Causes of the Great
War
1st World War in history
•Great War or War to End all War
•Not called WWI until after
WWII
•Total war
•Involved 60 nations and 6
continents
Influences of Spanish-American
War
•
•
•
•
US began to establish an international Empire
Becoming an Industrial Power
“Open Door Policy”
Liberal Internationalism
– Economic and Political Progress went hand in hand
– “make the world safe for democracy”
Now Let’s Look at Some “isms”
Nationalism
•Countries proud of their heritage
and culture
•Similar to patriotism
•Ethnic groups of similar heritage
wanted to free their oppressed
brethren and unite their people
into one country
•Germany wanted to expand its
culture and political influence
throughout Europe.
Aggressive Nationalism
Imperialism
•France, Great Britain, Germany
and Russia were establishing
colonies in Africa and Asia
•economic and political control
over other countries……
•these countries were in
competition for colonies
European nations competing for colonies around the
world…..Imperialism
CartoonEuropean gra
bag
CartoonEuropean grab
bag
CartoonEuropean grab
bag
Militarism
•European nations
began an arms race as
they competed for
colonies around the
world……
Soldiers Mobilized
14
12
Millions
10
8
6
4
2
0
France
Germany
Russia
Britain
Militarism & Arms Race
Total Defense Expenditures for the Great Powers [Germany,
Austria-Hungary, Italy, France, British and Russia] in
millions of dollars.
1870
1880
1890
1900
1910
1914
94
130
154
268
289
398
1910-1914 Increase in
Defense Expenditures
France
10%
Britain
13%
Russia
39%
By 1906,Germany
President Roosevelt73%
had built the US Navy into
the 3rd largest naval fleet in the world….
The Great White Fleet
Alliances
•European nations began
forming military alliances with
one another to maintain a
balance of power ……..
Triple Alliance
Central Powers
Triple Entente
Allied Powers
Germany
Austria-Hungary Empire
Ottoman Empire
Great Britain
France
Russia
The Boiling Point Political Cartoon by Leonard Raven-Hill
A 1912 political cartoon published in Punch magazine shows the boiling
point of Balkan troubles
Franz Ferdinand’s funeral procession
Garvillo Princip, a Serbian
nationalist assassinated the
Archduke. He was trying to gain
allowances for his fellow Serbs
who lived under Austrian rule.
Archduke Franz Ferdinand
and his family. Archduke
was heir to the throne in
the Austrian Hungarian
Empire. His assassination
June 28, 1914 eventually
led to WWI.
franz
•Austrian-Hungarian
Empire controlled
several ethic groups.
Sarajevo
•Serbian nationalists
wanted to untie Serbs
who lived in the
Austrian-Hungarian
Empire with Serbia.
•This led to the
assassination of the
Archduke Franz
Ferdinand.
alliances1
1.
June 28
Assassination at
Sarajevo
2.
July 28
Austria-Hungary
declared war on
Serbia
3.
July 30
Russia began
mobilization
4.
August 1
Germany
declared war on
Russia
alliances1
5.
August 3
Germany
declared war on
France
6.
August 3
Great Britain
declared war on
Germany
7.
August 6
Russia and
Austria/Hungary
at war.
8.
August 12
Great Britain
declared war on
Austria/Hungary
alliances2
Two Armed Camps!
Allied Powers
Central Powers
Great Britain
Germany
France
AustrianHungarian Empire
Russia
Ottoman Empire
Italy
world map
Causes of WWI – MANIA!
Militarism - policy of building up a strong military to prepare for war
(ARMS RACE)
Alliances – agreements between nations to provide aid and protect
on another
•European powers formed rival alliances to protect themselves
•PROBLEM: O n e e v e n t c o u l d d r a g a l l c o u n t r i e s
involved into a conflict
ationalism – extreme pride in one’s country
N
Imperialism – when one country takes over another country
economically and politically.
Assassination – of Austrian Archduke Francis Ferdinand
Three Phases which brought
US Closer to War!!
• Discrimination against American shipping to
Central Powers.
– British Blockade
– Credits and Loans
• $2 ½ billion to Allied Powers
• Less than $300 million to Central Powers
– Exports
• $2.75 billion to Allied Powers
• $29 million to Central Powers
US tries to stay Neutral
• August 4, 1914 Wilson proclaims neutrality
• “Impartial in thought as well as deed/action.”
Phase #2 Submarines
• U-Boats
– Advantages
– Problems
– Wolf packs
•The Germans could not match
Great Britain's superior navy.
•Germans introduced
unrestricted submarine
warfare with U-Boats
•Germans warned the world
they would sink any ship they
believed was carrying
contraband to Great Britain.
U-Boats
Two types
•small subs
with a crew of
24
•larger subs
with a crew of
60
•44 by 1918
•By 1918, Germans had sunk 6,500 allied
ships.
Lusitania ad
war zone
•May 7, 1915, the Germans sunk the
Lusitania which was British passenger liner.
•Germans believed it was carrying
contraband (weapons) to the British.
•Killed 1,198 civilians including 128 Americans.
•U.S. and other countries outraged towards
Germany because of “unrestricted submarine
warfare”.
•US believed the Germans had violated
international law of targeting civilians
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sURi21sJsWc
Lusitania
•After the sinking of the
Lusitania, public opinion of
most Americans was to go to
war with Germany.
•Germany promised they would
not sink anymore ships unless
warning them first and
providing safety for civilians.
•BUT, President Wilson was
able “keep us out of war” ….
Sinking of the Arabic
Sept. 1, 1915
• British Liner- loss of 2 Americans
• Arabic Pledge--Germany would not sink any
unarmed liners
X
Sussex Sunk: led to
Sussex Pledge in
March 24, 1916.
Germany promised not
war zone
to sink anymore ships.
Sussex Pledge
• Won’t sink any ships until Germany used
adequate search & safety procedures
• Turning point in Wilson’s diplomacy
3rd Phase- Making World Safe for
Democracy
• In 1916, Wilson re-elected
– “He kept us out of War”
– 277 vs. 254
All-Out Submarine Warfare
• Kaiser Wilhelm- 1917
Berlin, January 19, 1917
On the first of February we intend to begin
unrestricted submarine warfare. In spite of
this, it is our intention to endeavor to keep
neutral the United States of America.
If this attempt is not successful, we propose an alliance
on the following basis with Mexico: That we shall make
war together and together make peace. We shall give
general financial support, and it is understood that
Mexico is to reconquer the lost territory in New Mexico,
Texas, and Arizona. The details are left to you for
settlement....
You are instructed to inform the President of Mexico of
the above in the greatest confidence as soon as it is
certain that there will be an outbreak of war
Zimmerman notes
Zimmerman code
Zimmerman code
zimmerman cartoon
When German
submarines sank
three American
merchant ships in
March 1917, Wilson
asked Congress for a
declaration of war.
Declaration of War
• April 2, 1917
• Senators- 82 for 6 against
• Representatives- 373 for 50 against