World War I
Chapter 11
Causes of WWI
Nationalism- pride for your country Imperialism- growth of empires/colonies Militarism- build up of the military Alliance system- treaties that force countries to
enter war If country “A” is attacked, then countries “B” and “C”
must come to their aid
Military Competition
Germany and England competed to have stronger navies and militaries
Other countries soon joined this arms race
Triple Entente (Allies)
France, Britain, Russia, USA
Triple Alliance (Central Powers)
Germany Austria Hungary Italy Ottoman Empire (Turkey)
Assassination
Serbian Gavril Princip killed Austrian Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Princip was a member of the terrorist group, The Black Hand
Ignited the “powder keg” and started WWI
Alliance System at Work
Russia declared war on AH to defend Serbia Germany declared war on Russia to defend AH Germany declared war on Russia’s ally, France England declared war on Germany after it
invaded Belgium
WWI
War was fought in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East
Heaviest concentration of fighting was in Europe
War spread to other areas b/c of colonization
Schlieffen Plan
August 1914, Germany invaded Belgium Split the German army in two
One half invaded Belgium and then would invade France Other half would fight the Russians to the east and hold
them off After defeating France and Belgium, both halves of the
German army would combine to attack Russia
First Battle of the Marne (1914)
Counterattack by British and French against the Germans
Stopped the month long offensive by the Germans
Set the stage for 4 years of trench warfare
Trench Warfare
Used in WWI New kind of warfare 3 kinds of trenches
Front line trench Support trench Reserve trench
Soldiers live, ate, slept in the trenches “dugouts” were built for command posts “no man’s land” was between the trenches
25 yards to a mile wide Open flat land between the trenches No “cover” for soldiers as they advanced from trench to
enemy trench
1st Battle for the Somme (1916)
British had 60,000 casualties the first day 1.2 million casualties total for the battle Only 7 miles of land traded hands during the
battle
Gallipoli (April 1915-Jan 1916)
Major battle in Ottoman Empire (Turkey) Victory for the Ottomans
Most significant contribution to the war by the Australians
Goal was to move inland, capture capital of Istanbul and have a sea route to Russia
2nd battle of the Somme (1918)
Last ditch offensive by the Germans against the Allies
Was unsuccessful plan/attack by Germans Marked the beginning of the end of WWI
Russian Revolution (1917)
Forced Russia to leave WWI Overthrew the gov’t and killed the Czar and his
family Result was a new communist government led by
Vladimir Lenin
Zimmerman Note
Telegram from Germany asking Mexico to attack US
Lusitania
Cruise ship sunk by German submarines 130 Americans were killed Angered American gov’t and people
British Blockade
British ships blocked ships from getting to the German coast
750,000 Germans starved to death as a result
German U-Boats
Submarines Used unrestricted warfare (any ship was fair
game for attack)
1916 Election
Woodrow Wilson runs for re-election Runs under slogan “He kept us out of war” Wilson did not want war, but wanted equal
peace were the loser was not destroyed by the treaty
US Declares War
April 1917 “make the world safe for democracy” President
Wilson
Eddie Rickenbacker
Famous US pilot of WWI Fought against the “Red Baron”-German pilot
Selective Service Act
Passed in 1917 24 million men registered in a year 3 million men were used
New Weapons of WWI
Poison gas Machine gun Airplane Tank Submarine (U-boat)
Convoy System
Used to protect ships on the sea Heavily armed ships would surround the cargo
ships, protecting them
AEF
American Expeditionary Force Led by General John “Black Jack” Pershing Soldiers known as “doughboys”
Alvin York
US soldier Was a conscientious objector Killed 25 Germans and captured 132 almost
single handedly From rural Tennessee
War Ends
11/11/1918 at 11am Germany surrendered Signed an armistice or cease fire
WWI Totals
22 million killed 20 million wounded 10 million refugees Cost $338 billion
US lost 42,000 in battle and 62,000 from disease 200,000 Americans wounded
War Industries Board
Encouraged business to use mass production to increase efficiency
Daylight Savings Time
Established in 1918
War Economy
Costs and wages increased Stockholders in several companies saw record
profits Dupont Company- profits rose 1600% during 1914
and 1918
Food Administration
Set up to help conserve food for the war effort Rose the price on wheat and other item
Farmers farmed 40 million more acres and increased income by 30%
War Financing
$35.5 billion spent on the war (USA) Raised money through:
Progressive income tax War profits tax Higher excise taxes Liberty Bonds and Victory bonds
Propaganda
Committee on Public Information (CPI) was set up to influence people’s thoughts about the war
Used paintings, posters, cartoons, and sculptures promoting the war
Anti-Immigrants
People of German descent lost their jobs German wasn’t taught in schools Books and music by Germans were not read and
played Violence against German Americans
Espionage and Sedition Acts
Thousands of Americans were punished and paid fines and were imprisoned as “spies and traitors”
Great Migration
Large scale movement of hundred of thousands of African Americans up north More jobs up north Cotton crop was destroyed by bugs Escape racial discrimination
Women during WWI
Took over the jobs men left while at war Helped support their effort for the right to vote 1919, 19th amendment was passed and women
got to vote
Flu Epidemic
30 million killed worldwide 500,000 Americans were killed
14 Points
Speech President Wilson gave to Congress Listed 14 ways to end war, create peace, and
sustain peace
1st 5 points were how to prevent another world war
Next eight points were about boundary changes Last point called for the creation of the League
of Nations to fix diplomatic problems therefore preventing war
Treaty of Versailles
Created 9 new nations and changed the size of others
Barred Germany from maintaining an army Germany had to pay war reparations (war
damages) $33 billion
War guilt clause was part of treaty Germany lost its colonies in the Pacific Ocean
Would have helped pay the war reparations
War Guilt Clause
Part of the treaty of versailles Forced Germany to admit sole responsibility for
starting WWI
Problems with the League of Nations
Many Americans thought it interfered with US policy of isolationism Keep to ourselves
Henry Cabot Lodge
Conservative republican US senator who opposed the League of Nations
USA & League of nations
USA never joined the League of nations Too many senators opposed the League of
nations and would not sign the Versailles Treaty
US & Germany Treaty
1921, USA and Germany signed a separate treaty b/c Congress would not approve/sign the Treaty of
Versailles
Effect of WWI on USA
Strengthened US military and gov’t Created social change (African Americans and
women)
Effect of WWI on Europe
Damaged social and political systems Enormous loss of life and destruction Communism and fascism grew out of WWI
War to End All Wars ?
Name for WWI at the time Treaty of Versailles settled nothing Treaty of Versailles made people more angry Laid the “seed” for Hitler and others like him to
rise to power and “cause” WWII less than 20 years later
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