Prayer
Beyond the Sound Bites:
Cf. http://moodle.catholicschools-phl.org
The Chapter 13 Section 3 Quiz Prep Page is available for Thursday.
Cf. http://shanawiki.wikispaces.com/Honors+World+History+II+Chapter+13+Section+3+Quiz+Prep+Page+Spring+2011
The Chapter 13 Section 2 Quiz Make-up is today.
The Ch. 13 Sec. 1 Quiz Make-up is today.
The Chapter 12 Make-up Test is today.
The two Tests, one for Chapter 14, and one for Chapter 15, scheduled for the 22nd and the 25th of March respectively, are on the entire chapter: there are no Section Quizzes for these two Chapters.
Cf. http://moodle.catholicschools-phl.org
Cf. http://www.cueprompter.com/
The Philadelphia Inquirer is available.
URL: http://nie.philly.com
Click on the words "Access e-Inquirer" located on the gray toolbar underneath the green locker on the opening page.
Login:
Username: bshsinky@shanahan.org
Password: 10888
Cf. http://vozme.com/index.php?lang=en
Cf. http://www.xtranormal.com/
Cf. http://www.wordle.net/create
ABCya! Cf. http://www.abcya.com/word_clouds.htm
Or, http://www.glogster.com/login/
Cf. http://moodle.catholicschools-phl.org
Cf. http://www.cueprompter.com/
Cf. http://ant.umn.edu/vae.php
The July Crisis: Can you stop the Great War? The July Crisis is our task this Friday.
Cf. http://moodle.catholicschools-phl.org
Task
The date is July 30, 1914 and the situation is critical when you receive the telegram. You are a diplomat for one of the countries involved in the origins of World War I. Austria-Hungary has already declared war on Serbia after receiving reassurance of full support from Germany. Because of the alliance system, this war is not destined to remain a small, regional flare up. Russia and Germany are about to declare war because the Russian army has been mobilized at the German border. Germany has plans to attack France through neutral Belgium, and Great Britain has sworn to protect Belgium's neutrality. Belgium is trying to make one last effort to bring the interested countries together to avoid war.
The Process
Step1: Your team is a diplomatic advisory group representing one of the following:
1) Austro-Hungarian Empire
2) Germany
3) France
4) Great Britain
5) Russia
6) Italy, and
7) the Ottoman Empire.
Each country's team of diplomats will meet in neutral Belgium on July 31, 1914. In order to prepare for the peace conference, you and your team must research and make an oral presentation with visuals on the following topics as stated in the telegram:
* Background about your country including: a brief history, geographic location, alliances, and leaders
* Long term reasons explaining why your country is willing to risk going to war (events more than a year ago)
* Short term reasons explaining why your country is willing to risk going to war (events within the last year)
All students should take notes on these three topics: background, long term reasons, and short term reasons.
Step 2: After your group has made a presentation representing your country's point of view on these topics and studied the information given by the other countries, you will prepare and present a proposal to prevent the war. Take into account all that you have learned from the presentations of other countries, and try to formulate an agreement that will prevent the war by presenting a valid compromise. This proposal should obtain for your country what it really wants and make some concessions to other countries
Step 3: After your country has presented its peace proposal, the class will divide up into 4 groups with at least one representative from each country in each group. In these new peace negotiation groups, start by voting on the proposals from each country. Because some countries are more powerful than others, some countries will receive more votes: Germany (3), Great Britain (3), France (2), Russia (2), Serbia (1), Ottoman Empire (1), Austro-Hungarian Empire (2), Italy (1). Any country may abstain from voting. Modify the proposal with the most votes until you reach a consensus. If you do not reach a consensus within the class session, you will write out a declaration of war stating the reasons why you are going to war.
Resources
Read the information that your textbook gives about the beginning of World War I. You should also read the following background information first:
Assassination in Sarajevo (http://www.worldwar1.com/tlsara.htm)
1879-1914: The Deadly Alliances (http://www.worldwar1.com/tlalli.htm)
The July Crisis (http://www.worldwar1.com/tlplot.htm)
Germany
Look for the answers to these questions:
* Who are your allies?
* Why does Germany support the Austro-Hungarian Empire?
* What are Germany's colonial interests?
* What are Germany's military interests, and how is Germany building up its military?
* Why is Germany an economic rival of Great Britain?
* How does Germany's competition to build up its navy put them into an arms race with
* Great Britain?
* What is the "Blank Check" that Germany gives the Austro-Hungarian Empire?
The documents below will help you:
Trenches on the Web, the War Atlas-Germany
http://www.worldwar1.com/atger.htm
May, 1882 - The Triple Alliance
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1914m/tripally.html
The Daily Telegraph Affair 28 October, 1908
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1914m/dailytel.html
8-12 February,1912The Haldane Mission
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1914m/haldane.html
5 December, 1912 Expanded Version of the Triple Alliance
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1914m/tripall2.html
My Mission to London, 1912-14 by Prince Lichnowsky
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1914m/lichnowy.html
6 July, 1914-The 'Blank Check'
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1914/blankche.html
1914 The German White Book
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1914/germbook.html
June-July, 1914 German Dispatches and the Kaiser's Notes
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1914/wilnotes.html
Autograph Letter of Franz Joseph to the Kaiser, Vienna, 2 July, 1914
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1914/frzwilly.html
29 July-1 August, 1914 The "Willy-Nicky" Telegrams in the original English
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1914/willynilly.html
July, 1914 Prince Lichownowsky's Reply to Sir Edward Grey
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1914/lichno.html
Kaiser Wilhelm II's Account of Events, July, 1914. From his Memoirs
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1914/kwiijuly.html
France
* Look for the answers to these questions:
* Who are your allies?
* What area did France have to give to Germany after the Franco-Prussian War?
* How does France plan to defend itself against Germany?
* What problem does France have with Germany in Morocco, a colony of France?
* How did France win Russia over as an ally from Germany?
The documents below will help you:
Trenches on the Web, the War Atlas-France
http://www.worldwar1.com/atfra.htm
18 August, 1892 The Franco-Russian Alliance Military Convention
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1914m/franruss.html
My Mission to London, 1912-14 by Prince Lichnowsky
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1914m/lichnowy.html
Great Britain
* Look for the answers to these questions:
* Who are Britain's allies?
* How does Germany's increase in battleships (Dreadnoughts) affect Britain?
* How does the industrial rivalry affect Britain's relationship with Germany?
* What treaty does Britain have to protect Belgium's neutrality?
* What imperial rivalries does Britain have with Germany in Africa?
* What are Britain's interests in the Middle East, and how does this conflict with the Ottoman Empire?
