WW1: A Short History

wW1 A SHORT HISTORY 1914-1918 TRIPLE ENTENTE THE TRIPLE ALLIANCE SYSTEM On the eve of the Great War, the politics of Europe was rooted in the Triple Alliance System. On the one hand, there was Germany, Austro-Hungary and Italy, known as the Central Powers. On the GREAT BRITAIN RUSSIA FRANCE other, Great Britain, France and Russia formed the Triple Entente. These interlocking alliances, together with economic rivalries, escalating crises, and the growth of a European 'war mentality', were crystallised by one event that shook CENTRAL POWERS AUSTRO HUNGARY ITALY Europe and catapulted the continent and many parts of the World into war. GERMANY ASSASSINATION OF ARCHDUKE FRANZ FERDINAND The catalyst for WW1 was the assasination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand by Gavrilo Princip, a member of the Serbian Terrorist group, The Black Hand. They were formed to liberate Serbia from Austria-Hungarian rule. It was founded by Captain Dragutin Dimitrijevic GAVRİLO PRİNCİP ARCHDUKE FRANZ FERDİNAND THE JULY CRISIS The July Crisis was a diplomatic crisis among the major powers of Europe in the summer of 1914 that led to World War I. As a result of the Archduke's murder, Austro-Hungary together with Germany's support, under Kaiser Wilheim II, declared war on Serbia. Russia came to Serbia's defence. In rapid succession, Germany declared war on Russia, then France. Then a day later, August 4th, Britain joins the war after Germany invades neutral Belgium. The devastation and destruction begins in earnest. The World was at war. PARTİCİPANTS Participating nations were not restricted to Europe. It's consequneces reached many parts of the World, as nations signed up to support the Allies or the Central Powers. From as far away as Brazil, Japan and Armenia, the list of participants is surprisingly long, as the map below shows. THE ENTENTE POWERS Andorra South Africa Emirate of Nejd and Hasa Armenia Guatemala Russia (1914-17) Italy (1915-18) United States (1917-18) Arab Rebels Haiti THE POWERS France Honduras British Empire United Kingdom Korea Germany Baden Württemberg Austria-Hungary Ottoman Empire Bulgaria (1915-18) Japan Serbia Taiwan Bavaria Australia Liberia Montenegro Romania (1916-18) Portugal (1916-18) Canada Nepal New Hebrides Prussia Saxony British India Brazil Siam Nicaragua Newfoundland Republic of China (1912–19) Panama New Zealand Belgium Greece (1917-18) Costa Rica Cuba Bohemia Czechoslovak Legions CASUALTIES THE TOTAL NUMBER OF MILITARY AND CIVILIAN CASUALTIES IN WORLD WAR I WAS OVER 37 MILLION 16 MILLION 20 MILLION MILITARY WOUNDED THE ENTENTE POWERS, THE THE CENTRAL POWERS ALLIES, LOST ABOUT LOST ABOUT 6 MILLION 4 MILLION MILITARY DEAD MILITARY DEAD AT LEAST AT LEAST 2 MILLION 6 MILLION DIED FROM DISEASES WENT MISSING THE USE OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS The Hague Declaration of 1899 and the Hague Convention of 1907 forbade the use of "poison or poisoned weapons" in warfare. Both the Allies and the Central Powers used chemicals. 124,000 about 1.3million casualties of chemical warfare. Between 100 - 260k were civilians tons of gas produced by the end of the war The French were the first to use One of Germany's earliest uses of chemical weapons occurred on October 27, 1914 when shells chemical weapons during the First World War, using the tear gases, ethyl bromoacetate and chloroacetone. containing the irritant dianisidine chlorosulfonate were fired at British troops near Neuve-Chapelle, France. 5 DEADLIEST BATTLES AND CAMPAIGNS Millions of soldiers died on both sides, and whole generations of young men were wiped out. This is a list of the 5 deadliest battles and campaigns of World War 1. Hundred Days Offensive (1,855,369 total casualties) Spring Offensive (1,539,715 total casualties) Battle of the Somme (1,219,201 total casualties) Battle of Verdun (976,000 total casualties) Battle of Passchendaele (848,614 total casualties) P018 TREATY OF VERSAILLES The Treaty of Versialles ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, bringing to an end one of the most devastating conflicts in human history with unprecedented rates of casualties. SOURCES http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_l; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Causes_of_World_War_l; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War__casualties http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Participants_in_World War I Peter Scarks Design 21" century creative team