Download WWI NOTES 1

WWINOTES
I.
THEM.A.I.N.CAUSESOFWWI
1
Militarism:fascinationwithmilitarypowerandwar
-LedtoArmsRace:Acompetitiveincreaseofmilitaryqualityandquantitybetweentwoormore
nations.
-Enemynationssawthisbuildupofmilitaryasamovetowardwar
Example:GermanybuiltupitsnavytocompetewithGreatBritain’snavy,causingtensionbetweenthe
twocountries.
Alliances:agreementsbetweencountriestohelpeachotherduringwartime
•
Alliancespulledmanycountriesintothewar
TheAlliedPowers(TheAllies;TripleEntente)
GreatBritain
France
Russia(until1917)
TheCentralPowers(TripleAlliance)
Germany
Austria-Hungary
TheOttomanEmpire
Imperialism:Buildinglargerempiresbyexpandingterritoryandgainingcolonies.
-Competitionforland(colonies)ledtointenserivalriesamongtheEuropeanpowers.
ThenewlyunitedcountriesofGermanyandItalyestablishedcoloniestogainwealth&
internationalinfluence,&competedwithothernationstodoso.
• Colonieswereasourceofrawmaterialsandamarketforfinishedgoods.
Example:asGermanyindustrialized,itcompetedwithFranceandBritainforcolonies.
•
Nationalism:strongfeelingsofprideandunityamongaparticulargroupofpeoplethatsharethesame
language,culture,background,and/orreligionetc.
• A‘Nation’referstoagroupofpeoplewhoshareacommonlanguage,religion,history
andtraditions.
• Ethnic&ideologicaldifferencesledtoconflictwithinempires.
WWINOTES
•
Conflictlednationstoseektocreatetheirownempiresorbreakawayfromtheones
they’reapartof.
• Nationalismcreatedcompetitionbetweengroups
II.
TheSparkthatBeginsWWI
A. TroubleintheBalkans(diverseregionofSoutheasternEurope)
1. SerbiawantedtotakecontrolofBosnia
2. Austria-HungarytookoverBosnia
3. ArchdukeFranzFerdinand(theheirtothethroneofAustria-Hungary)was
assassinatedbyaSerbianterrorist(GraviloPrincip).
4. Austria-HungarydeclaredwaronSerbia
5. Thealliancesystembroughtothernationsintothisconflict.
III.
USINVOLVEMENTINWWI
A. USisneutralatfirst
TheU.S.declaredneutralityattheoutbreakofthewar,howevervariousfactorschallenged
Americanneutrality&eventuallyledtotheinvolvementoftheU.S.intheGreatWar.
1. TheU.ShadalongstandingtradingpartnershipwithGreatBritain
2. TheU.SwasunabletotradewithGermanyduetotheBritishNavalBlockade.
3. AmericanbusinessesmadeloanstotheAlliesinordertocontinuetrade.
B. SubmarinewarfareandtheLusitania
In1915aGermanU-boat(submarine)sunkaBritishpassengership,theLusitaniawith
Americansonboard.
• PresidentWoodrowWilsonwasangeredbythedeathsofinnocentAmericans.
• ThiseventdidnotbringtheU.Sintothewar
AsaresulttoWilson’sprotestsGermanypledgedtorestricttheiruseofthesubmarines.
Wilsoncampaignedforre-electionin1916onthesloganthat“hekeptusoutofwar.”
C. Zimmermannote
ZimmermannotewhichwasasecretGermantelegraminterceptedbytheBritish
proposedanalliancebetweenMexicoandGermany.Thenotesaidthat,intheevent
thatUSbecameinvolvedinthewar,GermanywouldhelpMexicorecover“lost
territory”inTexas,NewMexico,andArizona.
D. ChangesinRussia
Inearly1917,revolutioninRussiareplacedthemonarchywitharepublic&President
WilsoncouldnowconsiderallyingtheU.S.witha‘democratic’Russia.
E. USentersthewar
1. ThedecisionofGermanytoresumeunrestrictedsubmarinewarfareinthe
Springof1917forcedWilsontoasktheCongresstodeclarewaronGermanyinAprilof
1917.
2
WWINOTES
IV.
2. PresidentWilsonannouncedhisintentionto“maketheworldsafefor
democracy”andlaterissuedhisFourteenPoints.
• Wilson’sFourteenPointswashisplantorestorepeace.
TheWarEffort
A. SelectiveServiceAct
Tomeetthegovernment’sneedformorefightingpower,Congresspassed
theSelectiveServiceActinMay1917.Itrequiredmentoregisterwiththegovernmentin
ordertoberandomlyselectedformilitaryservice.Almost3millionwerecalledup.
B. UShelpsendthewar
1. TheAmericanExpeditionaryForcechangedthecourseofthewarbyfightingthe
GermansonthewesternfrontinFrance.
2. ArmisticeofNovember11,1918:endedfightingbetweentheAllies&Central
Powers.
Armistice:anagreementbetweentwosidestostopfighting.
3. WorldWarIwasthebloodiestwarinhistoryuptothattime:Deathsnumbered
about22million.
C. TheWaratHome
1. Thewarstimulatedethnic&philosophicalconflictswithintheU.S.
• Forexample,propagandacharacterizedGermansas“Huns”&resultedin
discriminationagainstAmericans&immigrantsofGermandescent.