The documents below will help you:
Trenches on the Web, the War Atlas-Great Britain
http://www.worldwar1.com/ateng.htm
8-12 February, 1912 - The Haldane Mission
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1914m/haldane.html
28 October, 1908 - The Daily Telegraph Affair
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1914m/dailytel.html
British Imperial Connexions to the Arab Nationalist
Movement, Lord Kitchener and the Arab National Movement, 1912-1914
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1914m/arabetuk.html
My Mission to London, 1912-14 by Prince Lichnowsky
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1914m/lichnowy.html
31 July, 1914 Sir Edward Grey's Indecisiveness
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1914/greyegal.html
July, 1914 Prince Lichownowsky's Reply to Sir Edward Grey
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1914/lichno.html
Russia
Look for the answers to these questions:
* Who are Russia's allies?
* Why is access to the Dardanelles from the Black Sea important to Russia?
* Why is Russia allied with Serbia?
* How did Germany lose Russia as an ally and how does this affect the German war plans?
* Why is it necessary for Russia to mobilize its army so much in advance and how does Germany react?
The documents below will help you:
Trenches on the Web, the War Atlas-Russia
http://www.worldwar1.com/atrus.htm
October, 1909 - The Racconigi Bargain
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1914m/racco.html
18 August, 1892 - The Franco-Russian Alliance Military Convention
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1914m/franruss.html
1907 - The Anglo-Russian Entente
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1914m/anglruss.html
1914 - The German White Book
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1914/germbook.html
British Imperial Connexions to the Arab Nationalist
Movement, Lord Kitchener and the Arab National Movement, 1912-1914
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1914m/arabetuk.html
My Mission to London, 1912-14 by Prince Lichnowsky
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1914m/lichnowy.html
28 July, 1914: The Pledge Plan
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1914/pledplan.html
29 July-1 August, 1914 - The "Willy-Nicky" Telegrams in the original English
http://www.lib.edu/~rdh/wwi/1914/willynilly.html
July, 1914 Prince Lichownowsky's Reply to Sir Edward Grey
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1914/lichno.html
Austro-Hungarian Empire
Look for the answers to these questions:
* What countries is the Austro-Hungarian Empire allied with?
* What problems does the Austro-Hungarian Empire face?
* How is nationalism affecting the Austro-Hungarian Empire?
* What are the Austro-Hungarian Empireís goals in the Balkans?
* What happened in Sarajevo to bring events to a crisis and what did the Austro-Hungarian
* Empire demand of Serbia?
* Would the Austro-Hungarian Empire go to war without the help of Germany?
* How does the Austro-Hungarian Empire force Serbia into a war?
The documents below will help you:
Trenches on the Web, War Atlas Austria
http://www.worldwar1.com/athng.htm
20 May, 1882 The Triple Alliance
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1914m/tripally.html
5 December, 1912 Expanded Version of the Triple Alliance
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1914m/tripall2.html
September-October, 1908 The Annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina by Austria-Hungary
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1914m/bosherz.html
6 July, 1914 - The 'Blank Check'
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1914/blankche.html
British Imperial Connexions to the Arab Nationalist
Movement, Lord Kitchener and the Arab National Movement, 1912-1914
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1914m/arabetuk.html
My Mission to London, 1912-14 by Prince Lichnowsky
http://www.lib.byu/~rdh/wwi/1914m/lichnowy.html
23 July, 1914: The Austro-Hungarian Ultimatum to Serbia
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1914/austro-hungarian-ultimatum.html
25 July, 1914: The Serbian Response to the Austro-Hungarian Ultimatum
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1914/serbresponse.html
28 July, 1914: The Pledge Plan
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1914/pledplan.html
July 1914, Prince Lichownowsky's Reply to Sir Edward Grey
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1914/lichno.html
Serbia (Everyone should review this material in addition to your assigned country)
Look for the answers to these questions:
* Who are Serbia's allies?
* Why does Serbia object to the annexation of Bosnia-Herzegovina to Austria?
* What are the goals of the Serbian nationalist organizations?
* What is Pan-Slavism and what are its goals?
* What is Serbia's response to the ultimatum sent by the Austro-Hungarian Empire?
The documents below will help you:
Trenches on the Web, the War Atlas-Serbia
http://www.worldwar1.com/atserb.htm
September-October, 1908 The Annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina by Austria-Hungary
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1914m/bosherz.html
1911 The Narodna Odbrana
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1914m/odbrana.html
The Constitution of the Black Hand, 1911
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1914m/blk-cons.html
British Imperial Connexions to the Arab Nationalist
Movement, Lord Kitchener and the Arab National Movement, 1912-1914
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1914m/arabetuk.html
My Mission to London, 1912-14 by Prince Lichnowsky
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1914m/lichnowy.html
23 July, 1914: The Austro-Hungarian Ultimatum to Serbia
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1914/austro-hungarian-ultimatum.html
25 July, 1914 - The Serbian Response to the Austro-Hungarian Ultimatum
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1914/serbresponse.html
July 1914 - Prince Lichownowsky's Reply to Sir Edward Grey
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1914/lichno.html
Italy
Look for the answers to these questions:
* Who are Italy's allies?
* Under what conditions will Italy go to war to aid its allies? Is the Triple Alliance an offensive or defensive alliance?
* What territorial and colonial interests does Italy have in Europe, and Africa and how might their decision to declare war be affected by this?
* In what ways is your ally in the Triple Alliance, Austria, also your rival?
The documents below will help you:
20 May, 1882 The Triple Alliance
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1914m/tripally.html
1914 - The Austro-Italian Naval Race
http://www.worldwar1.com/tlainr.htm
October, 1909 - The Racconigi Bargain
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1914m/racco.html
5 December, 1912 Expanded Version of the Triple Alliance
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1914m/tripall2.html
My Mission to London, 1912-14 by Prince Lichnowsky
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1914m/lichnowy.html
Ottoman Empire
Look for the answers to these questions:
What is Ottoman Empire's relationship with Bosnia and other countries in the Balkans?
What strategic strait does Turkey control and why is it strategic?
What relationship does Turkey have with Great Britain in the Middle East?
The documents below will help you:
Trenches on the Web, the War Atlas-The Ottoman Empire
http://www.worldwar1.com/attur.htm
September-October, 1908 The Annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina by Austria-Hungary
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1914m/bosherz.html
British Imperial Connexions to the Arab Nationalist
Movement, Lord Kitchener and the Arab National Movement, 1912-1914
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1914m/arabetuk.html
My Mission to London, 1912-14 by Prince Lichnowsky
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1914m/lichnowy.html
Preview WW I
Unit 4 The Twentieth-Century Crisis 1914-1945
"Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few."
Winston Churchill
Chapter 16 War and Revolution 1914-1919
Map of Europe
An assassination in the Balkans sparked the outbreak of World War I. Millions died during the war, which also led to a revolution and Communist rule in Russia. The war settlements redrew the map of Europe and imposed heavy penalties on Germany.
Military forces marched off to fight with stirring music such as the
United Forces March.
Yet, troops did not anticipate the carnage that they actually experienced on the battle field; this was not combat that they had learned about in school where brave, courageous young men went out to the battlefield to prove themselves.
Canadian John McCrae served as a military doctor on the Western Front in World War I. In 1915, McCrae wrote the following poem in the voice of those he had watched die.
