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WORLD WAR I Goes Mad the BACKSTORY: the OTTOMAN EMPIRE

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WORLD WAR I Goes Mad the BACKSTORY: the OTTOMAN EMPIRE The World WORLD WAR I Goes Mad THE BACKSTORY: THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE • By the beginning of the 20th century, the Ottoman Empire had begun to disintegrate under a variety of internal and external pressures. • In their move to join the modern world by becoming a nation-state, ethnic nationalism emerged as a rallying cry to define the “new” Turkey. Becoming Evil–p. 54 THE BACKSTORY: THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE • A series of Ottoman military disasters between 1908-1912, leads to Turkey being seized by an ultra- nationalistic, militaristic, and chauvinistic leadership. Becoming Evil–p. 55 THE BACKSTORY: THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE . Within a period of 2 weeks, the Ottomans lose 75% of their European territories. Greeks, Serbs, and Bulgarians revolted and broke away from the empire. It’s an ass whooping. This is the first major military defeat from former subject states the empire had to face. Leads to a real fear of collapse. They need to keep what they have left at all costs—they will now justify everything to do so. The Armenian Genocide Video THE BACKSTORY: THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE • In 1912, while Turkish Nationalism was growing, Greece, Serbia, and Bulgaria broke away and expelled their former Turkish masters. THE BACKSTORY: THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE . 100,000 refugees flood into Constantinople . Nowhere to put them . Horror stories about what “the Christians” had done to them . Feeds into the story that “Christians are out to get the Muslims” . Desire for revenge begins to grow THE BACKSTORY: THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE In the wake of this disaster, a new political power rises in Turkey: . Young Turks . Mehmed Talat, Interior Minister . Djemal Pasha, Minister of Public Works . Enver Pasha, Minister of War Becoming Evil–p. 55 THE BACKSTORY: THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE . 1913 the Young Turks attempt to retake large parts of their former domain. They attack Christian Russia and are overwhelmingly defeated . Poor planning . Bad weather . Ineffective leadership on the part of Enver Pasha (Who took personal command of the campaign) . The Armenian Genocide Video THE BACKSTORY: THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE . Russia Retaliates! With Russian Armenian soldiers and Ottoman Armenian defectors. Blame abounds . Disarming of Armenians (out of the Ottoman Army) . Labor battalions formed . Massacre . The Armenian Genocide Video WWI: WHAT WAS IT OVER?!? It is really about: .the breakup of the Ottoman Empire. .Nationalistic pride. .Who will control the oil wealth of the Middle East. .Complicated network of economic ties and secret alliances. It will involve nearly all the nations in the world. MAJOR CAUSES Nationalism Militarism Colonialism Major Causes of WWI Alliances Imperialism NATIONALISM This was a deep devotion to country. .Think patriotism on steroids (up to and including serious ‘roid-rage). Competition and Rivalry developed between European nations for territory and markets. MILITARISM Glorifying Military Power. Keeping a large standing army prepared for war. Arms race for military technology. COLONIALISM The use of political, economic, and social policies of a parent state with the intent to maintain or extend its authority and control over a smaller, weaker state, territory, or people. ALLIANCES .Designed to keep peace in Europe, instead pushed continent towards war. .Many Alliances made in secret. .By 1907 two major alliances: Triple Alliance and Triple Entente. ALLIANCES ALLIANCES Triple Alliance Triple Entente Germany England Austria-Hungary France Italy Russia Central Powers Allied Powers Germany England, France, Russia, United Austria-Hungary States, Italy, Serbia, Ottoman Empire Belgium, Switzerland WORLD LEADERS Triple Alliance Triple Entente Kaiser Wilhelm II David Lloyd George (Germany) (England) Franz Joseph I Raymond Poincare (Austria-Hungary) (France) Vittorio Orlando Czar Nicholas II (Italy) (Russia) IMPERIALISM .European competition for colonies. .Quest for colonies often almost led to war. .Imperialism led to rivalry and mistrust amongst European nations. SPOILING FOR A FIGHT By the summer of 1914, Europe was a powder keg of nationalistic bravado and looking for a fight. On 28 June 1914, the spark to light the fire would come. Archduke Franz Ferdinand, having attended a series of military exercises in Bosnia- Herzegovina was traveling with his wife Sophie Chotek through the streets of Sarajevo. A group called the Young Bosnians, a secret revolutionary society of peasant students, had been plotting to assassinate him. Gavrilo Princip, with material assistance from the Black Hand, a terrorist group with close ties to the Serbian army shot and killed Ferdinand and his wife. WAR!!! The assassination precipitated a rapid descent into World War I. First, Austria-Hungary gained German support for punitive action against Serbia. It then