World War I Overview

Background and Alliances

• Triple Entente: France, Britain, Russia
  • United by fear and suspicion of Germany
• Triple Alliance: Germany, Austro-Hungary, Italy
  • Germany feared encirclement; Austro-Hungary had a fragile empire; Italy sought gains against France

Outbreak of War

• June 28, 1914: Archduke Franz Ferdinand assassinated in Sarajevo by Gavrilo Princip
• Austro-Hungary blamed Serbia, leading to war declarations
• Russia mobilized to defend Serbia
• Germany's Schlieffen Plan called for a quick victory against France before turning to Russia
• Britain joined after Germany invaded Belgium

Early Battles and Trench Warfare

• Battle of the Frontiers: French offensive failed
• First Battle of the Marne: Allies halted German advance
• First Battle of Ypres: Allies prevented German breakthrough
• Trench Warfare: Both sides dug in across a 350-mile front

Naval Warfare

• Battle of Heligoland Bight: British naval victory
• German U-boat Campaign: Submarines began attacking
• Naval Blockades: Britain blockaded Germany; Germany declared waters around Britain a war zone

Eastern and Other Fronts

• Battle of Tannenberg: German victory over Russia
• Ottoman Empire: Joined Central Powers, declared war on Russia
• Global Battles: Involved colonies and territories worldwide

1915 Developments

• German Zeppelin bombings and naval engagements
• Poison Gas used at Second Battle of Ypres
• Allied landings at Gallipoli failed
• Armenian Genocide: Over a million Armenians perished

1916 Stalemates and Offensives

• Verdun and the Battle of the Somme: High casualties with little territorial change
• Italian Front: Costly, unsuccessful attacks
• Romania enters war, ultimately overrun

1917 Entry of the USA

• Unrestricted Submarine Warfare: Led to US entering the war
• Russian Revolution: Led to Russia's withdrawal
• Defeats and mutinies on the Western Front

1918 Last German Offensive and Allied Counterattack

• Ludendorff Offensives: Initial successes but ultimately halted
• Allied Hundred Days Offensive: Successful counterattacks led to retreat
• Central Powers' Collapse: Armistices signed

Armistice and Treaty of Versailles

• November 11, 1918: Armistice signed ending hostilities
• Versailles Treaty: Imposed harsh conditions on Germany
  • Military restrictions, reparations, territorial losses
• League of Nations formed to prevent future conflicts

Impact of the War

• Death toll: 9.5 million soldiers and 7 million civilians
• Redrawing of political boundaries in Europe and the Middle East
• Long-term resentment, especially in Germany
• Set stage for future global conflicts

Key Takeaways

• The war marked the end of old empires and the redrawing of global political maps.
• Industrial warfare led to unprecedented casualties and destruction.
• The Treaty of Versailles sowed seeds of future conflicts.
• Emergence of new nations from the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman Empires.