World War I

1914-1918Events in Europe,

U.S. Involvement, and Georgia’s Role

SETTING THE STAGE FOR WAR:

• LONG TERM: – desire for greater empire, wealth and territory– military strength and dominance, – series of treaties which ensured that once one power

went to war, all of Europe would quickly join, – social turmoil and changing artistic sensibilities

caused by the Industrial Revolution

• ETHNIC GROUPS: individual groups of people within countries

Causes of the War in Europe• Imperialism – Competition between

European countries for colonies in Africa and Asia. Germany wants more colonies.

• Nationalism – Pride and loyalty for your country. Created tensions between ethnic groups.

• Militarism – European countries believed in having a strong military.

• System of alliances-agreements between countries

The War Begins

• A young Serbian (Gavrilo Princip) man shot and killed Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary

• Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia

• Allied Powers: Great Britain, France, Russia, Italy, United States, and 8 others. With Serbia

• Central Powers: Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire (Turkey), and Bulgaria

• Neutral Powers: Spain and Switzerland• (…eventually involved 32 countries)

The Powers That Be

America Enters the War…• A German submarine, called a U-boat, used a

torpedo to sink the Lusitania, a passenger ship carrying 1,198 people including 128 Americans- who drowned

• Later, Germany used U-boats to sink American merchant ships

• Finally, we intercepted a telegraph from Germany to Mexico trying to get Mexico to wage war against the U.S. (Zimmerman Telegraph)

In Georgia during the Great War:

• More than 100,000 Georgians served in WWI• Georgia established several training facilities• Georgia’s economy was improved by

supplying the troops with uniforms, food, and cigarettes.

• Citizens bought Liberty Bonds and planted Victory Gardens

• Freedom of speech was restricted for the sake of national security

• Women worked with the Red Cross and they sewed and knitted clothing for the troops

Georgia’s Economy• Increase in textile mills and Coca-Cola expands

its market throughout the South.• Natural resources are being used

– Bauxite – Aluminum– Timber– Cotton and Cottonseed – Clothing & oil– Kaolin – plastics, toothpaste, medicine, etc.– Marble

Georgia’s Cities• “Atlanta Forward” Campaign – A • successful, national advertising campaign

started by the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and Ivan Allen, Sr. to attract new businesses to Atlanta

• William B. Hartsfield, who would become mayor of Atlanta, convinced the current mayor to invest in airplanes and build an airport.– This move brought Delta Air Lines to Atlanta, which

created a number of new jobs

Georgia’s Agriculture• Georgia farmers had two problems to

deal with in the 1920’s– Boll Weevil: a small beetle that eats cotton– Drought: an extended dry period

• The drought helped in one way; it slowed down the boll weevil so that not all of the cotton was lost– However, the drought killed other important

crops– United Streaming: American History: From the Great War to the Great

Depression