The Great War (1914-1918)

The Alliance System: Reasons why Europe did not Want to go to War

*Recent historians propose that many nations did NOT want to go to war after all.* 1) Weapons are expensive to build and maintain. - Technology was expensive => cost the U.S. nearly $1 billion each day to go to war with Iraq in the 2000s - Economic stimulation was only short-term. 2) There was a strong socialist movement in Europe. Majority of these socialists were pacifists who were opposed to war. - Socialists: liberals (left side) => Socialist does not necessarily mean communist. => Believe that the government should be involved to protect the rights of the people and establish equality between classes => Believe in welfare, free public education, unemployment/workmen compensation, and healthcare => During World War I, muckrakers were socialists; they exposed problems to the government in order to bring about reform and get the government more involved in the economy. - The middle class did not want to go to war. - The bourgeoisie could afford to pay to not be drafted; however, middle class could not. 3) The armies were an "all men's" club. More people in the army led to an increase in the need for generals. Thus, to maintain a proper number of generals, the military would have to recruit from the middle class, which would reduce the prestige of the nobility class in the army. - Generals often believed that the only thing war could do was hurt a nation's reputation. - More generals = Larger army => more competition for promotion

Nationalism

- A nationalistic flare developed in much of Europe. - These feelings were so intense that they could be interpreted as being almost jingoistic. - Because of this dangerous level of nationalism, some historians believe that the people or civilians of the countries dragged their leaders into war. - Example: Germany was still considered a young nation (only unified in 1871). A war for Germany would legitimize the nation and its people as a world country and, potentially, a world power.

The Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

- Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, planned a visit to Sarajevo to embrace the Slavs living there and make them feel welcome (less like second-hand citizens). - Princip and other "Black Hand" members agreed to assassinate the archduke => wanted too gain glory and thought it would make that part of Austria-Hungary seems dangerous and nuts, which would lead to the formation of a separate state (free from Austria-Hungary) - A member of "Black Hand" threw an explosive at the limousine that the archduke and his wife were riding in. - The plan backfired and chaos broke loose. - The limousine escaped from the chaos and made a turn near by a café that Princip was at. - Princip heard the chaos and assumed the assassination plan had been successful, but it hadn't been. - As a result, Princip fired at the limousine and killed Sophie. - He severely injured the archduke, who was rushed to the hospital and pronounced dead on arrival. - Princip was taken to prison and, there, he committed suicide by drinking cyanide.

The Battle of the Marne

- August 1914 - Lasts 7 days - The French lose over 80,000 soldiers - The German forces continued to move forward until they reached the Marne River in France. - The river is located east of Paris. - The Germans were stopped at the river because: 1) The Italians declared neutrality. Now the French could rush forces across the Mediterranean, and they could move forces away from the Italian front. 2) Belgium put up more of a resistance than the German generals had expected. 3) Germany began to fear that while they concentrated on the northeastern part of France, the French might counteract and attack the Germans in the South at the Lorraine. Thus, Germany had to send troops there. 4) The English reached France much sooner than anticipated by Germany. Russia also reached France much sooner than anticipated by Germany. 5) In the eastern half of Germany and Prussia , there was unrest. The people thought that the Russians were coming, so Germany had to send troops back to Germany to stop the Russians and get rid of this feeling of unrest. - While Von Hindenburg and Ludendorff achieved military success in the east (Russia), this was not the case in the west. For the next year, the Germans didn't move 10 miles. The failure in the Battle of the Marne led to the creation of the western front (two systems of trenches). => The western front: trench dig between France and Germany => Trench-foot: wetness seeps into boot and a fungus forms (ex. gang green, gout, etc...) => Gap between trenches is called "no man's land." => Stalemate: no one is winning or losing (waste of time and resources); no fighting occurs => Definition of success in war has changed drastically - In the 20th century, the success was determined by how much land was acquired. - Today, success is determined by how many lives are saved vs. how many lives are lost - Definition of success changed with Vietnam War (first televised war)

Stephen Kern

- Author of "History of Time and Space" who claimed that: => Germany is not to blame for WWI. => The causes that Sidney Fay proposed are not valid. => WWI was caused by planes, boats, trains, and machine guns. => Technology was advancing rapidly and nations did not know how to handle the situation; this technology could wipe out many people at one time. - An increase in technology required nations to deploy troops at a much faster pace; therefore, the time to make decisions decreased. - Leaders did not know how to react to the situation, so they acted more spontaneously without thinking.