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.”
—Dr. John McCrae, 1915
You can hear about McCrae’s experience during World War I.
The Battle of the Somme, 3:35
An Allied offensive at the Somme River (sum) was extremely costly. In a single grisly day, nearly 60,000 British soldiers were killed or wounded. In the five-month battle, more than one million soldiers were killed, without either side winning an advantage. Europe was to experience a new kind of war.
Features real footage from the Somme, including quotes and figures. Voted as one of the TEN BEST War Videos on WeShow Awards, 3:35.
In-class assignment, with a partner, answer the questions.
1. How many British troops were killed on the first day?
2. At the conclusion of the battle how many casualties were there?
Animated battle of the Somme
Cf. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwone/launch_ani_somme_map.shtml
Audio: Chapter 16 Section 1 The Road to World War I
Section 1 The Road to World War I
Competition over trade and colonies led to the formation of two rival European alliances—the Triple Entente of Great Britain, France, and Russia; and the Triple Alliance, consisting of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy. Repeated crises over Serbian claims on the Austro-Hungarian region of Bosnia revealed the dangers inherent in these alliances. Austria-Hungary, as well as numerous other European governments, confronted challenges from minorities that wished to establish their own national states. Strikes and violent actions by Socialist labor movements also threatened European governments. Many states responded with increasing militarism. The assassination of the heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary by a Bosnian Serb militant set off a chain of diplomatic and military decisions that led all of the great powers of Europe into World War I.
Key Terms
conscription
mobilization
Note Taking Reading Skill: Summarize As you read, use a chart to summarize the events that led up to the outbreak of World War I.
In-class assignment: with a partner, answer the questions.
This is a map for World War I: 1914-1918 Map, 6:41
Cf. http://ant.umn.edu/vav.php?pid=62159449393845
View the embedded player with the animated map content
WW I Map
1. Where did the spark occur?
2. Who was assassinated?
3. What were the two sides that formed?
4. What was the first country to mobilize?
5. In what year did the U.S. join the conflict?
6. Where did the Germans meet the Russians in the East?
7. In what month and year did the front line in the West stabilize?
8. In an attempt to knock Turkey out of the war where did the Allies attack?
9. Where did the Germans counterattack?
10. What was the one major naval battle of the war?
11. What British officer gained world wide fame in the Middle East?
12. What setback did the Allies suffer in 1917?
The Western Front and the Eastern Front, 1914–1918
For: Interactive map
Visit: PHSchool.com
Web Code: nap-2621
Map Skills
World War I was fought on several fronts in Europe. Despite huge loss of life and property, the two sides came to a stalemate on the Western and Eastern fronts in 1915 and 1916.
1. Locate
(a) Paris (b) Battle of the Marne (c) Verdun (d) Tannenberg
2. Movement
Using the scale, describe how the battle lines moved on the Western Front from 1914 to 1918.
3. Draw Inferences
Based on this map, why do you think many Russians were demoralized by the progress of the war?
The Human Cost To break the stalemate on the Western Front, both the Allies and the Central Powers launched massive offensives in 1916. German forces tried to overwhelm the French at Verdun (vur dun). The French defenders held firm, sending up the battle cry “They shall not pass.” The 11-month struggle cost more than a half a million casualties, or soldiers killed, wounded, or missing, on both sides.
Nationalism and the System of Alliances
In-class assignment, with a partner, answer the question.
Reading Check
Identifying
Did the growth of nationalism in the first half of the nineteenth century lead to increased competition or increased cooperation among European nations?
Internal Dissent
In-class assignment, with a partner, answer the question.
Reading Check
Explaining
According to some historians, how might internal disorder have been one of the causes of World War I?
Militarism
In-class assignment, with a partner, answer the question.
Reading Check
Examining
What was the effect of conscription on events leading up to World War I?
The Outbreak of War: Summer 1914
The Serbian Problem
A crisis began when Archduke Francis Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary announced that he would visit Sarajevo (sa ruh yay voh), the capital of Bosnia. Francis Ferdinand was the nephew and heir of the aging Austrian emperor, Francis Joseph. At the time of his visit, Bosnia was under the rule of Austria-Hungary. But it was also the home of many Serbs and other Slavs. News of the royal visit angered many Serbian nationalists. They viewed the Austrians as foreign oppressors. Some members of Unity or Death, a Serbian terrorist group commonly known as the Black Hand, vowed to take action.
Assassination in Sarajevo
The spark for World War I was the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand. On June 28, 1914, Gavrilo Princip (gav ree loh preen tseep), a member of a Serbian terrorist group, killed Austrian Archduke Francis Ferdinand and his wife Sophie.
The archduke ignored warnings of anti-Austrian unrest in Sarajevo. On June 28, 1914, he and his wife, Sophie, rode through Sarajevo in an open car. As the car passed by, a conspirator named Gavrilo Princip (gav ree loh preen tseep) seized his chance and fired twice into the car. Moments later, the archduke and his wife were dead.
“The first [bullet] struck the wife of the Archduke, the Archduchess Sofia, in the abdomen. . . . She died instantly.
The second bullet struck the Archduke close to the heart. He uttered only one word, ’Sofia’—a call to his stricken wife. Then his head fell back and he collapsed. He died almost instantly.”
—Borijove Jevtic, co-conspirator
The assassinations triggered World War I, called “The Great War” by people at the time.
Austria-Hungary Responds
The news of the assassination shocked Francis Joseph. Still, he was reluctant to go to war. The government in Vienna, however, saw the incident as an excuse to crush Serbia. In Berlin, Kaiser William II was horrified at the assassination of his ally’s heir. He wrote to Francis Joseph, advising him to take a firm stand toward Serbia. Instead of urging restraint, Germany gave Austria a “blank check,” or a promise of unconditional support no matter what the cost.
Austria sent Serbia a sweeping ultimatum, or final set of demands. To avoid war, said the ultimatum, Serbia must end all anti-Austrian agitation and punish any Serbian official involved in the murder plot. It must even let Austria join in the investigation. Serbia agreed to most, but not all, of the terms of Austria’s ultimatum. This partial refusal gave Austria the opportunity it was seeking. On July 28, 1914, Austria declared war on Serbia.
Russia Mobilizes
After Austria’s declaration of war, Serbia turned to its ally, Russia, the champion of Slavic nations. From St. Petersburg, Nicholas II telegraphed William II. The tsar asked the kaiser to urge Austria to soften its demands. When this plea failed, Russia began to mobilize, or prepare its military forces for war. On August 1, Germany responded by declaring war on Russia.
Russia, in turn, appealed to its ally France. In Paris, nationalists saw a chance to avenge France’s defeat in the Franco-Prussian War. Though French leaders had some doubts, they gave Russia the same kind of backing Germany offered to Austria. When Germany demanded that France keep out of the conflict, France refused. Germany then declared war on France.
The Conflict Broadens
Summary of the Conflict Broadening
The early part of the war in 1914 is largely the story of The Schlieffen (shlee fun) Plan.
