World War I The Great War 1914 1918 Rena Levin History 102 Notes 8 8 3 Causes of WWI 1 Power Blocs 2 Colonialism 3 Nationalism Power Blocs o Triple Entente comprised of France Russia England VS o Central Powers comprised of Germany Austria Hungary Colonialism Russia and England form alliance after Bismarck resigns as Chancellor and is replaced by Kaiser Wilhelm II who armed Germany and began colonizing trying to be like England rebuild Germany s navy using dreadnoughts bc British s navy was most powerful o Germany and France fight over Morocco almost go to war in 1898 o Ottoman Empire fights of Bulgaria Romania Serbia for territory in the Balkan Wars o Pan Slavism aggressive nationalism in Serbia led by Black Hands violent group who want to free all Serbs from Austrian rule 1848 Archduke Franz Ferdinand heir to Franz Joseph II of Habsburg Empire in Austria takes over 1914 FF and wife take tour of Sarajevo heavily Serb populated area where they are both assassinated Austria asks Germany for help in case Russia attacks Austria sends ultimatum to Serbia to find out who is responsible for assassination Serbia asks Russia for help in case Austria attacks Serbia does not agree to Austria s ultimatum Austria Hungary declares war on Serbia while Russia mobilizes troops to protect Slavs as per Serbia s earlier request Russian Effort led by Nicholas II o Russia is not well prepared for war lack firearms but has large army o Austria Hungary is not well prepared for war multi lingual culture poor economy o Germany tells Russia to demobilize or else Germany will declare war on Russia which they do as per Austria Hungary s earlier request o France declares war on Germany as per Russia s earlier request SUMMARY Austria Hungary declares war on Serbia Russia declares war on Austria Hungary Germany declares war on Russia France declares war on Germany to be seen soon England declares war on Germany as well Germany Effort led by Von Schlieffen France from behind o Germany asks Belgium supposedly neutral to march through their land to attack o Belgium says no o Germany decides to go through it anyway o England tells Germany that if they go through with this plan England will declare war on Germany England cares bc Germany could use Belgium s ports to attack England o Germany goes through with it o England declares war on Germany Nationalism need to enlist men Anti War o When all these wars are declared nationalism is so strong that the armies do not o Von Suttner conducted peace conferences but was ignored o Marxists war seen as capitalist scheme rich man s war for accumulation of resources nevertheless most socialists joined war effort regardless of working class status 2 Fronts of War o Eastern Front Russia VS Austria Hungary and Germany Very mobile horses rails mountain fighting 1914 Poland Battles of Tannenberg and Masurian Lakes Germany defeats Russia and can now concentrate on France o Western Front France VS Germany France builds trenches against Germany all across France borders Germany tries to go around barriers but can t so they build their own trenches Race to the Sea Old military techniques have not yet adopted to new advances such as New rapid fire machine guns Large artillery guns Barbed wire Mustard chlorine gas used by Germany in Battle of Ypres Airplane used for reconnaissance Tank used for obstacle clearing crush barbed wire Submarine uddenboat torpedo hits and floods ships 1915 Germany sinks British passenger ship Lusitania carrying 128 Americans AND weapons to England Both armies employ full frontal attack resulting in major death toll 1916 Battle of Somme fought in France British Commander Haig wants to kick Germany out of France by shelling German trenches allowing England to advance Shells do not kill Germans England does not advance Haig doesn t believe these reports and orders full frontal attacks Germans show up and use machine guns to kill 60 000 British soldiers US Effort of England and France o US joins war because of Germany s unrestricted submarine use and naval blockade o 1917 Germany tells Mexico that they will help Mexico regain territory lost to US southwest if Mexico helps Germany in the war o US declares war on Germany and Central Powers o Mobilization is a problem because of segregation racism within military o Labor half immigrant population returned to their places of origin Russia Effort cont d numbers o Constantly defeated by Germany who is industrially superior despite Russia s o Bad harvests majority of army consists of farmers worried about families and land 1915 Putilov Munitions Strike munitions factory workers go on strike Revolution 1 1917 Peace Land and Bread want war to end want their land back want no more Mir want food o Tsar Nicholas II abdicates what will the new government be Parliament creates provisional gov Duma coalition made up of several different parties Kadets constitutional democrats led by Kerensky whose mistake was staying in the war despite its unpopularity bc he wanted to honor his foreign aid debts to France and England Social Revolutionaries agrarian reformers want legislation for farmers Mensheviks socialists but not violent like Marxists want more rights for workers but prefer gradual change Bolsheviks Marxists small group but disciplined want to overthrow provisional gov and to establish dictatorship for workers Marx did not think Russia would be first nation to adopt Marxism bc it was not industrialized Led by Lenin o Lenin who was previously exiled to Germany for revolutionary activity returns in a sealed train to Russia to destabilize the gov and get Russia out of this capitalist war 4 Sealed Train Aims in the event that Bolsheviks come to power Immediate peace with Germany by taking Russia out of war Russia and Germany meet Russia demands harsh terms led by Trotsky No support for provisional government achieved Call for general Marxist worker revolution in Europe Seizure of large estates by peasants achieved gradually 1917 Bolsheviks takes over provisional gov Kerensky exiled Revolution 2 1917 1921 Civil War led by Trotsky and Red Army o 1918 Treaty of Brest Litovsk Immediate peace between Germany and Russia Ends Russia s participations in war Upsets France England and US who want their debt back to whom Bolsheviks say no Germany wins all of Ukraine Victory of WWI o Naval blockade of Germany results in starvation o France and England push toward Germany s borders Kaiser blamed for food shortages and rationing Mutiny at