Name of Institution

World War - I

The War
&
Treaty of Versailles

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 Name of Institution

Allies
Britain ( and its Empire )
France
Russia Central Powers
Belgium Germany
Italy Austria Hungary
USA( JOINED IN 1917) Ottoman-Turkey
Serbia, Portugal Bulgaria
Japan
and other minor participants
 Domino Effect Name of Institution

Austria Hungary blamed Serbia for Ferdinand’s death and

declared war on Serbia.

Germany pledged their support for Austria -Hungary.

Russia pledged their support for Serbia.

 Domino Effect Name of Institution

Germany declares war on Russia.

France pledges their support for Russia.

Germany declares war on France.

Germany invades Belgium on the way to France.

Great Britain supports Belgium and declares war on Germany.

 Events which led to start of World Name of Institution

28 June 1914:
War I
23 July 1914: 26 July 1914: 28 July 1914:
Archduke Franz Germany offered to Russia joined Leaders of ‘Black
Ferdinand was back Austria-Hungary the dispute by Hand’ not handed
shot in Sarajevo, against Serbia. supporting over. Austria-
Bosnia. Austria-Hungary Serbia. Hungary declared
demanded that Serbia war on Serbia.
hand over leaders of
the ‘Black Hand’ by 25
July.

3 August 1914: 3 August 1914: 1 August 1914: 31 July 1914:

As Belgium was Germany declared Germany Russia mobilised its
under British war on France. declared war on army in support of
protection, Germans entered Russia; France Serbia. Germany
Britain sent neutral Belgium. mobilised its feared an imminent
ultimatum to troops to support Russian invasion.
Germany to Russia.
withdraw from
Belgium.

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 Why was WWI a Stalemate? Name of Institution

• What’s a stalemate?
– Neither side can make a move to win
• Both sides of the war threw arms and
troops in to win but of no clear objective
• Millions die without gaining ground.
 What new weapons were used in Name of Institution

WWI?
• Machine gun
• Poison gas (Mustard gas)
• Carried by the wind
• Burned out soldier’s lungs
• Deadly in the trenches
where it would
sit at the bottom
 Name of Institution

• Submarine
• Airplane
• Tank
• Hand grenades
• Flame Throwers

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 Trench Warfare Name of Institution

Trench Warfare – type of fighting during

World War I in which both sides dug trenches
protected by mines and barbed wire
• Around 8 feet deep
• Immobilized both sides for 4 years
Name of Institution
 LIFE IN THE TRENCHES Name of Institution

• Elaborate systems of defense

– barbed wire
– Concrete machine gun nests
– Mortar batteries
– Troops lived in holes underground
 The Great War Name of Institution
Western Front
• Germans, Austria-Hungarians vs. French, British and
later Americans
• Germany defeated Belgium and conquered the capital
Brussels
• British and French joint army who came to rescue
Belgium was also defeated by the Germans
• Germany develops the Schlieffen* Plan
*The plan took advantage of speed in preparing for war. It was the
German plan to avoid a two-front war by concentrating troops in the
West and quickly defeating the French and then, if necessary, rushing
those troops by rail to the East to face the Russians before they had
time to mobilize fully.
 The Great War Name of Institution
Western Front
• Battle of the Marne (1914- German Defeat) :
Most decisive defeat when Germany were just
about 15 miles from Paris
• Hazen – “Germans were defeated badly in this
war…..In this war , French saved itself, Europe
and the whole world”
 Eastern Front Name of Institution

• Russians and Serbs vs. Germans and

Austria-Hungarians
• War more mobile but still a stalemate
• Russia’s disadvantages
– Not Industrialized
– Short on Supplies
• Russia’s advantage
– People
 Other Fronts Name of Institution

• Japan, Australia, India joined Allies

• Ottoman Turks, Bulgaria joined Central
Powers
• Battles occur in Africa and Asia for Colonial
Possessions
 Russia Exits the War Name of Institution

• In March 1917, Nicholas II abdicated his

throne,
• the Russian Duma continued to fight.
• In October 1917: The Soviet Union is created.
• March 1918: Soviets and Germans sign the
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, ending the war in the
East.
 US Road to War Name of Institution

• British Blockade
did not allow products to leave or enter Germany

• German U-Boat Response

counter to blockade, destroy all boats headed
for British shores
 US Declares War Name of Institution

• Senate Declares War April 4th 1917

• House of Representatives Declares War
April 6th 1917
• Wilson’s reasoning for War
make the world “Safe for Democracy”
 War on the Homefront Name of Institution

• World War I as a Total War

– All Resources devoted to homefront

• Govt. took over factories to make Military goods

• All had to work (Women took place of men in

factories)

• Rationing- limit consumption of resources/goods

necessary for the war effort

• Propaganda- one-sided information to keep support

for the war
 Ending the War 1917-1918 Name of Institution

• US Enters the War in April of 1917

• March 1918 Russia and Germany sign the
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
• Germans now use all resources on
Western Front
• March of 1918 Germany begins a massive
attack on France
 Ending the War (1918) Name of Institution

