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CAUSES OF THE WAR
THE FIRST WORLD
WAR
1914-1918
Historians have traditionally cited
four long-term causes of the First
World War
NATIONALISM – a devotion to
the interests and culture of one’s
nation
IMPERIALISM – Economic and
political control over weaker
nations
MILITARISM – The increased
military spending due to the
growth of nationalism and
imperialism
ALLIANCE SYSTEM – By 1907
Europe was divided into two
armed camps
NATIONALISM
 Often nationalism led
to rivalries and conflicts
between nations
 Additionally, various
ethnic groups resented
domination by others
and wanted
independence
 Russia and AustriaHungary disagreed over
the treatment of Serbs in
central Europe
Germany was allied with
Austria-Hungary while
Russia, France and Britain
were partners
IMPERIALISM
 For many centuries,
European nations built
empires
 Colonies supplied European
nations with raw materials and
provided markets for
manufactured goods
 As Germany industrialized it
competed directly with France
and Britain
 Major European countries
also competed for land in
Africa
1
MILITARISM
 Empires had to be defended and
European nations increased
military spending enormously in
the late 19th and early 20th century
 By 1890 the strongest nation
militarily in Europe was Germany
 Germany had a strong army and
built up a navy to rival England’s
fleet
 France, Italy, Japan and the
United States quickly joined in the
naval buildup
Battleships were being stockpiled by European
nations, Japan and America in the late 19 th and
early 20th century
ALLIANCE SYSTEM
 By 1907 there were two
major defense alliances in
Europe
TRIPLE ENTENTE
 The Triple Entente, later
known as the Allies,
consisted of France, Britain,
and Russia
FRANCE
BRITAIN
RUSSIA
The Triple Alliance, later
known as the Central
Powers, consisted of
Germany, Austria-Hungary,
and Italy (Soon joined by the
Ottoman Empire
Activity
•
•
•
•
•
•
Define Nationalism
Define Imperialism
Define Militarism
What was the Alliance System?
What was the Triple Entente?
What was the Triple Alliance?
2
The Powder Keg
THE SPARK: AN ASSASSINATION
Austria-Hungary, which had
taken control of Bosnia in
1878, accused Serbia of
weakening its rule over
Bosnia
 The Balkan region was
considered “the powder
keg of Europe” due to
competing interests in
the area
 Finally, in June of 1914,
Archduke Franz Ferdinand,
heir to the Austrian throne
was assassinated by a
Serbian radical igniting a
diplomatic crisis
 Russia wanted access
to the Mediterranean Sea
 Germany wanted a
railroad link to the
Ottoman Empire
THE ASSASSINATION :
The Archduke is assassinated in Sarajevo in
June 1914
AFTER THE ASSASSINATION :
Archduke Franz
Ferdinand and his wife
Sofie were assassinated
on June 28, 1914
After the assassination:
He was the heir to the
throne of Austria-Hungary
July 29:
He was shot while
visiting Sarajevo, Bosnia,
which was a province of
A-H
He was killed by a
Serbian nationalist named
Gavrilo Princip (19 yrs old)
July 28: A-H blamed the
Serbian gov’t and declared
war on them.
Stop moving
How dare
youryou kill
troopsour
to Archduke
the
border, Russia!
Serbia!
I don’t
think so!
