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World War I Begins
Mr. White’s US History 1
Main Ideas and Big Questions
• World War I was a global war that occurred mainly in
Europe and involved the United States.
• Big questions
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What were the four main causes of World War I?
What sequence of events led to World War occurring?
What was combat like in World War I?
Why did the United States stay neutral regarding World
War I?
Causes of World War I
• Militarism – building military to advance
interests of one’s nation
• Alliance system – system of secret alliances
between nations
• Imperialism – building an empire by taking
over smaller countries
• Nationalism – devotion to the interest of one’s
nation over others
MAIN Causes
Militarism
Alliances
Imperialism
Nationalism
Militarism
• Since many nations were trying to become empires,
they were building up their armies and navies
• These were used not just to fight wars, but also in
diplomacy - the bigger your army and navy, the more
power you had
• Nations were very ready to use their armies to get
what they wanted
• Many nations even had to-the-minute plans ready
for the invasion of other nations
Alliance System
• By 1907 there were two major alliance systems in
Europe, in which nations would promise to help
each other in war
– Triple Entente – France, Britain, Russia
– Triple Alliance – Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman
Empire, Italy
• These countries agreed to help each other if
attacked
• What will happen if one country attacks another?
The Alliance System
Alliances
Imperialism
• Many European nations were building
empires, just like the U.S.
• Countries would take over smaller nations and
use them for:
– Raw materials
– New markets to sell goods
• Competition for colonies and resources made
rivalries between nations bigger
Nationalism
• Nationalism – the devotion to the interests of
one’s nation over others
• Nationalists believed that the ultimate identity
of a person or groups was to their nation
• The politics of the 19th and early 20th century
were influenced by nationalism
• This nationalism created intense rivalries
between nations
French Soldiers, also joined by civilians, on
their way to Berlin
Berlin students on their way to enlist.
British hordes swamp the recruiting office
Trouble Brewing
• Bosnia had been taken over by AustriaHungary, so Bosnians didn’t really like
Austrians
• Some Bosnians were really angry, like Gavrilo
Princip and the Black Hand
The Spark That Sets off the Powder
Keg
• January, 1914 – Archduke Franz Ferdinand of AustriaHungary visits Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia
• Gavrilo Princip and the Black Hand successfully
assassinate the Archduke and his wife
• Austria-Hungary declares war on Bosnia and Serbia
• What’s going to happen?
The Chain Reaction
• Russia, allied with Serbia, mobilizes to help defend,
declares war on Austria-Hungary
• Germany, allied with Austria-Hungary, declares war
on Russia
• France, allied with Russia, declares war on Germany
• Germany attempts to invade France through Belgium
• England, allied with Belgium, declares war on
Germany
Combat
• Germany first invades France, trying to
capture Paris and end the war quickly
• Both sides begin to dig in and entrench
• Trench warfare
– Sides dig in
– Advantage for
the defender
British infantry knee deep in mud
Trenches
• Both sides dug extensive trench systems
• Space between was called “no-man’s land” –
no man controlled it
• Trenches stretched across the entire
battlefield
• Attacks were head-on charges to take the
other side’s trenches
•
Trenches
The Defensive Advantage
• Defenders had the advantage in trench
warfare – why?