U.S. Mobilization of Forces

- Based on intelligence reports, Hindenburg believed that it would take the U.S. one full year to mobilize her forces. - He was correct in this assumption. - Based on research and Census reports, Germany determined that the French did not have enough men to arm their military; men in their 20s are the most valuable because it is the prime age for reproduction. => April 1917: The U.S. entered World War I. This was not the perfect time to enter. The French needed help. 75% of their men refused to attack when ordered to and approximately 50% of all Frenchmen in their 20s were killed in war. When the U.S. entered the war, the first priority was to weaken the "U-boat" blockade of the British isles. U.S. naval commanders set up a system of "convoys" based around a large number of merchant ships, protected by warships. It cut shipping loss in half. => Spring 1917: The first empire to fall is Russia. The Russian people overthrow the Czar. The main cause of this coup was the war. Nicholas was replaced by a Provincial Government. This government continued to fight for another full year. => March 1918: The Russians exit out of the war. The Russian government finally surrenders. Germany and Russia sign the Brest-Litovsk Treaty (unfair treaty for Russia). Lenin had promised Russia peace, bread, and land, so he wanted to fulfill his promise of peace. Russia was forced to give Poland and Ukraine to Germany. The Russians wanted to get out of the war. => Summer 1918: The Great War ends. Hundreds of thousands of U.S. infantry began arriving in Europe every month. One million troops were on the continent by the fall. => August 1918: With the assistance of the U.S., the Allies were able to open up holes in the German lines. Eventually, Hindenburg had to admit that the Germans lost the war. A short time later, the Kaiser is overthrown. => October 1918: The German government asked for an armistice (not a peace treaty). => November 11, 1918: An armistice went into effect. No fighting occurs; neither side is winning or losing (standstill). The Korean War is the longest lasting war because it resulted in an armistice that is still in effect today.

Imperialism

- Even though Great Britain and France had a history of feud and confrontation between each other, the English were terrified of an overly aggressive Germany. - They feared that Germany would attempt to take over new lands in Africa (of which some were already claimed by England). - Knowing that France feared Germany as well, Great Britain formed an alliance with France in an attempt to prevent Germany from acquiring colonies in Africa. - Lenin's Thesis - Partition of Africa => carved up Africa without concern for tribal barriers - Why did countries go to the Berlin Conference of 1884 if they knew they would acquire no land? => Networking (communication between countries) - Bismarck know what he was doing at the Berlin Conference; he was smarter than the rest. => When dividing the map of Africa, he convinced nations to accept land in areas that would somehow benefit Germany. => He put colonies next to each other knowing that the countries that owned them were rivals (it would only be a matter of time until a war broke out). => U.S. got trading rights in the Congo (Africa) where there is an abundance of rubber => Weltpolitik (Power Politics): doing what is best for your own country at the expense of other nations

The Triple Alliance (Central Powers)

- Germany - Austria-Hungary - Italy - The Ottoman Empire (which included Bulgaria) *When Italy switched sides, the Ottoman Empire joined the Triple Alliance, which then became known as the Central Powers. Turkey also fought along side these central powers.*