 Russia, Serbia’s protector,
began moving troops to the
border
 Germany, A-H’s chief ally,
demanded that Russia stop
moving troops
 Russia refused
 France and Germany, began
moving troops to their
borders
THE FIGHTING BEGINS
 The Alliance system
pulled one nation after
another into the conflict –
The Great War had begun
 On August 3, 1914,
Germany invaded France
through Belgium, following
a strategy known as the
Schlieffen Plan
 This plan called for a
quick strike through
Belgium to Paris, France
The Schliefflen Plan
3
THE FIGHTING BEGINS
 To get to France as
quickly as possible, the
German Army passed
through Belgium, a neutral
country
THE WAR BECOMES A STALEMATE
 Unable to save Belgium,
the Allies retreated to the
Marne River in France where
they halted the German
advance in September of
1914
The invasion brought
England, Belgium’s
protector, into the war on
Aug. 4
 Both sides dug in for a
long siege
British soldiers standing in mud
 By the spring of 1915, two
parallel systems of deep
trenches crossed France
from Belgium to Switzerland
Germany had hoped
England, with the world’s
strongest Navy, would stay
out of the war
THE WAR BECOMES A STALEMATE
Activity
• WWI was started when country after
country was pulled into the war because of
the Alliance System.
• Write an essay describing what could have
been done to prevent the alliance system
from pulling these countries into war.
There were 4 types
of trenches;
 Front line
 Communication
 Support
 Reserve
(Behind Support Trench)
 Between enemy trenches was “no man’s land” – an area
pockmarked with shell craters and filled with barbed wire
German Soldiers
The conditions in these trenches were horrific; aside from
the fear of bombardment, soldiers also had to contend with
the mud, flooding and disease associated with living in
such a harsh environment.
4
A photograph of a man suffering from trench foot.
New Technology
 Machine gun – forced the soldiers to the
trenches
 fired up to 450 rounds a minute
New Technology
 Tanks – first used
by the British
 used mainly to
smash barbed
wire fences to
clear the way for
the infantry (foot
soldiers)
New Technology
 Poison gas –
chemical warfare
 used by the Germans
first
 Mustard Gas
disfigured many
soldiers
New Technology
 U-boats – German
submarines
 attacked without
warning
 used to fight the
British blockade
 interfered with
American trade and
threatened the safety
of Americans
5
New Technology
Activity
 Write three possible test questions that address
 Airplanes – used
only for observation
at first
what we have learned about new technology in
WWI.
 later armed with
machine guns
 Manfred von
Richthofen “Red
Baron” was a
German ace pilot
who shot down over
80 planes
FIRST BATTLE OF THE SOMME
AMERICANS QUESTION NEUTRALITY
 In 1914, most Americans saw no
reason to join a struggle 3,000 miles
away – they wanted neutrality
 During the First Battle of the
Somme - which began July 1, 1916
and lasted until mid-November –
the British suffered 60,000
casualties the first day
 Some simply did not want their
sons to experience the horror of
warfare
 German-Americans supported
Germany in World War I
 Final casualties for the First
Battle of the Somme totaled 1.2
million, yet only 7 miles of ground
was gained
Gas attacks were common
features of trench life and often
caused blindness and lung
disease
 This bloody trench warfare, in
which armies fought for mere
yards of ground, lasted for three
years
THE WAR HITS HOME
 During the first two years of
the war, America was providing
(selling) the allied forces
dynamite, cannon powder,
submarines, copper wire and
tubing and other war material
 Both the Germans and British
imposed naval blockades on
each other
German U-boat 1919
 The Germans used U-boats
(submarines) to prevent
shipments to the North Atlantic
 Any ship found in the waters
around Britain would be sunk
 However, many American felt close
to the British because of a shared
ancestry and language
French propaganda poster portrayed
the Germans as inhuman and impacted
American attitudes toward the Germans
 Most importantly, American
economic interests were far stronger
with the Allies
THE LUSITANIA DISASTER
 United States involvement in
World War I was helped by the
Lusitania disaster
 The Lusitania was a British
passenger ship that carried
1,959 persons on a fateful trip on
May 7, 1915
 A German U-boat sank the
Lusitania killing 1,198 persons
aboard including 128 American
tourists
 The Germans claimed the ship
was carrying Allied ammunition
 Americans were outraged and
public opinion turned against
Germany and the Central Powers
6
THE LUSITANIA Response
 The US sharply criticized Germany for
its action.
Germany agreed not to sink passenger
ships without warning in the future.
