Age of Total War
Fall 2007
The Decision to Kill Franz Ferdinand
Apis decided to kill the heir to
the Austrian throne on his own.
Three Bosnian-Serbs were
recruited and trained for that mission.
Princip, Cabrinovic, and Grabez.
They were trained in bomb
throwing and marksmanship.
To do the job they were smuggled
across the border.
Black Hand Aspiration
The plotters realized that this
would invite war with Austria.
They thought that Russia would
come to their aid.
But Russia had let them down
before.
The Executive Committee ordered
Apis to recall the mission.
Apis made a half-hearted effort
to recall the team.
This occurred two weeks before
the attempt.
The Warnings
The trip to Sarajevo was agreed
to by the highest levels of the Austrian government
Despite the fact that it came on
the anniversary of the Serb defeat at Kosovo Field
Warnings came from Belgrade too.
But some in Vienna were not
concerned.
So, the Archduke traveled to
Sarajevo on June 28, 1914.
The rest was history.
Going According to Plan
Aug. 1, 1914 Germany declares
War on Russia.
Aug. 3, 1914 Germany declares
War on France.
Aug. 4, 1914 USA declares its
neutrality and Germany invades Belgium/Great Britain declares war on Germany.
Aug. 14, 1914 Battles of the
Frontiers Begins.
Aug. 26, 1914 Start of the
Battle of Tannenburg.
Sept. 5-10, 1914 First Battle
of the Marne.
The Early Fighting in 1914
The Germans experienced greater
resistance in Belgium than expected.
Since this was an essential part
of the German war plan.
The prime target was Liege,
which put up a stout defense.
As a consequence this delayed
the German advance into France.
This was a disaster because the
British Expeditionary Force arrived and ultimately further slowed the German
advance.
Here Comes the Cossacks
The Russians mobilized quicker
than the German High Command anticipated.
So as the Germans were advancing
through Belgium and entering France.
The Russians from Poland and the
Baltic region threatened East Prussia.
Calls were made for
reinforcements.
Something had to be done!
The Need to Modify the Plan
Von Moltke the Younger was not
as strong as his father.
He broke von Schleiffens dictum
of keep the right wing strong, by pulling forces from the West and shipping
them East.
In order to meet the Russian
threat.
But that was not the only
mistake.
He also allowed the Crown Prince
to go on the offensive along the German frontier.
Failing to draw the French in in
order to be out flanked later on.
Impact of Tannenberg
Weakened the Germans as they
forced the Anglo-French back towards Paris.
Allowed the French to
counterattack.
Stop the Germans at the First
Battle of the Marne on September 5-10, 1914.
Ensuring that the war was going
to last beyond Christmas.
The Race To the Sea
Both sides tried to outflank
each other between September November 1914.
In many ways this was the last
mobile phase of World War I.
The Allies thought that they
could flank the Germans.
But the Germans managed to dig
in and halt the Anglo-French.
Insuring a much longer war.
Poison Gas
The French were the ones
actually the first to use gas in World War I.
The French used tear gas
grenades in Aug. 1914.
The Germans also used an
irritant on the French in Oct. 1914.
The Germans also TG on the
Russians in Jan. 1915.
The first use of poison gas came
at the Second Battle of Ypres on April 22, 1915.
Types of Gas
Mustard A burning agent and
burned lungs and other exposed human tissue and is almost odorless.
Chlorine A major choking agent
with a slight blue haze.
Phosgene It took awhile before
it took effect and in some cases 48 hours before Phosgene poising took effect.
White Star mixture of both
Chlorine and Phosgene.
Casualties from Gas
The Christmas Truce
It started among British and
German troops along the southern portion of the Ypres Salient.
But it also happened elsewhere.
It started with Christmas Carols
and followed by Christmas Trees.
Soon news spread to other
sectors of the front.
How did the Commanders feel
about this?
A Soldier Remembers
Let the Stalemate Begin
April 22, 1915 Second Ypres.