• New weapons made warfare more deadly
– Machine gun – high rate of fire, devastating to
attacks
– Barbed wire – obstacle; attackers slowed by it
– Gas – poisonous gas used to wipe holes in the
line; soldiers had to wear masks to protect from
this
American Neutrality
• Many people in U.S. did not want war
• People supported different sides
– English – common language, culture
– Germans – Irish; don’t like the English
• United States begins to supply weapons and
supplies to the war
America Power Tips the Balance
Mr. White’s US History 1 Class
American Neutrality is Broken
• Americans wanted to stay neutral; wanted to
keep European problems in Europe
• The Great War wasn’t threatening American
lives or property
• Woodrow Wilson won re-election in 1916 with
the phrase, “He kept us out of war”
U-boats and the Lusitania
• Germans were using new weapon –
submarines (unterseeboot)
• Used them to sink British ships bringing
supplies to English and French in Europe
• Germans sink Lusitania – British ocean liner
with 128 Americans on it
• American opinion turns against Germans
The Zimmerman Note
• Germany continues to attack all ships, Allied or
neutral, that they find in British waters
• British spies intercept a telegram from Germany to
Mexico
• Germany promises that if U.S. declares war on
Germany, and Mexico allies with Germany, Germany
will help them get back lost territory
• Shortly afterwards, U.S. Congress declares war on
Germany
American Readiness
• U.S. not prepared for war
– Only 200,000 men in the armed forces at the time
– Few officers with combat experience; last American war
was Spanish-American, 1898
• Selective Service Act passed by Congress
– All men ages 18 and above must register for military draft
– Helped U.S. fill armed services with 3 million men
American Impact on WWI
• Convoy system
– U.S. naval commander
developed a system in which
destroyers would protect
supply ships in convoys
• American troops
– Known as doughboys for
pipe clay used to clean white
belts
– Contributed new enthusiasm
to the war effort
New Weapons and Technologies Airplanes
– First used to gather
information, scout
battlefields
– Later used to shoot
down other planes
– Finally used against
regular soldiers
New Weapons and Technologies Tanks
• Impenetrable against small arms fire and grenades
• First used to attack and clear barbed wire and machine gun
nests
• Used in “penny-packets” – tanks divided among men to
support them
– Lessened their impact
– Had to stay with infantry – couldn’t go ahead
– Couldn’t combine firepower
• Later, tanks used in groups to punch holes and move into the
rear of the enemy
• Tanks and planes reintroduce mobility to warfare
WWI Tank
Other Combat Hazards – Shell Shock
• Complete mental, emotional, and physical
breakdown of a soldier put under too much stress
• Soldiers don’t get used to combat – stress wears on
them to the breaking point – only treatment is to
remove the soldier from the stressful situation
• Today, called post-traumatic stress disorder
Other Hazards – Trench Foot
• Rotting of feet caused by
wet feet that got infected
• End result was sometimes
amputation, as feet would
get gangrene
• Prevented by keeping feet
dry, clean, and changing
socks often
End of the War
• American enthusiasm played a major role in Allied
victories
• Tanks and planes reintroduce mobility and
decisiveness to warfare – this advantage helps allies
win
• November 3, 1918 – German army and navy
surrender, and revolt against the government
• Overthrow the kaiser (like a king) and set up a
republic
• November 11, 1918 – Germans sign armistice
The War at home
Mr. White’s US History 1
In order to coordinate the war effort, Congress gave President Woodrow
Wilson direct control over much of the economy.
PART I: FEDERAL POWER
War Industries Board
The War Industries Board was a government
body that regulated the war efforts
Encouraged mass-production, efficiency, and the
elimination of waste
Industrial production increased, but retail prices
nearly doubled on consumer goods
Other federal agencies regulated the railroads,
fuel production
These organizations also enforced rationing and
some price controls
War Economy
Although wages increased dramatically for many
blue-collar workers, rising food and housing costs
offset this
Corporations saw large profits – DuPont rose in
value 1,600%
In response to increased hours, child labor,
uneven pay, and sped-up work conditions, union
membership increased
Wilson established the National War Labor Board
to improve labor-management relations
Food
Wilson called for the gospel of the clean plate –
don’t waste
Certain days without certain foods
Homeowners planted “victory gardens” to
produce for the war effort
Increased prices for wheat encouraged many
farmers to increase production – some had taken
out loans to meet this
The United States was able to triple its food
exports to the Allies
The federal government raised money and fostered public support for
the war effort.
PART II: SELLING THE WAR
War Financing
• To raise money for the war, the government
used many new taxes
– Income tax
– War-profits tax (war industries)
– Excise tax – tobacco, liquor, luxury goods
• The government also sold war bonds to raise
money – loans from the people to the
government
Committee on Public Information
• To rally support for the war effort, the federal
government resorted to propaganda
• Propaganda is the use of biased materials to
influence people’s thoughts or actions
• George Creel used all sorts of media to
encourage people to support the war:
– Paintings, posters, cartoons, sculptures
– Public speakers sent out to speak on topics of the war
– Pamphlets, booklets, other printed materials
Attacks on civil liberties and prejudices against foreign people grew as
the war continued.