The N.Y. Times reports on the Lusitania
1916 ELECTION
Note in bottle after Lusitania disaster
AMERICA EDGES Several factors came together to
bring the U.S. into the war;
CLOSER TO WAR
1) The Sinking of the Lusitania
2) Germany ignored Wilson’s plea
for peace
 The November 1916 election
pitted incumbent Democrat
Woodrow Wilson vs. Republican
candidate Supreme Court justice
Charles Evans Hughes
3) The Zimmerman Telegram, a
telegram from the German foreign
minister to the German
Ambassador in Mexico, proposed
an alliance
 Wilson won a close election
using the slogan, “He kept us
out of war”
Wilson
 That slogan would prove
ironic because within a few
months the United States would
be involved in World War I
 Germany promised Mexico a return of
their “lost territory” in Texas, New
Mexico, and Arizona
(Zimmerman note)
Encoded message from Germany
to Mexico
4) Next came the sinking of four
unarmed U.S. merchant ships by
German subs
Activity
Examine the document. After
reading the document,
answer the questions
using complete sentences.
sentences.
Zimmerman
note
intercepted
by a British
agent and
decoded
1) List three things the
author said that you
think are important.
2) Why do you think this
document was written?
3) What evidence in the
document helps you
know why it was
written? (Quote from the
document.)
4) Write a question to the
author that is left
unanswered by the
document.
7
AMERICAN POWER TIPS THE
BALANCE
 America was not ready for
war – only 200,000 men were
in service when war was
declared
 A light drizzle fell on Washington on
April 2, 1917, as senators,
representatives, ambassadors,
members of the Supreme Court, and
other guests crowded into the Capital
building to hear Wilson deliver his
declaration of war
 Congress passed the
Selective Service Act in May
of 1917
 By the end of 1918, 24
million had signed up and
almost 3 million were called
to duty
 Wilson said, “The world must be safe
for democracy”
 Congress passed the resolution a few
days later
On the Homefront:
• 11,000 women
volunteered to serve as
nurses, clerks, and drivers
– also began working in
factories, auto mechanics,
traffic cops, etc. (jobs only
men used to do)
• 300,000 African Am.’s
volunteered or were
drafted – mostly used for
manual labor – fought in
segregated units
On the Homefront:
• War Labor Board – settled
labor disputes to prevent
strikes during the war
• Food Adm. – led by Herbert
Hoover – conserved food and
set crop prices – also
encouraged “meatless
Tuesdays” and “wheatless
Wednesdays” – “victory
gardens” were also planted
 About 2 million American
troops reached Europe
On the
Homefront:
• War Industries Board –
regulated how natural
resources were used
and told factory owners
what to make
-ex: iron and steel
industries used to make
guns and later tanks –
factories worked around
the clock which created
more jobs
On the Homefront:
• Fuel Adm. –
encouraged greater
coal production and
urged citizens to
conserve coal and fuel
– “heatless Mondays” –
est. day-light saving
time to save an hours
use of lighting and heat
each day
8
SELLING THE WAR
On the Homefront:
•
Financing the war
– two ways to pay
for war:
 The U.S. had two major
tasks; raising money and
convincing the public to
support the war
 The U.S. spent $35.5
billion on the war effort
1) Taxes were raised
2) Liberty Bonds were
sold – loans by the
Am. people to the
gov’t – paid back
with interest
 The government raised
about 1/3 of that through an
income tax and “sin” taxes
 The rest was raised
through war bonds sold to
the public (Liberty Bonds &
Victory Bonds)
VICTORY GARDENS
 To conserve food, Wilson set
up the Food Administration
(FA)
 The FA declared one day a
week “meatless” another
“sweetless” and two days
“wheatless”
 Homeowners planted
“victory gardens” in their
yards
 Schoolchildren worked afterschool growing tomatoes and
cucumbers in public parks
 Farmers increased
production by almost 30% by
adding 40 million acres of