The Alliance System

- Idea that if one nation were attacked, its ally would attack back => An attack on one country is considered an attack on all nations in the alliance. => Extra protection/security - Alliances were secret - The politicians and leaders were aware of the alliances; however, the general public was naïve. - At this time, most alliances were defensive alliances, NOT offensive => a nation would support its ally if that nation were attacked first - Two major alliances formed during this time that trumped all previous ones. - In 1882, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey, and Italy agreed to support each other militarily. => Collectively known as the Triple Alliance - Germany allied herself with Austria-Hungary because of ethnic ties and simply because Germany needed an ally. - Germany was surrounded by France and Russia, which presented a major threat to the German empire. - During World War I, Italy left the Triple Alliance and Bulgaria joined. => Officially known as the Central Powers (all of these nations were west of Russia and east of France and Great Britain) - In 1914, Germany brought the Ottoman Empire into the war on her side, which threatened the British control of the Suez Canal in Egypt. - By 1907, the second major alliance, the Triple Entente, was completed. => Was comprised of France, Great Britain, and Russia => Stems from the Entente Cordiale and the Franco-Russian Alliance in 1894 - France allied herself with Russia because she feared a strong, aggressive Germany. *Example: Germany wanted to build a railway from Berlin to Bagdad (capital of Iraq) in order to centralize/control trade => major economic alliance between nations

The Moroccan Crisis

- In 1904, the British and French governments agreed to the Entente Cordiale, which was a cordial friendship between nations. - The French recognized the British occupation of Egypt, and the British recognized the French claims to Morocco. => Egypt and Morocco were geographically important because they provided the only two accessible waterways to the Mediterranean Sea: the Suez Canal in Egypt and the Straits of Gibraltar between Morocco and Spain. - However, neither side mentioned what would happened in the event of a war. - Germany decided to test England to see how strong the Entente Cordiale really was. => In March 1905, Wilhelm II cruised on a German warship to Tangier, where he gave a speech sponsoring Moroccan independence from France. => Russia stepped in to crush the independence movement. => Diplomats everywhere knew that the Kaiser was attempting to break up the English-French alliance. => A conference was held to determine Germany's motive for the speech. At the conference to settle this dispute, only Austria sided with Germany (every other nation at the conference sided with France). => Other nations had African colonies and did not want them to rebel. - This event only strengthened the English-French alliance and caused England to create a tighter allegiance to Russia (later forming the Triple Entente). - Austria and Germany walk side-by-side; they support and protect each other => both countries are German-speaking, eat the same food, and are Protestant-Catholic. They controlled the entire central part of Europe.

A Peaceful End to the Moroccan Crisis

- In 1911 came the second Moroccan Crisis. - A German gunboat, the Panther, arrived at Morocco "to protect German interests." - The Germans offered to make no further trouble in Morocco if they could have the French Congo. - The Germans were given some small areas of Africa but not as much as they expected. - However, the crisis did come to an end. *The Germans realized that France has no backbone (the Germans got free land from France) => The French did not want to go to war, so they tried to appease the Germans by giving them land.*

Unrestricted Submarine Warfare

- In 1917, von Hindenburg was put in full charge of the German military. - He authorized the resuming of unrestricted submarine warfare. - This was a result of the British naval blockade. - One of every 4 freighters headed for British ports was sunk by German torpedoes. - Germany had 200 submarines. - Once this torpedoing began, Hindenburg knew that U.S. ships would be sunk and that the U.S. would eventually enter into the war. => The German military torpedoed the Lusitania because the Germans claimed that there were weapons on the ship. => Britain denied this allegation. => Years later, scuba-divers found explosives on the ship. => Britain changed its response to "no comment." - Up to this time, President Woodrow Wilson told the Americans to be "neutral in face as well as in name, impartial in thought as well as in action." => Wilson kept the U.S. out of the war for three years. - However, Wilson traded with France and England to strengthen the Allies. => The U.S. was supplying Britain and France with weapons. => Wilson's desire for neutrality contradicted the U.S. actions; the U.S. clearly favored Britain and France. - Wilson was opposed to the authoritarian and militaristic regime of Germany. - By 1916, trade with the Allies from the U.S. increased by four times. => England and the U.S. were fearful of one nation dominating the entire European continent because it would limit trade; only one nation would be in control of trade with all other countries.

