World+War+1



**//World War I//**
 * //American History//**
 * //Mr. Sontheimer//**

Throughout the 20th century the world has been torn apart by wars. Unlike previous conflicts these “modern” wars involved more nations, took advantage of the technological improvements related to the Industrial Revolution, and engulfed the entire populations of the combatant nations. We are going to examine the First World War and consider some of the common themes and unique events that characterized the conflict.
 * Why This War Matters! **

Critical Points- ** -World War I was started by a variety of leaders that all felt confident that the war would be short and the outcome would be positive for their country. **
 * How did the First World War begin and why were so many nations eager to fight and confident of eventual victory? **
 * ** //Imperialism, Nationalism, Militarism, and a complex System of Alliances all contributed to start a war far more severe and destructive than had ever been fought.// **

-World War I featured many new inventions and weapons that were developed and improved throughout the first half of the twentieth century. These inventions included ** tanks, aircraft, submarines, better communications devices, radar, sonar, and many more **. The introduction many of the inventions prompted improvements and innovations that continue through today. · // New technologies changed how war was waged Old techniques of fighting were decidedly ineffective against new tools. (chart the changes that armies made in how they fight ie. trenches vs. movement) // · // Developments in weapons extended their range and effectiveness. (examine the improvements made to a weapon of your choice through both wars ie. The tank) // · // Destructive capability increased so much that weapons became almost unusable because of their power.(Look at some of the most ghastly moments of the war and make comparisons about the weapons that brought them about ) // -World War I engulfed the civilian populations of the opposing sides. Civilians supported the wars through factory production and agriculture. Civilians were targeted by all sides as the war progressed, and civilian opinion was critical to the continued war efforts. · // As men were mobilized for war, women’s roles on the home front expanded greatly(evaluate how production in both conflicts depended on women’s labor and support) // · // Using blockades and the denying supplies of food as weapons was practiced by all sides. (examine the blockades or WWI with the mass starvation of WWII in Leningrad) // · // Maintaining the war effort through propaganda was common and very important for morale.( compare the types of propaganda in both world conflicts) //
 * How did Technology impact the ways that war was waged and promoted? **
 * Critical Points ** -
 * How did the pursuit of military victories affect the civilians populations of the nations that were involved? **
 * Critical Points-**

Helpful Timeline with Links….Copy into your Wikispace

1914 June 28th - [|Assassination of Arch-Duke Ferdinand] August 1st- Germany Declares War on Russia October 29th – [|Trench Warfare] becomes dominant on Western Front 1915 May 7th- [|Lusitania] is sunk by German Submarine [|(U-Boat)] 1916 September 15th- British introduce the [|tank] to the battlefield 1917 January 16th [|Zimmerman Note] February 1st- Germans begin unrestricted submarine warfare April 6th- United States declares war on Germany December 5th- Communist [|Russia] reaches separate peace with Germany General “Black” Jack Pershing leads the first of 1.8 Million American Soldiers 1918 October 4th- Germany asks for Armistice (cease fire) November 11th- Armistice is signed bring an end to the fighting [|World Wide Influenza epidemic] 1919 June 28th- [|Treaty of Versailles] is signed with the League of Nations 1921

World War I Alliances Triple Entente France Russia England USA

VS

Triple Alliance Germany Austria-Hungarian Empire Ottoman Empire Italy**