sent Serbia an ultimatum, worded in a way that made acceptance unlikely. WAR!!! Serbia proposed arbitration to resolve the dispute, but Austria-Hungary instead declared war on July 28, 1914, exactly a month after Ferdinand’s death. By the following week, Germany, Russia, France, Belgium, Montenegro and Great Britain had all been drawn into the conflict. When war was declared there were street celebrations in most of Europe’s capital cities. WHO DECLARES WAR ON WHO? Austria-Hungary Declares War on Serbia Russia Declares War on Austria Hungary Germany Declares War on Russia Germany Declares War on France England Declares War on Germany and Austria Hungary WHAT EVERYONE EXPECTED A fast, glory-filled war complete with old fashioned cavalry charges, conventional weapons, and battlefield heroes. No one believed that a war that mobilized the entire manpower of a nation could go on for more than a few months. They expected a moving battle front on land and at sea. WHAT THEY GOT A long, bloody war of attrition (gradual reduction of the strength or effectiveness through sustained attack or pressure). 65 Million men mobilized 8.5 Million men killed 21 Million men wounded 7.7 Million men P.O.W. and missing .Total of 37 Million casualties or 57% of those mobilized. WHY?!?!? The technology of war advanced much faster and farther than the tactics of war. Barbed wire . Machine gun . Trench warfare . U-boats . Chemical weapons . Airplanes . Tanks . Flamethrowers JAPAN Japan joined the allies and used the war as an excuse to seize German outposts in China and islands in the Pacific. America held an official policy of Isolationism enforced by the Monroe Doctrine. The Monroe Doctrine of December 2, 1823, stated that European powers were no longer to colonize or interfere with the affairs of the newly independent states of the Americas. The United States would not interfere with existing colonies or their dependencies in the Western Hemisphere. However, any attempt by a European nation to oppress or control any nation in the western hemisphere would be seen as an act of aggression and the United States would intervene GROWING PRESSURE! There was growing pressure for the United States to get involved, but which side should it choose? Central Powers: Allies: •11 million German- •Close cultural ties Americans •Shared transatlantic •Irish-Americans hated cables (so censored Great Britain stories) •Big business loaned US Exports to both sides: much $ to allies Nations 1914 1915 1916 Britain $594,271,863 $911,794,954 $1,526,685,102 France $159,818,924 $364,397,170 $628,851,988 Germany $344,794,276 $28,863,354 $288,899 GROWING PRESSURE Great Britain was blockading all German shipping. .Germany announced a submarine war around Britain .In May, 1915 Germany told Americans to stay off of British ships. .They could/would sink them. The United States was making a lot of money by selling arms and munitions to the Allied Powers! THE LUSITANIA In 1917 the Lusitania, passenger cruise- liner was torpedoed, sinking with 1200 passengers and crew (including 128 Americans). The United States declared war on Germany after the newspapers reported this “horrific” tragedy/crime. THE PLOT THICKENS By the time of the Lusitania “disaster” powerful interests in the United States were looking for a way into the war. The Lusitania was just the thing those interests needed to convince the American public that they could no longer be neutral in this conflict. The US sharply criticized Germany for their action . Germany agreed not to sink passenger ships without warning in the future DECEIT! What the American public did not know, was not told, and that Germany knew was that the Lusitania was carrying 4200 cases of ammunition bound for the Western front. SORRY! Germany responded to Wilson's demands on May 4 with what is called the "Sussex Pledge." German submarine policy would henceforth be governed by promises to: end the sinking of passenger ships search merchant ships for contraband make provisions for passengers and crews before sinking merchant ships BUT NOT REALLY SORRY Shortly after this pledge by Germany, they announced their plan for unlimited submarine warfare within the war zone anywhere British ships sail. Then comes the infamous Zimmerman Note! . Germany sends a wire to Mexico promising to return Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona to Mexico in exchange for an alliance against the United States. Britain intercepted and passed it on to President Wilson who had recently been re-elected to office because he “kept us out of the war.” BUT NOT REALLY SORRY! The infamous Zimmerman Note! .Britain intercepted and passed it on to President Wilson who had recently been re-elected to office because he “kept us out of the war.” .This is exactly what Wilson needs—along with the sinking of four more U.S. ships— to pull the United States into the conflict on the side of the Allied Powers. THE US DECLARES WAR! Senate Declares War April 4th 1917 House of Representatives Declares War April 6th 1917 Wilson’s reasoning for war was to make the world “Safe for Democracy” This would be the War to End All Wars. .One more war and then never again! TOTAL WAR World War I as a Total War .
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