Italy's Involvement in the War

- Italy remained out of the war. - Giovanni Gioilitti (1901-1914) believed that Italy should not get involved. - Italy needed economic and political modernization. - Giolitti felt that Italy could benefit from a long European War. - Giolitti believed that: 1) Italy could supply both alliances with goods. 2) Italy could open up their trade markets for trade. 3) Italy might be able to put an end to the problems they had with Austria-Hungary and finally get Trieste and Tyrol (land in the northern part of the Italian Peninsula) - In 1914, Giolitti gave up his power to Antonio Salandra who became the Italian Prime Minister. => Salandra felt it was time for Italy to enter into the war. - Majority of the country agreed with Giolitti that remaining neutral was the best policy. - The Church opposed intervention. => The Church had a major influence on the thoughts of the Italian people. Politicians tried not to contradict the Church because the Church had more power over people's thoughts than politicians). - Pope Benedict XV felt that the Church would suffer => WWI was a disaster for the Church. - The working class and the Socialist party were opposed to intervention as well. - Benito Mussolini was a leading Socialist. => He was the publisher of the Socialist paper, Avanti. => Mussolini broker away from the Socialist party because he felt that Italy should enter into the war. => With French money, Mussolini founded his own paper, Popolo d'Italia. => This paper favored intervention. *Brazil has the largest Catholic population. In Italy, 98% of the population identify themselves as Roman-Catholics.* *France was the 2nd largest Catholic country and Austria was the 3rd largest Catholic country (part of opposing alliances).*

The Battle of Verdun

- Lasted about a year (destroyed the forest) - Germany decided that it was time to concentrate its efforts on France. - The major battle occurred at Verdun. - This was an absolute disaster for Germany. - Nearly a half-million German and a half-million French soldiers died. - This was viewed as a French victory because the French successfully defended their country. - General Henri-Philippe Petain became a war hero as a result of this battle.

The Battle of Tannenberg (August 1914)

- Lasts 4 days - Russia decided to invade Germany. - Total war - Russia lost 70,000 soldiers, and 90,000 soldiers were taken as prisoners of war by Germany. - This should have been an easy Russian victory except it ended up being an easy German victory. - The Russian army had two major problems: => The Russian generals were incompetent. As a group, they were not very smart. General were picked by social status, not experience. => They lacked equipment such as airplanes, rifles, and shells for artillery. - This battle was the only time in World War I when foreign enemy soldiers were on German soil. Because of this, General Hindenburg because a hero in Germany. After the war, Hindenburg goes into politics and eventually becomes the President of Germany. => General Hindenburg defended Germany. - Germany had the potential and capability of completely defeating Russia and forcing them into an unconditional surrender. However, two key events saved Russia from defeat: 1) The signing of the Treaty of London => Germany was fighting a three-front war 2) The sinking of the Lusitania => While this event did not bring the U.s into the war, it did bring about the usage of unconditional submarine warfare by the Germans. => Germany warned the British people to sail at their own risk because they would be sailing into a war zone. => Wilson gets forces ready to be dragged into the war (the Zimmermann Telegram drags U.S. into war). *The German people had no idea that they were losing the war (slow communication between the people and the military).*

Militarism

- Militarism: the building up of arms => The problem with militarism is the interpretation from neighboring countries. - In the years prior to the outbreak of World War I, the European armies were updating their equipment and machinery. - They began a process of modernizing the military by replacing old weapons with new, more advanced one. - France was so determined to upgrade her military that her size increased by nearly 30% (in response to the Moroccan Crisis). - In 1897, Alfred von Tirpitz, the Secretary of State for Germany's Admiralty, forced through Germany's First Navy Law. => The law stated that 19 battleships should be built in the next 7 years (extremely fast). => The plans for the fleet were increased to even larger proportions in 1900, which included 24 battleships by 1920. => British experts predicted that by 1906, Germany would have the second largest navy in the world; Britain saw Germany as the biggest threat because Britain was the "Queen of the Sea" (constructed Dreadnaught in 1906). => In October of 1902, British experts went further to say that the German fleet was being built with a view to war with Britain. - Germany mastered the construction of U-boats (present-day submarines) *When a nation builds up its merchant ships, neighboring nations interpret it as a desire for more international trade; however, when a nation builds up its battleships, neighboring nations interpret it as a military threat.*

Russia

- Monarchy - Czar Nicholas II - Least prepared for the war => Russia closed its door to the West and thought that it could develop internally without the influence of and interaction with other nations. => When a nation is isolated, development is limited to the brains within that nation; therefore, it is more advantageous for a nation to open its doors, trade and interact with other nations, and make advancements in weaponry/technology.

