Unit 2

Module 1
World War I

Film: “War horse”

Introduction
 WORLD WAR I. CAUSES

Long-term factors….

M ilitarism

A lliance

I mperialism

N ationalism
Militarism: as the world entered the 20th century, an arms race had
begun (number of warships, size of their armies…). There was a fierce
competition between Britain and Germany for mastery the seas.
Alliance

Before 1914 Europe's main powers were divided into two armed camps by a
series of alliances. These were

● The Triple Alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy (1882)

● The Triple Entente of Britain, Russia and France (1907)

Although these alliances were defensive in nature, they meant that any
conflict between one country from each alliance was bound to involve the
other countries. The main rivalries between the powers were:

● Germany and France over Alsace. This division made an alliance between
both countries impossible.
● Russia and Austria over the Balkans.
● Britain and Germany over their navies and economic power.
Imperialism

Imperialism and imperial rivalry were significant sources of tension

between European powers, particularly in the late 19th and early 20th
centuries. These tensions fuelled nationalism and were an important
factor in the outbreak of World War I
Imperialism describes a system where one powerful nation occupies,
controls and exploits one or more colonies.
Before the IWW the world’s largest, richest and the most dominant
imperial power was Great Britain. (Canada, India, Sri Lanka, Australia,
New Zeland, Hong Kong, Egypt…)
The British Empire took in India, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Hong Kong, parts of North Africa, islands in the Pacific
and Caribbean and concessions in China.

Russia ruled modern-day Poland, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, the Ukraine, Georgia and several regions in central Asia, such as
Kazakhstan. Russia also had colonial interests in East Asia, including a concession in China.

France maintained colonies in modern-day Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, areas of West Africa and India, small possessions in South
America, and islands in the Pacific and Caribbean.

Germany had seized control of modern-day Tanzania, Namibia and Cameroon in Africa, German New Guinea, some Pacific islands
and an important concession in Shandong (China).

Austria-Hungary possessed no colonies outside Europe but was an empire nonetheless, ruling over several different regions, ethnic
and language groups. Among its regions were Bohemia, Moravia, Silesia, Galicia, Transylvania, the Tyrol and, after 1908, Bosnia and
Herzegovina.
Spain once possessed a large empire that included Cuba, the Philippines and large areas of South America – but by 1914 the Spanish were left with
only tiny colonial territories in the Americas and north-west Africa.

The United States was a relative newcomer to imperialism but by 1914 had gained control of the Philippines, Guam, American Samoa, Puerto Rico
and several islands in the Pacific. Though later absorbed into the United States, both Alaska and the Hawaiian Islands might be considered colonial
acquisitions.

The Ottoman Empire was once the largest empire in the world, taking in eastern Europe, the Middle East and much of northern Africa. Ottoman
territory had shrunk significantly but by 1914 the sultanate retained the heart of its old empire: modern-day Turkey, Egypt, Syria, Palestine, Armenia
and Macedonia.

Portugal in 1914 was the imperial ruler of modern-day Angola and Mozambique in Africa, Goa (India) and East Timor (Indonesia).

Belgium was one of the smallest nations in Europe but still possessed a significant African colony (Belgian Congo), as well as a small concession in
China.

Holland had several small colonial possessions in South America (Dutch Guyana), Asia (Batavia, or modern-day Indonesia) and the Pacific.

Italy by 1914 had moved into northern Africa, annexing modern-day Libya, Somalia and Eritrea. It also held a small concession in China.
Nationalism

Nationalism is an intense form of patriotism or loyalty to

one’scountry.

Nationalis groups in Austria-Hungary and Serbia wanted

independence. France wanted Alsace Lorrein back from Germany who
was los in 1871.