Cf. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwone/launch_ani_western_front.shtml
The Germans’ Schlieffen (shlee fun) Plan failed for several reasons. First, Russia mobilized more quickly than expected. After a few small Russian victories, German generals hastily shifted some troops to the east, weakening their forces in the west. Then, in September 1914, British and French troops pushed back the German drive along the Marne River. The first battle of the Marne ended Germany’s hopes for a quick victory on the Western Front.
Reasons for the failure of the Schlieffen Plan: Belgium, Britain, and the Eastern Front. The video ends at the Battle of the Marne, 3:49.
In-class assignment, with a partner, answer the question.
Reading Check
Evaluating
What was the Schlieffen Plan and how did it complicate the events leading to World War I?
On "Big Bertha" (noted in the video), named after the daughter of the famous German gun manufacturer, Krupp, a word can be added. Although the super-heavy artillery was fearsome, and Parisian civilians were killed, the howitzer proved largely ineffective and played a smaller role in the Schlieffen advance than the Germans had hoped The Encyclopedia of Weaponry: The Development of Weaponry from Prehistory to 21st Century Warfare, Ian V. Hogg, p. 123.
Graphic source: Wikipedia Commons
Most people in 1914 believed that the war would end quickly. The picture changed, though, as trench warfare between France and Germany turned into a stalemate and casualties mounted throughout Europe. Italy switched sides, and the Ottoman Empire joined the war on the side of the Triple Alliance. The war broadened further when German colonies came under attack and the British encouraged Ottoman provinces in the Middle East to revolt. The United States entered the war in 1917 in response to the German use of submarines against passenger ships. As the war dragged on, governments took control of national economies, censored the news media, and used propaganda to bolster public opinion. Women entered the workforce in large numbers. After the war, many lost their jobs to men but gained expanded rights and status. By 1921 women had the vote in Austria, Germany, Great Britain, and the United States.
propaganda
trench warfare
war of attrition
total war
planned economies
1914 to 1915: Illusions and Stalemate
Propaganda of World War I, 2:35
These are some recruitment and propaganda posters from England and France during World War I. The song: "Boys in Khaki, Boys in Blue," means British and French soldiers.
WW 1 PROPAGANDA POSTERS(UK), 5:32
Each of the nations which participated in World War One from 1914-18 used propaganda posters not only as a means of justifying involvement to their own populace, but also as a means of procuring men, money and resources to sustain the military campaign.
In countries such as Britain the use of propaganda posters was readily understandable: in 1914 she only possessed a professional army and did not have in place a policy of national service, as was standard in other major nations such as France and Germany.
The Western Front
Cf. http://www.phschool.com/webcodes10/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.gotoWebCode&wcprefix=nap&wcsuffix=2621
American Battle Monuments Cemetery in Aisne Marne, France, 2:00
This video presents a brief narrated tour of Aisne-Marne American Cemetery's landscaped grounds, architecture, and works of art.
The 42.5-acre Aisne-Marne Cemetery and Memorial in France, its headstones lying in a sweeping curve, sits at the foot of the hill where stands Belleau Wood. The cemetery contains the graves of 2,289 war dead, most of whom fought in the vicinity and in the Marne valley in the summer of 1918. The memorial chapel sits on a hillside, decorated with sculptured and stained-glass details of wartime personnel, equipment and insignia. Inscribed on its interior wall are 1,060 names of the missing. Rosettes mark the names of those since recovered and identified. During World War II, the chapel was damaged slightly by an enemy shell.
Belleau Wood adjoins the cemetery and contains many vestiges of World War I. A monument at the flagpole commemorates the valor of the U.S. Marines who captured much of this ground in 1918.
The Eastern Front
On Europe’s Eastern Front, battle lines shifted back and forth, sometimes over large areas. Even though the armies were not mired in trench warfare, casualties rose even higher than on the Western Front. The results were just as indecisive.
In August 1914, Russian armies pushed into eastern Germany. Then, the Russians suffered a disastrous defeat at Tannenberg, causing them to retreat back into Russia. As the least industrialized of the great powers, Russia was poorly equipped to fight a modern war. Some troops even lacked rifles. Still, Russian commanders continued to send masses of soldiers into combat.
Battle of Tannenberg, 4:26
Battle of Masurian Lakes
In-class assignment, with a partner, answer the question.
Reading Check
Contrasting
How did the war on the Eastern Front differ from the war on the Western Front?
1916 to 1917: The Great Slaughter
A film version of the novel "All Quiet on the Western Front illustrates the horror of trench warfare.
In the first scene, Paul Baumer (Richard Thomas) is chastised by his teacher (Donald Pleasence) for lack of attention in class, (specifically for furtively making a sketch of a small bird). He is ridiculed as an 'idealist' and a 'dreamer.'
In the final trench scene, Paul sympathetically chivvies his exhausted soldiers into staying alert for their own safety. Yet moments later he himself becomes (fatally) distracted by a small bird, the same symbol of beauty that had so irritated his mentor three years previously. Other ironic subtleties reveal themselves here. Paul now seeks solace in smoking, a habit he had until now totally despised. (Recall how he had haughtily rejected his teacher's proffering of a cigarette!). Even this actor's distinctive facial mole acquires significance. Devoid of any disguising make-up, it disturbs as an appalling disfigurement on an otherwise handsome face, a subtle symbol perhaps of the Great War's brutal despoiling of a whole generation of Europe's 'Golden Youth'. Most tellingly, the movie links the image of Paul's drawings as the metaphor for the idealism of the new generation, a hope that died with Paul in the mud of those hellish trenches.
If you enjoyed this excerpt, you may enjoy the entire film.
The horror of war during the great slaughter of World War I is illustrated by one of the most famous novels from the Great War; this is a film version of "All Quiet on the Western Front" (1979), 6:01.
A worksheet is available to:
guide your reading.
Tactics of Trench Warfare
Trench Warfare, 7:57
First part of a short film describing various aspects of trench warfare. Presented by Oxford University's First World War Poetry Digital Archive project.
Among other animations, you can view: Life in the Trenches
Cf. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/interactive/animations/wwone_movies/index_embed.shtml
You can try your gaming luck during several front line missions with,
trench warfare:
Cf. http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/worldwarone/hq/trenchwarfare.shtml
Verdun
war of attrition, the Battle of Verdun, 3:58
This is a brief demo Eagle Films created for a War museum concerning the brutal and bloody WW-I battle of Verdun. It was one of about twenty multimedia projects that were to be produced under the supervision of Philip Cook of Eagle Films.
War in the Air
Diagram of German machine gun synchronisation gear.
To fire the gun,
1. The gun's crank is worked twice, once to load, once to cock.
2. The green handle is pulled
3. which lowers the red cam follower onto the cam wheel.
4. When the cam raises the follower, the blue rod is pushed against the spring.
5. When the pilot presses the purple firing button, inside the breech block the cable lowers the blue bridge piece
6. so that when the blue rod is activated by the cam, the yellow trigger bar is pushed
7. and the gun fires.