Germany

- Monarchy - Germany was being run by Kaiser Wilhelm II. - The Kaiser, along with his political advisors, felt it best to concentrate their efforts on building up the strongest army in Europe => they came to this decision based on Germany's central locality in Europe - Wanted to increase prestige on the European continent - Germany had a two-front land threat (Russian to the east and France to the west) => established the Schlieffen Plan in World War I as an attempt to prevent a two-front war; the plan, however, was unsuccessful. - Young, blossoming empire - One of the most industrialized nations on the continent - Had a well established educational system => start educating children early on in their lives => The United States adopted part of Germany's educational system (kindergarten). - Germany (under Wilhelm II) was not content with maintaining a balance of power, unlike Great Britain. - Germany's diplomacy was extremely aggressive, and it nearly led to war with her biggest ally, England. - Unified under the German Federation - United under Bismarck - Nazism: extreme conservatism => traditional beliefs (e.g. women should stay at home, no modern art, no advancements in music)

Austria-Hungary

- Monarchy - Led by Franz Josef - At the age of 18, Josef ascended to the head of the Hapsburg throne (royal throne). - For years, Josef successfully maintained domestic peace within his empire, which was difficult considering the Austria-Hungary was heterogeneous (many different ethnic groups in society). -Ethnic Groups: 1) Majority of people living within the empire identified themselves as Magyars (cultural name for Hungarians). 2) The second major ethnic group was the Germans (German-Austrians). 3) The third largest group of people was the Slavs (derives from the English word "slaves" => refers to serfs working in fields). - Working in Austria-Hungary's favor was their population size and geographic size. - The empire was well populated and maintained a reputable educational system like their German neighbors. - Austria-Hungary faced internal issues as World War I approached: - The population of Austria-Hungary was very diverse (no cultural identity). - While Josef did maintain a unified empire, tensions were slowly on the rise. - The problem stemmed from the Slavs living in the southern portion of the empire who were demanding their independence => they felt that they were being under-represented and wanted their own homeland. - These Slavs were being supported and sponsored by the Slavs living in Bosnia. - In order to crush this movement, Josef ordered the annexation of Bosnia in 1908 => this was an attempt by the Kaiser to maintain a unified empire and maintain peace.

The Five Underlying Causes of World War I

- Most historians agree that there were five basic, fundamental causes of the war: 1) The Alliance System 2) Militarism 3) Imperialism (which includes the partition of Africa, colonial wars, and the Boer War) 4) The Rise of Nationalism 5) Domestic Politics

Why Would a Nation Want to go to War?

- Nationalism (bringing the people together) *Bismarck and Garibaldi believed that war could provoke nationalism, which would lead to the creation of nation states in Italy and Germany.* - Exchange of cultures - Short-term economic prosperity - To show which nation is the strongest ("flex muscles")

An Ideological Struggle

- Neither side (Russia or Germany) clearly defined what the purpose of the war was for (no clear objectives). - But both sides had hoped to achieve victory by bringing in other countries into the war. - The Entente brought in Japan to fight Germany; however, Japan made little to no considerable contributions. - The Central Powers gained Turkey's support because she was threatened by Russia and the imperial powers of England and France. - Based on the Treaty of England, Italy joined France, England, and Russia. - As the war continued on for years, the conflict turned into an ideological struggle. This made the peace negotiations very difficult; each side made the other side look like beasts and uncivilized. - Propaganda became an important element. The Germans said that if Russia won, society would be set back 1000 years. In retaliation, the Russian papers exaggerated the atrocities committed by the German troops. - England believed that the war was justified. They felt that Germany and Austria-Hungary should be punished for all of the wrongdoings they had committed. In addition, England still wanted to maintain a balance of power in Europe.

