Ch. 11 notes
World War I
(1914-1918)
U.S. History
 Assassination of
Archduke Ferdinand
 June 28, 1914. Franz
Ferdinand of AustriaHungary killed w/ his
wife in the city of
Sarajevo by a Serbian
nationalist named
Gavrilo Princip.
 Event that marked the
beginning of WWI.
Causes of WWI
 Nationalism – extreme pride in one’s own ethnic
group/nation.
 Militarism – industrial revolution allowed for
creation of powerful weapons & organization of
large armies.
 Imperialism – competition to gain colonies and
control weaker nations (profit $$ & power).
 Secret Alliances – European nations entangled in
secret treaties & alliances to defend each other.
Causes of WWI
 Central Powers
– Austria-Hungary, Germany, Ottoman Empire
(and Italy – changed sides in 1916)
 Allied Powers
– France, Great Britain, Russia, and later United
States (and Serbia – small, insignificant)
Europe in WWI
Causes of WWI
 Mobilization of Alliances
 Aust.-Hung, blamed Serbia for assassination of
Archduke. Demanded full access to Serbian
government files. Serbia refused to comply.
 1) Aust.-Hung declares war on Serbia.
 2) Russia mobilizes army to defend Serbs.
 3) France joins Russia.
 4) Germany mobilizes to aid Aust-Hung and
declares war on Russia & France.
Causes of WWI
 Invasion of Belgium
 August 4, 1914 Germany
invades Belgium on its
way to France.
 Great Britain ally w/
France, they also
declared war on
Germany in Aug. 1914.
 Secret Alliances soon
brought other European
countries into war.
Reasons for U.S. Involvement
 Supplying the Allies
 President Woodrow Wilson
called for U.S. to remain
neutral.
 Strong economic ties made
neutrality almost impossible.
Allies counted on U.S. for
supplies.
 Many Americans sympathetic
to Allies – shared a common
heritage w/ Great Britain.
Reasons for U.S. Involvement
 British Naval Blockade
 1914-1915 Great Britain set up a
naval blockade in the North Sea
to cut trade w/ the Central
Powers. Hoped to starve
Germans & Austrians into
surrendering.
 German U-boats (submarines)
Fire
 Germans began sinking any ship
found in blockade zone, even
passenger ships.
 Lusitania – May, 1915. U-boats
sank British passenger ship. 128
Americans drowned. Outraged
U.S.
Reasons for U.S. Involvement
 Zimmerman Telegram
 Sent by Germany to Mexico in 1916, but
British intercepted it. Germany asked
Mexico for assistance in the war. (If Allies
were defeated, Mexico would regain the
southwestern United States.)
 President Wilson outraged, ordered
American ships to shoot U-boats on sight.
Reasons for U.S. Involvement
 Declaration of War
 German U-boats declared
unrestricted submarine
warfare on all ships found in
the ocean.
 March 1917 - Revolution in
Russia overthrows the czar.
Loss of Russia for the Allies
made participation by U.S.
crucial.
 April 2, 1917 U.S. declares
war on Germany.
 “We must make the world
safe for democracy.” –
President Wilson
Role of U.S. Government during
WWI
 U.S. federal government increased
control over nation during World
War I.
 Necessary to raise an army, finance
war effort, encourage public support
of war.
Role of U.S. Government during
WWI
 Selective Service Act (1917)
– U.S. needed to raise an army.
Required men to register for
military draft at 21 yrs old (or
older).
 War Industries Board (WIB)
– U.S. short on supplies early
in the war. WIB to increase
production and control
limited resources (food, oil,
etc.)
Role of U.S. Government during
WWI
 Financing the War
– U.S. government
organized Liberty Bond
and Victory Loan drives
to raise $ for the war
effort. Held rallies,
parades, etc.
– Americans felt patriotic
for doing their part.
Role of U.S. Government during
WWI
 Feeding the Allies
– Top needs were
wheat, pork, sugar.
Americans cut back
to save food. Also
grew vegetables in
“victory gardens” in
school playgrounds,
backyards, etc.
– Americans tripled
amount of food sent
to the Allies!
Role of U.S. Government during WWI
 Attacks on Civil
Liberties
 U.S. govnt passed war-time
laws to limit criticism of the
war effort.
– Espionage Act (1917) –
illegal to “interfere” w/
war effort.
– Sedition Act (1918) “disloyal” language
about U.S. illegal.
– Anti-immigrant hysteria
against GermanAmericans. Some lost
jobs, beaten, etc.
Role of U.S. Government during WWI
 Role of Women
– Thousands joined
workforce to replace
drafted men. Others
worked as military
nurses, etc.
– Helped to gain public
support for women’s
suffrage. (19th
amendment passed in
1920)
Fighting in WWI
American Troops (“doughboys”)
– Wilson selected General John J. Pershing to lead
U.S. troops, known as the American Expeditionary
Force.
 Conditions of War
– Soldiers fought in 25,000 miles of muddy trenches
that crisscrossed Europe. Trenches mostly on
Western and Eastern Fronts No glory or heroics.
Fighting in WWI
 New Weapons
– Gave advantage
to the defense.
Little ground
gained.
– Rapid-fire
machine guns,
U-boats,
Mustard gas,
Tanks,
Airplanes,
Barbed wire
across “No
Man’s Land”
Fighting in WWI
 Battle of Argonne Forest
– Sept. 1918 – American troops began major offensive
against German in Argonne forest. Tide of war turned as
Germans began retreating!
 Armistice (cease-fire)
– November 11, 1918 – German delegates signed a ceasefire in a converted railroad car in Paris. WWI was over.
End of WWI
 President Wilson’s Plan for World Peace
 Named the “Fourteen Points Plan” – open
treaties, freedom of the seas, free trade, arms
reduction, self-determination (national groups
had right to their own territory and selfgovernment)
 Most important part of plan included a League of
Nations (to settle disputes and prevent future
wars).
End of WWI
 Treaty of Versailles
 Peace treaty of WWI.
 “War Guilt” clause - Germany is
responsible for entire war, must pay
reparations (damages), disarm (no
military), lost territory.
 New nations of Poland, Yugoslavia, and
Czechoslovakia were created and carved
out of Austria-Hungary, Germany, and
Russia.
End of WWI
 Defeat of Treaty of
Versailles
 Congress thought
League of Nations
would entangle U.S.
in another war.
 U.S. rejected &
refused to sign Treaty
of Versailles in
November 1919.
End of WWI
 Conclusion…
 WWI called “The Great War”. Did
more destruction than any other war in
history.
 Treaty of Versailles set stage for
international problems that led to
World War II!