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Entering WWI
Setting the scene
As America has been building its empire, so have other nations. _______________ industrializes, and starts competing
with ______________ and _________________for colonies and military bases, in places like Africa, the Pacific, and
China. Imperialism
As countries start to expand, they become more protective of their national ethnicities…becoming competitive with
other ethnicities as well as countries. Countries like ___________________ start becoming protective of other _______
nations like __________________…which is going to create tensions with Austria-Hungary. Nationalism
Countries no longer question if there will be a war, but when, so they start building up forces and glorifying military
Germany and Britain build up their _________________to be able to compete at sea. ________________, Russia, and
France build up their armies so they will be able to fight on land. Guaranteeing that any war will involve more troops
and advanced __________________ than ever before. Militarism
Countries start allying with other countries as a security measure (nobody will disturb the ________________________).
Alliances make countries reckless as they start thinking that the advantages of peacetime aren’t as appealing as the
benefits of war. The Alliance System
Alliances before the Great War:
________________________ – Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy
________________________ – Britain, France, Russia
____________________ Peninsula becomes “Powder Keg in Europe”
-Ethnic Rivalries among Balkan peoples
-Russian need for access to the Mediterranean Sea
-German need for rail link to the __________________ Empire
-Austria-Hungary control over _______________, which was contested by _____________________
Assassination Leads to War
In June, 1914, heir to the ___________________throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, takes a trip to Sarajevo with his
wife. He is shot by a Serbian ultra-nationalist organization, the __________________. When Serbia refuses to help
investigate into the assassination, _____________________________ declares war.
Activating the alliance system – this takes less than a week
1 – Austria-Hungary declares war on _____________________due to the assassination
2 – _______________________ declares war on Austria-Hungary to protect its Slavic ally
3 – ___________________ declares war on Russia because they have an alliance with Austria-Hungary
4 – _____________________ declares war on Germany to protect their alliance with Russia
5 – _____________________ declares war on Belgium (neutral) so that they can invade France from the north
6 – ____________________ declares war on Germany to defend their ally France, and neutral Belgium.
Schlieffen Plan
Germany has a plan in place in case of a war with enemies on both sides…it is called the ____________________Plan.
Phase 1: Germany invades _____________________ to quickly surround and defeat Paris, and the French
Phase 2: After Germany no longer has to worry about French resistance, they can shift their entire forces to defeat
___________________
The War
Once Germany invaded Belgium, the allies were quickly pushed back to France, and stopped at the Battle of the Marne.
At the Marne, troops literally dug-in to defend their positions, leading to a long trench warfare siege on both sides.
Trench Warfare
In rows of dug-in trenches, usually less than ____________ from the enemy, troops fought for 3 years to gain any kind of
ground. Trenches stretched from Belgium to ___________________. Between the Battle of the ________________and
the Battle of _________________, more than 2 million troops were killed, and only _____ miles of ground changed
sides.
Where was America?
- The Popular Opinion:
American’s had no need to join a struggle ___________miles away
No American ___________were being threatened
No American ________________________ was being threatened
- Other Reasons to Stay Out
_____________________believed the war was just a struggle between Germany and England over markets and land,
____________________ believed that war was evil and the US should set an example of peace for the world, Many
Americans did not want to expose their families to the horrors of warfare
America’s Interests at Stake
Many Americans still had ties to European nations from which they had emigrated, Americans shared common
ancestries and __________________, America had similar democratic institutions and legal systems, America had strong
_____________________ ties to the Allies – and sympathized with Belgium, who had tried to be _________________.
American Involvement
US provided many war supplies to all of the European nations at war, items like ___________________, cannon powder,
submarines, copper wire and tubing, and armored cars. The quick outcome of the war was important, as we wanted to
ensure repayment of _________________.
Anti-German Sentiment
Anti-German propaganda showed how Germans were “bullying” Europe by destroying villages, libraries, and hospitals
The US wanted to prevent the German _______________ from blocking and threatening US shipping.
Blockade and Response
British ships blocked the German coast to prevent military supplies from getting in – which also prevented food from
getting in (Germans _________________ from lack of food and fertilizer for crops). Americans angry because it doesn’t
allow American goods into Germany either. Germany responded by sinking British and allied boats with their
submarines (____________________), many of which had Americans on board.
Steps to US Entering War
Wilson re-elected, calling for “a peace without ___________________…a peace between equals.” Germans announce
plans to sink _________ ships in British waters
Step #1 - Sinking Americans
When German submarines sank the British liner ____________________ on May 1, 1915, more than 1200 people died,
including __________ Americans (it was carrying ammunition, which Germany pointed out.) Wilson demanded a formal
apology, which they received. ____ more times Germany sank ships carrying Americans, and 3 more times Wilson
formally protested, and Germany apologized.
Step #2 Alliance with __________________
US intercept “___________________-Note”, proposing alliance between Mexico and Germany, so Mexico could gain
lost territory
Step #3 – Russian Revolution
Vladimir _____________ leads the Bolsheviks in Russia to overthrow ___________ Nicholas II – giving Russia something
of a representative government. Now war in Europe is ____________________ vs. brutal ______________________.
War Resolution
April 2, 1917, _________________ delivers his war resolution, which is passed by Congress. Americans hoped and
believed that United States joined war to fight for future ____________ and _____________________.