World War 1
Paris Peace Conference 1919
"BIG FOUR" Wilson- U.S (Sets agenda) George Clemenceau- France (Le Tigre)* Lloyd George- Britain Vitorio Orlando- Italy France (esp Clemenceau) wanted to punish Germany for WWI Insisted on huge territorial concessions (Alsace- Lorraine >Coal county) Hand over provinces to allies Germans had to Admit Guilt for starting the war Germans had to pay huge war fines- $30 Billion- couldn't do it Demilitarize- cut their armies size Germany complained terms were too harsh- fearing a french invasion, Germany agreed to the terms *The Treaty of Versailles*
Armistice Day (Veterans Day)
11/11/18 - Cease fire Across Europe Kaiser Wilhelm- Abdicates his throne and goes into exile
Autocrat
A ruler with unlimited power
Why did the dispute between Austria- Hungary and Serbia escalate?
After War was declared alliances came to help Serbia had the promise of protection from Russia, so Russia started amassing its troops (Germany was Austria-Hungary's chief ally)
League of Nations
An international body to bring world peace for all time- an attack on one would be considered an attack on ALL *Very controversial* Those in Favor- Conflicts could be solved diplomatically through discussion and compromise Opponents- Feared membership would pull us into foreign conflict- felt L.O.N was naive- Isolationism
League of Nations- Definition
An organization in which the nations of the world would join together to ensure security and peace for all members
Global Peacemaker Key Concepts
At the postwar peace talks, Wilson's grand vision for peace was welcomed- but not wholeheartedly embraced In the United Stated, reaction to the versailled Treaty and to Wilson's proposal for a League of Nations was cool The immediate postwar years in the United States were marred by disillusionment and economic disorder
Central Powers-> Allied Powers-> Neutral Nations->
Central Powers-> Ottoman Empire (Turkey), Bulgaria, Austria-Hungary, German Empire Allied Powers-> Great Britain, Russia, France, Belgium, Portugal, Italy, Serbia, Romania, Greece, Montenegro, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia Neutral Nations-> Spain, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Albania, Denmark, Sweden, Norway
Kaiser Wilhelm
Germany, one of the Central Powers, was ruled by KAISER WILHELM (emperor)- Was an autocrat
Central Powers, Allies
In 1914 all five of Europe's major powers went to war. The conflict- eventually known as World War I- divided them into two sides: Germany and Austria-Hungary made up the CENTRAL POWERS; Russia, France, and Great Britain were called the ALLIES.
Trench Warfare
It is here that soldiers would emerge from the trenches in order to charge over "no man's land", only to gain a few hundred yards of territory
How was World War 1 started?
June 1914, The assassination of the heir to the Austrian-Hungarian throne, Archduke Francis Ferdinand, and his wife, Sophie -> by a Serbian Austria-Hungary demands apology from Serbia Serbia says NO (Because they had nothing to do with it) Austria Hungary declares war on Serbia RUSSIA come to aid Serbia Russia starts to mobilize troops, Austria-Hungary chief ally, Germany, demands Russia to stop mobilizing troops Russia says NO FRANCE (Russia ally) readies troops Russia-East Germany- Right in the middle France-West Germany invades France first- has to go through Belgium and Luxembourg Great Britain enters conflict as Belgium's ally Russia Pushing Austria-Hungary- Ottoman Empire enters war on Central powers (1914) Italy enters war on the side of the allies (1915) May 1915, (Lusitania) British pass line (allies) sunk by German u-boat (Allied Countries) United States Congress authorizes huge loans to allies because not entering war directly. Zimmerman note (Germany to Mexico) Intercepted Russia has a revolution (Czar Nicholas over thrown) and exits war- Lenin + communist revolution President Wilson speech to urge to vote for war- "...world mush be made safe for democracy." 1917 The US sends troops to allies
For what reasons was this war so destructive?
New technology for fighting Industrialization had produced new killing machines of terrible efficiency. in 1914 the youth of Europe had marched off to fight. Ripped apart by machine guns, hand grenades, or artillery shells, and asphyxiated or disabled by poison gases, soldiers found that heroism came at a ghastly price.
Fourteen Points
On January 8, 1918, President Wilson delivered a peace program to congress, Which came to be called the FOURTEEN POINTS for the number of provisions it included. Wilson hoped that these point would form the basis of peace negotiations. At first, the Allies appeared to cooperate. After a while, as the new political realities intervened, the fourteen points began to unravel
Wilson's 14 point plan
Overall Wilson hoped to... -End secret Alliances -Have freedom of trade/ seas -Re due arms -Most important piece of 14 pts plan League of Nations
Reparations
Payment from its enemy for the economic injury suffered in the War
Which Country had the greatest number of casualties?
Russia because it can provide more people so it has larger masses of troops
United States enters the War
Selective Service Act (1917) Allows for a draft- 3,000,000 men were drafted -> AEF= American Expeditionary Force- U.S Army Enters war in 1917 "Dough Boys"
War of Attrition
Stalemate for 4 years neither side had gained a signifiicant advantage- wore each other down When U.S entered with fresh troops, germany/A.H were in big trouble AEF- lead by General Pershing *Hunderad Days Offencive* Sept. 1918- Allie pushed Germans out of France
What were the reactions in the United States to the outbreak of World War I?
The United States declares Neutrality. The nation's business interest had a stronger impact than the feeling of the American people. U.S declared itself officially neutral, Protested the actions of both sides, and tried to act as the peacemaker.
Poison Gas
The poison gad suffocated the victums
After Shocks of Versailles
United States congress never approved- U.S never joined the L.O.N Wilson spent his last years in office trying to grain support- massive stroke- never got passage (humiliated) Germans were humiliated- (Wiemar Democracy) lead to the rise of Adolf Hitler
The Christmas Truce
WWI is often seen as a very inhuman war. Technology allowed soldiers to kill in large numbers from a distance, eliminating the experience of seeing the emotion and humanity in their enemies. In addition, the propaganda posters sought to reduce enemies to less than human characterizations. The "Christmas True" during the first year of fighting sticks out as a glaring contradiction to this idea.
The Road to War Key Terms
World War 1 was a conflict of global origins and dimensions The war saw the introduction of destructive new weapons ans techniques Americans responded with calls for neutrality and for war perparedness