April 25, 1915 The Gallipoli
Campaign Begins.
May 15, 1915 Lusitania
Sunk.
May 23, 1915 Italy declares
war on Austria.
Dec. 28, 1915 The Allies
evacuate Gallipoli.
Feb 21-Dec. 18, 1916 Battle of
Verdun begins.
July 1-Nov. 18, 1916 Battle of
the Somme.
Promises to the Turks
Right from the starts both sides
sought out the Turks.
Earlier, the Turks purchased a
Dreadnought from the British.
But the British refused to
supply it.
The Germans immediately filled
the void.
Sending ships in the Black Sea
forcing the Allies to realized that the Turks were the enemy.
Appeals to Nippon
The Allies managed to convince
Tokyo to enter the war.
On their side of course.
Why did Tokyo enter the war?
To seize German colonies in
China the Shantung Peninsula and German Islands in the Pacific.
Islands that another generation
would only remember all too well.
Italy Drives a Hard Bargain
Italy was divided.
One group favored neutrality.
And felt that Italy should be
paid for its neutrality.
Like obtaining Trentino and
Trieste from Austria.
The Church feared that Italy
would find itself at war with another Catholic State Austria.
Those around the King Victor
Emanuel III.
Then there was Mussolini.
Pro-War Italians
Initially Benito Mussolini, who
was a Socialist editor, opposed the Tripolitanian war in 1911.
But swung over to support World
War I.
This was done in his paper
Popolo dItalia.
More influential than Mussolini
was Gabriele DAnnunzio.
He appealed to anyone who was
disillusioned with the Italian political system.
He felt would regenerate Italy.
He would develop a mass movement
that the fascists would adopt.
The Treaty of London (1915)
The Italian Government was
negotiating with both sides.
The Allies agreed that if Italy
went to war Italy would receive:
South Tyrol to the Brenner Pass.
Trieste.
Part of Albania.
Turkish territory.
As well as an indemnity from the
defeated.
The Last Sane Man
The Italians signed the Treaty
of London in April 1915.
And agreed to enter the war a
month later.
The last voice opposed to war
was Giovanni Giolitti.
Before the Italian government
would introduce a resolution for war on May 18, 1915.
Mobs roamed the streets of Rome
called for the death of Giolitti.
Those opposed to Italys entry
into the war were assaulted in the streets.
Italians wanted war how
mistaken only time will tell.
Looking for a Balkan Ally
Both alliances sought another
Ally in the Balkans.
Realizing the promises made to
Bulgaria (Thrace and Macedonia).
The Entente appealed to Rumania
and Greece.
The Allies established a base in
Salonika and used it to subvert King Constantines government in 1916.
With the help of the Prime
Minister Eleftherios Venizelos.
The Allies had success with
Rumania that helped spar Verdun.
The Precarious Russian Situation
The Russians could hold their
own against the Austrians, but the Germans were another matter.
The main theater along the
Austro-Russian Front was in Galicia in the Carpathians.
The Germans then came in in the
Spring of 1915 to restore the Front and in time drove the Russians out of Poland
by:
The Fighting in the East Was Grim
The Russians lost nearly two
million men.
With half of those killed in
action.
The Germans and the Austrians
lost nearly approximately a million too.
But even dispute those loses,
the Russians were asked to for another offensive.
Well-planned by Gen. Alexi
Brusilov in 1916.
The Brusilov Offensive in 1916
Decided to strike the Austrians
with four Russian armies in Galicia.
Now the situation looked bleak
for the Austrians.
The Russians had broke through
the Austrian lines.
Rumania entered the war on the
side of the Allies giving them another front.
When the Central Powers looked
on the Ropes they counterattacked.
The Collapse of the Russian Front
Russian officers and men were
growing more demoralized as the fighting continued.
Shortages of food, ammunition,
and increasing political dissatisfaction weakened the Tsars troops.
Older men were being called up.
Many who fought in the
Russo-Japanese War.