farmland
•
Laws Passed to Enforce
Loyalty:
1) Sedition Act – prohibited
any speech that was
“disloyal, profane, or
abusive” about the gov’t,
flag, Constitution, or armed
forces – very controversial
2) Espionage Act – punished
anyone found guilty of
helping the enemy,
hindering recruitment, or
inciting revolts
ATTACK ON CIVIL LIBERTIES
 As the war progressed, Civil
Liberties were compromised
On the Homefront:
• Both acts were upheld in
the Supreme Court case
Schenck v. U.S. (1919) –
ruled freedom of speech
could be limited in certain
situations or whenever
there was a “clear and
present danger” to public
safety or national security
 Anti-Immigrant feelings were
openly expressed especially
anti-German and AustrianHungarian
 Espionage and Sedition Acts
were passed by Congress
 These acts were designed to
prevent anti-war protests but
went against the spirit of the
First Amendment (Free
speech)
 Socialists and labor leaders
were targeted
On the Homefront:
Any anti-American
sentiments were targeted
during wartime
9
FRESH U.S. SOLDIERS JOIN
FIGHT
THE WAR AT HOME
 After 2 ½ years of fighting,
the Allied forces were
exhausted
 The entire U.S. economy was
focused on the war effort
 The shift from a consumer
economy to war economy
required a collaboration
between business and
government
 One of the main
contributions of the Americans
was fresh and enthusiastic
troops
 In the process, the power of
the U.S. government expanded
 American infantry were
nicknamed “doughboys”
because of their white belts
 Congress gave President
Wilson direct control over the
economy
 Most doughboys had never
ventured far from the farms or
small towns they lived in
AMERICAN TROOPS GO ON
THE OFFENSIVE
 When Russia surrendered to
the Germans in 1917, it allowed
the Central Powers to focus on
the Western Front
 By May, the Germans were
within 50 miles from Paris
Men of the 42nd Division during the
Second Marne. These men were
killed by artillery fire just 5 minutes
after this photo was taken
Animals were also
susceptible to gas
Activity
AMERICAN WAR HERO
 Alvin York, a blacksmith from
Tennessee, originally sought an
exemption from the war as a
Conscientious Objector
 York eventually decided it was
morally acceptable to fight if the
cause was right
 On October 8, 1918, armed
with only a rifle and a revolver,
York killed 25 Germans and (with
six doughboys) captured 132
prisoners
The man
The movie
 Upon his return home he was
promoted to Sergeant and hailed
a hero
 The Americans arrived and
immediately played a major role in
pushing the Germans back
In July and August the Americans
helped the Allies win the Second
Battle of the Marne
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
How did the US pay for the War?
Describe a Victory Garden.
What was the Espionage Act?
What was the Sedition Act?
Why were the Sedition and Espionage
Acts controversial?
6. What was the Main contribution of the US
in WWI?
7. Who was Alvin York?
10
Pre-Revolutionary Russia
The Russian Revolution
-Key Concepts-
Conservatism Continues:
1905-1917
• Nicholas was personally
a very weak man
• Tsar became increasingly
remote as a ruler
• Tzar Nicholas II’s wife
Alexandra was the real
power behind the throne.
• Even more blindly
committed to autocracy
than her husband
Rasputin


Nobody ever figured out the
origins of Rasputin’s power
Scandals surrounding
Rasputin served to discredit
the monarchy
• Only true autocracy left in
Europe
• No type of representative
political institutions
• Nicholas II became Tsar
in 1884
• Believed he was the
absolute ruler anointed by
God
• Revolution broke out in
1905
--Russo-Japanese War
(1904)
Alexandra and the Healer
• Tzar Nicholas II’s son,
Alexis, had hemophilia,
which caused him to
bleed excessively.
(usually fatal)
• A peasant healer from
Siberia named Rasputin
healed the boy.
• From that point on,
Rasputin held unusual
influence of over
Alexandra and the rest of
the royal family.