Propaganda:Thespreadingofideas,informationorrumorforthepurposeof
helpingorhurtingaperson,grouporinstitution.
2. ThepassageoftheEspionageActof1917intendedtostopinterferencewith
militaryoperationsorrecruitment,topreventrebellioninthemilitary,and
topreventthesupportofUnitedStatesenemiesduringwartime.
Schenckvs.UnitedStates:aUnitedStatesSupremeCourtcaseconcerning
enforcementoftheEspionageActof1917duringWorldWarI.Charles
Schenckdistributedfliersthaturgedmennottojointhewardraft.Schenck
wasfoundguiltyofviolatingtheEspionageAct.
• Thecourt’sdecisiondeclareditwasconstitutionalforrights,including
freedomofspeech,tobelimitedduringwartime.
3
WWINOTES
• Themostfamousandmostoftenquotedpassagefromthecourt’s
decisionwasthis:
“Themoststringentprotectionoffreespeechwouldnotprotectamanin
falselyshoutingfireinatheatreandcausingapanic.[...]Thequestionin
everycaseiswhetherthewordsusedareusedinsuchcircumstancesandare
ofsuchanatureastocreateaclearandpresentdangerthattheywillbring
aboutthesubstantiveevilsthatCongresshasarighttoprevent.”
-Thephrase"shoutingfireinacrowdedtheater"hassincebecomea
popularmetaphorfordangersorlimitationsoffreespeech.
3. ThepassageoftheSeditionActof1918restrictedtherightsofAmericanstovoice
theiroppositiontothewareffort.
V.
SeditionAct:Thislawdisallowed“disloyal,profane,scurrilous,orabusive
language”abouttheUnitedStatesgovernment,itsflag,oritsarmedforces.
4. Propagandacreatedaunitedwareffortattheexpenseofindividualfreedoms.
TheTreatyofVersailles
A. PresidentWilsonheadstoVersaillesConferences
1. Whilethearmisticeof11/11/18endedthefighting,theTreatyofficiallyendedthe
war.
2. PresidentWilsontookaleadershiproleattheVersaillesConference.
3. WilsonhopedtocreatealastingpeacebasedontheprinciplesofhisFourteen
Pointswhichhehopedwouldeliminatemanyofthecausesofthewar,butdidnot
understandthedesiresoftheEuropeanleadersofFrance,Italy,&GreatBritain.
B. The14Points
1. Thepointsweredividedinto3groups:
-Thefirst5pointsweremeanttopreventanotherwar:
a.Thereshouldbenosecrettreatiesamongnations.
b.Freedomoftheseasshouldbemaintainedforall.
c. Tariffs&othereconomicbarriersamongnationsshouldbeloweredor
abolishedinordertohavefreetrade.
d. Militariesshouldbereduced“tothelowestpointconsistentwithdomestic
safety,thuslesseningthepossibilityofmilitaryresponses”duringdiplomatic
crises.
4
WWINOTES
e. Colonialpoliciesshouldconsidertheinterestsofthecolonialpeoplesaswell
astheinterestsoftheimperialistpowers.
-Thenexteightpointsdealtwithboundarychanges.
Wilsonbasedtheseontheprincipleofself-determination.Groupsthatclaimeddistinct
ethnicidentitiesweretoformtheirownnation-statesordecideforthemselvestowhat
nationstheywouldbelong.
- Thefourteenthpointcalledforthecreationofaninternationalorganizationto
addressdiplomaticcriseslikethosethathadsparkedthewar.
• TheLeagueofNationswouldprovideaforumfornationstodiscuss&settle
theirissueswithouthavingtoresorttowar.
C. TheAllieswanttopunishGermany
1. Theotheralliesweredeterminedtoprotecttheirownnationalinterests.
2. Germanyhadtoacceptresponsibilityforwar.
• GermanywasforcedtogiveupitscoloniesandsomeEuropeanterritory.
• Germanywasforcedtomakereparation(compensation)payments.
3. Newnationalbordersdrawnattheconference,basedonselfdetermination,
couldnotaccommodatealloftheethnicdiversitywithinEurope.
Theseactionsbythealliescreatedapathforthenextworldwar.Itwasapunishingpeaceand
theGermanswereabsolutelyhumiliatedbyit.TheAlliesplannedtocrippleGermanysobadly
thatitcouldneveragainbeathreat.ThebitternessoftheGermanshelpstheriseoftheNazis
movement.ThereparationpaymentdemandsweakentheGermaneconomyandhelpslead
intothedepression.
D. BackathomeintheUS
1. PresidentWilsonwasabletoincludetheLeagueofNationsintheTreatyof
Versailles,howevertheU.S.SenatewashesitanttoinvolvetheU.S.inEuropean
affairsonapermanentbasis.TheywereconcernedthatitwouldgetUSinvolvedin
futuremilitaryactionwithouttheconsentoftheSenate.
2. WilsonwasunwillingtocompromisewiththeSenate&hispoorhealthmade
compromiseimpossible.
3. TheSenaterefusedtoratifytheTreatyofVersailles&theU.Sdidnotbecomea
memberoftheLeagueofNations.
4. TheU.S.latermadeaseparatepeacewithGermany&sentrepresentativesto
meetingsoftheLeagueofNations.
5
WWINOTES
6