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World War I
Causes of WWI
Imperialism
Extending the rule of one country over another.
European nations held many colonies in Africa & Asia.
Germany competed with France & Britain for colonies.
Nationalism
A devotion to the interests and culture of one’s nation.
Colonies? Wanted independence.
Ethnic groups looked to larger countries for help.
Serbia/Russia (Serbia looked to Russia for help)
“Powder Keg of Europe” (Ethnic rivalries in Balkans)
Militarism
The development of armed forces and their use as a tool of diplomacy.
The military was glorified.
Germany? (Strongest Army in Europe by 1890)
Alliance System
 The 5 major powers in Europe had maintained an uneasy peace
since the Franco-Prussian War. (GB,AH,F,B,R)
 Alsace-Lorraine? (Part of France Germany took during
Franco-Prussian War)
 Fearing retaliation, Germany formed the Triple Alliance with
Austria-Hungary and Italy. (Central Powers)
 To oppose the T.A., the Triple Entente was formed between
Great Britain, France and Russia. (Allies)
How WWI Started
On June 28, 1914, a Slavic nationalist linked to Serbia, Gavrilo Princip,
assassinated the heir to the Austrian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand
and his wife Sophie.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Austria-Hungary moved against Serbia.
Russia backed Serbia.
Germany declared war on Russia and France.
Belgium refused to let Germany cross its territory to attack France, so
Germany declared war on Belgium.
5. Great Britain declared war on Germany because of Belgium.
Because of the Alliance system, nation after nation was pulled into war,
giving us WWI.
The Fighting Starts
Since 1905 Germany had a secret plan, in the event that war broke out, to
launch a quick strike against France, defeat them, and then have a full-scale
offensive against Russia.
The Schlieffen Plan 1905
 Secret plan from Germany to launch quick strike against France.
 To be able to concentrate fully on Russia.
 Had to go through Belgium (6/18)
 France and Britain able to halt German advance.
The Western Front
 600 miles of French and Belgian countryside.
 Trench warfare
 Barbed wire
 No Man’s land
 Dugouts
Americans Question Neutrality
Most Americans were against U.S. involvement in WWI.
•Divided loyalties? (Immigrants)
•Support of the Allies? (U.S. favored G.B. / similarities)
•Economics/trade (Traded with a lot of the countries at war)
The War Hits Home
British blockades of the sea were very effective since they were in control of
the seas.
•Contraband? (war related supplies)
•750,000? (German’s who starved to death because of the blockades)
Germany’s response to the blockade was the U-Boat.*
•*German word for submarine.
Lusitania
•British ocean liner
• Sunk by U-Boat
• 1200 dead, 128 Americans
• Turned America against Germany
Arabic / British liner (2 dead U.S.)
Sussex / French ship (U.S. injuries)
The Zimmermann Note
•March 1917, a coded message was intercepted from German Foreign
Minister Arthur Zimmermann to the German minister in Mexico.
•Intercepted by the British
•Promised Mexico (Texas, N.M. and Arizona) if it entered war
Against U.S. and U.S. defeated.
•This outraged The United States and Wilson called for a declaration of war
against Germany.
•“The world must be made safe for Democracy”.
America Mobilizes
When WWI broke out, the United States was not ready for war.
Selective Service Act
•Required men to register with the government in order to be randomly
selected for military service. (21-31) (18-45)
•24 million registered / 3 million called up / 2 million served
•369th? (all black regiment / duty on front lines)
•Women? (Army Corps of Nurses / no rank)
(Full rank Navy & Marines / no combat)
Transporting all the soldiers was now a concern for the United States. Building new
ships became the number one task for the United States.
•Shipyard workers were given “deferred” status.
•Shipyards used prefabrication techniques.
•Government converted commercial and private ships for transatlantic
war use.
Fighting “Over There”
The first soldiers to fight in WWI were American Expeditionary Force led by General
John J. Pershing.
•Doughboys? (American soldiers in Europe)
There were new weapons or improvements on existing ones that came out during
WWI.
1.tank
2.machine gun
3.plane
4.antiaircraft gun
5.poison gas
6.observation balloons
The new weapons would often introduce new hazards.
1.dysentery (polluted water)
2.filth, lice, rats
3.inhaling poison gas
4.shell shock
5.trench foot (feet rotting off)
6.trench mouth (infection of gums and throat)
In 1917 Russia pulled out of WWI. Why? (Bolshevik Revolution)
Germany could now concentrate solely on the Western Front.
Good thing the United States showed up.
With the help of the United States entering WWI, the tide of
the war changed over to the Allies.
One of America’s greatest war heroes was Alvin York. At first
he was a conscientious objector.* (morally against war)
•Armed with only a rifle and revolver
•Killed 25 Germans
•Captured 132 Germans with the help of six others
•All in one day
Armistice
On the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month, 1918.
The final toll for WWI came at a high price.
•22 million dead (half civilians) Spanish influenza
epidemic
•20 million wounded, 10 million refugees
•$338 billion
•U.S. 48,000 dead, 62,000 more dying of disease
•200,000 Americans wounded
•“War to end all wars”
The War at Home
Winning the war was not a job for the soldiers alone, everybody had to get
involved.
War Industries Board
•established in 1917 by Bernard M. Baruch
•encouraged companies to use mass-production techniques to
increase efficiency.
•Set production quotas and allocated raw materials
•Chemicals, meatpacking, oil, steel
•Production increased by 20%
1.Railroad Administration controlled the railroads
2.Fuel Administration monitored coal supplies and rationed gasoline and heating oil.
•Gasless Sundays
•Lightless nights
•Daylight-savings time
Food Administration
•To help produce and conserve food
•Herbert Hoover
•People were asked to follow the “gospel of the clean plate”
1.Meatless Mondays
2.Sweetless (1)
3.Wheatless (2)
4.Porkless (2)
Restaurants removed sugar bowels from the table and served
bread only after the first course.
Homeowners planted “victory gardens”
School children grew tomatoes and cucumbers in public parks.
As a result of the food administration, food shipments to the Allies
tripled.
Selling the War
The United States spent about 35.5 billion on the war effort.
•Taxes (Tax the rich more heavily)
•War-profits tax (tobacco, liquor, luxury goods)
•Bonds (Liberty and Victory loans)
•Movie stars and other helped to sell bonds.
To popularize the war, the government set up the Committee on Public
Information. It was the nation’s first propaganda* agency.
*a kind of biased communication designed to influence people’s thoughts and
actions.
•George Creel
•Involved the nation’s artists and advertising agencies
•Paintings, posters, cartoons, and sculptures promoting the war.
•Boy Scouts distributed 75 million pamphlets, booklets, and leaflets.
Attacks on Civil Liberties
The United States was full of anti-immigrant hysteria during WWI.
•Many German Americans were targeted
•People with German names lost jobs
•German music (Bach, Beethoven, etc)
•Towns with German names changed them
•Schools (stopped teaching German language)
•Libraries removed books by German authors
•German measles (Liberty measles)
•Hamburger (Liberty sandwich, Salisbury steak)
•Sauerkraut (Liberty Cabbage)
•Dachshunds (Liberty pups)
Congress passed the Espionage and Sedition Acts under which a person could be
fined up to $10,000 and sentenced to 20 years in jail for interfering with the war
effort or for saying anything disloyal, profane, or abusive about the government or
the war effort.