Nationalism was also experienced in parts of Southern Europe where

some ethnic minorities wanted autonomy and independence. (The
Balkans)
 Inmediate cause… The assessination of the Archduke
Franz Ferdinand of Austria. (1,2)

The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-

Hungarian throne, and his wife Sophie in Sarajevo (the capital of the
Austro-Hungarian province of Bosnia-Herzegovina) on 28 June 1914
eventually led to the outbreak of the First World War.
Propagandistic poster

The government wanted to convince people and influence

public opinion to go to war. Techniques: establish
authority, appeal to patriotism, use humour, create fear...
 The Great
Interactive video War
(1914-1918)

Triple Entente (The allies): France, Russia, Great Britain.

Serbia, Belgium, United States…

Triple Alliance (Central Powers): Germany, Austria

Hungari, Italy. Bulgaria, Ottpmans
Text activity

THE WAR
The conflict developed on several fronts in Europe, Africa and Asia.
The two main scenarios were the Western Front, where the Germans
confronted Britain, France and, after 1917, the Americans. The
second front was the Eastern front in which Russians fought against
Germans and Austro-Hungarians.
Movement phase (1914)
Fight on the Western and Eastern front

Trench Warfare (1915-17)

Stalemate,
“No man’s land”
World phase (1916-18)

Different fronts (land, air, sea),

Africa, Asia
The movement phase: (1914)

At the begining of the conflict, no one expected a war that would

stretch for more than four years.

The Germans implemented the so-called Schlieffen Plan: This was a

German strategy to ensure a quick victory in case of war. France to the
West, Russia to the East. In his planning, Schlieffen counted on two
things: that German victory in the West would be quick (he estimated
this to take about 6 weeks), and that Russian mobilisation would be
slow, so that a small German defensive force would be enough to hold
back Russia until France was beaten.

The expected defeat of France never occurred. The trench warfare

started.
Trench warfare (1915-1917)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvYIIuxh2kY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_G4ZY66BG38

Trench warfare becomes necessary when two armies face a stalemate

(between Belgium and France). Although trench warfare has been
employed since ancient times, it was used on an unprecedented scale on
the Western Front during World War I.The space between the enemy
lines was known as "No Man's Land." The Germans unleashed (askatu)an
especially sinister new weapon at Ypres in northwestern Belgium: poison
gas. Hundreds of French soldiers, overcome by deadly chlorine gas.
Victims died a slow, horrible death as their lungs filled with fluid.

The stalemate lasted until 1917.

World phase (1916-1918)
Two great events came to turn the tide of the war in 1917: the U.S. entry
into the war in April and Russia out of the conflict in December.

United States had remained neutral in the conflict but had supplied the
Entente countries. The Germans decided to undertake submarine warfare, a
risky tactic of attacking and sinking not only British or French ships but also
attacking neutral shipping. The sinking of several American ships, with the
consequent loss of lives eventually led President Wilson to declare war on the
Central Powers.

Germany was practically alone. His allies were on military and economic
exhaustion. The arrival of U.S. troops in Europe balanced the scales in favor
of the Entente. Bulgaria asked the armistice in September, Turkey in
October and Austria-Hungary surrendered in November. Germany also
The Treaty of Versailles

The position of the victors following the end of the war was
different. Clemenceau personified a harder position with
Germany. Clemenceau, the French leader, insistently claimed
that "Germany will pay". British and Americans opted for a
more conciliatory attitude. Finally, Italy, who were less
interested in the destiny of Germany, tried unsuccessfully to
obtain new territory.

The Treaty of Versailles is organized in several chapters which

each have different clauses.

Ekigunea, Video 1
Territorial clauses:

● France regained Alsace and Lorraine

Military clauses:

● Drastic limitation of the German navy.

● Dramatic reduction of the Army (only 100,000 troops, prohibition of having

tanks, aircraft and heavy artillery).

● Demilitarization of the Rhineland region.

War Reparations:

The treaty declared Germany and its allies responsible for all 'loss and damage'
suffered by the Allies and as a consequence they were forced to pay war
reparations to the victors.
New weapons

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7v3cq1ZJjM (gas attacts)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Z7owNBd7W8 (troops
enthusiasm)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPsfUiv6_Tc (aircraft)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgWHbpMVQ1U (zeppelin)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCrzaC4aLPg (submarine)