Symbols of the War

- No military offensives succeeded in reaching their objectives in 1914. - It was the defensive weapons, mobile rapid cannon and machine guns that proved vital. - The trench became the visual symbol of the war.

Domestic Politics: Austria-Hungary's Ultimatum to Serbia

- On June 23, Austria Hungary issued an ultimatum to Serbia. - They wanted Serbia to take the blame for the assassination of the archduke. - What made the ultimatum unacceptable was that Austria-Hungary was going to send troops into Serbia to make sure that the Serbians stop their anti-Austrian feeling. - The results of the ultimatum were: 1) Serbia accepted parts of the ultimatum except for the part that stated that Austria-Hungary was going to send troops into Serbia. *Austria-Hungary wanted to control Serbia under martial maw. Serbia was the "puppet" of the Austria-Hungarian empire. => Martial law refers to when a region is controlled by the military (ex. control over electricity usage, water supply, bedtimes, etc...) 2) On July 28, Franz Josef (now 84 years old) was tricked. Officials told Josef that the Serbs had crossed over the border and now were in Austria-Hungary. He then declared war.

Domestic Politics

- On June 28, 1914, Gavrilo Princip, a nineteen year old Bosnian revolutionary and member of the Serbian secret society called "Union or Death" (commonly known as the Black Hand), assassinated the heir to the Habsburg empire, the Archduke Francis Ferdinand, in the streets of Sarajevo. - Princip was captivated by the Slavic nationalism in Bosnia and hoped that by killing the heir, the Habsburgs would finally grant the Slavs their independence. *Assassinations happen quite frequently; however, this killing created an opportunity to go to war.* - The Austria-Hungarian government was now determined to crush the Slavs and any idea of Serbian independence. => They quickly contacted Germany to see how much support that would receive from their ally in the event of a war. => The Germans issued their famous "blank check" to Austria-Hungary encouraging them to be firm. The "blank check" simply meant that Germany would support any action that Austria-Hungary decided to take. The Germans were convinced that WWI would be a quick victory if Austria-Hungary attacked first (preemptive attack); however, it blew up in their faces during the Schlieffen Plan. - The Serbs counted on Russian support because Russia could not afford to lose any more political strength in the Balkan region (Russia had the largest population of Slavs living there). => The Russians quickly mobilized their army and contacted France for support. => France, terrified at the possibility of being some day caught alone in a war with Germany, quickly agreed to acknowledge the Franco-Russian Alliance and came to the aid of Russia. *The alliance system pulls all of these nations into war.*

Great Britain (England, Scotland, Wales)

- Parliamentary Democracy - Prime minster Herbert Asquith - Largest and strongest empire - "Puppet master" - In 1890, General Alfred T. Mahan published his book The Influence of Sea Power Upon History, 1660-1783 => proved in theory that the navy was the most important aspect of a country's military. - Great Britain had the world's strongest navy at this time. - The nation with the strongest navy would dictate international relations. - Great Britain controlled international trade => demonstrated the importance of great naval power. - Acquired an abundance of wealth (the most of any nation) - Had numerous resources to tap into due to imperialistic success - Most prized possession was India => it was seen as the "door" to Asia

France

- Republic - Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau, 1917 - President Raymond Poincare (1913-1920) => Continually sought to improve the relations between France and Russia due to his fear and respect of Germany - Countries respected France => had a long history of military success and prestige - Second largest colonial power at the outbreak of the Great War - Territorial acquisitions ranged from the Caribbean region to much of North and West Africa => Algeria, Chad, Congo, and Senegal were some of the African nations that at one time flew the French flag - However, even with a large colonial population, France's European population was declining. - Because of this depletion, France's army suffered in size and growth.

The Triple Entente

- Russia - France - Great Britain * The U.S. joined later.*

What Would Italy Gain Control of?

