1.3 The first World War

• History
• Middelbare school
• havo, vwo
• Leerjaar 3

The first World War 

Study the source.
What disadvantage of an alliance does this
source illustrate?

The assassination of Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie Chotek, on their state visit to Sarajevo. The illustration was published in the French newspaper Le Petit Journal on July 12, 1914.

a German soldier accepts flowers from a woman in the street. The soldiers are cheerful. It's going to be a "Frische und Fröliche Krieg"

general Alfred von Schlieffen

stalemate

• The schlieffenplan failed.
• the war turned into a stalemate
• both sides dug trenches.
• the war turned into a trench war....
• ....for the next 4 years....

= when neither side can make a winning move

Which statement is correct?
I. trenches are easier to defend then to conquer
II. a stalemate is a situation in which neither side can make a winning move

1. only I is correct
2. only II is correct
3. both are correct
4. both are wrong

The Schlieffenplan was devised mainly to

1. defend Germany
2. prevent a two-front war
3. conquer Russia
4. to win the war without the help of Austria-Hungary

Put the events in the correct chronological order

Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia.

The Triple Entente is formed.

The Schlieffen Plan failed.

Franco-Prussian War

The First World War turns into a trench war.

Franz Ferdinand is assassinated.

Sandbags were filled with earth and mud, and were meant to protect the soldiers

At the beginning of the war, the rations were still reasonable, but as the war lasted longer, there was also less (good) food.

If the soldiers did not have to fight, they would, for example, play cards.

In addition to the enemy, the soldiers suffered a lot from pests, such as rats and fleas. Some soldiers passed the time between battles by killing rats.

Dogs not only kept the soldiers company, they also delivered messages between the various trenches.

Soldiers could often only sleep during the day, because at night it was a good time to spy on the trenches of the enemies.

With a periscope, the soldiers could view the enemy without taking great risks. A periscope works with mirrors.

Thousands of letters and diaries of soldiers from the First World War have been preserved. These are important and valuable resources nowadays.

For the safety of the soldiers, the trenches were zigzag-shaped.

40,000 km of trenches are being built between the North Sea and the Swiss border (Western Front).

The area between the trenches is completely plowed in four years. It's called "no man's land".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/0/ww1/

360˚ video of a trench

During the video you can look in all directions! Try it out!

Keeping watch was one of the most important tasks you could get. There were very severe punishments for falling asleep during the watch.

Besides fighting and keeping watch, there were plenty of other annoying chores in a trench, such as replenishing sandbags, repairing barbed wire or emptying the latrines (toilets)

The Germans used the largest piece of artillery during the war, called the Pariser Kanone. They used this supergun to attack Paris from a distance of 120 kilometres. Other big cannons were ‘Fat Bertha’ and ‘Langer Max.’ All made by Krupstahl .

Engelse WOI propaganda 

Total War 

The whole society is affected by war. 

This means that civilian properties could become a target. 

‘Over the top’

Discuss: What was this document about and how did it affect the course of the war?

Turning points  

1915/1917

Submarines would hit civilian targets in the Atlantic ocean 

Zimmerman telegram

America joins the war 

• 100.000 American soldiers would arrive each month 

Direct cause:

• Lenin, leader of the communists, seizes power in Russia during the October Revolution.

• He signs an armistice (dec 1917) and negotiates a Peace Treaty with Germany. (Treaty of Brest-Litovsk)

End of the war 

• Russia withdrew from the war in 1917 and signed a peace treaty of Brest-Litovsk.
• Germany had no more soldiers to fight in the war.
• The German generals knew they couldn't win the war. 
• On 11 november 1918 an Armistice was signed (formal agreement) 

What are the 4 M.A.I.N. causes of the war?

Look at the source.
Why is this source a good example of
the key word "total war"?

Answer: because the source shows:

1. that civilians also need to contribute to the war effort.
2. that women can do the same work as men
3. that the war will not end until the total defeat of the enemy
4. that the war is not only fought with weapons, but also with propaganda