World War I Notes

World War I Notes

World War I involved approximately 32 nations:

Central Powers:Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire, Bulgaria

Allied Powers: Great Britain, France, Russia, United States, Serbia, and 23 other nations

Causes:

Nationalism – the idea that people of the same ethnic origin, language, and political ideas had the right to independent states.

Imperialism – The Industrial Revolution caused an increase in manufactured goods of each country and these countries needed more markets to sell goods and more countries to obtain raw materials from. An economic rivalry erupted between industrialized nations.

Military Expansion – The countries in Europe were convinced they were being threatened so they increased the size of their armies, increased the size of the navy, and Europe is on the verge of war.

Alliance System – Countries were preparing for the possibility of war by making agreements with other nations and pledging to defend each other if they were attacked.

June 28, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of Austria – Hungary, is assassinated on a state visit to Sarajevo. July 28, 1914, Austria – Hungary declares war on Serbia. World War I breaks out. Germany supported Austria – Hungary and Serbia was aided by Russia, who had just lost two wars and they wanted to go to war to prove they were still a strong country. Germany invaded neutral Belgium and France and Great Britain enter the War.

Over the next four years, the battlefront hardly changed. There were three fronts in the war:

Western – France and Belgium

Eastern – Russia

Southern – Serbia

1917 – United States enters the war for two reasons:

1. the Zimmerman Telegram

1. the sinking of the Lusitania

Also in 1917, Russia withdraws from the war under a secret agreement with Germany. The Communists take over the government and kill Czar Nicholas and his family. Russia agrees to give up land to Germany in exchange for being able to withdraw their troops.

The Armistice was signed on November 11, 1918, at 11:00 am.

37 million people died in the war.

The Treaty of Versailles:Germany was forced to accept all blame for starting the war.

1. Germany was responsible for all war damages, payments called reparations were required. Germany was responsible for paying 269 billion gold marks to mostly France and Belgium.

1. Germany’s army was reduced to 100,000 men, no tanks were allowed. They were only allowed 6 ships and no submarines. They were not allowed to have an airforce.

1. Germany lost land to other countries. The empire of Austria – Hungary was broken up. The Ottoman Empire was dissolved.

1. New countries of Austria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania were created.

Formation of the League of Nations was the idea of President Woodrow Wilson.