Causes of World War I and America’s
Entrance into the War
Copyright AIHE 2009
Turn of the Twentieth Century Europe
Copyright AIHE 2009
Commonly Cited Causes
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Industrialization
Nationalism
Militarization
Imperialism
Entangling Alliances
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Only Minor Wars since 1815
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Congress of Vienna to end the French
Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.
The Concert of Europe.
Leaders returned Europe to it’s pre 1789 state.
Powers agreed to work together to stop
republican revolutions.
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Weak argument as a cause of
World War I
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If the countries had engaged in a Global Free
Market, they would not have been as eager to
go to war.
Trading partners rarely go to war with one
another.
Copyright AIHE 2009
Industrialization
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Fueled greater Imperialism
Fostered Nationalism because it led to greater
literacy.
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The concepts of national and ethnic identity
spread through the written word.
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Peasants were exposed to the world.
Leaders used nationalism as a unifying factor.
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To consolidate governmental power
Or, for revolutionary purposes
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But, Industrialization did lead to
Militarization and
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Did allow large Armies and steel, steam
power Navies.
Did allow the mass production of weapons
Did allow various
arms races
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Imperialism
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Was not the same as a Global Free Market.
Empires used colonies for raw materials and
also as customers.
It was an internal system.
ALSO, New Imperialism Empire for the
sake of Empire. Fierce Competition.
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Much of it justified by Darwinian Racist Science
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Entangling Alliances
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Goal of 19th Century European Diplomacy
Balance of Power
Concert of Europe stated
that all European Powers
would work together against
revolutions and unjust aggressors.
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The Diplomatic History
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1879 German Chancellor, Otto von Bismarck
engineers the Dual Alliance
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German Empire and Austro-Hungarian Empire
1881 Renewal of the League of 3 Emperors
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2 empires would remain neutral if the 3rd was
attacked by a 4th power.
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Because of Franco-Prussian War:
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France did not trust Germany
They looked to Russian Empire for an
alliance.
Russia did not totally trust Germany or
Austria
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1887 Dual Alliance Remains
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Bismarck enters a “Reinsurance Treaty with
Russia
Each would stay neutral in a war against one
another, unless the other was fighting Austria
or France, respectfully.
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More Treaties
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1891 Temporary Franco-Russian Agreement
1892 Franco-Russian Agreement Strengthened
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The new Kaiser, Wilhelm II rejects the Reinsurance
Treaty
1892 Italy joins the
Dual Alliance, now the
Triple Alliance
1894 Full Franco-Russian
Military Alliance
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The United Kingdom
of Great Britain & Ireland
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England liked to stay out of European Affairs,
unless the Balance of Power, or their own
interests are threatened.
England liked their “Splendid Isolation.”
Some Brits realize that they did not have any
friends– could be a dangerous situation.
They tried to have warm relations with the
United States
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The U.S. wanted nothing to do
with the U.K.
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Strong American Isolationist Streak
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Britain had aided the Confederacy during the
American Civil War
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Strong Irish-American voting bloc that stopped all
attempts at US-UK cooperation
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British hated the French
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They considered a treaty with Germany
and/or the Triple Alliance.
Germans and English were both Germanic
Kaiser Wilhelm was the first grandson of
British Queen Victoria
British Royals were Germans from the House
of: Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
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HOWEVER!
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Germany was challenging Britain in:
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Industry
Naval Power
Imperial Might
Who would be the top Dog?
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Splendid Isolation Comes Home to
Roost:
In the Boar War
 The World rooted for the Boars in South
Africa.
 Americans equated the Boars
with the American patriots of
1776, fighting to free themselves
from British rule
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Britain could not look to France
Because of Centuries of
Mistrust, Competition and War
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Britain was at odds with Russia in:
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The Ottoman Empire
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Persia
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China
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1902 Britain enters into a Treaty with
the Japanese Empire
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They needed a friend
They were jealous of German advances in
China
France realizes the German threat and their
Foreign Minister, Theophile Déclassé made
overtures to Britain
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More Treaties
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1904 Entente Cordiale– a Friendly
Understanding
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Followed by a secret naval & military agreement
1907- Through French efforts an AngloRussian Entente the Triple Entente
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Attempts at Peace
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1899 Tsar Nicholas II calls a Peace
Conference in The Hague.
