World War I Presentation High School Powerpoint

The World War I presentation spans 20 slides and offers a comprehensive overview of the Great War — its causes, events, and consequences. It delves into the conflict’s complexity, from the tangled alliances and imperial ambitions that sparked it, to the unprecedented human suffering that reshaped the modern world.

The opening slides lay the foundation by explaining the M.A.I.N. causes — Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism, and Nationalism. European powers had been competing for colonies and influence for decades, while militarism fueled an arms race and glorification of war. The alliance system divided the continent into two camps: the Triple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy) and the Triple Entente (Britain, France, Russia). When Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajevo in 1914, this volatile system exploded into conflict. Austria-Hungary’s ultimatum to Serbia triggered a domino effect of mobilizations and declarations of war.

Slides 4–6 describe the war’s early strategies and stalemate. Germany’s Schlieffen Plan sought a quick victory in France by invading through neutral Belgium, drawing Britain into the war. However, rapid advances soon ground to a halt, leading to trench warfare — a brutal and static form of combat that defined the Western Front. Life in the trenches was marked by mud, disease, shelling, and despair, while soldiers faced psychological trauma on a scale never seen before.

The presentation then covers major battles such as the Somme, Verdun, and Gallipoli, which collectively caused millions of casualties for minimal territorial gain. The introduction of new weapons — including tanks, poison gas, airplanes, and submarines — transformed warfare into an industrialized slaughter. These innovations increased lethality without offering decisive advantage, amplifying the sense of futility and horror.

Slides 9–11 broaden the scope to include the global nature of the war. European empires drew heavily on their colonies for soldiers and resources. Troops from India, Africa, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand fought far from home, making the war a truly global conflict. The Home Front slides show how entire societies mobilized for war. Governments employed propaganda to maintain morale, while women entered factories and fields, marking a significant step toward gender equality. Economic systems were redirected to sustain military production, leading to shortages and hardship.

The U.S. entry into the war in 1917 is presented as a turning point. Following provocations like the Lusitania sinking and the Zimmerman Telegram, the United States joined the Allies, tipping the balance of power. The Russian Revolution that same year altered the Eastern Front dramatically. The Bolsheviks, led by Lenin, withdrew Russia from the war, signing the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with Germany and focusing on internal revolution.

Slides 13–15 focus on the end of the war and its political aftermath. Exhausted and facing internal collapse

1. World War I (1914–1918)

2. Main Causes (M.A.I.N.) Militarism Alliances Imperialism Nationalism

3. The Spark Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand Serbia and Austria-Hungary tension

4. Alliance Systems Triple Alliance vs Triple Entente Chain reaction of war

5. Schlieffen Plan Germany’s plan for France Belgian neutrality violated

6. Trench Warfare Life in trenches Western Front stalemate

7. Major Battles Somme Verdun Gallipoli

8. New Weapons Tanks Gas Planes Submarines

9. Global Involvement Colonies’ roles Non-European powers

10. The Home Front Propaganda Women in industry Economic mobilization

11. U.S. Entry Lusitania Zimmerman Telegram AEF

12. Russian Revolution 1917 revolutions Bolshevik rise

13. End of War Armistice Nov 11, 1918 German surrender

14. Treaty of Versailles Reparations War Guilt Clause

15. League of Nations Aims and formation U.S. absence

16. Consequences Redrawn borders Economic devastation

17. Cultural & Psychological Impact Lost Generation War poetry and art

18. Technological & Medical Advances Prosthetics Field medicine

19. Prelude to WWII Unresolved tensions Rise of extremism

20. Summary & Reflection Lessons learned Global effects