World War I
Causes of the War
Students should be taking notes! Material will be tested.
Overview
Teacher provides information review of imperialism, alliances, and nationalism and introduction of militarism.
· Video from the History Channel – assassination of Franz & Sophie (½ hour)
PowerPoint and/or discussion from Teacher information
Expand on the following:
· Common element - economic aspect of warfare
· What is needed for a modern war
o Men
o Steel – weapons
o Equipment – uniforms, boots, helmets, etc
o Food – for soldier and people
o Economic system of the society is aimed at total war – disjointed from civilian production to military production
o Home front and war front have common cause to win the war
Individual Countries reasons for going to war
o Alliances
o Fear of Germany’s power
· France – Loss to Germany – Franco Prussian war of 1870
· Loss of Alsace Lorraine and coal fields and population
· Steep war reparations – Payment not fair
· Payback, unresolved conflict, revenge
· Great Britain – fear of Germany’s rising power – increased military, economic, and political power
· Russia – leader of the Slavic nations against Germany and Austria Hungary – Pan Slavism
· Italy – waffling – allied to Germany and Austria and switched to the Allies after a deal was made 1915
· Ottoman Empire – thought Germany would win and they would get the spoils of war, push Russia north
· Japan sided with Allies but not fight in Europe – hoped to get German colonies in Asia
How the war is fought
· Both sides feel their technology will overcome the other
o Technology
o Plans or strategy
o Shock and awe
· Germany thought the Von Schlieffien plan going through Belgium to France would lead to a conquering France in six weeks – war over
· Germany gets struck in a trench warfare in France due to insufficient men, material, long supply line
· Stalemate and trench warfare
Increased technology
· “State of the art” technology
· Mustard gas and chlorine gas – kills people by destroying their lungs
· More weapons produced due to the industrial revolution and ability of factories to turn things out
· Machine gun is improved and is deadly – Maxim gun – men are mowed down
· Six machine guns can control a field
· Generals fighting the last war cause men to meet machines and die in large numbers
Trenches – what are they like?
o Students will need to take notes on information
The non-land developments
Air power – airplanes, strategic bombardment, dogfights, kill enemy while they sleep, reconnaissance dirigibles
Sea power
· Beginning of the end of battle ships
· Big guns
· Submarine warfare
· Only one naval battle – Jutland – off Dutch coast
· British sunk more British ships (can afford to lose) – but not going to do a grand action as if he lost them all he can lose war in afternoon
· Germany can not afford to lose theirs – so they do not use them
Radio & telegraph
· Electronic communication
Railroads and Trucks – movement of troops
Tanks and armored vehicles
Remote killing
· Land mines
· Hand grenades
· Flame throwers
Total war – against civilians as well as military
· Need to kill factory workers as well as the soldiers
· Need to destroy industrial areas near civilian population
United States comes into the war
Book chapters Preface of Volume 9 War Peace and all that Jazz, pages 9-12
Students can read silently in class or Read Aloud (teacher directed)
Teacher recaps reading and discusses the following: Students should be taking notes
· Why does the United States resist going to war
· Traditionally avoided alliances – not our war, ocean apart, Mexico and Canada not a threat, Monroe doctrine
· Neutrality statement – Primary source – document analysis
o If two friends are fighting, when is it wise not to take sides
o Are you always “totally neutral in word and deed”?
o If you would lose friends, would you side with one or the other
o Political reality for Wilson – German and Irish population are against the British – largest ethnic groups
o Avoids war post Lusitania in 1915
o Speak to Germans re sub and Germans back down for a year
Activity 1: The Decision to Go to War
How do nations choose to go to war? Why do people fight? When are people willing to fight for their country?
1. Begin by having students individually fill out the “I would fight…” prompt chart and then sharing it with others either by volunteering individually. Teacher leads a class discussion where students choose a criterion in which they, as a class, would choose to go to war.
2. The USA, under Woodrow Wilson’s leadership, stayed out of WWI from 1914 – April 1917. How did he manage to keep the USA out of war? What can we see in the words he and others spoke to show how America felt at this time?
3. Divide class into groups of four. Please note: There are at least three primary sources that show a different view from Wilson’s or American popular opinion.
· Give each group a different primary source to share.
· They will use the Primary Source protocol and the analysis sheets from the National Archives to complete this task.
· The groups can be divided up into roles: Reader, Leaders, Scribe, and Speaker.