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Establish the rules of war.
Court of Arbitration
1907 Second Hague
1909 London Conference
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Naval issues were addressed
British intransience made it a dud.
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First Morocco
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1900 Italy
 Give France their
1904 Britain
 blessings
1905 Spain
 in Morocco
March 1905 Chancellor von Bolow got Kaiser
Wilhelm II to visit the Sultan. In a speech at
Tangiers, the Kaiser said Morocco would
remain independent and was a friend of
Germany
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Algeciras Conference  1906
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The British backed France
The international bank was to untangle
Morocco’s finances
The French and Spanish would train the
Moroccan police
Teddy Roosevelt got the Germans to accept
this.
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In the East
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Germany wanted access to Turkey & Persia
They wanted an Oriental Express from Berlin
to Baghdad.
They decided to strengthen the sick man of
Europe the Ottoman Turks.
This would reduce the power of Britain and
Russia in the region.
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Bosnia-Herzegovina
Russian Foreign Minister Izvolsky met
Austrian Foreign Minister Aerenthal at Buchlau,
Moravia.
Austria would not object to the Russian fleet
using the Bosporus and Dardanelles Straights
to get out of the Black Sea and make use of its
warm water ports.
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Russia would not object to the Austrian
annexation of Turkish Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Austria had administered Bosnia since the
Congress of Berlin in 1878.
Britain was LIVID with the arrangement.
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They didn’t want Russia to have access to the
Mediterranean.
The Russians blamed the Austrians.
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The Slavs
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The Slavs of Serbia and Montenegro felt
betrayed by Russia.
Serbia wanted Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Russia had not supported their little brother
Slavs.
Germany backed Austria and increased
German influence in the region.
Copyright AIHE 2009
Second Morocco
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Internal problems in Morocco
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French occupy Fez
Germans ordered the gunboat, Panther, to
Morocco to protect Agadir.
German would allow the French to take
Morocco if the French gave them the French
Congo.
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Congo
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British Prime Minister Lloyd George wanted
France to give everything to avoid war.
French gave Germans 100,000 square miles
of worthless French Congo for Morocco.
The Germans took it, but were livid.
The French public was livid.
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They got rid Premier Joseph Caillaux. He was
replaced with the fire-eater Henri Poincare.
Copyright AIHE 2009
The Balkans
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1911 Italian – Turkish War
1912  Montenegro, Bulgaria, Serbia,
Greece demand Turkish reform in Macedonia.
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They declared war on the Turks.
1913  Turkey sued for peace -- Treaty of
London
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Turkey lost all of her European possessions
except Constantinople & Adrianople.
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Second Balkans War
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1913  Italy & Austria formed Albania
Bulgaria exerting power in Macedonia –
threatened Romania.
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Romania declared war on Bulgaria.
Greece, Serbia, & Montenegro joined Romania.
Turks join the Allies.
Treaty of Bucharest
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Bulgaria lost most of what it had won in the First
War.
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June 28, 1914
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Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand was
assassinated by a Serbian nationalist, Princip,
on a good will trip to Sarajevo, Bosnia.
The Blackhand wanted to unite all Southern
Slavs under Serbian leadership.
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They had ties with the Serbian government.
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July 23, 1914
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Austrian Foreign Minister Count Leopold Berchtold
and Hungarian Prime Minister Count Istvan Tisza
 Issue an Ultimatum
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Serbia must comply within 48 hours
Germany wanted a local war
Russia wanted to defend Serbia – their “little
Slavic brothers.”
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Copyright AIHE 2009
July 26, 1914
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British call for a conference of the UK,
Germany, France, and Italy
This was rejected by Germany because of past
conferences.
July 27  UK & Germany want Austria to
talk the situation over with Russia.
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July 28, 1914
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Austria declared war on Serbia.
July 31  Austria agreed to mediation
at Germany insistence. Too late
Russia had already mobilization.
Kaiser Wilhelm had gotten his cousin, Tsar
Nicholas to reduce full mobilization against
Germany and Austria to a partial mobilization
against Austria only.
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July 28, 1914
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The Tsar’s advisors told him that they could
not issue just a partial mobilization.
They talked him into again ordering general
mobilization.
Germany issued an ultimatum to Russia.
They gave the Russians a half day to
stop mobilization.
