Connection Across Time

World War I forever changed the map of Europe.  New countries were born such as Austria, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia.  Germany, on the other hand, lost territory. 

WWI also introduced new methods of warfare.  In the past, armies moved by foot.  WWI brought the invention of the tank, which allowed armies to be more mobile.  Though we don't use blimps in war today, they did pave the way for the use of aircraft in war.

World War I was the first war that included the entire world.  It ended empires that had previously dominated Europe.  It also created new nations that make up the world we know today.  WWI acted as a transition from an older Europe to a more modern Europe, and introduced new methods of warfare that would lead the invention of even more effective weaponry.    
 

Ford's Moving Assembly Line (1915)

The invention of the automobile was major step towards modernization.  However, the automobile was not affordable for everyone.  Henry Ford had a dream of making the automobile affordable to everyone.  He acheived this goal by creating the moveable assembly line.  Ford was able to produce cars at a faster rate and as a result, he could lower the prices of his cars.  Ford's method of production was so successful that it began to spread worldwide.  There was a Ford France, Ford Germany, Ford Britain, and Ford Denmark.  Eventually businesses were forced to have assembly lines because they would go bankrupt without one.

The Spanish Flu (1918-1920)

Hospital ward at Camp Funston 1918

The epidemic of 1918 alone killed more than World War I ever did.  Also known as the Spanish Flu, the epidemic claimed 20-40 million lives.  It is said that the origins of this flu began in a US Army camp in March 1918.  As soldiers were sent to Europe to fight in the war, they spread the deadly disease.  It received its name because in the war, Spain was a neutral power and resisted censorship regarding the disease.  When the king of Spain, Alfonso XIII became ill with the flu the status of his condition was constantly being monitored.  This gave the false impression that Spain was the country most affected by the flu, but in reality it was the least affected.  The Spanish Flu had it's origins in the United States, yet it affected the entire globe.

Spotlight On: Arthur Zimmermann

Arthur Zimmermann, born October 5, 1864, was a German diplomat during World War I.  He started his career as a lawyer.  In 1893, Zimmermann decided to get in the field of diplomacy.  He joined the consul in Berlin and in 1900 he traveled to China.  He was present in China during the Boxer Rebellion.  By the start of World War I, he was made undersecretary of state for foreign affairs in Germany and in 1916 he was made foreign minister.  On June 16, 1917 he sent the famous Zimmermann Telegram.  The telegram was written by Zimmermann and sent to the German ambassador to Mexico.  His goal was to win Mexico as an ally.  In return, Germany would help Mexico win back the territories they lost in the Mexican-American War.  Mexico declined this offer.  The Zimmermann Telegram was the last straw for the United States.  Shortly after the telegram, the United States joined the Allies in World War I.  Arthur Zimmermann died June 6, 1940 of pneumonia.  

Trench Warfare

(artist: Felix Schwormstaedt)

Though trench warfare was nothing new to the war scene, the use of it became popular in World War I.  Because of the constant fighting in the trenches, battles would often end in stalemates.  Trench warfare was often brutal.  Death in the trenches was typical, mostly due to disease.  Trench foot was common among soldiers.  Dysentery, cholera, and typhus were other diseases usually found in the trenches.  It is often hard for us to imagine what war was like in the early twentieth century.  This painting gives us a realistic look at the past without actually being there.      

World War I Propaganda Poster

Propaganda during World War I was a way for the government to persuade people to do or think a certain thing.  Usually propaganda only showed one side of the story.  The message of this poster is to get people to save more and be more resourceful.  Because WWI was a total war, many nations made social and economic changes in order to achieve the best possible military effort.  I like this poster because it's charismatic and it has a valid message.  The woman catches peoples attention with her enthusiastic facial expression.  She also appeals to other women of the day because she appears to be a typical middle class woman trying to save ration points.  This poster would have encouraged others to be more patriotic like this woman and want to become part of the war effort. 

Stormtroppers Advancing Under Gas

This work of art entitled Stormtroppers Advancing Under Gas, was done by Otto Dix.  It is part of a collection of pieces Dix did after he returned from World War I.  This piece is well known throughout WWI art.  Because Dix had firsthand experience with war, he was able to accurately depict the horrors of war.  In this illustration Dix, has the soldiers wearing gas masks.  WWI was the first war in which poisonous gas was used.