World War I
“The Great War”
World War I
(WWI)
Key Objectives



Identify 4 main causes of World War I
(WWI).
Identify 3 causes for United States
involvement in World War I.
Identify the change in United States
foreign policy.
Europe

Four (4) Main Causes
of World War I

MAIN

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M - Militarism
A - Alliance System
I - Imperialism
N - Nationalism
Nationalism


devotion and
loyalty to one's
own nation;
patriotism.
Excessive
patriotism
Militarism

a strong military spirit or policy.
Triple Entente
United States Foreign Policy


What was the U.S. policy on European
Affairs?
What was this policy called?

Who initially promoted this policy?
Isolationism – Why abandon?


What caused the United States to
abandon isolationism and get involved
in World War I?
Why did the U.S. get involved?
Reasons for U.S. Involvement

3 MAJOR REASONS


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1) German unrestricted submarine warfare
2) Zimmermann Telegram
3) Economic/Moral Interests of the United
States
Lusitania
I. Submarine Warfare

The German U-Boat

Underwasser Boat
Submarine Warfare



Sinking of the RMS Lusitania
May 7, 1915
SUNK WITHOUT WARNING

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British luxury ocean liner
A passenger ship


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Had been carrying military cargo
Deck had structural changes for gun decks
128 Americans killed

What did Americans think of this?
Submarine Warfare

German Warnings



Were the Germans wrong?
Germans apologize
Paid reparations

Reparation
Reparation

monetary compensation intended to
cover damage or injury during a war.
President Woodrow Wilson

Wanted to protect the rights of
Americans to travel safely on belligerent
ships


Belligerent
Was this realistic?
Arabic Pledge

Arabic

British Passenger Liner

Attacked and sunk by German U-Boat



2 Americans killed
U.S. threatened war
Germany would warn non-military ships 30
minutes before they sank them to make sure
the passengers and crew got out safely.
Sussex

French Passenger Ferry


Sank March 24, 1916
What did this violate?

Some American injuries



No deaths
President Wilson threatened to cut diplomatic
relations with Germany
Germany announces its Sussex Pledge

Germany did not want U.S. entering war.

Realized U.S. had industrial power and man power
Sussex Pledge

Germans Promise:

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Passenger ships would not be targeted;
Merchant ships would not be sunk until the presence of
boats had been established, if necessary by a search of the
ship;
Merchant ships would not be sunk without provision for the
safety of passengers and crew.

British took FULL advantage of this pledge.
Germans Break Sussex Pledge



January 31, 1917
Germans rescind Sussex Pledge
Germany declared unrestricted
submarine warfare

Why?

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Convinced they could defeat Allied Forces
before United States would be involved.
Made a proposal to Mexico thinking Mexico
could keep the United States occupied.
II. Zimmermann Telegram


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February 1, 1917 (Importance?)
Note from German Foreign Secretary
Arthur Zimmermann to German
Ambassador in the U.S.A. Johann von
Berstoff.
Zimmermann requested the note be
forwarded to the German ambassador
in Mexico.
Zimmermann Telegram

To Mexico

Proposed:


Mexican-German Alliance
Reclamation of territory lost
in Mexican American War

Texas, New Mexico, and
Arizona
British Interception

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
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British intercept the note
Decoded the note
Alerted U.S.
Telegram inflamed U.S.
public

Why does Britain do this?

Mexico

President Carranza declines the
note.

Not feasible
III. Moral/Economic Interest

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United States made loans to allies.
President Wilson viewed unrestricted
submarine warfare as terrorism
Wilson said “the world must be made
safe for democracy”
Drawing a Parallel to Today

Think about Wilson’s feelings on submarine
warfare and democracy. How are his
thoughts similar to some of those in our
recent past?

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Consider the spread of American ideals
Think
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- write some thoughts down on a sheet of looseleaf.
Discuss with a neighbor
Class discussion
Review
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3 Main Causes
U-Boat
RMS Lusitania
Two pledges designed to protect
passenger ships?
Moral reason for involvement
Economic reason for involvement
Formal Declaration of War



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Woodrow Wilson
“the world must be made safe for
democracy”
Congress
Declares war April 4, 1917
Selective Service Act

Instituted a draft to recruit an army.

Ages 18-45 (male)

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24 million men registered.
2.8 million drafted.
Convoy System

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German U-Boats
Sunk merchant ships
Problem: How to get supplies across Atlantic.
Answer:

Merchant ships would be accompanied by a
convoy of war ships (group of warships) on their
journey across the Atlantic.
Financing the War

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Liberty Bonds
Victory Bonds

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People bought bonds
Bond – a loan to the government.
Government pays interest

In other words, it is as if the individual was the bank,
lending the government money.
Conserving Resources

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Food Administration
Goals:

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Conserve existing food
Increase agricultural production

In charge of this campaign: Herbert Hoover
Conserving Resources

Fuel Administration

Harry Garfield (son of James Garfield)

“Heatless Mondays”

USED FORCE –

U.S. ran short on coal in 1918 so for several days
all factories east of the Mississippi were shut
down.
Organizing Industry
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War Industries Board (WIB)
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Determined how scarce resources would
be used.
Established priorities for production (war
materials)
Set prices
National War Labor Board

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Workers went on strike.
Realized how much they were needed.
Strikes hurt the war effort.

