Download World War I

World War I
(1914-1920)
The War to End All Wars?
Section 1: Road to War
 Prior to WWI, a dramatic rise of nationalism,
imperialism, and militarism in Europe seemed to
make large-scale conflict inevitable.
Causes of World War I
 Although one event provoked the start of
war, the main causes of war existed prior
to 1914.
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Imperialism
Militarism
Nationalism
Alliances
Imperialism
 A great scramble for colonies took place in the late 1800s.
 European powers rushed to claim the remaining uncolonized areas
of the world, particularly in Africa, Asia, and the Pacific.
 By 1910, most land was colonized, leading to increased hostility
and competition for land within Europe.
 Germany felt envious of Britain and France, who fared better in the
imperialist race.
Militarism
 Diplomacy is largely
abandoned for militarism.
 Nations built up their
armed forces in
preparation for war.
 Industrial and
technological growth gave
birth to new weaponry.
 Preparation leads to action
Nationalism
 Some countries acted out of national interest. When
interests conflicted with other countries, war often
ensued.
 Other countries had diverse ethnic groups within
them. These ethnic minorities often wanted their
independence.
Alliances
 A complicated system of alliances developed among European
nations at the turn of the century.
 Germany and Austria-Hungary
 Russia and France
 Great Britain and France
 If two countries went to war, the alliance system would pull the
entire continent into the conflict.
Alliances
 Alliances were broken into two groups: the Triple Alliance,
and the Triple Entente
“A Powder Keg”
 Due to these alliances, strong nationalism,
and the expansion of armed forces, Europe
appeared to be on the brink of a continentwide conflict.
 Many referred to it as a “powder keg” ready
to explode with any small spark.
Assassination of Archduke
Francis Ferdinand
 On June 28, 1914 Francis Ferdinand, heir to the
throne of Austro-Hungarian Empire was assassinated.
Austria-Hungary had recently annexed Bosnia, many Serbians lived in
Bosnia and resented A-H’s control; wanted to reunite with Serbia.
Ferdinand was in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia, and his assassin,
Gavrilo Princip, was a Serbian nationalist.
Powder Keg explodes
 The assassination of Francis Ferdinand
was the spark that lit the powder keg.
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Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia
Russian declared war on Austria-Hungary
Germany sides with A-H
France and Great Britain side with
Russia/Serbia.
Allied Powers
 Russia, Serbia, France, and Great Britain
became known as the Allied Powers, or the
Allies.
Central Powers
 Germany and Austria-Hungary made up the Central Powers.
 Italy was an ally to Germany and Austria-Hungary prior to the
war, but switched sides after the war began.
Schlieffen Plan
 Both sides expected victory
within months.
 The Schlieffen Plan was
Germany’s plan for quick
sweeping victory on the
Western war front.
 Germany hoped to avoid
fighting on two fronts by
winning quickly on the
Western Front before facing
Russia in the east.
Stalemate
 Germany quickly moved through Belgium and
northern France, but were stopped by British and
French forces 30 miles from Paris.
 Stalemate occurred, where neither side could gain
land or advantage.
Trench Warfare
 In the stalemate that was
most of WWI, soldier dug
trenches into the ground for
protection.
 Both sides trenches faced
each other across an empty
“no man’s land”.
Trench Foot
Modern Warfare
 WWI is often considered to
be the first modern war.
 Industrial development
created new, more efficient
killing machines.
 Rapid fire machine guns,
grenades, artillery shells,
poison gases, armored tanks.
New Weapons Effect
 A machine gun can fire 450 rounds a minute.
 In prior wars, armies fought in an open field.
 Rapid-fire weapons made fighting in the open deadly and
impossible.
 20,000 British soldiers were killed in a single day trying to
rush a German trench.
 Soldiers dug into the ground to avoid being “mowed down”.
American Response
 Most Americans sympathized
with the Allied powers.
 Many German and Irish
American immigrants,
however, felt ties with Central
powers and resented the
British.
 Wilhelm II, the Kaiser, or
Emperor, of Germany had
strong militant control over
Germany. His authoritarian
leadership concerned
Americans, who valued
democracy.
