WORLD WAR I 1914-1918 CAUSES, MAIN EVENTS, CONSEQUENCES Presentation developed for the Center for Slavic and East European Studies at The Ohio State University by Kathryn Metz ASSASSINATION OF FRANZ FERDINAND • Archduke of Austria-Hungary, heir to throne • What did people think about him? • Assassinated in Sarajevo by Serbian nationalist: Gavrilo Princip • Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia “From this place on 28.6.1914 Gavrilo Princip through his shots expressed the people’s protest against tyranny and centuries-long aspiration of our peoples for freedom.” OTHER CAUSES OF WORLD WAR I • Alliances in Europe • Central Powers: Germany and Austria-Hungary • Triple Entente: Russia, Great Britain and France • NOTE: Russia pledges to defend all Slavs in Europe CAUSES, CONTINUED • Imperialism/ Colonialism: CAUSES, CONTINUED • Nationalism and Social Darwinism DECLARATIONS OF WAR • Timeline: http://www.worldology.com/Europe/world_war_1_imap.htm • 1914: • June 28: Princip assassinates Archduke Franz Ferdinand • July 28: Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia: Russia mobilizes • August 1: Germany declares war on Russia; Germany signs secret treaty with Ottomans • August 3: Germany declares war on France • August 12: Great Britain declares war on Austria-Hungary • August 25: Japan declares war on Austria-Hungary • November 1: Russia declares war on Ottoman Empire • November 5: France and Great Britain declare war on Ottoman Empire • 1915: • September 8: Nicholas II takes personal control of Russian army RUSSIA • What was the political and social situation in Russia like prior to WWI? • War is harmful to already fragile situation in Russia • 1914 - 250,000 Russians dead | 1916: 1.7 million Russians dead • Food shortages, strikes, revolutionaries • Nicholas II took control of the Russian military in 1915 • Implications? • Nicholas II abdicates in 1917 – riots and mutinies in the army • most soldiers leave to take part in the October Revolution • Russia signs peace treaty “Brest Litovsk” withdrawals from World War I in 1917 to deal with their own civil war ARMENIAN GENOCIDE • 1915-1920 • Turkish government forcibly expelled Armenians living in Ottoman Empire • 1.5 million Armenians died • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSchiqWIB6g • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAAq1zSXCug PEACE TREATIES • Triple Entente imposed a number of harsh peace treaties on the Central Powers • German, Austro-Hungarian, Russian, and Ottoman Empires ceased to exist. • New countries created: • Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes • Czechoslovakia • Latvia • Estonia • Poland & Lithuania (hadn’t existed since 1795) TREATY OF VERSAILLES • Treaty of Versailles: imposed on Germany • “War Guilt Clause” Germany had to accept responsibility for war • Reparations • Reduce size of military • Lost territory in Europe and their colonies TRIANON PEACE TREATY Treaty of Trianon: imposed on Hungary • Stripped Hungary of 2/3 of its territory • Lost 13 million people EUROPE PRE AND POST WAR 1920 1914.