World War I: “The Last Straw”
• War revealed the
uselessness and
overconfidence of the
country’s upperupper-class
leadership
• Corrupt military
leadership and contempt
for ordinary Russian
people
• Average peasant had
very little invested in the
War
11
The Collapse of the Imperial
Government
World War I (cont)
• Nicholas II left for the
Front—September,
1915
• Alexandra and
Rasputin throw the
government into
chaos
• Alexandra and other
high government
officials accused of
treason
• Poorly supplied
troops
• Result: Chaos and
Disintegration of the
Russian Army
--Battle of
Tannenberg (August,
1914)
• Spreading Discontent
Rasputin Fun Facts
•
•
1914: He was attacked by a woman She cut him across the stomach,
causing his entrails to spill out, at which point she yelled, “I have killed
the Antichrist!”
– Rasputin survived the attempt
1916: A group of nobles decided that Rasputin was far too dangerous to
live, and invited him to a party. There, they served him cakes and red
wine laced with massive amounts of cyanide, enough cyanide to kill
5men
– Rasputin was unaffected
Rasputin Fun Facts
•
•
•
It seemed poison and bullets could not stop him, so the men clubbed
him, beating him horribly.
– Rasputin was unconscious and not breathing.
Rasputin’s body was tied up, rolled into a carpet & tossed into an icy
river. Upon hitting the icy water he struggled, breaking his bonds and
escaping from the carpet.
– He clawed feverishly at the ice, but drowned in the river.
Shortly before his death, Rasputin wrote to Nicholas II that if he were
killed by government officials, the entire imperial family would be killed
by the Russian people.
– His prophecy came true 15 months later, when the czar, his wife and
all of their children were killed by assassins amidst the Russian
Revolution.
Rasputin Fun Facts
•
•
When he didn’t die, the leader of the group went downstairs & shot him
in the back with a pistol.
– Rasputin hit the ground, unmoving.
Later, a noble returned to the residence to retrieve his coat & check on
the body. When entered the room, Rasputin still unconscious, but
suddenly opened his eyes, lunging at the noble and whispering, “you
bad boy” as he tried to strangle him. The other nobles ran into the room,
firing pistols at Rasputin. He was hit three more times, and fell once
more.
– Rasputin was still breathing, and was attempting to stand up.
The Collapse of the Imperial
Government (cont)
• Rasputin
assassinated in
December of 1916
• Refusal to receive
assistance of the
Russian Middle Class
• Complete
mismanagement of
the wartime economy
12
The Revolutions of 1917
July 17, 1918
• The March Revolution
• Tzar Nicholas II and his
family were executed by
the new communist
government..
government
• The youngest daughter,
Anastasia, was rumored
to have survived.
• Recent DNA tests have
confirmed that she too
died with her family.
– A provisional government
took over
– The Tzar and his family
were taken prisoner.
• The November
Revolution
– Lenin and the
Communists were voted
into power
– Lenin signed an armistice
with Germany, removing
Russia from WWI
GERMANY COLLAPSES,
WAR ENDS
 On November 3, 1918,
Germany’s partner, AustriaHungary, surrendered to the
Allies
 That same day, German sailors
mutinied against their
government
 Other revolts followed, and
Germany was too exhausted to
continue
War ends 11/11/18
 So at the eleventh hour, on the
eleventh day, of the eleventh
month of 1918 (11/11/1918),
Germany signed a truce ending
the Great War
What is Propaganda?
• Propaganda is a specific type
of message presentation
aimed at serving an agenda.
At its root, the denotation of
propaganda is 'to propagate
(actively spread) a
philosophy or point of view'.
• The most common use of the
term (historically) is in
political contexts; in
particular to refer to certain
efforts sponsored by
governments or political
groups.
Activity
1. How did the Russian Revolution impact
Russia in WWI?
2. Why did people lose faith in the Royal
Family?