Morale was low and the men were
listening to Bolshevik agitators.
The General Situation
When war came in Europe, Woodrow
Wilson was still grieving from the lose of his wife.
Yet he told the press, the U.S.
was neutral and he hoped in thought as well as deed.
This should not be construed as
Wilson was a pacifist.
Because he was not.
He took an active role in
foreign affairs.
Particularly in Mexico since
1914.
An Early Arsenal for Democracy
American bankers, especially J.
P. Morgan, floated loans for the Allies.
Likewise, the British and French
placed extensive war orders.
For arms, ammunition, and food
to American firms.
The U.S. government was
concerned with the rather large number of aliens who supported the Central
Powers.
Freedom of the Seas
The modern submarine was
developed by John Holland.
Who sold his designs to the U.S.
Navy, the Royal Navy, and the the German Navy.
At first, the submarines were
not designed for surface attack.
On Sept. 22, 1914, the U-9
provide that U-Boats had come of age by sinking three British cruisers.
Playing by the Rules
Initially the Germans followed
the cruiser rules of war.
But this did not last long.
On Oct. 26, 1914, the U-17 sank
a French ferry in the English Channel with the lose of 40 lives.
Winston Churchill, the First Sea
Lord, took the gloves off.
Soon the Germans announced that
waters around the British Isles were declared by Berlin a war zone.
Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
Within a year the gentlemanly
view of war was over.
On Feb. 4, 1915, William II
declared the waters around Great Britain a war zone.
Operating from bases at Ostend
in Belgium, the U-Boats had greater access to British sea lanes.
Soon the number of tonnage lost
increased from 47,000 in Jan. 1915 to 185,000 tons in August 1915.
War had changed.
Bringing Germany and the U.S.A
closer to war.
The
RMS Lusitania
The German Embassy in Washington
warned passengers not to sail on the Lusitania on May 1, 1915.
Yet lurking below the waves was
a German U-20.
The U-20 had already sunk a few
ships already and only had two torpedoes left.
Then along came the Lusitania.
On May 7, the U-20 fired one
torpedo and recorded a series of explosions.
Was She or Wasnt She?
Carrying munitions.
Troops.
Why didnt the British provide
an escort.
The Admiralty knew a sub was in
the vicinity of the Irish coast.
Why didnt the Royal Navy
arrive?
What impact would it have on the
U.S.-German relations?
The American Response
The Americans lost 128
nationals.
William Jennings Bryan, the
Secretary of State, opposed Wilsons handling of the
Lusitania
incident and resigned.
To be replaced by Robert
Lansing.
The U.S. demanded the end to
unrestricted submarine warfare.
The Preparedness Movement
1916 was an election year.
Wilson campaigned on He Kept Us
Out of War.
Yet there were those who called
for more readiness.
Gen. Leonard War, TR, to just to
name a few as early as 1914.
The Platsburg program was
introduced to train potential officers.
Black Tom
The Germans sent saboteurs to
attack American targets.
Especially those that provided
aid to the Allies.
The key was Capt. Franz von
Rintelen, who arrived in April 1915.
He developed a series of
incendiary devices to be left aboard merchant ships sailing to England.
But his greatest achievement was
his destruction of Black Tom in the summer of 1916.
The British Were Holding All The Cards
The British had broke the German
codes.
And held a special document.
That would infuriate Americans.
But the issue was the Zimmerman
Telegram.
Which promised the Mexican
government considerable territorial gains if Mexico entered the war against the
U.S.
Lafayette We Are Here!
The Germans announced that
Germany would resume unrestricted submarine warfare on Jan. 31, 1917.
The Germans believed they could
defeat the Allies before the Americans arrive on the scene.
Wilson responded by cutting
diplomatic ties with Germany.
On April 2, 1917, Wilson sent a
war message to Congress.
Approved by the Senate on April
4 and the House April 6.
The Final German Push
The Germans planned a major push
in 1918.
The goal was to defeat the
Allies before the Americans arrived in Force.
