World War I
and Its Aftermath
Why It Matters
The United States reluctantly entered World
War I after German submarines violated
American neutrality. After the war ended,
President Wilson supported the Treaty of
Versailles, believing its terms would
prevent another war. The U.S. Senate,
however, rejected the treaty. It did not want
the country to be tied to European
obligations. Instead, Americans turned their
attention
to the difficult adjustment to peacetime.
Chapter 14 Section 1
Chapter Objectives
Section 1: The United States
Enters World War I
• Discuss the causes and results of American intervention in
Mexico and the Caribbean.
• Explain the causes of World War I and why
the United States entered the war.
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The Impact Today
The experience of World War I had a long-term effect on
American history.
• The United States continues to be involved
in European affairs.
• The horrors of the conflict helped reshape how people view
warfare.
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continued
on next slide
Guide to Reading
Main Idea
Although the United States tried to remain neutral, events soon
pushed the nation into World War I.
Key Terms and Names
•
•
•
•
Pancho Villa
guerilla
nationalism
self-determination
• Franz Ferdinand
• Allies
•
•
•
•
Central Powers
propaganda
contraband
U-boat
• Sussex Pledge
• Zimmermann telegram
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Woodrow Wilson’s Diplomacy
• President Wilson was opposed to
imperialism and believed democracy was
necessary to keep the nation stable and
prosperous.
• He wanted a world free from
revolution and war.
• In 1911 a revolution in Mexico forced
its leader, Porfirio Díaz, to flee the
country.
• The new leader, Francisco Madero,
was a poor administrator.
(pages 448–449)
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Woodrow Wilson’s Diplomacy (cont.)
• General Victoriano Huerta took over
in Mexico and presumably had Madero
murdered.
• Wilson refused to recognize the new
government and prevented weapons
from reaching Huerta.
• In 1914 Wilson sent U.S. marines to
seize the Mexican port of Veracruz to
overthrow Huerta.
• Anti-American riots broke out in
Mexico.
(pages 448–449)
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Woodrow Wilson’s Diplomacy (cont.)
• International mediation of the dispute
placed Venustiano Carranza as Mexico’s
new president.
• Mexican forces opposed to Carranza
conducted raids into the United States,
hoping Wilson would intervene.
• Pancho Villa led a group of guerrillas,
an armed group that carries out
surprise attacks, into New Mexico, and
a number of Americans were killed.
(pages 448–449)
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Woodrow Wilson’s Diplomacy (cont.)
• Wilson sent General John J. Pershing and
his troops into Mexico to capture Villa.
• Pershing was unsuccessful. Wilson’s
Mexican policy damaged U.S. foreign
relations.
(pages 448–449)
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Woodrow Wilson’s Diplomacy (cont.)
What was President Wilson’s foreign policy
in Mexico?
Wilson refused to recognize the new Mexican government led by
General Victoriano Huerta,
who had seized power in Mexico. Wilson sent U.S. marines to
Mexico to overthrow Huerta. When anti-American riots broke out in
Mexico, Wilson was forced to accept international mediation over
the dispute. Venustiano Carranza was made Mexico’s president.
Mexican forces, led by Pancho Villa, were opposed to Carranza and
conducted raids into the U.S. Wilson sent General John J. Pershing
into Mexico to capture Villa.
(pages 448–449)
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The Outbreak of World War I
• The roots of World War I can be traced
back to the 1860s, when Prussia began
a series of wars in order to unite
German states.
• By 1871 Germany was united. The new
German nation changed European
politics.
• France and Germany were enemies.
• Germany formed the Triple Alliance
with Austria-Hungary and Italy.
(pages 449–452)
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The Outbreak of World War I (cont.)
• Russia and France formed the
Franco-Russian Alliance against Germany
and Austria-Hungary.
• Great Britain remained neutral until the
early 1900s, when it began an arms race
with Germany.
• This increased tensions between the two
countries, causing the British to gain
closer relations with France and Russia.
• The three countries became known as the
Triple Entente.
(pages 449–452)
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The Outbreak of World War I (cont.)
• Nationalism, intense pride for one’s
homeland, was a powerful idea in Europe
in the late 1800s.
• The right to self-determination, the idea
that people who belong to a nation
should have their own country and
government, was a basic idea of
nationalism.
• This idea led to a crisis in the Balkans
where different national groups within
the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian
Empires began to seek independence.
(pages 449–452)
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The Outbreak of World War I (cont.)
• In June 1914, the heir to the AustroHungarian throne, Archduke Franz
Ferdinand, was killed by a Bosnian
revolutionary.
• Video: causes of WWI
• This act set off a chain of events that
led to World War I.
• On July 28, Austria declared war on Serbia.
• On August 1, Germany declared war
on Russia.
• Two days later Germany declared war
on France.
(pages 449–452)
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The Outbreak of World War I (cont.)
• The Allies–France, Russia, Great Britain,
and later Italy–fought for the Triple
Entente.
• Germany and Austria-Hungary joined
the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria to form
the Central Powers.
• Germany and France became locked in
a bloody stalemate along hundreds of
miles of trenches.
• The stalemate lasted three years.
(pages 449–452)
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The Outbreak of World War I (cont.)
• The Central Powers had greater success
on the Eastern Front, capturing hundreds
of miles of territory and taking hundreds
of thousands of prisoners.
(pages 449–452)
The Outbreak of World War I (cont.)
What factors led to the start of
World War I?
(pages 449–452)
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The Outbreak of World War I (cont.)
