Download From Neutrality to War

FROM NEUTRALITY TO WAR
19.1
OBJECTIVES
Identify the causes of World War I
 Describe the course and character of the war
 Explain why the United States entered the
conflict on the side of the Allies

KEY PARTS
What Caused World War I
 The Fighting Begins
 Wilson Urges Neutrality
 Neutrality Gives Way to War

INTRODUCTION
Read Section 19.1
 Answer critical thinking questions 4&5.

WHAT CAUSED WORLD WAR I
Until 1914 there had not been a large scale
European conflict for nearly one hundred years.
 However, Europe was sitting on a powder keg of
nationalism, regional tensions, economic
rivalries, imperial ambitions, and militarism.
 Nationalism kick-started international and
domestic tension.

CONT.
One example was France, they wanted to get
their revenge on Germany from an incident that
occurred in 1871.
 Social Darwinism began to spread rapidly, people
began to believe the best nation would come out
ahead in the constant competition among
countries.
 For many European leaders, it was not if there
was going to be a great war but when.

CONT..
Leaders began to strengthen their armies and
stockpiles of weapons.
 The top of this list of course was Germany, by
1914 it had a huge standing army and the largest
deadliest collection of weaponry in the world.
 Germany also built up its Navy to keep up with
Great Britain.

CONT…
Britain also increased its Navy to try and stay in
Naval power.
 Militarism began to spread in almost every
country involved. (glorification of the military)
 The competition was Germany and Britain at
sea, and Germany, France, and Russia by land.
 The most important factor to all of this is that
the next war was going to be larger than any that
these countries had seen and with more
sophisticated weapons and technology.

CONT….
European leaders also prepared for war by
forming alliances.
 This was a positive in some ways and a negative
in others.
 In 1914 two major ones emerged, Germany,
Austria-Hungary, and Italy joined together in the
Triple Alliance.
 The opposing Alliance was the Triple Entente,
made up of France, Russia, and Great Britain.

THE FIGHTING BEGINS
Everything was in place for a great conflict,
nationalism, large armies, stockpiles of weapons,
alliances and military plans.
 Francis Ferdinand heir to the throne of AustriaHungary was assassinated by some young
Bosnians who believe that Bosnia rightfully
belonged to Serbia.
 This assassination is what triggered the Great
War.

CONT.
Kaiser William II, the German Emperor assured
Austria-Hungary that Germany would stand by
its ally if war came.
 The confident Austria-Hungary declared War on
Serbia on July 28, 1914.
 Because of the alliance system that was in place
many other countries became involved.
 If the alliances were not made then it would have
been a local issue.

CONT..
This conflict mobilized Russia to help its ally
Serbia.
 This caused Germany to declare war on Russia.
 France, Russia’s ally declared war against
Germany.
 Then Germany declared war against Belgium,
this caused Great Britain to declare war with
Germany.

CONT…
After the initial battle of Marne the Germans
began settling into trenches and so did the
French and British.
 Soon 450 miles of trenches stretched along the
countryside from the coast of Belgium to the
border of Switzerland.
 The war dragged on for years and it was
unbelievably deadly.

CONT….
Trench warfare ended up being a heavy casualty
producing war tactic.
 The offensive side always was disadvantaged,
leading to constant stalemates.
 Men faced constant artillery, machine gun fire,
sniper fire, poison gas, trench foot, lice, and
overall lack of hygiene.

CONT…..
Casualties began to mount by the hundreds, then
thousands, then hundreds of thousands, and
finally in millions.
 Once million French soldiers were killed or
wounded in just the first three months of the
war. (The Germans lost just slightly fewer)
 The British suffered 60,000 casualties on the first
day of battle alone.

WILSON URGES NEUTRALITY
Wilson initially called Americans to be impartial
to the European conflict.
 1/3 of the Americans were foreign born in 1914.
 Wilson wanted to keep the Nation United.
 One unifying theme was the hatred toward
Germany for the killing of innocent people in
Belgium.

NEUTRALITY GIVE WAY TO WAR
In February of 1915 Germany began sinking
Allied ships using its U-Boats, or submarines.
 This affected America when a German U-Boat
sank the British passenger liner the Lusitania off
the Coast of Ireland (1260 were killed, a large
number were Americans)
 Germany then made a promise with United
States that they wouldn’t sink anymore civilian
ships.

CONT.
But in 1916 Germany violated that promise by
sinking the unarmed French passenger ship
Sussex.
 This angered Wilson and he began preparing the
nation for war.
 Congress passed the National Defense Act, and
the Naval Construction Act to gear up for war.

CONT..
In January 1917 suffering a severe supply
shortage due to the British Blockade Germany
took action.
 Arthur Zimmermann Germany’s Foreign
Minister proposed an Alliance with Mexico.
 The Zimmerman Note said Mexico should declare
war on the United States and when the War was
over Germany would give Mexico its land back
that was lost in the Mexican American War.

CONT…
The telegram was intercepted by the British who
gave it to American authorities.
 This angered Wilson even further and on April 2,
1917 Wilson asked Congress for a declaration of
war against Germany.