Graphic source: Wikipedia Commons
Both sides also used aircraft. At first, planes were utilized simply to observe enemy troop movements. In 1915, Germany used zeppelins (zep uh linz), large gas-filled balloons, to bomb the English coast. Later, both sides equipped airplanes with machine guns. Pilots known as “flying aces” confronted each other in the skies. These “dogfights” were spectacular, but had little effect on the course of the war on the ground.
Graphic source: Wikipedia Commons
The young Englishman's early career is profiled. Paying for his own lessons, Ball learns to fly and is approved for service in the Royal Flying Corps.
The Battle of The Somme begins and the early career of Albert Ball is profiled, 5:16
Albert Ball (14 August 1896 – 7 May 1917) was an English First World War fighter pilot and recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest decoration for gallantry "in the face of the enemy" that can be awarded to members of the British or Commonwealth armed forces. At the time of his death, he was twenty years old and he was the leading Allied ace with 44 victories, second only to German ace Manfred Von Richthofen. By the end of the war he was the United Kingdom's fourth top scoring ace.
Richthofen - A German Legend - The Red Baron, 1:46
Richthofen - The Red Baron
A German Legend
Footage & Soundtrack:
Der Rote Baron (Germany 2008)
Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen (2 May 1892 - 21 April 1918) was a German fighter pilot known as the "Red Baron". He was the most successful flying ace during World War I, being officially credited with 80 confirmed air combat victories. He served in the Imperial German Army Air Service (Luftstreitkräfte). Richthofen was a member of an aristocratic family with many famous relatives.
Freiherr (literally "Free Lord") is not a given name but a German aristocratic title, equivalent to a baron in other countries and the origin of Richthofen's most famous nickname: "The Red Baron". Red was the colour of his plane. The German translation of The Red Baron is About this sound "Der Rote Baron" . Richthofen is today known by this nickname even in Germany, although during his lifetime he was more often described in German as Der Rote Kampfflieger, (variously translated as the The Red Battle Flyer or The Red Fighter Pilot). This name was used as the title of Richthofen's 1917 "autobiography."
Richthofen's other nicknames include "Le Diable Rouge" ("Red Devil") or "Le Petit Rouge" ("Little Red") in French, and the "Red Knight" in English.
World War 1 Aircraft - Sopwith Camel F.1, 1:16
The Sopwith Camel is probably one of the most famous British fighters of the war, in addition to the SE5a simply because it was one of their first superior fighters of the war. The Camel was dreaded by most Entente pilots, however. It was fast and maneuverable, but the upper wing had numerous problems and tendencies to shear off entirely and plunge the airframe into the ground (and this caused the death of many pilots), and torque was so great to the left side of the plane that it was sometimes rendered unable to fly altogether. It was dangerous for both novice and seasoned pilots to fly, any many died trying to tame the beast.
Cf. War in the Air 1914-45 (Smithsonian History of Warfare) by Williamson Murray
In-class assignment, with a partner, answer the question.
Reading Check
Explaining
Why were military leaders baffled by trench warfare?
Widening of the War
Though most of the fighting took place in Europe, World War I was a global conflict. Japan, allied with Britain, used the war as an excuse to seize German outposts in China and islands in the Pacific.
Gallipoli
Because of its strategic location, the Ottoman empire was a desirable ally. If the Ottoman Turks had joined the Allies, the Central Powers would have been almost completely encircled. However, the Turks joined the Central Powers in late October 1914. The Turks then cut off crucial Allied supply lines to Russia through the Dardanelles, a vital strait connecting the Black Sea and the Mediterranean.
In 1915, the Allies sent a massive force of British, Indian, Australian, and New Zealander troops to attempt to open up the strait. At the battle of Gallipoli (guh lip uh lee), Turkish troops trapped the Allies on the beaches of the Gallipoli peninsula. In January 1916, after 10 months and more than 200,000 casualties, the Allies finally withdrew from the Dardanelles.
Gallipoli trailer (Mel Gibson), 1:44
Lawrence of Arabia
Gene Siskel & Roger Ebert discuss the 1962 Oscar-winning First World War film Lawrence of Arabia, 4:45.
The Turks were harmed severely in the Middle East. The Ottoman empire included vast areas of Arab land. In 1916, Arab nationalists led by Husayn ibn Ali (hoo sayn ib un ah lee) declared a revolt against Ottoman rule. The British government sent Colonel T. E. Lawrence—later known as Lawrence of Arabia—to support the Arab revolt. Lawrence led guerrilla raids against the Turks, dynamiting bridges and supply trains. Eventually, the Ottoman empire lost a great deal of territory to the Arabs, including the key city of Baghdad.
In-class assignment, with a partner, answer the question.
Reading Check
Describing
Entry of the United States
By the time the Yanks get involved there is a popular song which memorialized American involvement:
Cf. http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/activities/songs/
In-class assignment, with a partner, answer the question.
Reading Check
Evaluating
Why did the Germans resort to unrestricted submarine use?
The Home Front: The Impact of Total War
On total war the best reference is:
War Made New: Weapons, Warriors, and the Making of the Modern World by Max Boot, pp. 198-201.
The broad impact of the Industrial Revolution resulted in both gains and losses. There was more food, medicine, clothing, more of everything, yet, the new technologies extinguished "life as effectively as they could be used to support it" (Boot, p. 198).
The Industrial Revolution did not cause WW I yet indirectly it "fostered the rise of Germany" (Boot, p. 198). "The figures boggle the mind:
from 1914 to 1918, sixty three million were seriously wounded or disabled.
Millions of civilians also died. . . . they were many orders of magnitude greater than those of any previous conflict. Pre-industrial states could not possibly have fed, clothed, equipped, moved--or slaughtered--so many individuals. Germany and France had 20 percent of their populations under arms. Britain mobilized only 13 percent, but this was still far higher than the 7 percent that Napoleon had been able to marshal with the levee en masse" (Boot, p. 198). Each soldier in addition had far more firepower than an entire regiment possessed a century earlier.
Increased Government Powers
Planned economies were necessary to fuel the increased demands of total war (Boot, p. 199). The pre-industrial state was not equal to the task of equipping and arming such large armies that were required in modern warfare. Governments nationalized industries along with the cooperation of major private companies. In Britain, France, and Germany, military spending shot up 2,000 percent (Boot, p. 199).
Manipulation of Public Opinion
Public dissent was not encouraged. A military dictatorship controlled Germany but even in the liberty-loving U.S. antiwar activists such as the socialist Eugene Debs was subject to arrest and confinement (Boot, p. 199).
Total war also meant controlling public opinion. Even in democratic countries, special boards censored the press. Their aim was to keep complete casualty figures and other discouraging news from reaching the public. Government censors also restricted popular literature, historical writings, motion pictures, and the arts.