3. How did Rasputin impact the Royal
Family?
4. How did WWI end?
Why do we use Propaganda?
• Each of the nations which
participated in WWI
used propaganda
posters.
• They used posters to:
– Justify their involvement
to their own populace
– As a means of recruiting
men to enlist
– A way to raise money
and resources to sustain
the military campaign.
– To urge conservation
13
Why Posters?
• Television had not
yet been invented
• Not everyone owned
or had access to a
radio
• Posters were the
most effective means
of getting a message
across
Government Support
• Quite often propaganda
is connected with
negative emotions…BUT
• During the Great War the
governments needed
money for the war effort
so they focused their
efforts on posters aimed
at raising money from
citizens for the war effort
Financing the War
Food Administration
Fuel Administration
The Role of Women
14
Enlistment and Recruitment
Aiding our Allies
Victory Garden
War Industries Board
Directions for WWI Unit Project
• You will work with a partner (or by
yourself) to create a “war poster” with a
specific “slogan” based on a topic (ex:
Financing the War) to persuade others to
join the war cause. You will also write a 3
section report explaining the history and
role of the topic, significance of your
slogan and elements used on your
poster. You will present your poster to
the class.
Directions Continued…
• The Poster must be hand-drawn, colored, and
eye-catching. It can be large paper or poster
board. If poster board, it must be provided by
you!
• The Report must be written or typed in
complete sentences.
• It is NOT acceptable for you to “Google image”
and copy someone else’s ideas.
• It is NOT historically accurate or acceptable for
you to have images of modern things featured
on your poster that weren’t available in the
early 1900s.
15
Instructions for Report
• Section 1 (2 paragraphs) – What is your topic?
Explain your topic and the role it played in
World War 1.
• Section 2 (2 paragraphs) – What is your
slogan? Why is it significant?
• Section 3 (2+ paragraphs) – How do the
different parts of your artwork contribute to
your slogan and topic? How are they used?
WWI Propaganda Poster Topics
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Financing the War (ex: Liberty Bonds)
Food Administration
Fuel Administration
The Role of Women
Enlistment and Recruitment
Aiding our Allies
Victory Gardens
War Industries Board (ex: items rationed)
Grading Rubric – 100 points
• Content (40) – report is complete,
accurate, organized, and error-free
• Artwork (30) – poster is complete,
creative, relevant, historically accurate,
and persuasive
• Attractiveness/Organization (15) –
poster is very neat and well-organized
• Presentation (15) – exceptional
behavior, well-delivered, clearly
communicated and understood.
SOCIAL CHANGE DURING
THE WAR
 The greatest effect of the First
World War on the African
American population was that it
accelerated the Great Migration
 The Great Migration was the
large scale population shift for
hundreds of thousands of
African Americans from the
South to Northern cities
This African American family
settled in Chicago
 They left to escape
discrimination and to seek
greater job opportunities
 Popular destinations included
Chicago, New York and
Philadelphia
WOMEN IN THE WAR
 Many women were called upon
to take on jobs previously held
by men who were serving in the
war
 They became railroad workers,
cooks, dockworkers, factory
workers, and miners
 Many women served as
volunteers in organizations such
as the Red Cross
The 19th Amendment gave
women the right to vote in 1920,
mostly due to WWI.
16
THE FLU EPIDEMIC
1918 Flu Pandemic:
Depletes All Armies
 In the fall of 1918, the United States
suffered a home-front crises when a
flu epidemic affected 25% of the
population
 Mines shut down, telephone service
was cut in half, factory work was
delayed
 Cities ran short on coffins while
corpses lay unburied for as long as a
week
Seattle, like many other places,
became a masked city. All police wore
them, as shown in this photo from
"The Great Influenza"
 The epidemic killed as many as
500,000 in the U.S. before it
disappeared in 1919
11 a.m., November 11, 1918
50,000,000 –
100,000,000 died
~16,000,000 Dead
The Armistice is Signed!
