Liceo Scientifico Statale “Niccolò Copernico” Pavia THE WORLD WAR I Project CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) Class 5^C and Prof. Monica Migliorini Years 2016-2017 Class 5^C Project: CLIL 2 Chierico & Codena CHAPTERS WHAT EVENTS LED TO WORLD WAR I? Pag. 4-5 (Chierico & Codena) HOW DID THE WAR BREAK OUT? Pag. 6-7 (Merighi & Pacchiarini) THE FRONTS Pag. 8-9-10-11 (Bossio & Decanis) ITALY BEFORE WORLD WAR I Pag. 12-13 (Bergamaschi & Dordolo) ITALY IN WORLD WAR I Pag. 14-15-16 (Paravella, Tarantola & Zhegra) RUSSIA IN WORLD WAR I Pag. 17-18-19 (Giretti & Giorgio) HOW DID THE WAR END? Pag. 20-21-22-23 (Bianchini & Duse) HOW WEAPONS CHANGED DURING WORLD WAR I? Pag. 24-25-26-27 (Moscardini & Restelli) Class 5^C: Bergamaschi Andrea, Bianchini Riccardo, Bossio Davide, Chierico Daniele, Codena Beatrice, Decanis Alessandro, Dordolo Luca, Duse Maddalena, Giretti Alex, Giorgio Ettore, Merighi Filippo, Moscardini Marta, Pacchiarini Luca, Paravella Ottavia, Restelli Andrea, Tarantola Greta, Zhegra Alba. Professor and Coordinator: Monica Migliorini Class 5^C Project: CLIL 4 WHAT EVENTS LED TO WORLD WAR I? There were many factors that led up to the start of World War I in Europe: a lot of these factors were rooted in the deep history of the old powers of Europe (including Russia, Germany, France, Italy, Austria, Hungary, and Britain) but the real causes of World War I included politics, secret alliances, imperialism, and nationalistic pride. However, there was one single event, the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria, which started a chain of events leading to war. GERMAN IMPERIALISM Some of the origins of World War I can be seen in the results of the Franco-Prussian War in 1870–71 and the concurrent Unification of Germany. Germany had won decisively and established a powerful Empire, while France went into chaos and military decline for years. A legacy of hostility grew between France and Germany following the German annexation of Alsace-Lorraine, which caused widespread resentment in France, giving rise to the desire for revenge. Through his policy, Bismarck kept a balance (of power) among European nations that had weakened Germany, but when the chancellor was replaced, a new economical policy, known as Neu Kour, was introduced. This policy promoted the exportation and the conquest of foreign markets through an economic strategy, called dumping. BRITISH ALIGNMENT TOWARDS FRANCE AND RUSSIA 1898–1907: THE TRIPLE ENTENTE Britain abandoned “Splendid Isolation”, the policy of holding aloof from the continental powers and concluded agreements, limited to colonial affairs, with her two major colonial rivals, the Entente Cordiale with France in 1904 and the Anglo-Russian Entente of 1907. Some historians see Britain's alignment as a reaction to the German foreign policy and the buildup of its navy from 1898, which led to the Anglo-German naval arms race. Other argue that Britain chose France and Russia over Germany because Germany was a too weak ally to provide an effective counterbalance to the other powers. FIRST MOROCCAN CRISIS, 1905–06: STRENGHTENING THE ENTENTE Chierico & Codena 5 The First Moroccan Crisis was an international crisis between March 1905 and May 1906 over the status of Morocco. The crisis worsened German relations with both United Kingdom and France, which had obtained the protectorate of the Morocco, and helped ensure the success of the new Anglo-French Entente Cordiale. SECOND MOROCCAN CRISIS, 1911: THE HOLDS AGAIN The Second Moroccan Crisis or Agadir Crisis began when France brought troops into Morocco to prevent rebellion. On July 1911 Germany sent a gunboat, called Panther, to the port of Agadir in Morocco to scare France. Her intent was to separate the alliance between France and Great Britain and to maintain Germany as a strong European power. The result was that France would be allowed to continue her activity in Morocco without Germany intervening and Germany got parts of the French Congo in Africa. BALKAN WARS The Balkan Wars of 1912–1913 increased international tension between the Russian Empire and Austria-Hungary. It strengthened Serbia and weakened the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria. Russia initially agreed to avoid territorial changes, but later in 1912 supported Serbia's demand for an Albanian port. After an international conference in 1912–1913 it was agreed to create an independent Albania; at the beginning, Serbia refused to comply but finally it backed down. Serbia and Greece allied against Bulgaria, which responded with a preemptive strike against their forces, beginning the Second Balkan War. The Bulgarian army crumbled quickly when Turkey and Romania joined the war. Chierico & Codena 6 HOW DID THE WAR BREAK OUT? ASSASSINATION OF ARCHDUKE FRANZ FERDINAND Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand, a great friend of Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany, met with him in mid-June 1914 to discuss the tense