Propaganda
 British newspapers published false propaganda,
information to sway public opinion, that soon infiltrated
American thought.
Neutrality
 President Woodrow Wilson
officially proclaimed the U.S. a
neutral country.
 American business leaders
supported neutrality, but many
with strong commercial ties to
Great Britain urged
“preparedness” for war.
 In 1915-1916, Wilson greatly
expanded the U.S. armed
forces to prepare for possible
involvement.
Peace Movement
 Many also opposed
“preparedness” and any
consideration of war.
 Former Populists,
progressives, and social
reformers advocated peace
and neutrality.
 Many cited the financial
costs and increased taxes
as reasons not to enter war.
Section 2: U.S. Enters War
 As WWI increasingly jeopardized U.S. business
interests, America finally declared war.
German Submarine
Warfare
 The German U-boat, or
submarine, changed
naval warfare and trade.
 U-boats fired on
merchant ships while
hidden underwater
without warning.
Sinking of the Lusitania
 On May 7, 1915, A German U-boat attacked the Lusitania,
a British passenger liner.
 The ship sank in eighteen minutes, killing 1,200
passengers and 128 Americans.
 Outraged the U.S. who demanded Germany stop
submarine warfare.
Sussex Pledge
 Germany promised to stop sinking passenger ships
without warning, but continued doing so anyway.
 After attacking the Sussex, a French ship, the U.S.
threatened to cut diplomatic ties with Germany.
 Germany promised again to warn ships before attacking,
known as the Sussex pledge.
Wilson Reelected
 Woodrow Wilson was reelected as president in 1916
on the slogan, “He kept us out of war.”
 Soon afterwards, Germany declared it would end the
Sussex pledge.
The Zimmerman Note
 In February of 1917, Britain
revealed an intercepted
German telegram from Arthur
Zimmerman, Germany’s foreign
secretary.
 The Zimmerman note was
written to Mexico, proposing
that if Mexico joined Germany
in fighting the U.S., Germany
would help Mexico reacquire
Texas, New Mexico, and
Arizona.
Zimmerman Note
 Mexico, divided by civil war, didn’t pose
a realistic threat to the U.S., but the
telegram increased American hostility
towards Germany.
“We shall endeavor to keep the U.S. neutral. In
the event of this not succeeding, we make
Mexico a proposal of alliance… Make war
together, make peace together… and…
Mexico is to reconquer the lost territory in
Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona.”
-Arthur Zimmerman
Russian Revolution
 By 1917, Russia had suffered enormous casualties in the war (1.5
million killed, 2.5 million POW, millions more wounded) and Central
forces had pushed deep into Russia’s interior.
 In March 1917, Czar Nicholas II was forced out of the throne for a
republican government.
 This further pushed the U.S. to war, who was hesitant to ally
themselves with a dictator.
U.S. Declaration of War
 Germany sank the U.S. ships
City of Memphis, Illinois, and
Vigilancia before the
President’s Cabinet voted
unanimously for war.
 A war vote passed 82 to 6 in
the Senate and 373 to 50 in the
House.
 Wilson said that “the world must
be made safe for democracy.”
 U.S. entered war on April 6,
1917
Section 3: U.S. in Europe
 Early on, the U.S. only contributed supplies and a small group of
soldiers. In 1918, they increased the number of troops in Europe
to 3 million.
Draftees and Volunteers
 Congress passed a Selective
Service Act, authorizing a
draft of young men for
military service.
 More than 24 million
registered for the mandatory
draft, and 3 million were
chosen by lottery.
 Draftees and volunteers
formed what was called the
American Expeditionary
Force (AEF).
The Convoy System
 As a precaution against
German U-boats, the U.S.
merchant and troop ships
began traveling to Europe in
a convoy.
 Groups of unarmed ships
traveled in a large group
surrounded by destroyers
and torpedo boats designed
to track and destroy
submarines.
Soldiers in Europe
 Led by General John J. Pershing
 Pershing history: Spanish-American War & went to Mexico in
search of “Pancho” Villa
 Pershing kept U.S. troops independent from other Allied
troops.
 Believed the U.S. needed to bring a new, offensive mindset
that would turn the tide of war and bring victory.