The Somme American Cemetery,
France
116,708 Americans Died
17
Turkish Genocide Against Armenians
Turkish Genocide Against Armenians
Districts & Vilayets of Western
Armenia in Turkey
1914
1922
Erzerum
215,000
1,500
Van
197,000
500
Kharbert
204,000
35,000
Diarbekir
124,000
3,000
Bitlis
220,000
56,000
Sivas
225,000
16,800
27,000
Other Armenian-populated Sites
in Turkey
Western Anatolia
371,800
Cilicia and Northern Syria
309,000
70,000
European Turkey
194,000
163,000
Trapizond District
73,390
15,000
Total 2,133,190
387,800
A Portent of Future Horrors to Come!
WILSON FIGHTS FOR PEACE
ALLIES REJECT WILSON”S
PLAN, SIGN TREATY
 Despite the hero’s welcome he
received in Europe, Wilson’s plan for
peace would be rejected by the Allies
 Wilson’s plan for peace was called the
“Fourteen points”
 The Big Four leaders, Wilson
(U.S.), Clemenceau (France),
Lloyd George (England), and
Orlando (Italy), worked out the
Treaty’s details
 Included in his “points” were:
 No secret treaties
 Wilson conceded on most of
his 14 points in return for the
establishment of the League of
Nations
 Freedom of the Seas
 More free trade
 Reduction of arms
 Less colonialism
 On June 28, 1919, the Big Four
and the leaders of the defeated
nations gathered in the Hall of
Mirrors at Versailles and signed
the Treaty of Versailles
Wilson’s 14
points in
his own
short hand
 League of Nations to promote peace
Hall of Mirrors
TREATY OF VERSAILLES
The Treaty established nine
new nations including;
 Poland, Czechoslovakia, and
Yugoslavia
 The Treaty broke up the
Austro-Hungarian Empire and
the Ottoman Empire empires
 The Treaty barred Germany
from maintaining an army,
required them to give AlsaceLorraine back to France, and
forced them to pay $33 billion
in reparations to the Allies
The Big Four met at Versailles
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THE WEAKNESS OF THE
TREATY
The harsh treatment of
Germany prevented the
Treaty from creating a
lasting peace in Europe
 The Treaty humiliated
the Germans by forcing
them to admit sole
responsibility for the war
(War-Guilt Clause)
 Furthermore, Germany
would never be able to pay
$33 billion in reparations
Germans felt the Versailles
Treaty was unfair
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Fight over the Treaty
President Wilson returned to the U.S. and presented the treaty to
the Senate, needing the support of both Republicans and
Democrats to ratify the treaty.
Wilson had trouble getting the Republican Congress’s support.
Fight over the Treaty
The Senators divided into three
groups:
1. Democrats, who supported
immediate ratification of the treaty
2. Irreconcilables, who wanted
outright rejection of U.S. participation
in the League of Nations
3. Reservationists, led by Senator
Henry Cabot Lodge, who would only
ratify a revised treaty
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DEBATE OVER TREATY AT HOME
 In the United States, the Treaty was hotly debated especially the League of
Nations
Reservationists thought the League of
Nations charter requiring members to
use force for the League conflicted
with Congress’s constitutional right to
declare war.
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THE LEGACY OF WWI
 At home, the war strengthened
both the military and the power of the
government
Many wanted the U.S. Congress to maintain the right to declare war
 Ultimately, Congress rejected U.S. involvement in the League of Nations
the U.S. President had created
 The propaganda campaign
provoked powerful fears in society
 For many countries the war
created political instability and
violence that lasted for years
 Russia established the first
Communist state during the war
WWI 1914-1918
22 million dead, more than half civilians.
An additional 20 million wounded.
 Americans called World War I,
“The War to end all Wars” --however unresolved issues would
eventually drag the U.S. into an even
deadlier conflict
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WEAKNESS
STRENGTHS
The League of Nations
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