Looking at World War One

1. Looking at World War One Richard Woolf Tel: 01535 630923 Email: richard.j.woolf@talk21.com

2. Looking at World War One Looking at the War A series of talks about the wider aspects of the war and the consequences for the 20th century So in setting the scene: • How we tend to view it • A “quiz” about the wider aspects • An outline of events and consequences • The topics Above all start the discussions I hope we will have!

3. Not Just Trenches and Poems How we tend to view WW1

4. Not Just Trenches and Poems Our Image

5. Not Just Trenches and Poems There is more than this How was it seen at the time? How did/do other nations view it? The Generals are “donkeys” but what about the politicians ? What about other areas of the war – Africa, the Naval Blockade, Russia and Revolution ? What about the contribution of the Empire troops?What happened to civilians?

6. Looking at World Wat One Setting the Scene When did Italy join the war and on whose side ? Italy had a treaty with the Central powers (Germany and Austo-Hungarian Empire) and should have joined them in September 1914 It did not and, after secret negotiations with the Allies, where it was promised territory if the war was won, it declared war in May 1915 and attacked Austria

7. Looking at World War One Setting the Scene How many men volunteered for active service before conscription in 1916? 2.5million – the largest volunteer army ever, up to that time Only Britain relied on volunteers

8. Looking at World War One Setting the Scene What proportion of volunteers were rejected for front line service because of their poor physical health ? 40% due to disease and malnutrition. This was similar to the recruitment 12 years before for the Boer War, little had been done to improve public health

9. Looking at World War One Setting the Scene How many new countries were created in Europe by the Treaty of Versailles? 9 new independent nations –Finland, Austria, Czechoslavakia, Yugoslavia Poland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia Additionally countries like Britain were given mandates to run other new countries like Iraq or Syria

10. Not Just Trenches and Poems Setting the Scene What percentage of weapons and ammunition was being made by women in British munitions factories by 1917? 80%. The factories were staffed by women on lower wages than men, at risk of explosion and poisoning. It was still better wages than domestic service which had been much of female employment previously.

11. Looking at World War One Setting the Scene Where did the labour to dig trenches, unload ships, move stores etc come from? Across the world, as well as men who were unfit for front line service. Local labour was recruited abroad and foreign labourers like the 100,000 Chinese who were brought to France

12. Looking at World War One Setting the Scene Wilfred Owen’s poems are the most famous, when were they published? Only 4 were published during the war He came to attention in late 1920s-early 30s with a revival in the 1960s Dulce Et Decorum Est Anthem for Doomed Youth Futility Strange Meeting 1893 - 1918

13. Looking at World War One Setting the Scene How many countries were at war in 1918 ? •   (British-French condominium)   30 or another)

14. Looking at World War One Setting the Scene An estimated 14.6m people died as a result of the war. What percentage were civilians ? 41% 8,638,814 Combatants 5,993,757 (est) Civilians Civilian deaths from famine and disease are estimated from the difference from pre-war trends and exclude Spanish Flu but include the Armenian Genocide (1.5m ?) Source NadegeMougel, CVCE, 2011.2011   (British-French condominium)  

15. Looking at World War One Timeline 1914 – The start • June 28 Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand • July 28 Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia. Russia mobilizes • Aug 1 Germany declares war on Russia • Aug 3 Germany declares war on France • Aug 4 Germany invades Belgium. UK declares war on Germany • Aug4 – Sept 12 479,000 volunteers join up • Aug 7 BEF arrives in France • Aug 17 Russian army enters East Prussia

16. Looking at World War One Timeline 1914 • Aug 23-30 Germans defeat Russians at the Battle of Tannenberg • Sept 5-12 German advance on Paris halted at 1st battle of the Marne • October 19-22 1st battle of Ypres end the “race to the sea” – Trench warfare starts • Nov 5 France and UK declare war on Ottoman Empire

17. Looking at World War One Timeline 1915 • Jan 19 1stZepplin raid on UK • Feb 19 Start of the Gallipoli Campaign • April 22 1st use of poison gas by Germans at 2nd battle of Ypres • May 7 Lusitania sunk • May 23 Italy declares war on Austria- Hungary • May – 1st UK Coalition Government formed after Dardenelles failure and shell crisis • Sept 1 Germany suspends unrestricted submarine warfare • Dec 19 Haig replaces French as commander of the BEF