The roots of World War I can be traced back to the 1860s,
when Prussia began a series of wars in order to unite German
states. By 1871 Germany was united. The new German nation
changed European politics. France and Germany were
enemies. Germany formed the Triple Alliance with AustriaHungary and Italy. Russia and France formed the FrancoRussian Alliance against Germany and Austria-Hungary.
Great Britain remained neutral until the early 1900s, when it
began an arms race with Germany. This increased tensions
between the two countries, causing the British to gain closer
relations with France and Russia. Nationalism led to a crisis
in the Balkans where different national groups within the
Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian Empires began to seek
independence. In June 1914, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian
throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, was killed by a Bosnian
revolutionary. This event caused the alliances of Europe to
declare war on each other.
(pages 449–452)
American Neutrality
• Wilson declared the United States to be
neutral.
• He did not want his country pulled
into a foreign war.
• Americans, however, began showing
support for one side or the other with
many immigrants supporting their
homelands.
• Most Americans favored the Allied
cause.
(pages 452–453)
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American Neutrality (cont.)
• President Wilson’s cabinet was
pro-British, believing that an Allied
victory would preserve an international
balance of power.
• The British skillfully used propaganda,
or information used to influence
opinion, to gain American support.
(pages 452–453)
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American Neutrality (cont.)
• Companies in the United States had
strong ties to the Allied countries.
• Many American banks gave loans to
the Allies.
• As a result, American prosperity was
tied to the war.
• The money would only be paid back
if the Allies won.
(pages 452–453)
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American Neutrality (cont.)
How did propaganda influence Americans?
The British cut the transatlantic telegraph
cable from Europe to the United States to
limit news about the war to mainly British
communication. Outrageous reports about
German war atrocities convinced many
Americans to support the Allies.
(pages 452–453)
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Moving Toward War
• While most Americans supported
the Allies, they did not want to enter
the war.
• The British navy blockaded Germany
to keep it from getting supplies.
• The British redefined contraband, or
prohibited materials, to stop neutral
parties from shipping food to Germany.
• To get around the blockade, Germany
deployed submarines known as U-boats.
(pages 453–455)
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Moving Toward War (cont.)
• Germany threatened to sink any ship that
entered the waters around Britain.
• Attacking civilians ships without
warning violated an international
treaty and outraged the United States.
• The Lusitania, a British passenger liner,
was hit by the Germans, killing almost
1,200 passengers–including 128
Americans.
(pages 453–455)
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Moving Toward War (cont.)
• Americans instructed Germany to stop
U-boat strikes.
• Germany did not want the U.S. to join
the war and strengthen the Allies.
• The Sussex Pledge, a promise made
by Germany to stop sinking merchant
ships, kept the United States out of
the war for a bit longer.
(pages 453–455)
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Moving Toward War (cont.)
• A German official, Arthur Zimmermann,
cabled the German ambassador in
Mexico, proposing that Mexico ally itself
with Germany.
• In return, Mexico would regain
territory it had earlier lost to the
United States.
• The Zimmermann telegram was
intercepted by British intelligence and
leaked to American newspapers.
(pages 453–455)
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Moving Toward War (cont.)
• In February 1917, Germany went back to
unrestricted submarine warfare and,
soon after, sank six American merchant
ships.
• On April 6, 1917, the United States
declared war against Germany.
(pages 453–455)
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• Turn to page 455 in your book
• Complete numbers 3-8
Moving Toward War (cont.)
What events led to the United States
declaring war against Germany?
(pages 453–455)
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Moving Toward War (cont.)
The British navy blockaded Germany to keep it from
getting supplies. To get around the blockade, Germany
deployed U-boats. The Lusitania, a British passenger
liner, was hit by the Germans, killing almost 1,200
passengers including 128 Americans. A German official,
Arthur Zimmermann, cabled the German ambassador in
Mexico, proposing that Mexico ally itself with Germany.
In return, Mexico would regain territory it had earlier
lost to the United States. The Zimmermann telegram was
intercepted by British intelligence and leaked to
American newspapers. In February 1917, Germany went
back to unrestricted submarine warfare and, soon after,
sank six American merchant ships. On April 6, 1917, the
United States declared war against Germany. (pages 453–455)
Checking for Understanding
Define Match the terms on the right with their definitions
on the left.
__
C 1.
__
A 2.
the spreading of ideas about an
institution or individual for the
purpose of influencing opinion
armed band that carries out
surprise attacks and sabotage
rather than open warfare
__
E 3.
German submarine, term means
Unterseeboot (undersea boat)
__
B 4.
loyalty and devotion to a nation
__
D 5.
goods whose importation,
exportation, or possession is illegal
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A. guerrilla
B. nationalism
C. propaganda
D. contraband
E. U-boat
Checking for Understanding (cont.)
Name the two alliances that Europe was divided into
at the start of World War I.
The Triple Alliance and Triple Entente were the two
alliances.
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Reviewing Themes
Continuity and Change Why did most of President
Wilson’s cabinet members support the British?
They believed that Allied victory was the only way to
preserve the international balance of power, and they
cited the close historical ties with Britain and France.
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Critical Thinking
Synthesizing How did European nationalism
contribute to the outbreak
of World War I?
Each major ethnic group in European empires wanted
its own country.
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Analyzing Visuals
Analyzing Time Lines Examine the time line on page
451 of your textbook. How does the order in which
countries declared war reflect the European alliance
system?
When one country declared war, its
allies declared war.
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Close
Discuss the causes of World War I and why
the United States entered the war.