World War I
It was supposed to be
"The War to End All Wars."
• For over four years World
War I raged on, leaving in
its wake a toll of death and
destruction such as the
world had never seen.
The Roots of War
European Powder Keg
• Four Sources of Conflict
–Militarism
–Alliances
–Imperialism
–Nationalism
Militarism
• Building a strong military
–Protect Colonies
–Display strength
–Domination of the seas
• Great Britain / Germany
–Domination of the ground
• Russia / Germany
Alliances
• Tied countries together in a series of
binding military treaties making way for
countries to go to war against each
other knowing someone would back
them up.
• Triple Alliance – Austro-Hungarian
Empire, Germany, and Italy
• Triple Entente – France, Great Britain,
Russia
If You…
Imperialism
• Growth in a countries size – outside
borders.
• Asia, Africa, South America
• Colonial Countries = Power to
European Powers
• RACE to be the most powerful
Nationalism
• European populations devoted to the
interests of their own nations.
– Germany / Italy
– Colonial Competition – inspired patriotic
feelings!
• European ethnic minorities under
foreign rule often fiercely nationalistic
and desired independence.
WWI - Begins
• The Powder Keg Explodes –
–June 28, 1914 –
Assassination of
Archduke Ferdinand
and wife Sofia by a
Serbian Nationalist.
Austro – Hungarian
Empire
• Attempted to control the Balkan
Region
•Annexed the region
of BosiniaHerzegoveina in
1908.
•Created Ethnicity
Problems
•Serbia opposes this
control – Secret
society plots to
assassinate the
archduke.
Austria – Hungary Outraged
• Gives Serbia a list of demands –
–Harsh demands or face war.
• Serbia = Full Russian support
–Refuses to accept the demands.
Alliances – Send Europe
Into War
• Austria-Hungary declares war on July 28.
• Within a week – most of Europe goes to
war with each other.
U.S. Relationship With Europe
• “The U.S. should stay out of the affairs
of Europe” George Washington
• Woodrow Wilson has announced during
the summer of 1914 that the U.S. will
stay neutral in the affairs of Europe.
• This becomes virtually impossible when
Europe explodes in war.
Wilson Declares Neutrality
• Most Americans could trace
their heritage to one of
these European countries –
creating feelings of
animosity among those
living in the U.S.
• Due to closer ties with
Britain and France – the U.S.
unconsciously supporting
the Allied Powers.
Bloody Stalemate
• There would not be a
quick victory for either
side.
– “It’s going to be a long
war, in spite of the fact
that on both sides every
single man in it wants it
stopped at once.”
Winston Churchill
Modern Weaponry
• Proves to be far more deadly than anything
used in previous wars.
– Machine Guns
– Mechanized Cannons
– Poisonous Gas
Trench Warfare
• 475 miles – Switzerland to the North
Sea
–Treacherous mud
–Icy water –
ruining weapons
–Disease – trench
foot
–Smell
Belgian troops entrenched along a railway line
Lewis light machine gun team
Dismounted German Hussars holding
first-line trenches at Verdun
Russian
trench
shrouded
with
pine
branches
U.S. Remains Neutral
•American’s were horrified
by the brutality of the war.
•Volunteers help out
•American Red Cross
•American Ambulance Corps
•French Foreign Legion (individuals
joined)
Economics
• U.S. will trade with both sides.
• British Naval Blockade keeps
U.S. from trading with Central
Powers forcing them to take a
side.
• $$$$ becomes very important
for the U.S. during this war… the
first time the U.S. is not a
debtor nation. Puts them in a
very powerful position at the
end of the war!
Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
• German U-Boats violate international law.
• Britain’s naval superiority was challenged by
German technology in underwater sea power.
Britain’s Naval Blockade
• February 1915 – Germany announces
Unrestricted Submarine Warfare.
• Waters around England declared a war zone.
• Breaking International Law – forbidding naval
ships to sink another ship without advanced
warning.
Response to German’s
Unrestricted Warfare
• Allies and U.S. appalled
• President Wilson warns Germany that it will be
held accountable for any American losses at
sea.
– Central Powers – Know they cannot win if the U.S.
enters against them.
– Promise not to fire on any neutral ships unless they
enter the war zone around Britain.
