens think and live.
(politically and socially) By using - books, newspapers, arts, schools and propaganda
technique (radio, television and films)

1. ITALY …. Benito Mussolini

- The First country to become a totalitarian state.

- Political party: Fascist party

- Mussolini organized a para-military unit known as the "Black Shirts," who terrorized political
opponents and helped increase Fascist influence.

- He was called “IL Duce” “The Leader”

- Italy formed alliance with Germany called the Axis Powers

- Mussolini wanted new areas to expand his empire in Africa , So he invaded Ethiopia in 1935

- Supported Fransisco Franco in Spain’s civil war

2. Germany “Adolf Hitler “

- Political party: the Nazi Party (National Socialist Party)

- In 1923, Hitler arranged a coup, known as the "Beer Hall Putsch,“ which failed.

- Hitler was arrested three days later and tried for high treason. He served a year in prison, during
which time he wrote his book ”Mein Kampf ” ("My Struggle"). The book laid out Hitler's plans
for transforming German society into one based on race.

- The Nazis set up a private militia called the storm troopers or Brown Shirts.

- Adolph Hitler legitimately gained power to become chancellor of Germany in 1933.

- He was called “Der Fuhrer” the leader.

3. Russia “Joseph Stalin”

- Known as Stalin meaning the man of steel.

Stalin forced rapid industrialization. All factories are under government control.
Five – year Plan: set economic goals for five years.

Collectivization – combining small farms into large factory like farms run by government.

4. Japan “Hideki Tojo”

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 - Hideki Tojo was Minister of war and in 1941 he became Prime Minister of Japan. Tojo was
executed as a war criminal.
- Tojo came to be known as kamisori (the razor) for the sharp, decisive, impatient qualities
- He thought that Japan needed more land and natural resourcesfor its growing population.
- Invaded Manchuria in northern China 1931. (Manchuria is rich in natural resources)
- Japan should control Southeast Asia and take land owned by European nations.
- Tried to expand in the Pacific
- Joined the Axis Powers in 1940

Their End
- Benito Mussolini: after a failed attempt to flee Italy with his mistress, Benito Mussolini was
executed on April 28, 1945.
- Adolf Hitler: in an air-raid shelter, consumes a cyanide capsule, then shoots his wife then himself
with a pistol, on April 30, 1945.
- Hideki Tojo : tried and executed for war crimes on December 23, 1948.
- Joseph Stalin: 73 years of age, suffered a cerebral hemorrhage (a stroke) and died on March 5,
1953

Can you write down the similar policies of dictators:-

1- They all invaded other countries
2- Banned all political parties except the ruling party
3- Repressed opposition.
4- They used violence to spread their rules
5- Depended on a strong army
6- Concentration camps for opponents
7- Restricted Women’s rights
8- Controlled the minds of youth
9- Used propaganda
10- Use Secret Police and spy on the citizens of their state.

- What traits do Dictators share?

The general characteristics of dictators.
1- They are usually charming, charismatic, and intelligent.
2- They brim with self-confidence and independence.
3- They are good orators.
4- They possess a boundless appetite for power.

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 WORLD WAR II
1939-1945

It was between:

Axis power Allies

Germany “Adolf Hitler” Great Britain “Winston Churchill”

Italy “Benito Mussolini” France

Japan “ Hideki Tojo” China

USSR “Joseph Stalin”

USA”Franklin D. Roosevelt”

- The Allies Won in WW2

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