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War
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July 31  Germany declared war on Russia.
Germany asked France to remain neutral
August 1  France would not commit to neutrality.
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August 3  Germany declares war on France
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France began to mobilize as she decided.
Germany implemented the von Schlieffen Plan- moved
through Belgium.
Italy broke its alliance and proclaimed neutrality.
Britain declared war on Germany & Austria
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The Protagonists
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Central Powers
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Germany
Austria-Hungary
Nov 1914 Turks
Oct 1915 Bulgaria
Allied Powers
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Co-Belligerent
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Copyright AIHE 2009
Serbia
Russia
Germany
August 1914 Japan
May 1915 Italy
August 1916 Romania
April 1917 USA
Trench Warfare
Battle of the Marne 9-5-14
 Because of new weapons, both sides dug in
for three years.
 From the
North Sea to
SwitzerlandA Race to the Sea
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Copyright AIHE 2009
USA
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Declares Neutrality
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No vital US interests
A European Problem
They thought it would be over in 4-6 months
1/3 of the American population was foreign born
or first generation
Large German & Irish Catholic populations
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America’s economic ties were to
Britain & France
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Neutrality was impossible
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1914 trade w/Britain $743 million
1914 trade w/Germany $345 million
1916 trade w/Britain $3 billion
1916 trade w/Germany $29 million
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Loans
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Loans to Britain 
Loans to Germany 
$2.3 Billion
$27 million
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Wilson stopped all Loans and Credits
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To All belligerents
This hurt the American economy
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Germany viewed U.S. neutrality as
giving aid to the British and the French
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Wilson said that to cut aid would be
UNNEUTRAL.
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It would give Germany an advantage
He said Germany must cut U.S. aid with a
blockade of France and Britain.
He knew that the German Navy could not
compete with the British Navy.
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British Strategy to Cut Germany off
from the U.S.
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Illegal blockade of Central Powers’ ports
Harass Neutral shipping
Arm Merchant ships
Carry munitions on passenger ships
Fly Neutral flags
Call everything on a neutral ship contraband,
including food and medicine
These policies violated international law
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Germany used a New weapon to
Blockade Britain
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The U-Boat
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Germany warned
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All seas around Britain and ireland to be a
war zone
All enemy ships in the zone were targets to be
sunk
Neutral ships might be attacked by mistake
American passengers should stay off of all
Allied ships
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Wilson reacted:
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Germany would be held accountable for any
loss of American life
He demanded safety for all Americans
He refused to forbid Americans to travel on
allied ships
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Germany’s dilemma
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Germany could not comply with International
law that was created during an earlier time.
Ships had to warn other ships before attacking
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They demanded that subs had to first surface
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This ruined the element of surprise
The ships could then outrun subs
They could shot at subs
They could ram subs
They could call for help
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1915 Germany gives in and promises
to not attack American ships
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The issue becomes Americans right to travel
on Belligerent ships
Lusitania May 1, 1915
Germany warned Americans in NYC not to
take the ship
May 7, 1915 German sunk the ship off the
coast of Ireland
1,198 dead, including 128 Americans
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Americans were horrified
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William Jennings Bryant wants to forbid any
Americans or munitions on any passenger ship
Teddy Roosevelt wants War!
Germans agree not to attack any US ships in war
zone
8-30-1915 Germans attack HMS Arabic- two
Americans die.
Germany apologizes and promise not
to attack any ship without warning
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February 1 1917
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Germany decides it needs to break the
stalemate
It will resume unrestricted sub warfare
They believed they could starve the Brits out
before the U.S. could get into the war.
Germans believed they would lose the war of
attrition, unless they accelerated it.
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Wilson breaks diplomatic relations
with Germany
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BUT, he won’t go to war
Lloyd George and Henry Cabot Lodge call Wilson a
coward.
By April 1, the U.K. has only
6 weeks of grain left
- French army commits
mutiny
- Russians overthrow
the Tsar
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Brits give Wilson the Zimmerman
telegram
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It ask Mexico to go to war with the U.S.
They could get all they lost in 1848 back
Wilson begins armed neutrality
U.S. declares war on 4-2-1917
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U.S. enters as a Co-belligerent
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Not as an Ally.
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Government takes over much of the economy.
Brutal repression of dissent.
That story is for
another day
Copyright AIHE 2009