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WORLD WAR I. The “Spark”. Archduke Franz Ferdinand & His Family. The Archduke is killed!. On June 28, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, was riding in a car in Sarajevo (the capital of Bosnia)
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The Archduke is killed! • On June 28, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, was riding in a car in Sarajevo (the capital of Bosnia) • Gavrilo Princip, who was a member of the Serbian terrorist group known as the Black Hand, shot a killed the archduke and his wife Sophie • Why? The Black Hand wanted Bosnia to break away from Austria-Hungary and join Serbia
The Assassin: GavriloPrincip
War is declared!!! • Within days of the archduke’s assassination, the system of alliances already in place began to be enacted. • Soon, the major powers of Europe were set to go to war against one another • Huge armies began to mobilize, or prepare for war.
Recruits of the Central Powers A German Soldier Says Farewell to His Mother Austro-Hungarians
Who’s fighting? • The war pitted the Central Powers – Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, and the Ottoman (Turkish) Empire against the Allied Powers – France, Britain, and Russia… Italy (1915) and the US • In time 21 other nations would join the Allies.
Stalemate in the Trenches • By November 1914, the German advance and the Allied counterattack created a deadly stalemate. • A stalemate is a deadlock in which neither side is strong enough to defeat the other. • As a result, soldiers dug in, creating a huge maze of trenches. • The area between the trenches was called “no man’s land”….why do you think?
Trench Warfare “No Man’s Land”
Verdun – February, 1916 • German offensive. • Each side had 500,000 casualties.
Wilson’s Peace Efforts • Wilson felt that the United States, as a neutral nation in the conflict, could lead the warring nations to peace. • His efforts failed. • He was able to win reelection in 1916 with the campaign slogan – “He kept us out of war!”
Submarine warfare • Germany had a new weapon that was wreaking havoc on the high seas. • This weapon was called submarine, or U-boat. • In an attempt to stop supplies from reaching Britain, German U-boats torpedoed and sank several merchant, or supply, ships. • Many of these ships were from neutral nations, including the U.S. • What do you think? Is it true that all is fair in love and war?
Germany forces America into the war • Two incidents forced the United States to declare war against Germany: • Sinking of the Lusitania • Zimmerman telegram
Cont. • The Lusitania was a British passenger ship that was sunk by a German U-boat on May 7, 1915. 1,200 people were killed, including 128 Americans. • The Zimmerman telegram was a secret message sent by the Germans to Mexico urging them to attack the U.S. if they declared war on Germany. • In return, Germany would help Mexico win back their lost territory in the American Soutwest.
America Declares War • On April 2, 1917, President Wilson went before Congress to ask for a declaration of war. • He declared that “The world must be safe for democracy.” • Congress voted for war 455 to 56 and on April 6, 1917 Wilson signed the declaration of war. • For the Allies, America’s entry could not have come at a better time. A revolution in Russia caused them to sign a separate peace with the Central Powers and they exited the war.
America mobilizes • The U.S. was able to raise an army by passing the Selective Service Act on May 18, 1917. • It required all men from 21 to 30 to register for the military draft. • A draft is a law requiring people of a certain age to serve in the military.
When a country goes to war, how does life change at home? How does a country prepare for war?
Funding the War Effort • The government had to prepare to feed and arm the troops that would be fighting over in Europe. • In order to pay for the war, Americans bought Liberty Bonds, which was money lent to the government to pay for the war • Raising money wasn’t enough to prepare the nation – business, government, and industry had to coordinate their efforts
Conserving Resources • The Food Administration and Fuel Administration were in charge of the production and supply of these essential resources. • Efforts by these administrations were huge successes. • Example: Victory Gardens
Organizing Industry • The War Industries Board (WIB), headed by Bernard Baruch, had overall responsibility for allocating scarce materials, establishing production priorities, and setting prices. • This was the government’s central war agency. • Not all industry’s agreed with this – steel example. • Does this sound like laissez-faire?????
Mobilizing Workers • Because of the draft, there was a shortage of labor. As a result, union leaders took the opportunity to strike in order to get better wages and working conditions. • To prevent further strikes, President Wilson formed the National War Labor Board (NWLB) to arbitrate disputes between owners and workers • Women joined the workforce to supplement the lack of laborers. • Also, almost 500,000 African-Americans and thousands of Mexican-Americans migrated to the northern cities to work in factories. • This was called the Great Migration.
1918 Flu Pandemic: Depletes All Armies 50,000,000 – 100,000,000 died
