WWI
WebQuest
Section 1
Immediate Cause of World War I
Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism and Nationalism were all
underlying
causes for World War I to begin but one specific incident
brought those many causes to a climax. Click on the link below to READ
about the immediate cause of the war.
■ Use the link below to answer the question
http://www.pbs.org/greatwar/chapters/ch1_explosion.html
1. How did the death of Archduke Franz Ferdinand instigate (urge on) the
collapse of peace in Europe?
Section 2
Life in the Trenches
After the initial invasion of France by the Germans, the Allied troops pushed the German troops
back to a stalemate position. Neither side would back down; so they ‘dug
in.’ Click on the link
below to view
the chapter 1 – Trench warfare.
http://www.pbs.org/greatwar/chapters/ch1_trench.html
2.In
the
section
“Organization
of
Trenches,”
what
were
the
four
types
of
trenches
used
by
the Allies?
3. Describe “no mans land”
Section 3
Total War
By
1915,
the
war
had
become
a
global
war.
Click
on
the
link
below
and
read
about
how
the
war
had
become
global.
http://www.pbs.org/greatwar/chapters/ch2_war.html
4. Name
3
ways
that
the
war
had
become
a
global
war
as
opposed
to
simply
a
ground
war
fought
in Europe.
Section 4
Poison Gas
Use the following link to read about how poison gas was used in WWI. Answer the
following questions
http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/gas.htm
5. Why was poison gas a “crude” weapon?
6. Describe the types of gas used in W.W.I.
7. Which countries used gas? To what extent was it used?
Section 5
Read the passage about the collapse of the German government, American involvement and
eventual end to WWI
8. Describe
what
events
led
to
the
collapse
of
the
German
army/navy
and
their
war
effort.
How did
the
Kaiser’s
abdication
(giving
up)
of
the
throne
affect
the
war
effort?
Section 5
Collapse
The odds looked bad for the Allies in 1918. With Russia knocked out of the war by revolution and the French
army rocked by mutiny, Germany stopped the Allies' offensive on the Western Front. But all of Europe was
running out of men; both sides were drafting old men and young boys. The Kaiser no longer had effective
power, with Generals Hindenburg and Ludendorff taking over. In 1917, German U-boat attacks and German
approaches to Mexico had provoked President Woodrow Wilson [link to the Wilson material on the GW site]
into a war he did not want to fight. Once in it, however, he urged the United States to "make the world safe for
Democracy" and by 1918, five million American men were in uniform. In September of that year, the
Doughboys went over the top and they were cut down like cornstalks. But the presence of American troops in
France made a difference; the German army saw it could not win the war; thousands surrendered on the
western front.
In October, the revolt of the German Navy triggered the final collapse of the German war effort. The Kaiser
abdicated and fled to Holland. The guns of the Great War finally fell silent on November 11, 1918.
When the cease-fire came, people all over the world celebrated. But the war was not over for the German
civilians. The Allies insisted on continuing the blockade through the winter months, resulting in mass
starvation and death.
In the days that followed the Armistice, peopled learned that it is often far easier to wage war than it is to build
a lasting peace.
Section 6
Read the passage on the next slide then answer the questions.
9.Though
the
armistice
was
in
effect,
how
did
the
Allies
still
wage
war
on
Germany?
10. When
Woodrow
Wilson
arrived
in
Paris
in
1918,
what
was
the
one
thing
he
wanted
from
the peace negotiations?
Section 6
Hunger and Hatred
Though the armistice was in effect, the Allies continued to wage war against Germany
via a naval blockade and to pressure Germany into acquiescence at Versailles. The
United States briefly sent troops to Russia to overthrow the Bolsheviks, but this halfhearted and ineffective interference in Russian affairs would only lay the groundwork
for the Cold War decades later. Woodrow Wilson arrived in Paris in December 1918 to
negotiate the peace agreements, and to secure a new-world order, but he soon lost
his fight for a more lenient, humane settlement. Instead of open-door deliberations he
had promised, the negotiations took place behind closed doors. Wilson got the League
of Nations he desperately wanted, but paid the price of a harsh peace to get it. As the
conference continued, many people in Europe became disillusioned with Wilson,
thinking he had betrayed them. In effect, the conference became a sham; from the
Balkans to the Middle East, the unresolved issues of the Great War were simply
rearranged. The Treaty of Versailles was finally signed June 28, 1919, exactly five
years after the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand. The peace treaty proved no real
peace. Instead, the seeds were sown for an even more catastrophic war just one
generation later.
Section 7
Read the passage on the next slide and answer the question below.
11. How
did
Germans
feel
differently
than
other
Europeans
about
the
war?
Section 7
War Without End
For the "lost generation" the war became a war without end, one that continued through
missing limbs, mutilated faces and shaking bodies. The question that haunted civilians
throughout Europe was why so many of their fathers, husbands, sons and brothers had to
die? Writers and other artists tried to create an answer. Memorials were established for the
fallen, and people visited the battlefields to retrace the footsteps of their loved ones. Millions
also searched for hope and messages from the departed through Spiritualism. In the United
States, President Wilson was determined to get the United States Senate to back the League
of Nations. He embarked on a national campaign to gain the support of the American people
for the League. His efforts were ultimately unsuccessful; in one way, Wilson was also a victim
of the war.
While in Germany, the sense of betrayal and dishonor prompted some Germans to seek
revenge. Many Germans, especially members of the army, believed that Germany had not
lost the war on the battlefield. This was a delusion, but a dangerous one. These people felt
that Germany, the army and all those who had lost their lives in the war had been betrayed
by traitors at home who had undermined the soldiers at the front. The man who rose up to
lead them was Adolf Hitler.
Section 8
Women during the War
12. In this photo, how are American women helping the war effort?
13. Give other examples of women helping the war effort in Europe or America.
Section 9
14. What WWI incident is this cartoon trying to
portray?
15. What promises were made to the group/country
portrayed on the right?