· All group members are required to help analyze the source.
· After they complete their analysis, ask the students to discuss and write down their ideas on if the USA at that time agreed or disagreed with the students’ criteria for going to war.
· Why did the author think this document had to be written?
· What world even led to this document being written?
· Do they have any lingering questions that their finding/analysis does not answer?
· Students need to explain how the U.S. public’s view of the fighting nations may have changed during this event or just prior to the speech.
· Students can summarize their findings and lingering questions for their presentations as directed by their teacher (paper for ELMO, overhead transparencies, large sheets of paper, PowerPoint, etc)
4. All groups need to explain what their document and their background information from readings, teacher notes, and/or videos indicates how America/Americans felt at this point in time regarding the war.
"Wilson and Lenin Rock the Stalemate." World History: The Modern Era. 2009. ABC-CLIO. 19 Aug. 2009 <http://www.worldhistory.abc-clio.com>.
"World War I." Issues: Understanding Controversy and Society. 2009. ABC-CLIO. 19 Aug. 2009 <http://www.issues.abc-clio.com>.
Additional articles on WWI may be found in the various ABC-CLIO databases under the topic “World War I.” Articles can be found on the background of the war, Arthur Zimmerman as well as a newspaper report on the Zimmerman note, and the sinking of the Lusitania.
5. As students present, other students need to note information on their graphic organizers.
6. Add any information on the subject that students may not have covered and have students add them to their notes.
7. Additional Web Sites on America at War
The Great War and the Shaping of the 20th Century by PBS
http://www.pbs.org/greatwar
First World War.org
http://www.greatwar.org/index.htm
American Leaders Speak: Recordings from World War I and the 1920 Election by the Library of Congress
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/nfhtml/
Today in History: World War I by the Library of Congress
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/jun28.html
World War I: Trenches on the Web
http://www.worldwar1.com
The World War I Document Archive
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/
The Great War: 80 Years on by BBC News
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/special_report/1998/10/98/
1. Secretary of State Bryan’s message to the President asking that the USA does not allow banks to loan money to warring countries. Remind the students that Bryan was a pacifist.
August 10, 1914: Secretary of State Bryan Opposes Loans to Belligerents
http://wwi.lib.byu.edu/index.php/Secretary_of_State_Bryan_Opposes_Loans_to_Belligerents
Students could explain if Bryan’s suggestions were followed or not. Do they think it would have made a difference if his ideas became reality?
2. August 19, 1914 - Policy of Neutrality
http://wwi.lib.byu.edu/index.php/President_Wilson%2527s_Declaration_of_Neutrality
Primary source: Wilson’s Neutrality speech
While Europe has plunged into war, President Wilson delivers speech declaring America's neutrality. Do you agree or disagree with Wilson's decision to stay clear of European hostilities? Remembering your ideas on why you would go to war, are any of the criteria here that would suggest you would vote to go to war in 1914?
Other questions to consider can be found on the American Experience – Woodrow Wilson website from PBS website http/::www.pbs.org:wgbh:amex:wilson
3. May 7, 1915 - Lusitania and Resisting Retaliation speech
http://wwi.lib.byu.edu/index.php/Wilson%27s_First_Lusitania_Note_to_Germany
A German U-boat sinks the passenger ship Lusitania, killing 1,198 passengers and crewmembers, including 128 Americans. Rather than immediately retaliate against Germany, Wilson stays the course of neutrality, attempting to negotiate an apology.
Other questions to consider can be found on the American Experience – Woodrow Wilson website from PBS website http/::www.pbs.org:wgbh:amex:wilson
Optional teacher discussion on the following:
Was the United States really neutral in thought as well as deed?
· The United States was unable to ship materials to Germany due to the British navy mining the North Sea. Should that have been as upsetting to the USA as the sinking of the Lusitania and German submarine warfare?
· Did the USA’s continual selling of armaments to one side of the war, make the country less neutral?
· Did the USA loaning the Allies large amounts of money for their war efforts, and not Germany, make the USA less neutral?
· How would the loans and armament sales affect Germany’s decisions during the war?
4. 19 April 1916 – Wilson on the Sussex Case
http://wwi.lib.byu.edu/index.php/Wilson_on_the_Sussex_Case
Optional teacher discussion:
· What did Germany do in response to Wilson’s concerns?
