World war one was a snowball that turned into an avalanche
Germany:
Major industrial Power
Success in War
Alsace Lorraine
Reparations
1890: Kaiser Wilhelm dies of old age and Kaiser Wilhelm II comes to power
Royal families were interbreeding to protect their blood
Kaiser Wilhelm II is an example of interbreeding → physical and mental disabilities
“mad Kaiser”
fired Bismarck
Bismarck: Made Germany to be the most powerful country in Europe
Wanted Germany to become the most powerful Nation on the planet
Austria Hungary
Old Empire
corrupt
Lead by Franz Joseph (Franz Ferdinand
multiple ethnicities
Multiple countries/ religions
→ crumbling weak empire Great Britain
“The sun never sets in the british empire”
Industrialized
separated themselves from Europe; tries to stay out of european affairs
Boer War:
Ireland
focus on Navi military
Dreadnaughts (battleships) society would demonstrate in front of prime ministers office in order to get more military Weapons
France
Social → Deyfs affair
deeply anti semitic society
1870-71 beaten by Germany left mad and angry, want revenge but know they cant beat Germany by themselves, sign an alliance with Russia in order to fight Germany together
Russia
Big
Huge Army without weapons
Tsar
1905: war with Japan. loses to Japan
Japan has british style navy and German style army
First time Asian country has defeated against a European natio
Riots at the winter palace
1914
would the first world war have been avoided?
have we learned the lessons from the past?
MAIN - Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism, Nationalism
Weapon revolution
Machine Gun
Airplane
Gas poisoning
Battles of WWI Miracle on the Marne
1914: germany attacs france
French President left france
“Schlieffen Plan” Before British forces would arrive and attack Russia
Main battle : 81 Germans vs 80 French and British
Ipre
October 1914
Germany started first of 3 battles
bad weather conditions
new technology
58 155 caualties
Tannenberg
Germany vs. Russia
fought in east Prussia (now Poland)
Train rail movements → German had an advantage
Russia outnumbered Prussia by a lot
Prussias strategy was to cut off the prussian army circle them and capture them. → worked
Russians second army got destroyed commander committed suicide
Battle of Loos
sep 14- oct.15
british were planning to attack germans along with france
Ypres II
april - may 2015
Germans, British, French, Canada
Germans used chlorine gas to kill of British (wind was against them, so killed many Germans)
tried again and worked better
Developing Canada because they performed well in the battle started getting more independent
Chlorine Gas: reacts with water and becomes acid → wet parts of body are burned off and killed off within minutes
Urine neutralizes Chlorine gas → urination on handkerchiefs and socks and cover in face helped soldiers to survive
Battle of Verdun
longest battle of WWI
western front
feb. -sept. 1916
German Empire vs france
War understanding changes: no longer quick strategic movements but the purpose: How many people can we kill?
plan (eric van falkenheim) drain french army of men power and resources → to collapse england while beating france because England was Germany's most important enemy
German emoire was advancing at the end of february
French army attacked back and gained land back
No victory → both sides fought until the bare end
French losses: 337 231
German Losses: 337 000
Battle of Somme
July- november 1916
Battle took place in France
Paris was suffering losses at Verdun
Allied powers hlped out by attacking German empire
first use of tanks in History of War
most men british ever lost in battle
Anti War movement on the streets as a result of the extent of brutality of the war.