Russia’s Exit:
The Bolshevik Revolution
 In late 1917, Vladimir Lenin and his
followers, Bolsheviks, overthrew
the Russian government.
 Prioritizing the communist
revolution within Russia, Lenin
signed a truce with Germany and
pulled out of the war.
 Eliminated the eastern front of the
war and allowed Germany to move
all their troops to the western front.
German Advancement
 In 1918, with all their troops on the western front, Germany
broke through the trenches and began advancing through
France toward Paris.
 First time that the stalemate ended since the beginning of the
war in 1914.
American troops push
back Germany
 General Pershing dispatched troops to the front of the battle to turn
back the German offensive.
 They successfully halted the German advancement and began
pushing the line of battle further back, away from Paris.
Allied Counterattack
 The arrival of U.S. troops
turned the tide of the war in
favor of the Allied powers.
 250,000 new American
soldiers were arriving in
France each month and
quickly sent to the front line.
 The introduction of the
armored tank allowed Allies
to cross trenches and break
German lines.
War in the Air
 Towards the end of the war, airplanes are introduced
in combat, forever changing warfare.
 Used as scouting tools early on.
 Began firing machine guns from planes and finally
dropping bombs.
Ending the War
 The Allied powers continued to overpower the
Central forces.
 Austria-Hungary divided in October of 1918.
 Poles, Hungarians, Czechs, and Slovaks all
declared their independence.
 German commanders proposed peace, but
Allies demanded full German surrender.
End of War
 The German navy
mutinied, or refused to
fight any longer.
 The German Kaiser fled
to Holland in November.
 A civilian representative
from Germany signed an
armistice, or cease-fire,
on November 11, 1918.
Influenza Epidemic
 Last months of war were
darkened not only from war
deaths, but epidemic.
 American troops arriving in
1918 brought a new form of
an influenza virus.
 The epidemic killed an
estimated 30 million people
worldwide, far more than
those who died in battle
itself.
Impact of War
 The scars of war ran deep throughout most of the world,
particularly in Europe.
 The sick and wounded outnumbered those who had died.
 “The war to end all wars” only seemed to intensify the hatred
and bitterness between nations and ethnicities in Europe.
Section 4: War at Home
 Although the war more greatly impacted Europe,
where it was fought, domestic life in America saw
changes as well.
Financing the War
 Government raised
money from the
American people.
 Borrowed money by
selling Liberty Bonds.
 A bond is an investment,
money loaned to the
government to be paid
back with interest.
 Liberty Bonds raised $20
billion for the war.
New Agencies
 New agencies were
created to coordinate
the war effort.
 War Industries Boardmanaged war-related
production
 National War Labor
Board- worked to
settle disruptive labor
issues
Food and Fuel Regulation
 In 1917, Congress passed the Lever Food and Fuel
Control Act.
 Gave the President the power to regulate food and fuel
distribution.
 Herbert Hoover, leader of the Food Administration and
future President, had power to control prices and ration
goods that were necessary for war: food and fuel.
Enforcing Loyalty
 In an effort to unify the
country and enforce
loyalty, news and
information came under
federal control.
 Propaganda and
advertisements glorified
the war and criticized
those who weren’t
supportive of the war.
“Hate the Hun”
 Germans were often called
Huns, a reference to a violent
people group that invaded
Europe in the fourth and fifth
century.
 Schools stopped teaching
German, German books were
removed from libraries.
 A German-born American
citizen name Robert Prager was
lynched, despite having tried to
enlist in the U.S. Navy.
Sedition Act
 President Wilson warned that
disloyalty would be “dealt with
with a firm hand of stern
repression.”
 Congress passed the Sedition Act
in 1918.
 Made it illegal to obstruct the sale
of Liberty Bonds or discuss
anything “disloyal, profane, or
abusive” about American
government, or the war.
 A direct violation of the First
Amendment: freedom of speech.
Lifestyle Changes
 War created new work
opportunities for women
and minorities, to fill the
jobs of soldiers in the war.
 400,000 women joined the
industrial work force for the
first time.
 500,000 African Americans
moved from the South to
northern cities to find
factory work.
Section 5:
End of War Resolutions
 Woodrow Wilson had visions of world
peace and accountability. His plans were
not realized, Germany was given harsh
punishments that led directly to WWII.