The attack began on March 21
near Arras.
Their objective was to take
Amiens and divide the Allies making a counterattack impossible.
Forcing the Allies to negotiate
an end to the war on more equal footing.
The Attack
The Germans attacked with 63
divisions over a sixty mile front.
And broke through in one small
sector f the front.
While the allies expected a
major blow to come along a wide front.
The Germans came in one
strategic sector.
The Germans managed to gain all
the territory they lost over the past two years.
The Attack Continues
By early April the Germans were
pressing the advantage.
Moving closer to the Channel
ports severing the link between Britain and France.
Even using tanks to drive home
the attack.
By April 24, 1918, it looked as
if the Germans may win.
The situation was so bleak that
Allies agreed on a unified command under Ferdinand Foch earlier on April 14.
The Germans Were Confident of Victory
The Germans sent their
submarines to patrol in U.S. waters.
The German Army starts the third
phase of their offensive along the Aisne on May 27.
The first American troops of the
1st ID were thrown into the breach at Cantigny.
In Early June the 3rd
ID, including Marines, took Belleau Wood.
The Allied Counterattack
The Allies decided to reduce the
Marne salient.
With at least two American
divisions the 1st and 2nd.
Soon more American troops were
through into the breach near Chateau-Thierry.
With more Americans arriving
every day.
The 28th, 32nd,
and 42nd Divisions already were making for themselves.
The Black Day for the German Army
On August 8, 1918, the British
attacked at Amiens.
Forcing the Germans back.
Ludendorff no longer could
handle the situation.
And considered the British
attack the Black Day of the German Army.
Soon, he was demanding peace
from German officials.
Prince Max of Baden was shocked.
And managed to force Ludendorff
to resign in October 1918.
Seeking Peace
The situation was becoming
desperate for Germany.
The Allies broke out of Salonika
and Bulgaria called it sought terms on Sept. 30th.
The same was true for Austria
and Turkey.
Prince Max began to negotiate
with Wilson.
Since he thought he could get
better terms from the author of the Fourteen Points.
Negotiating With His Allies
Wilson was willing to do
precisely that.
Since he believed that he was on
the right track.
In comparison to the Allies.
But Lloyd George and Georges
Clemanceau had a different view.
Wilson gave in.
And was not willing to negotiate
solely for the United States.
What Did The Allies Want?
Lloyd George would not agree to
end the Blockade.
Clemenceau demanded staggering
reparations on the Germans.
Plus Wilson made additional
stimulations including he would not negotiate with an autocratic Germany.
In other words, William II had
to go.
On November 9, Prince Max
concurred and announced the Kaiser would leave.
What is an Armistice?
The term "armistice" means a
cessation of hostilities as a prelude to peace negotiations.
In the context of the First
World War 'the armistice' is generally referred to in context of the agreement
between the Germans and the Allies to end the war on
November 11, 1918.
The Terms
The Agreement was signed at 0500
on November 11, 1918.
It would go into effect six
hours later.
Germans would have to evacuate
Belgium and Northern France.
Germany had to surrender 2,000
planes, 5,000 artillery pieces, 30,000 machine guns.
Surrender of the German Fleet.
And much more.
Additional Terms
Evacuation of the left bank of
the Rhine, Mayence, Coblence, Cologne, occupied by the enemy to a radius of 30
kilometres deep.
On the right bank of the Rhine a
neutral zone from 30 to 40 kilometres deep, evacuation within 11 days.
Nothing to be removed from the
territory on the left bank of the Rhine, all factories, railroads, etc. to be
left intact.
Surrender of 5000 locomotives,
150,000 railway coaches, 10,000 trucks.
Maintenance of enemy occupation
troops through Germany.
In the East all troops to
withdraw behind the boundaries of August 1, 1914, fixed time not given.
Renunciation of the Treaties of
Brest-Litovsk and Bucharest.
Return of prisoners of war
without reciprocity.
The blockade remains in effect.
All German ships to be captured.