- Salandra sent his Foreign Minister to London to explain Italy's involvement in World War I. - The outcome of this meeting was the Treaty of London => brings Italy in on the side of the Triple Entente (Italy's involvement gave France and Russia access to a port in the Mediterranean and more territory to attack from). - The Treaty of London stated that ital. would gain control of: 1) Trieste and Tyrol 2) The Coast of Dalmatia (Croatia) 3) Parts of the Ottoman Empire and German colonies 4) A loan of 50 million pounds to pay for the war. 5) The Vatican would not be represented in the peace process and negotiation.

Domestic Politics: Germany's Declaration of War on Russia

- Since the country which first mobilized had all the advantages of a rapid offensive strike, the German government demanded an end to the Russian mobilization. - When Germany received no answer, she declared war on Russia on August 1, 1914. - Convinced that France would enter the war on Russia's side, Germany also declared war on France on August 3. - On August 4, England declared war on Germany for violating Belgium's neutrality => Germany passed through Belgium to get to France. Britain uses Germany's violation as an excuse to join the war and support France and Russia.

Dreadnaught and Great Britain's Power

- Strengthened Great Britain's Empire - Dreadnaught was the first ever large military battleship powered by steam turbines - Fastest vessel in the open seas - Because of this incredible engineering development, Britain saw herself as virtually invincible. - Britain was content with maintaining a balance of power in Europe, which would remain until 1914. - Balance of Power: "Status Quo" (don't rock the boat/stir the pot) => Do not want war to disturb relationships between countries => Great Britain was on top and therefore wanted to stay out of the war.

Italy's Contributions

- The Allies underestimated the contribution the Italians could make. - Their actual entry into the war did not have a big impact, but Italy's contributions before its entry were great. - Eventually, Italy declared war on Austria-Hungary. - It was difficult for the Italians to declare war because the Austria-Hungarian troops were fortified at the top of the mountains of the Adige. - In addition, Italy was a late modernizer. - Its industrial growth took place from 1896-1906. - Therefore, Italy was at a distinct disadvantage. - Because of this, many English citizens felt that they had overpaid the Italians. - This became a dilemma in the peace making process towards the end of the war. - However, over time, the Italians developed better ammunition and transportation systems. - They took the lead in using planes in battles. - The planes were also used as propaganda. - Italian poet and daredevil, Gabriele D'Annunzio, flew many planes over the Austrians, dropping pamphlets saying, "Now that I'm in the war, you can't win." - With the planes, the Italians used a type of blitzkrieg attack called "guerra fulminante" (lightning warfare). => Makes Austrian soldiers question what is stopping Italy from dropping bombs from the planes. - Also, the Italians also used mini-submarines. - They were the first to use frog men to destroy the ships. - The frogmen would go under the ships and blow them up. - The Ottoman Empire soon joined Germany and Austria-Hungary in forming the Central Powers. *Sea *E *Air *Land

The Schlieffen Plan

- The German military decided to implement the Schlieffen Plan (6 weeks to invade France). - Based on a quick strike, the German forces were moving quickly. - August 3rd: Germany invaded Belgium ---becomes "crossroads" - August 20th: Germany was in Brussels ---capital of Belgium (wasted 17 out of 42 days) - Beginning of September: Germany was nearing France (wasted 30 out of 42 days) => had 12 days left to invade and take over France

The Armenian Genocide

- The Ottoman Empire was the area where political warfare contributed to the greatest violence and unrest. - Exiled Armenian nationalists, backed by Russia, called on fellow Armenians in the Ottoman lands to fight the ruling Turks. - In retaliation, Ottoman authorities forcibly evacuated 1.5 million Armenians form eastern Turkey. - The Turks were responsible for the death of 500,000 Armenians. - Turkey denied that this event was a genocide => claimed that people died from war casualties or nature causes (numbers are exaggerated).