Woodrow Wilson’s
Fourteen Points
 Before the war ended, Wilson proposed a series of goals
that he thought could bring lasting world peace.
 There were fourteen goals, and were known as Wilson’s
Fourteen Points
Wilson’s Fourteen Points
 1. An end to secret treaties
 2. Absolute freedom of the seas
 4. Guaranteed reduction of national
armaments
 14. The creation of a League of Nations
 A cooperative group of nations created to
hold all nations accountable; a community of
shared power.
Self-determination
 Wilson advocated for the
self-determination of
ethnic groups.
 Self-determination- the
power to make decisions
about one’s own future.
Paris Peace Conference
 In January 1919, an
international peace
conference convened
in Paris.
 Wilson attended and
made it clear he did
not wish to punish the
war’s losers by taking
land or money from
them.
Compromise
 Wilson did not get his way
 Leaders from Britain, France, and Italy wanted to make
Germany pay significantly for the war.
 Wanted to divide up German colonies and make them pay
reparations- financial repayment for losses.
League of Nations
 One of Wilson’s major points
was the formation of a League
of Nations.
 Under the league, nations
would join together to ensure
security and peace for all
nations.
 Article 10 stated that an attack
on one country would be
viewed as an attack on all
countries.
 Designed to dissuade any
country from aggression and
imperialism.
The Peace Treaty
 Peace talks resumed in March 1919, but Wilson was given
little input in the discussion.
 France and Britain demanded harsh penalties for Germany.
 Wilson feared that these demands would lead to future wars.
Redrawing the Map of
Europe
 Wilson was also forced
to compromise on selfdetermination, the
conference leaders
decided the fate of small
Balkan ethnic groups.
 The conference created
nine new nations out of
the territory that was
Austria-Hungary.
Redrawing Maps
 They reduced the Ottoman Empire to what became
Turkey.
 Britain took control of Palestine, Transjordan, and Iraq.
 France took control of Syria and Lebanon.
War Guilt and Reparations
 Against Wilson’s
desire, the treaty left
Germany with crippling
reparations.
 Ruled that Germany
owed the Allies $33
Billion, an amount that
Germany could not
realistically afford to
pay.
Reparations, Depression,
Hitler, and WWII
 These harsh reparations are often cited
as a direct cause of WWII.
 The reparations created German
bitterness and intensified the global
economic depression in the 20-30s,
leading to Hitler’s rise to power.
 Germany just completed paying the
reparations on October 3, 2010
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130232809
Versailles Treaty
 Germany, shocked by the excessive reparations, refused
to sign the treaty until France threatened to invade.
 The powers finally signed the treaty on June 28 at
Versailles, the former home of French kings.
 The treaty is known as the Versailles Treaty.
U.S. Response and
Henry Cabot Lodge
 Many conservative senators,
lead by Republican Henry
Cabot Lodge, did not support
the treaty because it
committed the U.S. to the
League of Nations.
 Lodge believed that
participation in the League of
Nations would draw the U.S.
into every European conflict
and undermine American
independence.
Cabot Lodge and conservative Republicans feared the League of Nations
would tie the hands of the U.S., and undermine American independence.
Wilson’s Stroke
 Wilson gave speeches across the country to win support
for the League of Nations.
 Suffered a serious stroke, paralyzed one side of his
body and isolated him from political activity for the
remainder of his term.
Senate Vote
 Due to Wilson’s illness,
Cabot Lodge’s strong
influence, and a Republican
majority in the senate, the
senate voted to reject U.S.
participation in the League
of Nations, 39 for, 55
against.
 They re-voted 2 more
times, and each time the
proposal was rejected.
The End of Debate
 The U.S. Congress voted
to disregard the Treaty of
Versailles and declare the
war over.
 Wilson vetoed.
 Congress passed the
movement again, and by
then Republican
President, Warren
Harding, was in office,
who signed it.
Conclusion
 Despite the creation of the League of Nations being
Woodrow Wilson’s idea, the U.S. became the only
country not to join.
 Some argue that a stronger League of Nations, with U.S.
support, could have prevented or softened WWII.