situation in the Balkans. Two weeks later, on June 28, Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, were in Sarajevo to inspect the imperial armed forces in Bosnia- Herzegovina. When 19-year-old Gavrilo Princip and his fellow members of the nationalist Young Bosnia movement learned of the archduke’s planned visit, they took action: supplied with weapons by a Serbian terrorist organization called the Black Hand, Princip and his cohorts travelled to Sarajevo in time for the archduke’s visit. The royal couple was touring the city in an open car, with surprisingly little security; one of the nationalists threw a bomb at their car, but it rolled off the back of the vehicle, wounding an army officer and some bystanders. Later that day, the imperial car took a wrong turn near where Princip happened to be standing. Seeing his chance, Princip fired into the car, shooting Franz Ferdinand and Sophie at point-blank range. He then turned the gun on himself, but was tackled by a mob of bystanders who restrained him until the police arrived. The archduke and his wife were rushed away to seek medical attention, but both died within the hour. FIRST STEPS TOWARDS THE WAR In order to maintain its credibility as a force in the Balkan region (let alone its status as a great power), Austria-Hungary needed to enforce its authority in the face of such an insolent crime. However, with the threat of Russian intervention looming and its army unprepared for a large-scale war, it required Germany’s help to back up its words with force. Emperor Franz Josef wrote a personal letter to Kaiser Wilhelm requesting his support, and on July 6 German Chancellor Theobald Bethmann Hollweg informed Austrian representatives that Vienna had Germany’s full support. On July 23, the Austro- Hungarian ambassador to Serbia delivered an ultimatum: The Serbian government had to take steps to wipe out terrorist organizations within its borders, suppress anti-Austrian propaganda and accept an independent investigation by the Austro-Hungarian government into Franz Ferdinand’s assassination, or face military action. Merighi & Pacchiarini 7 These are five of the ten points of the Serbian Ultimatum: The Royal Serbian Government will furthermore pledge itself: 1. to suppress every publication which shall incite to hatred and contempt of the Monarchy, and the general tendency of which shall be directed against the territorial integrity of the latter; 4. to remove from the military and administrative service in general all officers and officials who have been guilty of carrying on the propaganda against Austria-Hungary, 5. to agree to the cooperation in Serbia of the organs of the Imperial and Royal Government in the suppression of the subversive movement directed against the integrity of the Monarchy; 6. to institute a judicial inquiry against every participant in the conspiracy of the twenty-eighth of June who may be found in Serbian territory 10. to inform the Imperial and Royal Government without delay of the execution of the measures comprised in the foregoing points. After Serbia appealed to Russia for help, the Tzar’s government began moving towards mobilization of its army, believing that Germany was using the crisis as an excuse to launch a preventive war in the Balkans. Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia on July 28. On August 1, after hearing news of Russia’s general mobilization, Germany declared war on Russia. The German army then launched its attack on Russia’s ally, France, through Belgium, violating Belgian neutrality and bringing Great Britain into the war as well. Merighi & Pacchiarini 8 THE FRONTS EASTERN FRONT The Eastern Front, one of the main theaters of battles of the First World War, opens on August 6, 1914, when Austria-Hungary declares war on Russia. The latter will invade East Prussia a few days later, on August 17. The Russian attack, also facilitated by the advance towards Paris that committed the Germans to the other side, and from an unexpected rapidity of general mobilization, culminated successfully on 19- 20 August, when the Russians got their first win at Gumbinnen. The defeated sides then decided to strengthen their presence in the East, recalling divisions from the Western Front and, due to good logistics management of the railways, could in a few days concentrate the forces under the command of General von Hindenburg, defeating the Russians heavily in Tannenberg, between August 27 and August 30, and the Masurian Lakes, between September 9 and September 14, resulting in the Russian retreat from the Prussian territory. Following these two victories, the German army gained the occupation of Poland. Bossio & Decanis 9 Meanwhile the Russians were launching, one after the other, three offensives against the Austro- Hungarians on the Galician front, in September and October-November 1914 and March-April 1915, obtaining several victories and advancing deep into enemy territory without being unable to resolve the conflict.