The Actual War

- There was an intense conflict between the military leaders and the diplomats of nations. - The military leaders believed that the war would be won on the battlefield. - The diplomats felt that diplomacy (as used during the days of Otto von Bismarck), would bring about peace. - While bother sides could be argued, it was clear to all that the Triple Entente had some clear advantages over the Triple Alliance (geographically, the Triple Entente had the advantage because they were surrounded by the Central Powers). - The advantages for the Entente were: 1) Germany had to fight on two fronts (France to the west; Russia to the east) 2) England and France had extremely strong and large navies. They could keep supplies away from Germany and guarantee supplies to England. => Central Powers: navy was not as strong, much smaller population of people, inferior to Great Britain 3) England was the most industrialized nation of Europe (can make war supplies faster). 4) The Entente had more soldiers because Russia was the most populated country. Russia drafted over 16 million men to fight. Over 4.5 million were killed. => Russia had a large population (the Entente had many more soldiers). => Russia was not prepared for the war. => 25% of Russian soldiers were killed during the war. => Mindset was that you can always make more people; guns are a luxury -- 1 gun: 2 people => Generals sat in tanks (protected); they had time to make war decisions 5) Germany could not count on her allies for full support.

Imperialism: Lenin's Thesis

- Vladimir Lenin of Russia said that it wasn't territorial imperials but economic imperials that led to the outbreak of World War I. - The real problem was the economic power in England and Germany. => There was some economic rivalry between the two. => Germany was challenging England, but Germany was England's best customer. => Their relationship was so important that when it was broken after World War I, it created hardship for England. - Inherent flaw in capitalism: the desire to compete against other nations to benefit your own country at the expense of others (constant competition between empires) - Lenin criticizes capitalism and suggests the need for communism in order to maintain peace - Leads to 1917 Russian Revolution

Who Should be Blamed for the War?

- While these five underlying causes help to explain why World War I broke out, there is still a debate amongst historians as to who should be blamed for the war. - There are two general theories behind this debate: 1) One theory places principal responsibility on the conditions that exacerbated international conflicts in those years. => Focuses on the aggressive colonial conquests worsening relations among the nations, the nationalistic hostilities dividing the people of Europe, the arms race, and the failure of alliance => Argues that no one state is to be blamed for causing the war 2) The second theory concentrates specifically on the expansionist plans of Germany and the dangerous German-Austrian decision in 1914 to destroy Serbia. => Supporters of this argument also focus on the "blank check theory" as a justification for war.

Internal Conflicts in Great Britain (England, Scotland, Wales)

- With all of Britain's international success, she was constantly facing internal conflicts. - A civil war nearly broke out due to the independence movement within Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom [United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland]. - The Liberals wanted to give complete freedom to Ireland, which was strongly opposed by the Conservatives. - In addition to the Irish crisis, Britain was dealing with labor disputes as well. - The number of strikes occurring within the nation was increasing and consequently slowing down the economy. - Women were demanding suffrage rights, thus causing a social upheaval. *Even with these internal problems, the international community still recognized the power and authority of Great Britain.* - Britain's strength increased with the launching of Dreadnaught in 1906.

Sidney Fay

- World War I historian - Wrote The Origins of the World War in the 1920s - Proposed the five most recognized underlying causes of World War I: the system of secret alliances, militarism, economic imperialism, the rise of nationalism, and the newspaper press (sensationalism/yellow journalism) *Domestic politics was also accepted as a cause of World War I, which Sidney Fay touched upon. *

Major 20th Century Empires

1) Great Britain 2) France 3) Austria-Hungary 4) Germany 5) Russia *Ranked based on size of empire* - By 1914, these empires would be defined by their geographic boundaries, governmental systems, and family connections. - The economies of these empires were expanding due to industrial technology and production. - Their fate depended on their ability to defend themselves against foreign invaders.

Declining Empires

1) The Ottoman Empire => "sick man of Europe," too large for its own good, weak government, internal issues, looked forward to war but was destroyed and carved up 2) The Chinese Empire - At the beginning of the 20th century, some historically strong empires were in a decline. - In parts of the Middle East and Asia, ancient empires continued to govern their people; however, the Ottoman Empire and the Chinese Empire both saw their lands being conquered by rival nations and being lost due to internal uprisings. - The empires that enjoyed the greatest success at this time were centered in the West.