· Why did they change their mind later?
5. January 22, 1917 - Peace Without Victory speech
http://www.firstworldwar.com/source/peacewithoutvictory.htm
In January 1917, Wilson tries to get the warring parties to negotiate a peace with his Peace Without Victory speech.
Other questions to consider can be found on the American Experience – Woodrow Wilson website from PBS website http/::www.pbs.org:wgbh:amex:wilson
Declaration of War – 2 groups:
A. Zimmerman note group
B. Wilson’s Request for a Declaration of War speech
German submarine warfare on American “neutral” ships and the Zimmerman Note result in Wilson asking for a declaration of war.
6. Zimmerman Note:
http://www.firstworldwar.com/source/zimmermann.htm
Other questions to consider can be found on the American Experience – Woodrow Wilson website from PBS website http/::www.pbs.org:wgbh:amex:wilson
This group might also want to consider, what choices did Germany have at this point in time? Or use it as a teacher based discussion.
7. A Speech by German Foreign Minister Arthur Zimmerman explaining his message to Mexico (This may help students see there is always another side.
http://www.firstworldwar.com/source/zimmermann_speech.htm
8. Wilson’s request for a declaration of war speech
http://www.firstworldwar.com/source/usawardeclaration.htm
Other questions to consider can be found on the American Experience – Woodrow Wilson website from PBS website http/::www.pbs.org:wgbh:amex:wilson
9. Senator George William Norris Opposes U.S. Entry into the War
http://wwi.lib.byu.edu/index.php/Senator_Norris_Opposes_U.S._Entry_into_the_War
Senator Norris questions the United States double standard in viewing England and Germany.
Create a Treaty
After all students have presented, check to see which lingering questions are still not answered (some will be answered by what other groups discovered).
o Ask the students if these questions can be answered by more research
o If there is a definitive answer available, the teacher should help them find the resources to answer the question
o Ask the students if these questions can be answered by forming an educated guess based on the facts they have (for example, “What would have happened if the USA did not enter the war?”)
o Finally, ask the students if the USA in 1917 followed their criterion for entering a war. If the answer is no, do an agree/disagree activity (students go to one side of the room or the other if they agree or disagree, stay in the middle if they are undecided) to see if the students feel that the USA should have entered the war or not. This exercise could include the following agree/disagree questions. Students need to explain why they chose their side:
o Did the USA act like a neutral nation from 1914-1917?
o Were Germany and England treated in the same manner by the USA from 1914 – 1917?
o Did the USA have any of the same ideas of why a country should go to war that our class did?
o Were the alternatives the USA could have followed at this time?
o If you were president, would you have asked the country to declare war against Germany in 1917?
Use forms and rubrics from the document workshop at the DMPS History wiki site.
Propaganda
Activity 2. Effect of Propaganda
Teachers will share with readings and/or lecture information regarding the United States Committee on Public Information during the war.
· Anti German feelings
· Changing of names of anything German to American names, people changing their German names to English counterparts
· Sedition Act
Students will examine World War I posters and consider the affect this might have on the American public’s views of the war effort and Germans – including Americans of German heritage. How would the stereotyping of a group affect the public?
Ask students what the word “propaganda” means. Have them look the term up in the dictionary and see how their definition compares to the dictionary.
Where is propaganda used today? Suggestions could include advertising, political campaigns, political cartoons, television newscasts, television portrayals of individuals, movies, etc. In the past people from the USSR were often portrayed as the “bad guys” on TV. Is there a certain group in pictures or TV that is portrayed as evil?
Articles for the various techniques of propaganda are found on this page of the site “Propaganda Critic”:
http://www.propagandacritic.com/articles/index.html
These describe various methods of propaganda used in the media.
This article from that site also has some good information on propaganda during WWI:
Delwiche, A. “War Propaganda: World War I; Demons, atrocities and lies.” 29September 2002. Propaganda. 8 August 2009. http://www.propagandacritic.com/articles/ww1.demons.html
o This describes the propaganda from the Committee for Public Information during the war specifically and mentions the types of techniques used.
Now, using your own sources or some of those below, share World War I posters with the students in whatever method is comfortable for you (slide show, student groups, document analysis of posters, stations, etc).
After viewing, students will analyze the posters:
· What are these posters saying literally and what are the posters saying “between the lines.”
· What do these posters suggest?
· What types of propaganda techniques are being used?