Faith & Fate
IMPLOSION OF THE OLD ORDER 1911 -1920
LESSON 12 WORLD WAR I BEGINS AND IMPACTS GREATLY ON EUROPE’S JEWS
GOALS OF THE LESSON
- A. To understand the deeper and underlying conflicts of World War I
- B. To show how this war was different from and “worse” than any war before it
- C. To discuss how and the Jews were also specifically affected by this war
View Video 1:52 min
SYNOPSIS OF FILM CLIP
It seems that World War I is really a local conflict that got out of hand, as it began on a small scale and just escalated. But on a deeper level, it was a struggle between empires – who would dominate Europe and also who would dominate the “Third World”, i.e. colonies around the world that has precious resources that Europe needed. When the United States entered the war in 1917, only then it was technically a “World War”. But with so many countries fighting each other on so many fronts, it already was a war like no other in human history. After Archduke Ferdinand, heir to the Austrian throne, was assassinated in Sarajevo in July 1914 by a student, Austria did not approve of the way the local government handled the case. Thus, Austria declared war on Serbia and bombed Belgrade. Alliances across Europe kicked in, with Russia and France defending Serbia and Germany attacking France by first conquering Belgium. One August 4, 1914, England then entered the war and fought Germany to defend France. Japan entered the war on August 23, 1914 to fight against Germany. Over 65 million soldiers fought in the war. Weapons were used that could kill more soldiers than ever before. Over 1 million were killed just in the first two months of the war.
SUGGESTED QUESTIONS
- 1. What was the spark that caused World War I to erupt? What were the underlying reasons behind this international conflict that involved so many countries and killed so many millions of people?
- 2. Explain why this is the first war that was called a “World War”. At what point did it becomelarger than a European conflict? How do the number of soldiers and number of deaths show that it was far larger than previous wars and the “war to end all wars” (said at the time)?
- 3. In the film, World War I was described as a “local conflict that got out of hand.” Explain this statement. Why couldn’t the nations stop the war and its expansion once it got started?
- 4. How did this war affect the Jews all over the world?
MAIN TALKING POINTS OF THE LESSON
- A. With tensions already running high and alliances on each side signed between most European countries, one “spark” that seemed like a local incident actually ignited World War I. A 19 year old student assassinated Archduke Ferdinand, heir to the Austrian throne, in Sarajevo in June 1914. Austria became angry when the assassin was not punished sufficiently, and thus attacked Belgrade. This led to the alliances stepping in to honor their commitments, and World War I began.
- B. The underlying reasons behind this “War to end all wars” were European dominance – economically and militarily. Territories around the world with rich resources would go to the country and navy that could “conquer” and defend these lands. and thus,