WORLD WAR IWORLD WAR I

Background Causes of

World War I• Alliances

• Nationalism• Imperialism• Militarism

AlliancesAn agreement between between countries

to come to each other’s aid in case of war. Two major alliances:

Triple Alliance: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy (does not enter war on this side, replaced with Ottoman Empire)Triple Entente: France, Russia, and Great Britain

If one nation was pulled in war, all would enter

NationalismExtreme loyalty to a nation and

concern for its welfare

Multi-ethic empires (Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire) had many groups seeking independence

Balkans are ready to explode (“powder keg of Europe, Balkan Peninsula)—Serbia and Bosnia in Balkans

Imperialism

A nation’s attempt to gain control of a weaker nation

Nations wanted control to gain raw materials, Europe had divided Africa in 1884

Militarism

A nation’s policy to maintain strong armed forced

Britain and Germany competed for the strongest navy

Militarism included complex plans in case war broke out

Immediate Cause:Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary (heir to the throne)

Shot by a Serbian nationalist in Bosnia, part of Austria-Hungary (A.H.)

Assassination is considered the “spark” of the war

A.H. blamed Serbia and Germany gave A.H. a “blank check” saying they would back them no matter what

A.H. then gave Serbia an “ultimatum” saying they must agree to all their demands or they would declare war—A.H. declared war anyway

Russia then mobilized in case of war—Germany then declares war on Russia and France

Germany then invaded Belgium in order to get to France.

Britain then declares war on Germany as Belgium was neutral.

Main Players

•Allied Powers

•Central Powers

Allied Powers• France

• Great Britain• Russia (withdrew in 1917 due to

Bolshevik Revolution)• Italy

• Romania• United States

Central Powers

• Austria-Hungary

• Germany• Ottoman Empire (Bulgaria and

Turkey)

A New Kind of War

Machine Gun

Trenches

Poison Gas

Tanks

U-Boat

America Neutral?

•America sympathetic to Allies

•Lusitania

•Sussex Pledge

•Zimmerman Note

Lusitania• May 1915, a German submarine sank the

British ocean liner Lusitania.

• Among the hundreds killed, 128 were American.

• President Wilson warned Germany not to continue to violate international law, which required warships to provide for the safety of the passengers and crews of trading ships they sank.

• Germany apologized.

Zimmerman Telegram

• The British intercepted and decoded a secret radio message from Germany to Mexico

• In this “Zimmerman Telegram,” Germany urged Mexico to attack the United States in return for regaining the southwestern United States.

• This was the final straw!

America

Readys for War

The United States enters the War

• The US declares war on April 6, 1917

• Over 100,000 Georgian men and women contributed to the Allied victory

Georgia in the War•Soldiers trained in GA at Fort Benning, Fort McPherson, and Camp Gordon—helped state’s economy

•Textile mills made uniforms

•Railroads carried troops and goods to port

•Victory Gardens—citizens planted gardens to raise their own veggies so there would be more food for the military

•Women helped

•3,000 from Georgia died in the war

War Ends—Wilson’s Fourteen Points

Three Goals:•Elimination of War Causes

•Right to choose government

•League of Nations (Wilson’s dream)

Treaty of Versailles--Very harsh on Germany who is forced to agree--Strip Germany of territory, military reduced--Must take blame for entire war--Must pay reparations (payments for war damages)

Lives Lost

Russia 1,700,000

France 1,357,000

Great Britain 908,000

United States 130,174

Germany 1,800,000

Austria 1,200,000Diseases, hunger, and other war-related causes 20,000,000

Mangled 6,000,000

WW ICausesWW II