The NWLB was formed to resolve disputes
and often sided with laborers.
Influencing Attitudes

Committee of Public Information


Propaganda to get Americans to support
the war.
Propaganda

information, ideas, or rumors deliberately spread
widely to help or harm a person, group, movement,
institution, nation, etc.
Quieting Opposition


Espionage Act
Sedition Act

Outlawed treason

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Treason
Illegal to “utter, print, write, or publish any
disloyal… or abusive language” criticizing
the government, the flag, or the military.
Schenck v. United States


Charles Schenck
Protested the draft by sending leaflets in the
mail.

"Do not submit to intimidation"

"Assert your rights"

"If you do not assert and support your rights, you
are helping to deny or disparage rights which it is
the solemn duty of all citizens and residents of the
United States to retain."
Schenck v. United States

Question:



whether the defendant possessed a First Amendment
right to free speech against the draft during World War I.
Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes
Decision:

“Clear and Present Danger”

if it can be shown that the language it prohibits poses a
"clear and present danger.”
The War’s End

The Russian Revolution

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Russians wanted a change in government and an
end to the war. (overthrow the czar)
Russians were hungry
Bolsheviks

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Radical Russian socialists
Opposed the war
Led by Vladimir Lenin
SIGN A SEPARATE TREATY with CENTRAL POWERS
ENDING RUSSIA’S INVOLVEMENT IN WWI
General John J. Pershing
German Offensive

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Headed toward Paris
Pershing agrees to allow French
command to take control of
American troops to defend
France.
U.S.A. helps save Paris from the
Germans.
U.S.A and Allies begin to push
Germans back.
Allied Victory

Germans
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Rioting streets
Hungry for food
German mutinies
Kaiser realized the war was lost.
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Armistice Signed November 11, 1918.
Peace conference set for 1919
World War I Deaths
(Central Powers)
Bulgaria Green
World War I
Triple Entente Deaths (Allies)
U.S. (Blue)
2%
Wilson’s 14 Points

A program for world peace.

9 Points – Self Determination

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4 Points – Causes of modern war
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Self Determination – the right for a country to govern
itself.
Secret diplomacy; arms race; violations of freedom of
the seas; trade barriers.
Final Point – The League of Nations
The League of Nations

An international body designed to
prevent OFFENSIVE wars.

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Germans believed program was interfering with
European affairs
Received warmly by others.
The Paris Peace Conference

“The BIG FOUR”

Woodrow Wilson – U.S.A.
David Lloyd George – Britain
George Clemenceau - France
Vittorio Orlando – Italy

WHAT IMPORTANT COUNTRY IS NOT REPRESENTED?

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Reparations

Orlando, George, Clemenceau

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Wanted to PUNISH Germany for “starting” the
war.
Must bear the financial cost of the war.
Force Germany to pay reparations*.

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* this will be a major CAUSE FOR WWII
DEMANDS VIOLATED what Wilson called for
in his 14 Points.
Treaty of Versailles


Palace of Versailles
U.S. Secretary of State
Lansing commented:

“The terms of the peace
appear immeasurably harsh
and humiliating.”
Treaty of Versailles
Germany
 Forced to disarm.
 Admit full responsibility for the war.
 Charged billions of dollars in
reparations.
Wilson’s Influence


Created the League of Nations
Harsh treatment of Germany would
have been MUCH worse had Wilson not
been present.
Ratifying the Treaty

Key Issue:
The League of Nations

Ratification:

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2/3 Majority for Approval of a treaty
Which House of Congress approves
treaties?
Article 10 of the Treaty

ARTICLE 10: the "covenant" clause

The Members of the League undertake to respect and
preserve as against external aggression the territorial
integrity and existing political independence of all
Members of the League. In case of any such aggression
or in case of any threat or danger of such aggression the
Council shall advise upon the means by which this
obligation shall be fulfilled.
Article 10

Problem with the Treaty

Senators believed it committed the
U.S. to going to war in defense of any
League member that was attacked.
Henry Cabot Lodge

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Senator Massachusetts
Premier opponent to the Treaty.
Presented “14 Reservations”

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Purpose: modifying the treaty
What was Lodge mocking?
Treaty of Versailles


Never ratified by U.S. Senate
The very country who promoted the
creation of the League, failed to join it.

Major Implication:

The League would fail.
Global Impact of the War


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Europe destroyed.
Boundary lines created by the treaty were
blurred and confusion existed.
Germany

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Uncontrollable inflation in Germany
Germans resented the Treaty of Versailles.
Created a breeding ground for the rise of Hitler
Essay Question

What are the three reasons for U.S.
involvement in World War I? Explain
how each contributed to the United
States entering World War I.