Both sides waged a propaganda war. Propaganda is the spreading of ideas to promote a cause or to damage an opposing cause. Governments used propaganda to motivate military mobilization, especially in Britain before conscription started in 1916. In France and Germany, propaganda urged civilians to loan money to the government. Later in the war, Allied propaganda played up the brutality of Germany’s invasion of Belgium. The British and French press circulated tales of atrocities, horrible acts against innocent people. Although some atrocities did occur, often the stories were distorted by exaggerations or completely made up.
Total War and Women
Women gained more rights as they took jobs previously open only to men (Boot, p. 200). It is not surprising that not long after the war women were granted the right of suffrage.
Women played a critical role in total war. As millions of men left to fight, women took over their jobs and kept national economies going. Many women worked in war industries, manufacturing weapons and supplies. Others joined women’s branches of the armed forces. When food shortages threatened Britain, volunteers in the Women’s Land Army went to the fields to grow their nation’s food.
Nurses shared the dangers of the men whose wounds they tended. At aid stations close to the front lines, nurses often worked around the clock, especially after a big “push” brought a flood of casualties. In her diary, English nurse Vera Brittain describes sweating through 90-degree days in France, “stopping hemorrhages, replacing intestines, and draining and reinserting innumerable rubber tubes” with “gruesome human remnants heaped on the floor.”
War work gave women a new sense of pride and confidence. After the war, most women had to give up their jobs to men returning home. Still, they had challenged the idea that women could not handle demanding and dangerous jobs. In many countries, including Britain, Germany, and the United States, women’s support for the war effort helped them finally win the right to vote, after decades of struggle.
Laissez-faire economic structures did not survive World War I. Social hierarchies broke down under the transformation. Women were granted the right to vote. World War I is "a conflict that could never have been waged on such a titanic, transformative scale were it not for the changes in warfare that had occurred in the previous half-century. This was the bittersweet legacy of the Industrial Age (Boot, p. 201).
In-class assignment, with a partner, answer the question.
Reading Check
Summarizing
What was the effect of total war on ordinary citizens?
People in History
Edith Cavell
Like most ordinary people caught up in war, Edith Cavell (1865–1915) did not plan on becoming a hero. An English nurse, she was in charge of a hospital in Belgium. After the German invasion, Cavell cared for wounded soldiers on both sides. She also helped Allied soldiers escape to the Netherlands.
In 1915, the Germans arrested Cavell for spying. As she faced a firing squad, her last reported words were, “Standing as I do in view of God and Eternity, I realize that patriotism is not enough. I must have no hatred or bitterness toward anyone.” Why do you think the British government spread the story of Edith Cavell?
The Lusitania
Germany used U-boats to create its own blockade. In 1915, Germany declared that it would sink all ships carrying goods to Britain. In May 1915, a German submarine torpedoed the British liner Lusitania off the coast of Ireland. Almost 1,200 passengers were killed, including 128 Americans. Germany justified the attack, arguing that the Lusitania was carrying weapons. When American President Woodrow Wilson threatened to cut off diplomatic relations with Germany, though, Germany agreed to restrict its submarine campaign. Before attacking any ship, U-boats would surface and give warning, allowing neutral passengers to escape to lifeboats. Unrestricted submarine warfare stopped—for the moment.
Preview:
Section 3 The Russian Revolution
Key Terms
soviets
war communism
Background to Revolution
“Mr. War Minister!
We, soldiers from various regiments,. . . ask you to end the war and its bloodshed at any cost…. If this is not done, then believe us when we say that we will take our weapons and head out for our own hearths to save our fathers, mothers, wives, and children from death by starvation (which is nigh). And if we cannot save them, then we’d rather die with them in our native lands then be killed, poisoned, or frozen to death somewhere and cast into the earth like a dog.”
—Letter from the front, 1917
Reading Skill: Summarize Copy the time line below and fill it in as you read this section. When you finish, write two sentences that summarize the information in your time line.
The year 1913 marked the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty. Everywhere, Russians honored the tsar and his family. Tsarina Alexandra felt confident that the people loved Nicholas too much to ever threaten him. “They are constantly frightening the emperor with threats of revolution,” she told a friend, “and here,—you see it yourself—we need merely to show ourselves and at once their hearts are ours.”
Appearances were deceiving. In March 1917, the first of two revolutions would topple the Romanov dynasty and pave the way for even more radical changes.
The outbreak of war in 1914 fueled national pride and united Russians. Armies dashed to battle with enthusiasm. But like the Crimean and Russo-Japanese wars, World War I quickly strained Russian resources. Factories could not turn out enough supplies. The transportation system broke down, delivering only a trickle of crucial materials to the front. By 1915, many soldiers had no rifles and no ammunition. Badly equipped and poorly led, they died in staggering numbers. In 1915 alone, Russian casualties reached two million.
Vocabulary Builder
crucial—(kroo shul) adj. of vital importance
In a patriotic gesture, Nicholas II went to the front to take personal charge. The decision proved a disastrous blunder. The tsar was no more competent than many of his generals. Worse, he left domestic affairs to the tsarina, Alexandra. In Nicholas’ absence, Alexandra relied on the advice of Gregory Rasputin, an illiterate peasant and self-proclaimed “holy man.” The tsarina came to believe that Rasputin had miraculous powers after he helped her son, who suffered from hemophilia, a disorder in which any injury can result in uncontrollable bleeding.
By 1916, Rasputin’s influence over Alexandra had reached new heights and weakened confidence in the government. Fearing for the monarchy, a group of Russian nobles killed Rasputin on December 29, 1916.
The March Revolution
By March 1917, disasters on the battlefield, combined with food and fuel shortages on the home front, brought the monarchy to collapse. In St. Petersburg (renamed Petrograd during the war), workers were going on strike. Marchers, mostly women, surged through the streets, shouting, “Bread! Bread!” Troops refused to fire on the demonstrators, leaving the government helpless. Finally, on the advice of military and political leaders, the tsar abdicated.
Duma politicians then set up a provisional, or temporary, government. Middle-class liberals in the government began preparing a constitution for a new Russian republic. At the same time, they continued the war against Germany.
Outside the provisional government, revolutionary socialists plotted their own course. In Petrograd and other cities, they set up soviets, or councils of workers and soldiers. At first, the soviets worked democratically within the government. Before long, though, the Bolsheviks, a radical socialist group, took charge. The leader of the Bolsheviks was a determined revolutionary, V. I. Lenin.
The revolutions of March and November 1917 are known to Russians as the February and October revolutions. In 1917, Russia still used an old calendar, which was 13 days behind the one used in Western Europe. Russia adopted the Western calendar in 1918.
In-class assignment, with a partner, answer the question.
Reading Check
Identifying
Develop a sequence of events leading to the March Revolution.
The Rise of Lenin
A Brilliant Revolutionary
As a young man, Lenin read the works of Karl Marx and participated in student demonstrations. He spread Marxist ideas among factory workers along with other socialists, including Nadezhda Krupskaya (nah dyez duh kroop sky uh), the daughter of a poor noble family. In 1895, Lenin and Krupskaya were arrested and sent to Siberia. During their imprisonment, they were married. After their release, they went into exile in Switzerland. There they worked tirelessly to spread revolutionary ideas.
