The First World War

Features of WWI

• Unprecedent damage.
• Earlier civilian population not involved. Casualties confined to warring armies. But in WWI huge civilian casualties as civilian infrastructure were targeted. 
• Total war - all the resources of warring states mobilized. 
• Affected the economy of whole world. 
• Battles of war were fought in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Pacific - unprecedent extent of its spread. 

Reasons for WWI

1. Imperialist Rivalries
• Most of Asia and Africa already divided between Imperialist countries. Further conquest only through dispossession of imperialist country from its colony. 
• Germany late in scramble for colonies. Ambition was to control economy of the declining Ottoman Empire. German interests in conflict with Britain, France and Russia. 
• Imperialist countries interest in conflict with other imperialist countries. 
• Expansion of other major powers' influence was considered a threat to American interests. 
2. Conflicts within Europe
• Conflict of interest over the Balkan region under Ottoman rule, among Britain, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Russia, France and Italy.
• Russian Czars promoted Pan-Slav movement. All Slavs of Eastern Europe are one people.
• To control Balkan region
• Many Slavs in Austria-Hungary
• Serbian nationalism promoted by Russia. 
• Pan-German movement aimed at expansion of Germany all over central Europe and in the Balkans.
3. Formation of Alliances
• Due to conflict over colonies, tension in Europe. European countries formed opposing groups.
• Militarilzation of countries started on large scale. 
• Triple Alliance:  Germany + Austria-Hungary + Italy
• Triple Entente: France + Russia + Britain
• Opposing groups of countries not only increased danger of war but also made inevitable. 
4. Incidents Preceding the War
• Austria annexed Ottoman provinces of Bosnia and Herzegovina. 
• These provinces coveted by Serbia too which had the backing of Russia. 
• Russia threatened to start  a war over Austria annexation but due to Germany's support to Austria, Russia retreated. 
• Serbia, Bulgaria, Montenegro and Greece fought war against Turks. Turkey lost all its territories. War among themselves over distribution of Turkish territory. 
• These incidents brought Europe on the verge of war.
5. Assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand
• Archduke Francis Ferdinand, heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary assassinated at Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia.
• Austria accused Serbia for this. Declared war on Serbia. 
• Russia backed Serbia. 
• Germany declared war on Russia

New Weapons in WWI

1. Machine gun
2. Liquid Fire
3. Aircrafts
4. Tanks
5. Submarines, Uboats
6. Poison gas. 

Reason for US joining the WWI

1. German U-boats had sunk British ship Lusitania. Among the 1153 passengers killed were 128 Americans. 
2. Americans sympathetic to Britain, and this incident aroused anti-German feelings. 
3. US has given huge amount of loans to Entete countries. If these loans were to be recovered then Entete countries were required to win the war. 
4. If Germnay won the war then it will become serious rival to US economically. 
• German Imperator ship - largest in the world. 
• Leading manufacturer of Iron and Steel. 
5. US joining the WWI changed the tide of war. 

Treaty of Versailles,1919

• Republican government of Germany compelled to sign this treaty under threat of invasion. 
• Treaty declared Germany and her allies guilty of aggression. 
• Alsace-Lorraine returned to France. 
• Coal mines in German area, Saar ceded to France for 15 years, area to be governed by League of Nations. 
• Germany ceded parts of her pre war territory to Denmark, Belgium, Poland and Czechoslovakia.
• Rhine valley to be demilitarized. 
• German army limited to 100,000. No airforce and submarines. 
• Dispossessed of all her colonies. 
• Required to pay for loss and damages - 6.6 billion Pound.

Peace Treaty with Austria-Hungary

• Austria-Hungary brokenup. 
• Austria recognized independence of Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia and Poland. 
• Cede territories to new independent states and Italy. 

Peace Treaty with Turkey

• Complete dismemberment of Ottomon Empire.
• Palestine and Mesopotamia (Iraq) "mandate" of Britain, Syria "mandate" of France. Britain and France were the mandatory powers. Mandatory powers to look after intrests of the people of the "mandates" but governed as colonies. 
• Most Turkish territories to be given to Greece and Italy. Turkey to be reduced to very small state. 

Revolution in Turkey 

• Revolution in Turkey under Mustapha Kemal in 1922. 
• Sultan disposed, Turkey proclaimed republic in 1922.
• Turkey regained control of Asia Minor and the city of Constantinople. 
• Allies forced to abandon earlier treaty. 

Consequence of the War and the Peace Treaties.

• Huge loss of human lives.
• 53-70 million fought.
• 9 million died. 
• Economy of many countries shattered. 
• Reorganization of political map of World, particularly of Europe. 
• Three Ruling dynasties destroyed. 
• Romanov in Russia
• Hohenzollern in Germany
• Habsburg in Austria-Hungary
• Ottomon Empire came to an end.
• Austria and Hungary became separate independent states. 
• Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia became independent states. 
• Poland reformed as independent state which was divided among Russia, Austria and Prussia in 18th century.
• Beginning of the end of European supremacy in world. Europe surpassed by US, emerged as world power. 
• Strengthening of the freedom movements in Asia and Africa.
• Rise of Soviet Union and its support to freedom movements. 
• Role played by soldiers recruited from colonies shattered the myth of European supremacy over Asian and African people. 
• Growth of nationalist feelings in colonies. 
• Treaties with defeated countries contained extremely harsh provisions, sowed seeds for further conflicts.