Unit 8: America as a World Power 1900-1919
Name: ______________________
Block: _________________
Date:__________________
Topic 3/4: America in WWI –
At Home and Abroad
A. Four Main Causes of World War I (MANIA)
M
_____________________ – nations begin to build up their militaries
A
__________________ – nations make agreements to protect each other in case they are attacked
N
____________________ – loyalty to your nation, belief that your nation is the best
I
_______________________ – countries in Europe (just like the US) desire more land, wealth,
colonies. Nations compete to see who can get the most colonies
A
_____________________ – (Sparking Event) – June 28, 1914: The assassination of
________________________ of Austria-Hungary and his wife Sofia by a member of the Black Hand.
B. War Erupts
Central Powers
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Allied Powers
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The United States is neutral for the first 3 years of the war and many Americans want to stay out of it.
What are some reasons for US neutrality?
Was the US really neutral?
C. Why did the US enter the War?
- _________________________________ — Germans warn that all ships entering the waters
around the British Isles are subjected to be sunk
- _______________________ (May 1915) passenger ship sunk by German U-boat
- Was carrying ammunition as well as passengers -- passengers warned not to travel on Lusitania
- Wilson protests to Germany – but nothing happens
E. The Final Straws
1. _____________________________________ (Jan. 1917)
Early January 1917 -- Germany decided to pursue “unrestricted submarine warfare”,
Wilson cuts off diplomatic ties
2. ______________________________________ (March 1, 1917)
-March 1, 1917 - coded message from Germany to Mexico intercepted by British and
sent to the US.
-Says if Mexico attacks US, Germany will help Mexico take back Arizona, New Mexico
and Texas.
3. ________________________________________ (March 15, 1917)
Czar Nicholas II of Russia is toppled from power and Russia is taken over by a
republican government (no communists yet) Russia not a monarchy -- now it is a war
between democracy & autocratic rule
What impact did US soldiers have on the war?
America’s military resources of soldiers and war materials tipped the balance of the war and led to
Germany’s defeat.
Preparing for war

__________________________________ is a nationwide conscription (draft). U.S. armed forces
grow from from 200,000 to nearly 5 million!
Persuading for war
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Wilson creates the ___________________________________________________ to influence public
opinion to support the war effort.
The U.S. ____________________________ advised Americans to save certain foods for export to
supply the Allied war effort. (rationing)
The ___________________________________ gave patriotic, pro-war speeches before stages and
movie shows nationwide.
Repression on the Home front

______________________________: imprisonment and fine for anyone found guilty of aiding the
enemy, obstructing recruitment, or causing insubordination in the armed forces.(1917)
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______________________________: outlawed any disloyal, profane, or abusive language intended to
cause contempt, scorn, or disrepute to the government, Constitution, or flag.(1918)
Women Working in Factories
A million women entered the American workforce during World War I. In this factory, women of all ages are
packing hand grenade parts to be shipped overseas.
____________________________
The Great Migration was the migration of thousands of African-Americans from the South to the North. African
Americans were looking to escape in the South and felt they could seek out life in the North
Poat-War home front disappointment – why for these groups?
African-Americans
Women
Labor Unions
Immigrants
Returning Soldiers
Wilson’s Fourteen Points
President Woodrow Wilson issued the Fourteen Points, a list of his terms for resolving World War I and future
wars. He called for:
1.
2.
3.
4.
But France and England insisted on ___________________________________________________.
The Treaty of Versailles
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Germany accepted responsibility for starting the war: _____________________________

Had to pay _________________________ to pay for war damages in other countries
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A League of Nations was created to: _________________________________________________
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National boundaries were redrawn, creating many new nations
The Germans signed the treaty because they had no choice. But German resentment of the Treaty of
Versailles would poison the international climate for 20 years and lead to an even deadlier world war.
The United States Senate did not ratify the Treaty of Versailles
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Did not like the League of Nations because: ______________________________________ _
_____________________________________________________________________
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Did not want to be involved in European Affairs