Woodrow Wilson and the
Great War
1912-1920
The Return of TR
TR returns to USA
challenges
Republican
President Taft for
the Republican
nomination in
1912
Taft secures the
Republican
nomination
TR leaves the
Republican Party
he forms the
Progressive Party
he runs as a third
party candidate
TR delivers a speech after being shot
TR’s party becomes known as the Bull Moose
Party after the assassination attempt
The Election of 1912
split in the
Republican Party
causes Democrats
to win the election
Woodrow Wilson,
the candidate for
the Democrats,
becomes POTUS
Background of Woodrow Wilson
Southerner
father was a
Minister
Wilson hates war
gets a Ph D in history
takes a teaching position at
Princeton University
becomes involved with the
Democratic Party
in 1910 he is elected Governor of New Jersey
in 1912 he is elected POTUS
Wilson’s presidency
will be consumed with
the Great War (19141918)
AKA World War I
The Great War
The Sides
Britain
France
Russia
AKA: The Triple
Entente
The Sides
Germany
Austria-Hungary
Turkey
AKA the Central
Powers
US Reaction to the War
Wilson declares the US neutral
the war has nothing to do with USA
US is a nation of European immigrants
Americans can profit
Wilson wants to be a ‘great peacemaker’
and mediate an end to the war (his
legacy)
Britain and Germany blockade each other
during the war
they target US cargo ships
engage in acts of piracy
Germany begins
‘unrestricted
submarine warfare’
U-boats sink any ship
approaching Britain
n May of 1915 the
German U-boat U-20
torpedoes and sinks
the passenger liner
‘Lusitania’ off the coast
of Ireland
i
it sinks in 18
minutes
1,200 civilians die,
including 120
Americans
American public opinion turns against Germany
Germany realizes the
US will likely come into
the war on Britain’s
side
The Zimmerman
Telegram
sent by German
Foreign Secretary
to Mexico
Germany offers Mexico
a military alliance
Mexico invades USA,
ties down American
forces
in return Mexico is
rewarded with the return
of Texas and California
USA declares war on
Germany in April 1917.
US forces help turn the
tide against Germany
Wilson and the Peace
Wilson’s 14 Points
Speech
his plan for peace
includes;
arms reductions
freedom of the seas
creation of a League of Nations
How the League Works
all nations of the world
join the League
all take responsibility for
the peace and security
of the world
should a nation go rogue, the league would;
(i) issue warnings to that nation
(ii) should threats fail, engage in an economic
embargo
(iii) if the embargo does not correct the actions
of the rogue nation, then military forces will be
used
a world armed force would be created
and used to intervene in world trouble
spots
The Paris Peace
Conference
German and allied forces agree to an armistice
that stops the war on November 11, 1918
in the summer of 1919 the allied leaders meet
in Paris to hammer out a peace treaty
the ‘Big 3’ leaders carry on their meetings at
the Palace of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles
made up of the League of Nations and
punishing clauses for Germany
Article 231: Germany takes entire blame for
causing the war
Reparations: Germany must pay the allies $33
billion marks for the war
The Battle for the Treaty
Wilson returns to USA with the
treaty
Wilson presents the treaty to
the US senate for ratification
the senate rejects the
‘collective security’ article of
the Treaty
US will not join League of
Nations
Wilson leaves
office a broken
man, his legacy
in ruins