18. Looking at World War One Timeline 1916 • Jan 9 Final withdrawl from Gallipoli • Jan 27 Conscription starts in UK (but not Ireland) • Feb 21- 18 Dec Battle of Verdun • Apr 24 Easter Rising in Dublin • Apr 29 End of the siege of Kut • May 31- Jun1 Battle of Jutland • July 1 – Nov 18 Battle of the Somme • Sept 15 First use of tanks by the British • Dec 5 Asquith resigns as Prime Minister to be replaced by Lloyd-George

19. Looking at World War One Timeline 1917 • Feb 1 Germans resume unrestricted submarine warfare • Feb 23- Apr 5 Germans withdraw to Hindenburg line • March 15 Russian Emperor deposed • Apr 6 USA declares war on Germany • Apr 29 – May 20 Series of mutinies in the French Army • July 1-19 Failure of the last offensive by the Russians • Oct 12 – Nov 10 Battles of Passchendale • Oct 24 – Nov 10 Defeat of Italian army at Caporetto • Nov 7 – Bolsheviks seize power in Russia • Nov 1917 – Oct 1922 Russian Civil War

20. Looking at World War One Timeline 1918 • Jan 8 Woodwrow Wilson outline 14 points for peace • Treaty of Brest-Litvosk ending war with Soviet Russia • March 21 – Aug 6 Germany’s last offensive (Spring Offensive) • Aug 8 - November 11 Allies One Hundred day offensive, driving Germans back to their border • Oct 20 Germany suspends submarine warfare • Oct 30 Ottoman empire signs armistice • Nov 4 Armistice between Italy and Austria-Hungary • Nov 9 Kaiser abdicates • Nov 11 Germany signs armistice

21. Looking at World War One Timeline 1919-24 • Jan 1919 – June 1919 Paris Peace conference leading to the Treaty of Versailles • Jan 1919 – Dec 1921 Irish War of Independence • Feb 1919 – March 1921 Polish- Soviet War • May 1919 – Aug 1922 Greco- Turkish War • Jan 1920 1st meeting of the League of Nations • June 1922 – May 1923 Irish Civil War

22. Looking at World War OneThe Programme October 3 Looking at World War One October 10 How did it start ? October 17 Volunteering and Conscription October 31 The World at War November 7 Life in Yorkshire November 14 Women at War November 21 Impact of Technology November 28 The Fall of Empires December 5 Peace and its consequences

23. Looking at World War One How did it start ? Pre War International relations Globalisation and Competition Pre War attitudes Treaties and “understandings” What happened at Sarajevo Who caused it? Deliberate or accidental ?

24. Looking at World War One Volunteering and Conscription Why did people volunteer How were volunteers “encouraged” Introduction of conscription Conscientious Objectors and their treatment

25. Looking at World War One The World at War Russia and the East The Middle East Italy The Balkans Africa

26. Looking at World War One Life in Yorkshire Skipton as an Army Camp Refugees Changes in Industry Low Moor Going to the Cinema

27. Looking at World War One Women at War The Armistice Breakdown of Empires The Versailles Treaty “A land fit for Heroes” How the world had changed

28. Looking at World War One Impact of Technology The Armistice Breakdown of Empires The Versailles Treaty “A land fit for Heroes” How the world had changed

29. Looking at World War One The Fall of Empires Disintegration of Austro-Hungarian Empire Soviet Russia The fall of the Ottoman Empire Irish Independence Start of Fascism The change in Global financial and political power

30. Looking at World War One Peace and its consequences The Armistice The Versailles Treaty and its impact Wars Political changes

31. Looking at World War One

32. Looking at World War One Casualties – Civilians (est) Died % of Population United Kingdom 109,000 0.24% British Empire 2,000 0.03% (Canada) France 300,000 0.76% Italy 589,000 1.65% USA 757 0.00% Russia 1,500,000 0.86% Serbia 450,000 10% German Empire 426,000 0.65% Austria-Hungary 467,000 0.91% Ottoman Empire 2,150,000 10.1% (inc Armenian Genocide) Civilian deaths from famine and disease are estimated from the difference from pre-war trends and exclude Spanish Flu Source NadegeMougel, CVCE, 2011.2011

33. Looking at World War One Casualties – Combatants Died % of Population United Kingdom 885,138 1.95% British Empire 229,776 0.02% (India) – 1.64% (NZ) France 1,397,800 3.53% Italy 651,000 1.83% USA 116,708 0.13% Russian Empire 1,811,000 1.89% Serbia 275,000 6.1% German Empire 2,050,897 3.16% Austria-Hungary 1,100,000 2.14% Ottoman Empire 771,844 3.62% Deaths from combat, accidents, disease and death in captivity (excludes the Spanish Flu) Source NadegeMougel, CVCE, 2011.2011