PART III: ATTACKS ON CIVIL
LIBERTIES
Anti-Immigrant Hysteria
• As the war continued, many attacks occurred
against foreign-born Americans or their
descendents
• German immigrants or German Americans
were targeted
– Many lost their jobs
– One was lynched
German Names
Much that was related to Germany was
removed
Towns with German names changed them
Orchestras stopped playing music from German
composers
Other things with “German” names were
renamed
German measles: liberty measles
Hamburger: Salisbury steak, liberty sandwich
Sauerkraut: liberty cabbage
Dachshunds: liberty pups
The Espionage and Sedition Acts
• The Espionage and Sedition Acts were passed to
discourage people from obstructing or speaking
out against the war effort
• Many people lost jobs because of anti-war views
• Around 2,000 people were prosecuted for antiwar activities
• The law was often enforced inconsistently –
people giving the same anti-war speech in
different states were arrested in some, not in
others
The war encouraged certain social changes for black Americans, women,
and other groups
PART IV: SOCIAL CHANGE
Black Americans and the War
• Black Americans were divided on their
support for the war
• W.E.B. DuBois believed that black Americans
should support the war effort
– Felt that black support for the war would lead to
more racial justice
• William Monroe Trotter disagreed – felt that
victims of racism should not support a racist
government
The Great Migration
• More and more black Americans began to
migrate to the northern states
– Escape racial discrimination in the south
– Boll weevil infestation, floods, and droughts made
farming difficult in the south
– Job opportunities, especially with war production
• Black Americans migrated to Chicago, New
York, Philadelphia
Women in the War
As men were drafted or enlisted, women began
to fill the jobs they left
Particularly war industries – worked for less
Some worked as volunteers for the Red Cross,
helped sell war bonds, or encouraged victory
gardens
In response to these contributions, Woodrow
Wilson pushed for women’s suffrage
In 1920, the 19th Amendment was ratified by the
states, guaranteeing women the right to vote
End of WWI
Mr. White’s US History 1
War is Over!
• Different sides now have to come together to
discuss the agreements of the peace
• Each side has different things that they want
• Different sides will meet at Versailles, in
France
Palace of Versailles
Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points
• Woodrow Wilson had a
plan for after the war, to
have a fair peace and avoid
more war
• Wilson gave his “Fourteen
Points” speech to
Congress, outlining his plan
• Eight of the points dealt
with boundary changes
Five Main Points – For A Lasting Peace
• Wilson had five main points that were to avoid further war:
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There should be no secret treaties between nations
Freedom of the seas should be maintained for all
Tariffs should be abolished
Weapons should be reduced to as little as possible
Colonial policies should consider the colonized people, as well
• Fourteenth point – “League of Nations” would be set up as a
place where nations could talk about problems before going
to war
Allies Reaction
• French and English are very angry, want to “make
Germany pay”
– French want to get land back
– English want to keep France and Germany balanced, so
that neither becomes too strong
• United States, France, England and Italy attend the
peace conference
– None of the defeated powers were invited
– Russia, which has become communist, is not invited, either
Treaty of Versailles
• Several new nations established by the treaty
– Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czechoslovakia,
and Yugoslavia – taken from Russia and Germany
– Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq, and Syria set up in the Middle
East – controlled by Britain
• Germany
– Not allowed to have a large military
– Had to return Alsace-Lorraine to France
– Had to pay reparations (war damages) to the Allies
Weaknesses of The Treaty
• Harshness on Germany
– War-guilt clause made Germany take all the blame
– Germany wasn’t able to pay war reparations
– Germany lost all of its colonies, which could have helped
pay the war reparations
• Russia
– Not included in the peace conference
– Lost more territory than Germany did
– Not happy at all
• Colonized people weren’t given independence
Opposition to the Treaty
• Some believed that the treaty was too harsh
on Germany
• Colonialism – one group of colonial rules
exchanged for another
• Some people didn’t like the new national
boundaries
League of Nations
• Many in the United States felt that membership in a
League of Nations would give up U.S. sovereignty
• Thought that Congress wouldn’t have the right to
declare war anymore; would have to go through the
League
• Woodrow Wilson refused to compromise on his
Fourteen Points with Congress
• Since Wilson wouldn’t compromise, they reject
Wilson’s Fourteen Points proposal
Legacy of the War
• U.S. military and government power grew
• Europe
– Many countries had political and social problems
– Communism was established in Russia, and Russia was determined to
regain its lost territory
– Fascism will come to power in Spain, Italy, and soon Germany
– Many Europeans wanted to continue fighting
• Some felt there were unresolved issues
• Germany, in particular, isn’t happy with arrangements
• Neither is a young Austrian corporal by the name of Adolf Hitler