– U-Boats sink over 90 ships.
The Lusitania
• British Passenger Liner
• Newspaper Ad – Germany
Embassy Warning to sail at your
own risk.
– 2,000 on board
– 1,200 die
– 125 Americans
– 128 Children
Wilson Campaigns for Neutrality
• Americans are outraged
– Call for a repeal of the neutrality
declaration.
– Wilson strongly condemns Germany but
remains committed to the U.S. stance of
neutrality.
– Germany – still not wanting the U.S.
involved in the war - APOLOGIZES
Tensions Continue to Rise
• Three Americans killed in 1916 after
a U-Boat fires on an unarmed
French Ship in the English Channel.
• Wilson threatens to break
diplomatic relations if Germany
does not stop violating international
law.
The Zimmerman Telegram
• Telegram sent by German foreign secretary –
Arthur von Zimmerman to German
ambassador in Mexico – Jan. 1917.
U.S. Declares War on Germany
• April 2, 1917 – Wilson
concedes “neutrality is
no longer feasible
where the peace of the
world is involved.”
• World should be made
safe for democracy.
U.S. Mobilization
• April 1917 – U.S.
completely unprepared
– Draft
– War Production Board –
Industry and Agriculture
– increase production to
meet war time needs.
– Propaganda Campaigns
• CPI – Committee on
Public Information
• “Four-Minute Men”
Effects of Propaganda
• “World Safe for Democracy” – U.S.
practicing undemocratic ideas.
– Espionage Act of 1917
– Sedition Act of 1918
– Widespread rejection of anything German
American Troops
• Excitement for the unknown (many
never left their hometown)
• Scared to death – Horrors of war
• Unprepared –
• General Pershing –
American
Commanding
General
• New troops help the
war weary Allies
push back the
German troops.
• U.S. Naval fleets
assist the British
navy in dealing with
U-Boats.
Russia’s Leaves the War
• Revolutions in 1917 lead to Russia exiting the
war early.
• This would allow Germany and Austria to
focus all their attention on the Western Front.
Lenin’s calls for
Peace, Land, and
Bread
Allied Powers Struggle
• With Russia out on the Eastern front the
Allies will continue to struggle on the
Western Front to defeat the Central Powers
• U.S. Declares war in April 1917 – but very few
troops see any action until the summer of
1918.
• Influenza – Strikes all forces and the world –
leaves Germany and Austria-Hungary
paralyzed.
Victory for the Allies
• Central Powers are so wore down by the Fall
of 1918 individual powers are seeking an
armistice as quickly as possible from the
Allied Powers –
• Wilson becomes the chief peace negotiator.
• Germany keeps holding out for a more
favorable armistice but in the end come out
with the harshest of all treaties (Treaty of
Versailles)
Wilson’s Fourteen Points
• Wilson came up with a plan for Peace – The
Fourteen Points –
• He didn’t believe in Revenge and called for a
“Peace without victory”
• Wilson toted his Fourteen Points all over
Europe in an effort to bring the war to a close
and Germany’s surrender was based on many
of the ideas in Wilson’s Fourteen Points.
Highlights of the 14 Points
• Countries all over the world would have “SelfDetermination”
• Free Trade – No more Tariffs
• An End to secret Alliances (Pacts) between
nations.
• Freedom of the Seas
• Arms Reduction
• The forming of a world organization – a
League of Nations
Treaty of Versailles
• Most of Wilson’s points were left out of
the Treaty.
• Germany comes out of the Treaty with a
huge War Debt and takes all the blame
for the war.
• The US refused to join the League of
Nations.
Influenza
• Summer of 1918 – Flu spread around
the world killing more than 20
million people.
–Bird Flu / Swine Flu
–Spread most rapidly in Cities
–Killed very quickly.
Red Scare
• Afraid of Russia and the Communist Revolution
• Most Americans were not interested in
Communism but as the US struggled for a
return to NORMALACY after WWI, anything
different was often referred to as Communist.
• Palmer Raids – Wilson’s Attorney General –
Went on a Witch Hunt!
• Sacco and Vanzetti – Italians immigrants
accused of murdering a paymaster and his
guard at a shoe factory. Even today their guilt
is doubted.