• German troops fatigued

• US had 140,000 “fresh” troops
• 2nd Battle of the Marne (June 1918)
• Central Powers Crumble
– Revolutions in Austria Hungary
– Ottoman Empire surrenders
– German soldiers mutiny, public turns against
Kaiser William II
 Ending the War (1918) Name of Institution

• Kaiser William abdicated on November 9th

1918
• 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month
in 1918 Germany agreed to a cease-fire
• 8.5 million soldiers dead
• 21 million soldiers wounded
• Cost of 338 billion dollars
 Ending the War Name of Institution

The Paris Peace Conference

• Meeting of the “Big Four” at the Paris
Peace Conference
• Wilson Proposes his “14 points”
• “Big Four” create Treaty of Versailles
– War Guilt Clause
– Break up of German, Austrian, Russian and
Ottoman Empire
– Reparations
– Legacy of bitterness and betrayal
 Three Critical Aspects Name of Institution

1. Germany had to admit full responsibility for

the war
2. Since Germany was responsible for the war, it
had to pay full reparations mainly in France
and Belgium
3. A League of Nations was established to keep
world peace
 Treaty of Versailles Name of Institution

• The Treaty of Versailles was the peace

settlement signed after World War One which
had ended in 1918 .
• The treaty was signed at the vast Versailles
Palace near Paris - hence its title - between
Germany and the Allies.
• The three most important politicians there were
David Lloyd George, Georges Clemenceau and
Woodrow Wilson.

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 Name of Institution

• The Versailles Palace was considered the

most appropriate venue simply because of
its size - many hundreds of people were
involved in the process and the final
signing ceremony in the Hall of Mirrors
could accommodate hundreds of
dignitaries.

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 The Attitude towards Germany Name of Institution

• Britain’s Attitude
– Germany should be punished, but not so much that
the people would turn to Communism, like what was
happening in Russia
– The British public wanted severe impacts for
Germany
– Germany to lose its navy and colonies as these were
a threat to Britain's own navy and empire
– Germany and Britain to become trading partners
The Attitudes towards Germany Name of Institution

• France’s Attitude
– Bring Germany to their knees so that it could
never start a war again
– This reflected the French public as well
– Germany had destroyed the north-east corner
of France displacing 750,000 French people.
– This deserved a total scolding.
– Wanted Germany broken down into smaller
states (weakened).
 Attitudes towards Germany Name of Institution

• USA Attitudes
– Wilson and the USA were stunned by the
atrocities of WWI.
– Questioned how a civilized country could
create that much devastation
– American public wanted to be isolated from
Europe, wanted limited input on the Treaty
– Wilson wanted Germany to be punished but in
a way that would lead to reconciliation, not
revenge
 The Treaty was designed
to cripple Germany
Name
militarily, of Institution
territorially and
economically
WAR GUILT CLAUSE
Germany had to accept GERMANY’S MILITARY
blame for starting WW1 FORCES REDUCED
NO UNION WITH AUSTRIA
- Army restricted to
100,000 men.
REPARATIONS
- No modern weapons
Germany forced to pay
massive fine for war
THE TERMS such as tanks, military air
OF THE TREATY OF force.
damages - 1,000,000,000
Marks (6.6bn pounds). VERSAILLES - Navy could not have
battle ships over 10,000
GERMAN OVERSEAS
1919 tons and no U-Boats.
TERRITORRIES
RHINELAND TO BE DE-MILITARISED
Germany lost Chinese
ports [Amoy and
Tsingtao], Pacific GERMAN NATIONAL TERRITORY
Islands, and African - Germany lost national territory which was given
colonies [Tanganika and to Belgium and Denmark, most went to Poland.
German SW Africa].
 Germany’s Choices Name of Institution

• They could either sign the Treaty

• Or, be invaded by the allies
• Since their armies were completely
disbanded, they had no choice but to sign
it
 Consequencies of the Treaty Name of Institution

• The Treaty seemed to satisfy the Allied

nations as in their eyes it was a just peace
as it kept Germany weak yet strong enough
to stop the spread of communism; kept the
French border with Germany safe from
another German attack and created the
organisation, the League of Nations, that
would end warfare throughout the world.

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 Name of Institution

• However, it left a mood of anger

throughout Germany as it was felt that as
a nation Germany had been unfairly
treated. 
• Above all else, Germany hated the clause
blaming her for the cause of the war and
the resultant financial penalties the treaty
was bound to impose on Germany.

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 Name of Institution

• Those who signed it (though effectively

they had no choice) became known as the
"November Criminals".
• Many German citizens felt that they were
being punished for the mistakes of the
German government in August 1914 as it
was the government that had declared war
not the people.

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 Name of Institution

• “Today in the Hall of Mirrors of Versailles the

disgraceful Treaty is being signed. Do not
forget it! The German people will with
unceasing labour press forward to reconquer
the place among nations to which it is entitled.
Then will come the vengeance for the shame
of 1919.”
– From the ‘The German Express’ newspaper.

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 Name of Institution

• “Only fools, liars and criminals could hope for

mercy from the enemy. In these nights hatred
grew in me, hatred for those responsible for
the dead.”
– By Adolf Hitler, who had served in the army and became
a future leader of Germany

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