Lenin’s View of Marx
Lenin adapted Marxist ideas to fit Russian conditions. Marx had predicted that the industrial working class would rise spontaneously to overthrow capitalism. But Russia did not have a large urban proletariat. Instead, Lenin called for an elite group to lead the revolution and set up a “dictatorship of the proletariat.” Though this elite revolutionary party represented a small percentage of socialists, Lenin gave them the name Bolsheviks, meaning “majority.”
In Western Europe, many leading socialists had come to think that socialism could be achieved through gradual and moderate reforms such as higher wages, increased suffrage, and social welfare programs. A group of socialists in Russia, the Mensheviks, favored this approach. The Bolsheviks rejected it. To Lenin, reforms of this nature were merely capitalist tricks to repress the masses. Only revolution, he said, could bring about needed changes.
In March 1917, Lenin was still in exile. As Russia stumbled into revolution, Germany saw a chance to weaken its enemy by helping Lenin return home. Lenin rushed across Germany to the Russian frontier in a special train. He greeted a crowd of fellow exiles and activists with this cry: “Long live the worldwide Socialist revolution!”
Biography
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin
Lenin (1870–1924) was the son of a teacher and his wife who lived in a little town on the Volga River. Vladimir lived with his parents and five siblings in a rented wing of a large house. By all accounts it was a happy home. Vladimir excelled at school and looked up to his older brother Alexander. But when Vladimir was 16, his father died. When he was 17, his beloved brother Alexander was hanged for plotting to kill the tsar.
Still reeling from the death of his brother, Vladimir enrolled at Kazan University. There he met other discontented young people. They united to protest the lack of student freedom in the university. Within three months, Vladimir was expelled for his part in the demonstrations. How do you think Lenin’s early life affected his later political ideas?
In-class assignment, with a partner, answer the question.
Reading Check
Examining
What was Lenin's plan when he arrived in Russia?
The Bolsheviks Seize Power
Lenin threw himself into the work of furthering the revolution. Another dynamic Marxist revolutionary, Leon Trotsky, helped lead the fight. To the hungry, war-weary Russian people, Lenin and the Bolsheviks promised “Peace, Land, and Bread.”
The Provisional Government’s Mistakes
Meanwhile, the provisional government, led by Alexander Kerensky, continued the war effort and failed to deal with land reform. Those decisions proved fatal. Most Russians were tired of war. Troops at the front were deserting in droves. Peasants wanted land, while city workers demanded an end to the desperate shortages. In July 1917, the government launched the disastrous Kerensky offensive against Germany. By November, according to one official report, the army was “a huge crowd of tired, poorly clad, poorly fed, embittered men.” Growing numbers of troops mutinied. Peasants seized land and drove off fearful landlords.
The Bolshevik Takeover
Conditions were ripe for the Bolsheviks to make their move. In November 1917, squads of Red Guards—armed factory workers—joined mutinous sailors from the Russian fleet in attacking the provisional government. In just a matter of days, Lenin’s forces overthrew the provisional government without a struggle.
The Bolsheviks quickly seized power in other cities. In Moscow, it took a week of fighting to blast the local government out of the walled Kremlin, the former tsarist center of government. Moscow became the Bolsheviks’ capital, and the Kremlin their headquarters.
“We shall now occupy ourselves in Russia in building up a proletarian socialist state,” declared Lenin. The Bolsheviks ended private ownership of land and distributed land to peasants. Workers were given control of the factories and mines. A new red flag with an entwined hammer and sickle symbolized union between workers and peasants. Throughout the land, millions thought they had at last gained control over their own lives. In fact, the Bolsheviks—renamed Communists—would soon become their new masters.
In-class assignment, with a partner, answer the question.
Reading Check
Describing
What was the impact of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk on Russia?
Civil War in Russia
After the Bolshevik Revolution, Lenin quickly sought peace with Germany. Russia signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in March 1918, giving up a huge chunk of its territory and its population. The cost of peace was extremely high, but the Communist leaders knew that they needed all their energy to defeat a collection of enemies at home. Russia’s withdrawal affected the hopes of both the Allies and the Central Powers, as you read in Section 3.
Vocabulary Builder
withdrawal—(with draw ul) n. the act of leaving
Opposing Forces
For three years, civil war raged between the “Reds,” as the Communists were known, and the counterrevolutionary “Whites.” The “White” armies were made up of tsarist imperial officers, Mensheviks, democrats, and others, all of whom were united only by their desire to defeat the Bolsheviks. Nationalist groups from many of the former empire’s non-Russian regions joined them in their fight. Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania broke free, but nationalists in Ukraine, the Caucasus, and Central Asia were eventually subdued.
The Allies intervened in the civil war. They hoped that the Whites might overthrow the Communists and support the fight against Germany. Britain, France, and the United States sent forces to help the Whites. Japan seized land in East Asia that tsarist Russia had once claimed. The Allied presence, however, did little to help the Whites. The Reds appealed to nationalism and urged Russians to drive out the foreigners. In the long run, the Allied invasion fed Communist distrust of the West.
Brutality was common in the civil war. Counterrevolutionary forces slaughtered captured Communists and tried to assassinate Lenin. The Communists shot the former tsar and tsarina and their five children in July 1918 to keep them from becoming a rallying symbol for counterrevolutionary forces.
Identifying
Who opposed the new Bolshevik regime?
Triumph of the Communists
The Communists used terror not only against the Whites, but also to control their own people. They organized the Cheka, a secret police force much like the tsar’s. The Cheka executed ordinary citizens, even if they were only suspected of taking action against the revolution. The Communists also set up a network of forced-labor camps in 1919—which grew under Stalin into the dreaded Gulag.
The Communists adopted a policy known as “war communism.” They took over banks, mines, factories, and railroads. Peasants in the countryside were forced to deliver almost all of their crops to feed the army and hungry people in the cities. Peasant laborers were drafted into the military or forced to work in factories.
Meanwhile, Trotsky turned the Red Army into an effective fighting force. He used former tsarist officers under the close watch of commissars, Communist party officials assigned to the army to teach party principles and ensure party loyalty. Trotsky’s passionate speeches roused soldiers to fight. So did the order to shoot every tenth man if a unit performed poorly.
The Reds’ position in the center of Russia gave them a strategic advantage. The White armies were forced to attack separately from all sides. They were never able to cooperate effectively with one another. By 1921, the Communists had managed to defeat their scattered foes.
In-class assignment, with a partner, answer the question.
Reading Check
Contrasting
Why did the Red Army prevail over the White Army?
