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WORLD WAR I ERA
1914-1920
Causes of World War I
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Immediate cause was the assassination of Archduke Francis
Ferdinand by a Bosnian nationalist on June 28, 1914.
Causes of World War I
Main Causes of World War I
Imperialism Competition for colonies led to conflict among
European powers.
Militarism
Powerful nations had aggressively built up
armed forces & given the military more authority.
Nationalism Inspired European powers to obtain new
colonies, as well as ethnic minorities seeking
self-government.
Alliances
Different groups of nations had pledged to come
to one another’s aid in the event of attack.
The War in Europe, 1914–1918
When Austria-Hungary
declared war on Serbia, the
complex alliance system in
Europe drew much of the
continent into the conflict.
The Conflict Expands
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One week after the war started, all the great powers of
Europe had been drawn into it.
Germany and Austria-Hungary formed the Central Powers.
Russia, France, Serbia, and Great Britain were called the
Allies.
Trench Warfare
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Failure of the Schlieffen plan leads to stalemate in Europe, a situation in
which neither side is able to gain an advantage, resulted in trench
warfare.
When a French and British force stopped a German advance near Paris,
both sides holed up in trenches separated by an empty “no man’s land.”
Trenches extended for miles.
New technologies
Modern Warfare

Machine guns
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Hand grenades
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Artillery shells
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Poison gas
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Submarines
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Tanks
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Airplanes & zeppelins
The American Response
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European immigrants or the children of
European immigrants, many Americans felt
personally involved in the escalating war.
Support for the Allies was partially caused by
Germany’s rule by an autocrat, a ruler with
unlimited power.
In addition, anti-German propaganda, or
information intended to sway public opinion,
turned many Americans against the Central
powers.
The Preparedness Movement
The Preparedness Movement
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Americans with business ties to Great Britain wanted their country to be
prepared to come to Britain’s aid if necessary.
In an effort to promote “preparedness,” the movement’s leaders
persuaded the government to set up military training camps and
increase funding for the armed forces.
German Submarine Warfare

To break a stalemate at sea, Germany began to employ U-boats
(submarines).
The Sinking of the Lusitania
 On May 7,1915, a German U-boat sank the British passenger liner
Lusitania, carrying both passengers and weapons for the Allies.
 128 American passengers were on board.
The Sussex Pledge
 More Americans were injured when Germany sank the Sussex, a French
passenger steamship, on March 24,1916.
 In what came to be known as the Sussex pledge, the German
government promised that U-boats would warn ships before attacking, a
promise it had made and broken before.
Moving Toward War
Unrestricted Submarine Warfare

On January 31, 1917, Germany announced its intent to end the Sussex
pledge and return to unrestricted submarine warfare.
The Zimmermann Note

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Britain intercepted a telegram to the government of Mexico from
Germany’s foreign minister, Arthur Zimmermann.
In the Zimmermann note, Germany offered to return American lands to
Mexico if Mexico declared war on the United States.
The War Resolution
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As Germany continued to sink American ships in
March, President Wilson’s patience for neutrality
wore out.
On April 6, 1917, the President signed Congress’s
war resolution, officially bringing the United States
into the war.
The American Expeditionary Force (AEF)
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Selective Service Act (May 1917) made
draft possible
Draftees, volunteers, & National Guardsmen
made up the American Expeditionary Force
(AEF), led by General John J. Pershing
The American soldiers (particularly the
infantrymen) were called doughboys
The Convoy System
The Convoy System
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To transport troops across the
Atlantic, the United States
employed convoys, or groups of
unarmed ships surrounded by
armed naval vessels equipped
to track and destroy submarines.
Due to the convoy system,
German submarines did not sink
a single ship carrying American
troops.
Financing the War
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The government raised
$20 billion for the war
by selling Liberty Bonds.
A newly created War
Industries Board
oversaw military
production.
Daylight savings time
created to save fuel &
increase work hours.
Minorities & Women in the War
German immigrants
• Restricted immigration & hostility
• Sedition Act suppressed civil liberties
African Americans
• Served in segregated units
• Great Migration – leaving South to find work in northern
factories
Women
• New work opportunities
• Leads to victory in suffrage battle
Civil Liberties
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Espionage and Sedition Acts
Schenck v. United States (1919)
Turning the Tide of War
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The Bolshevik revolution in Russia allowed Germany to turn its full attention to the
Western front (France).
With the arrival of new troops in 1918, the Germans was pushed back in a series
of attacks.
Finally, the German army was driven to full retreat in the Battle of the Argonne
Forest (Meuse-Argonne Offensive) begun on September 26 and ending with the
signing of an armistice, or cease-fire, on November 11, 1918.
Results of the War
Some Results of World War I
Human cost The estimated death toll 8.5 million soldiers and civilians,
including 126,000 Americans. Total casualties (including
wounded & missing) was 37.5 million.
Lost
Generation
Many felt that the war had destroyed an entire generation
of young men & grieved for the loss of their potential.
The idea was taken up by a group of American writers,
including F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway.
Genocide
In an act of genocide, or organized killing of an entire
people, the Ottoman Empire had murdered hundreds of
thousands of Armenians.
Fourteen Points
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Proposal by President Wilson
Named for number of provisions, which included:
 An end to entangling alliances
 Reduction of military forces
 Right to self-determination for ethnic groups
 League of Nations
Treaty of Versailles
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On June 28, 1919, the peace
treaty was signed at Versailles,
outside of Paris.
Redrew the map of Europe to the
Allies’ advantage. Created nine
new nations, including Poland,
Yugoslavia, Lithuania, Latvia &
Estonia.
Required Germany to pay billions
of dollars in reparations,
demilitarize, and give up territory.
Economic & Social Impact
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Because of the ramp-up in military production, economies
boomed during the war.
After the war, U.S. had a short downturn, leading to labor
unrest.
Most of the economies of Europe were destroyed.
War debt totaled over $165 billion worldwide.
World War I is followed by the Red Scare and race riots in
the U.S.