WORLD WAR I

1. Austin and Dave Peace of Paris Art WORLD WAR I Collapse of Austria and Germany Fall of Russia The Armed Stalemate International Anarchy

2. The International Anarchy • For years, Britain and France were seen as the main powerhouses of Europe. But, with a big population and big army, they felt they deserved some find of acknowledged supremacy like that of the British. They knew they were powerful and they wanted their fame. However, Germany knew that if Britain and France became allies, they could easily tear apart the German Empire, so they started to make allies of their own in order to help ensure their future existence. Bismarck created the Triple Entente which made Germany allies with Austria-Hungary and Italy. Bismarck tried to become allies with Russia, but it failed. Meanwhile, the other European nations The French saw this as an opportunity to form allies and monopolized on the opportunity and became allies with Russia. During this time, not only were tensions rising, but so were the navies of England and Germany.

3. The Triple Entente • Britain and France cleared arguments between each other and resolved their past angers over colonies. They became allies against the British. Although the British hated the Russians, the French were allies and friends with them so they invited the Russians into their Alliance. After being defeated by the Japanese, the Russians knew they were vulnerable and so they joined.

4. Assassination of the Archduke • The South Slav provinces wanted to be free from the Austria-Hungary Empire. While Archduke Franz Ferdinand was in power, he planned to adopt a more friendly relationship with the Slav people and make them more equal. This would combat and appease their national feelings, so the extreme nationalist party, called the Black Hand, planned the assassination. The first attempt failed, but 19 year old GavriloPrincip was successful in shooting the Archduke and his wife. After Austria discovered military officials aided the Black Hand in the assassination, Austria wanted immediately to go to war. This is one of the major causes of World War I.

5. The telegram sent by Count Leopold von Berchtold of Austria to M. N. Pashitch of Serbia • This is the telegram which was sent by Austria to Serbia as the first declaration of war. Because Serbia did not respond to Austria’s ultimatum by July 23, 1914, Austria was forced to go to war with them in order to protect their interests. http://www.firstworldwar.com/source/autrohungariandeclarationofwar_serbia.htm

6. The Armed Stalemate • The Germans knew they had to defeat their two enemies, so they adopted the Schlieffen Plan which places German troops both on the Russian and French front. The Battle of the Marne was the first battle fought and it was Britain and France against Germany. Britain and France successfully defeated the Germans and them retreat. It showed that the Germans could not just sweep Europe. Major attempts were taken in order to break the impasse like Germans launching attacks in the Battle of Verdun and the British trying to break through German lines in the Battle of Somme. Both however were unsuccessful and the deadlock continued.

7. Technology of WWI • Soldiers participate in trench warfare. Disease and machine guns are responsible for countless injuries and death. Soldier ran from trench to trench with little protect. Gas, tanks, and submarine were introduced in WWI. Germans were the first to introduce submarine warfare. Although there were disadvantages to the sub, they were ultimately killing machines and made the waters extremely dangerous.

8. The Armenian Massacres • The genocide was a brutal atrocity that claimed the lives of about 1 million Armenians. They were Christians who sided with the Russians and favored their own national state. The Ottoman Empire did not like this and blamed their losses upon the Armenians. They shot, raped, and forced them to walk into the desert without food or water.

9. Lusitania • On May 7, 1915, Lusitania was torpedoed by a German sub and sank. 1200 people drowned and 128 of them were Americans. Germans defended their attack by stating that it was loaded with munitions and it was purely for protection. This angered the Americans a great deal and was a major factor for them entering the war.

10. Lusitania Report • This is the British Law Courts Report by Lord Mersey that fully recount what happened with the sinking of the Lusitania. It includes witnesses, the speed of the ship, the course of the ship, dimension, etc. An interesting part of the report is how it states that Germany would attack the ship and that is not to be sailed. The British were in disbelief that they would commit such an act and sailed the ship. So, the whole accident could have been avoided. http://www.firstworldwar.com/source/lusitania_britishreview.htm

11. Fall of Russia • After the great war President Wilson was one of the most powerful men in the world. He was a man that believed in democratic, liberal, progressive and nationalistic movements like those of the Enlightenment. With a new and treaty and a defeat of the Central Power people began hoping for a new era. The post-war agreements were quite varied; the French wanted reparations, the British vetoed freedom of seas, Germany wanted to take its rightful place in the world. One of the most important thing on the agenda was the formation of a League of Nation. After that discussion came the debating of cutting down Germany’s territory; Alsace and Lorraine were given back to France. All other colonies were sacrificed to other imperialistic nations. The Polish were given back territory in the East; they served as a buffer for the Bolshevism that was spreading throughout Russia. Following this, reparations was the next of the major topics that had to be discussed at the treaty; each country demanded humongous non-plausible sums of money. In order to try and compensate all German exports were sacrificed. The final agreement of post-WW1 was the Treaty of Versailles. Unfortunately, the treaty in itself was a complete failure. It wasn’t capable of destroying the German empire as it should have. It couldn’t disable the economic and political strength of Germany. Furthermore, there was a creation of a cordon sanitaire to prevent the spread of Russian influence. In the end, the United States never ratified the Treaty, rather it preferred the philosophy of isolationism.

12. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMGrIwLj7gU • The Russian Revolution Part 1 “You will inform the President of the above most secretly as soon as the outbreak of war with the United States of America is certain” Prior to the start of unrestricted submarine warfare, Germany offered Mexico the opportunity of alliance against the Allies. This was the final nudge the US needed to enter the Great War that had been raging on in Europe. If this message had not been intercepted by the US, then the addition of Mexico’s attack on the homeland would have drastically effected the results of the war. • http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/zimmermann/

14. Collapse of Austria and Germany • In the Austro-Hungarian empire there was the creation of national councils. These people gained recognition with the Ally victory; the Austrian and Hungarian state was formed. General Ludendorff told the German Kaiser that hope was lost and that a new democratic parliamentary government should be formed in Berlin. The Germans chose a liberal constitutional monarchy; the military preferred to save the army rather then the empire. Wilson played into the hands of the enemy, he wanted to deal with the German people rather then the elite. The people soon realized that the kaiser was an obstacle to peace; they began mutinying and forming working coalitions. Out of this came the Weimar Republic who wanted to peace, avoid revolution, save the strength of the nation for the future.

16. “The wastage in the big actions of the fourth Battle of Flanders was extraordinary high. In the West we began to be short of troops. Two Divisions that had been held in readiness in the East and were already on their way to Italy were diverted to Flanders.” • It is evident during this battle report that the German flanks were suffering. Their lines were being exhausted by the continuous supply of fresh troops from the Ally. Their resources too were winding down; a defense was questionable. This is the precept to Ludendorff’s decision to tell the German High Council that winning was impossible. It’s significant because it’s his final thoughts during one of the final large battles. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDEauqCCLl8 General Ludendorff’s inspection of his troops. http://www.firstworldwar.com/source/ypres3_ludendorff.htm

17. Peace of Paris • After the great war President Wilson was one of the most powerful men in the world. He was a man that believed in democratic, liberal, progressive and nationalistic movements like those of the Enlightenment. With a new and treaty and a defeat of the Central Power people began hoping for a new era. The post-war agreements were quite varied; the French wanted reparations, the British vetoed freedom of seas, Germany wanted to take its rightful place in the world. One of the most important thing on the agenda was the formation of a League of Nation. After that discussion came the debating of cutting down Germany’s territory; Alsace and Lorraine were given back to France. All other colonies were sacrificed to other imperialistic nations. The Polish were given back territory in the East; they served as a buffer for the Bolshevism that was spreading throughout Russia. Following this, reparations was the next of the major topics that had to be discussed at the treaty; each country demanded humongous non-plausible sums of money. In order to try and compensate all German exports were sacrificed. The final agreement of post-WW1 was the Treaty of Versailles. Unfortunately, the treaty in itself was a complete failure. It wasn’t capable of destroying the German empire as it should have. It couldn’t disable the economic and political strength of Germany. Furthermore, there was a creation of a cordon sanitaire to prevent the spread of Russian influence. In the end, the United States never ratified the Treaty, rather it preferred the philosophy of isolationism.

19. http://www.firstworldwar.com/source/versailles231-247.htm • “during 1919, 1920 and the first four months of 1921, the equivalent of 20,000,000,000 gold marks. Out of this sum the expenses of the armies of occupation subsequent to the Armistice of November 11, 1918, shall first be met, and such supplies of food and raw materials as may be judged by the Governments of the Principal Allied and Associated Powers to be essential to enable Germany to meet her obligations for reparation may also, with the approval of the said Governments, be paid for out of the above sum. “ • This was one of the annex of the Treaty of Versailles. One can note the 20 billion gold marks that is stated above; the Allies demanded unprecedented war reparations while preventing Germany with a source of income. This caused Germany’s economy to literally crash causing insurmountable hatred toward the Allies. This fuel of hatred later fed the rise of Hitler and the Nazi party. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yj_eiyBsSSc&feature=fvw Treaty of Versailles

20. WWI Art • During this time period, most of the painting and art was focused on the battle field. Artists from different countries painted pictures form what they saw. Many of the painters were involved in the war itself and so they could descriptively portray the battlefront. They would sketch what they saw during the actual war and paint when they got home. Many of the paintings were never displayed or exhibited because the art was too “painful” for some viewers. They canvases accurately described the harshness of the war in color.

21. Painters • WWI saw the likes of many famous painters such as: • Guillaume Apollinaire, Alfred Basel, Max Beckmann, Umberto Boccioni, Sydney Carline, George Clausen, Otto Dix, André Dunoyer de Segonzac, John D. Fergusson, George Grosz, Eric Kennington,Fernand Léger, André Mare, Paul Nash,C. R. W. Nevinson, Pablo Picasso, FélixVallotton, Edouard Vuillard, OssipZadkine

22. This piece was done by John Singer Sargent. It shows the living infantry men surrounded by their fellow soldiers who are dead. These paintings brought back harsh memories for many of the survivors.