War and Revolution in Russia 1914 - 1921 by Dr Jonathan Smele
Cf. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwone/eastern_front_01.shtml
Section 4 End of the War
Tanks, 1:46
Cassell Military Classics: Iron Fist: Classic Armoured Warfare by Bryan Perrett
One helpful animation is:
Animated Map: The Western Front, 1914 - 1918
Animated battle of the Somme
Cf. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwone/launch_ani_somme_map.shtml
Among other animations, you can view: Life in the Trenches
Cf. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/interactive/animations/wwone_movies/index_embed.shtml
You can try your luck during several front line missions with
Trench warfare:
Cf. http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/worldwarone/hq/trenchwarfare.shtml
By the time the Yanks get involved there is a popular song which memorialized American involvement:
Cf. http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/activities/songs/
American involvement in WW I, 4:11
The Great War #1, World War 1 Era Period Music and Pictures. WW 1 spanned from August of 1914 to November of 1918 and raged across the globe. The United States was officially involved in the war from April 1917 to the end.
The dough boys are nearly forgotten today in the shadow of World War 2, Vietnam and Iraq. Millions of American men and women, black and white, served our country in The Great War. This series of shorts shows the music of their time and photographs from the Great War.
Links
BBC Schools Links
GCSE Bitesize Revision - History
bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/history/
A secondary revision resource for GCSE exams covering the First World War.
The Bitesize series features audio clips from history and commentators:
Cf. http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/history/mwh/
Standard Grade Bitesize Revision - History
bbc.co.uk/scotland/learning/bitesize/standard/history/
A secondary revision resource for Standard Grade covering the First World War.
BBC Sites
BBC History - World War One
bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwone/
This World War One site from BBC History features interactive movies, animations, feature articles and 3-d models.
One helpful animation is:
Animated Map: The Western Front, 1914 - 1918
Cf. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwone/launch_ani_western_front.shtml
History Trail – How to do History
bbc.co.uk/history/lj/how_to_do_historylj/preview.shtml
Follow in the footsteps of professional historians and find out how they do history. Discover how postcards, council records, tapestries and people's memories of the past are all valuable sources for the historian.
Other Sites
Learning Curve – The Great War
http://www.learningcurve.gov.uk/greatwar
This is a comprehensive offering from the Public Records Office, which tells the story of the First World War through six different source based investigations. It aims to show how the War developed and includes teachers' notes.
Spartacus Educational – The First World War
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/FWW.htm
Spartacus' World War One website offers a growing encyclopaedia of entries about the war, as well as links to other websites.
First World War.com - The war to end all wars
http://www.firstworldwar.com
This site gives a general overview of the First World War. It offers a collection of insightful feature articles, photos and footage, memoirs and diaries.
Spark Notes – World War 1 (1914-1918)
http://www.sparknotes.com/history/european/ww1/
Gives a summary and commentary on each main study area of the First World War.
Art of the First World War
http://www.art-ww1.com/gb/present.html
Presents 100 paintings from international collections from around the world to commemorate the First World War.
The World War One Document Archive
http://www.art-ww1.com/gb/present.html
The World War One Document Archive presents primary documents concerning the Great War.
World War 1 - Web Links
http://www.historyteacher.net/APEuroCourse/WebLinks/WebLinks-WorldWar1.htm
This site lists links to in-depth articles on all aspects of the First World War, including a large collection of links to primary source material.
National Curriculum Online: History
http://curriculum.qcda.gov.uk/key-stages-3-and-4/subjects/history/index.aspx?return=/key-stages-3-and-4/subjects/index.aspx
Information about the National Curriculum for History, QCDA and DfEE schemes of work, pupils' work and information about standards and support materials.
QCDA History
http://www.qcda.gov.uk/6354.aspx
The Qualifications and Curriculum Development Authority (QCDA) History section.
Examine key issues with the help of original documents.
Cf. http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/greatwar/g1/
The best overall war reference for the entire modern period:
War Made New: Weapons, Warriors, and the Making of the Modern World by Max Boot
All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
Cassell Military Classics: Iron Fist: Classic Armoured Warfare by Bryan Perrett
Day of the Assassins: A Jack Christie Novel by Johnny O'Brien
War in the Air 1914-45 (Smithsonian History of Warfare) by Williamson Murray
The Encyclopedia of Warfare: The Changing Nature of Warfare From Prehistory to Modern-day Armed Conflicts by Robin Cross, pp. 170-193.
The Encyclopedia of Weaponry: The Development of Weaponry from Prehistory to 21st Century Warfare, Ian V. Hogg, pp. 112-139.
Battles and Campaigns (Mapping History) by Malcolm Swanston
A documentary about the battle of the Somme 1916 part 1, 9:58
H. W. Brands on Woodrow Wilson and the First World War, 9:32
War and Revolution in Russia 1914 - 1921 by Dr Jonathan Smele
Cf. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwone/eastern_front_01.shtml
Review the causes of the Revolution
Cf. http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/history/mwh/russia/
Find out more about the last imperial family of Tsarist Russia.
Cf. http://www.nicholasandalexandra.com/virtual1999/sitemap.html
Photo album of Tsar Nicholas II's Romanov family
Cf. http://www.alexanderpalace.org/romalbum/index.html
Cf. http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/RUSlenin.htm
World War I in Popular Culture
In 1966, the "Ace" was immortalized in song by the Royal Guardsmen with their hit, Snoopy Vs. The Red Baron. This was followed in 1967 by Return of the Red Baron, in which it is revealed that the Baron survived their previous encounter but runs away when Snoopy challenges him to a duel with pistols, and then by Snoopy's Christmas, in which the two foes temporarily set aside their differences for a Christmas toast, as per the Christmas Truces that occurred during World War I. Snoopy's Christmas continues to be played as a holiday favorite on many oldies radio stations.
During the 1968 U.S. Presidential election, the Guardsmen released two additional songs, "Snoopy for President", in which Snoopy's bid for the nomination of the Beagle party is tipped in his favor by the Red Baron, and "Down Behind the Lines", which does not mention Snoopy specifically but describes the attempts of a World War I pilot to fly his damaged Sopwith Camel back to friendly territory.
In 2006 the Guardsmen recorded a song called "Snoopy vs. Osama" in which Snoopy shifts his focus away from The Red Baron and captures Osama Bin Laden.
Snoopy vs. The Red Baron, 2:08
1966, The Royal Guardsmen - Snoopy vs. The Red Baron, 2:40
The group from Ocala, FL with the British moniker rose to fame in 1966 with its single, “Snoopy Vs. The Red Baron,” which became the title track of its debut album. The album reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart and remained there for 12 weeks. It went on to sell one million copies, earning it gold certification from the R.I.A.A. in 1967.
Identifying
Did the growth of nationalism in the first half of the nineteenth century lead to increased competition or increased cooperation among European nations?
Reading Check
Explaining
According to some historians, how might internal disorder have been one of the causes of World War I?
Test/Quiz Resources
Self-check Quiz on Chapter
Vocabulary eFlashcards
Academic Vocabulary
Combined
Content Vocabulary
People, Places and Events
HW: email (or hard copy) me at gmsmith@shanahan.org.
Wednesday HW
1. p. 488, #5-8
Thursday HW
1. p. 488, #9-11
Friday HW
1. p. 488, #12
