Causes of WWI

Global Causes

• Began as a local European war between Austria-Hungary and Serbia on July 28, 1914

• Became a general European struggle after Austria-Hungary declared war on Russia and Germany invaded Belgium

• Over five years, it became a global war involving 32 nations

Causes of U.S. Involvement

• The United States maintained a shaky neutrality for more than two years after the war erupted. However, the U.S. was eventually led into the war by April, 1917

• Election of 1916 pitted Wilson (D) “keep us out of war” versus Hughes (R) who was backed by Roosevelt and considered more of a warmonger. Narrow victory for Wilson.

American economic interests

• U.S. produced war supplied for France and Britain and U.S. banks loaned $3 billion to Europe, helping to produce one of the greatest economic booms in the nation’s history

• The National Security League organized by bankers and businessmen promoted prepardedness; got Wilson to agree

Cultural ties

• The U.S. greatly admired Britain’s traditions, culture, and political system that made them morally superior to the Central Powers• Americans had greater cultural ties

to the English

Allied propaganda

• Britain exaggerated German atrocities in Belgium and France as well as the Zimmerman note

Early Hostile Acts

• Sinking of the Lusitania, a British passenger ship in May, 1915—128 Americans killed• Sinking of the French merchant ship

the Sussex, in March, 1916—2 Americans killed (Germany issued the Sussex Pledge)

Wilson’s idealism: a moral victory

• warned Germany that unrestricted submarine warfare would violate the U.S. trade rights as a neutral nation • claimed WWI fighting would “make

the world safe for democracy”• create “peace without victory”

German naval policy

• In Jan., 1917, Germany announced that it would resort to unrestricted submarine warfare against the shipping of Britain and all shipping to Britain

• Wilson’s address to Congress: Feb., 1917: warning to Germany that any additional acts of aggression would result in war

More German Aggression in March, 1917

• Zimmerman Note intercepted• Russian Revolution: meant that they would no

longer be led by a totalitarian czar—ideal for Wilson

• Five more U.S. merchant ships sunk

Declaration of war: April 6, 1917

• See Wilson’s war message to Congress