Bell Ringer

• Why did the US try to stay out of World War I?

• What started World War I?

• What is Militarism?

Bell Ringer

• Who led the US military during WWI?

• What countries were a part of the Big Four?

• What was the goal of the fourteen points?

CH 19: World War I

Starting

• World War I is also know as The War, The Great War, and the War to End All Wars

4 Contributing Factors for WWI• World War I is generally attributed to four

MAIN factors:–Militarism– Alliances– Imperialism– Nationalism

Militarism & Imperialism• Militarism is the belief that a

nation should have a strong military.– You wanted a strong military

to protect yourself & your over seas possessions

• Imperialism is the holding of territory/land for its’ resources or strategic value.– This leads to greater

competition between European Powers, and will cause them to militarize.

• Alliances would be agreements between nations to aid one another

• The Alliances in Europe became so confused and muddled in the early 1900s that they became Entangling Alliances: If any one country declared war on another country other countries HAD to become involved.– This also encouraged have a big Military

Nationalism• In the later 1400 & early 1500s

new nations appeared: France, England, Spain, etc.

• This same phenomenon was taking place in Eastern Europe in the early 1900s: Russia, the Ottoman Empire, and the Balkans.

• The People who wanted their own nation were full of pride and willing to go to extreme measures. This created a highly tense situation in Europe.

The Assassination of Franz Ferdinand• The Archduke of Austria, Franz Ferdinand, was visiting

Sarajevo (a possession of the Austro-Hungarian Empire) • While there a militant nationalist anarchist assassinated

the Archduke on June 28th 1914.• Austria-Hungary will declare war on Serbia on July 18th

1914, and the entangling alliances kick in.

• Allied Powers (Triple Entente)– Britain– France– Russian Empire• Serbia• Italy

• Central Powers (Triple Alliance)– Austria-Hungary– Germany– Ottoman Empire• Bulgaria

The War itself• No one thought World War I would last long• Most extensive plan (6 weeks) was made by the

Germans: Schlieffen Plan • Reasons: Technology– Trench Warfare -Tanks– Machine Guns -High Explosive Artillery

(Blows up really Big)– Chemical Gas -Gas Masks– Airplanes -Submarines

Western Front• The Western front is best

known for Trench Warfare• The Germans had hoped to

knock the French out quickly, but failed

• Both sides would dig in (literally) and a stalemate occurred

• The war became very slow and gruesome: in some instances gaining 500 yards at the cost of 50,000 lives

Eastern Front• The Eastern front featured less trenches• However, the fighting in Russia was just/if not more

bloody than the Western Front.• The Russians did not have ample supplies to fight a

war (often encouraging men in the 2nd line to pick up the guns of the dead men who went before them)

• In one specific battle the Russians had 150,000 and 130,000 people were killed or captured

The US (Isolationism)• As we’ve learned the US isn’t what you would

call a “Global Player”• The US maintains its’ policy of isolationism,

and declares themselves Neutral.– Though we were official neutral the US & British

had a close international Relationship, and the War spurred the growth of an Anti-German Sentiment in the USA.

What Dragged the US in?

• Two main Factors pull the US into World War I– Unrestricted Submarine

Warfare & the Zimmerman Telegram

• Unrestricted Submarine Warfare:– The Germans had created

U-Boats (Submarines) and were using them against the British Navy.

– Occasionally a civilian/merchant ship would get sunk

The Lusitania

• In 1915 the Germans sunk the British passenger ship Lusitania, which resulted in the death of 100 Americans.

• Afraid the US would enter the War the Germans vowed to stop unrestricted submarine warfare, and then issued the Sussex Pledge (1916), a warning to ships before attack

• Though the US was outraged over the Lusitania the US did not immediately enter the war.

Zimmerman Telegram

• In 1917 the Germans resumed unrestricted submarine warfare (and the US did not immediately enter the war)

• In February 1917 the British intercepted a telegram from Germany to Mexico.

• In March 1917 the British share the telegram with the US

• In the Telegram the Germans asked the Mexicans to ally with them and attack the US, and in exchange Mexico would receive land once they won.

• The US was outraged and the US would declare war by April 1914

The US in WWI• The US would be lead by John J.

Pershing– The only direct instruction President

Wilson ever gave to Pershing was to maintain a separate fighting force (he wanted the US out when the US wanted out)

• The fresh US troops would help to break the stalemate of WWI and the War would be over about 8 months after the US had entered.

• The Armistice ends WWI on November 11th, 1918 at 11:00 AM (11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month = Armistice Day)

The Big Four• The leaders of the US,

UK, France, and Italy would drive the peace negotiations.

• They would be known as the Big Four

• The peace treaty that ended the War between the Allies and Germans is known as the Treaty of Versailles

Problems with the Peace NegotiationsThe Big Four had different goals

• US– Wilson wanted lasting world peace: 14 Points

• UK– Lloyd George wanted a economically sound Europe/German

for trading purposes• France– Clemenceau wanted to punish/crush the Germans so they

could never fight a war again – (Suffered the most casualties and destroyed land from WWI)

• Italy – Orlando was largely ignored and left the conference.

Wilson’s 14 Points

• President Woodrow Wilson was an idealist who thought his 14 points could usher in a period of world Peace.

• The Points included:– Fair & Open peace treaties (No secret

alliances -> no Entangling Alliances)– Freedom of the Seas (No unrestricted

submarine warfare)– Removal of all trade barriers (Lets just all

get along)– Reduction of ALL militaries (Weapons

are bad)– Self-Determination (Reason Ferdinand

got shot)– League of Nations (international peace

organization)

Treaty of Versailles• What the Treaty actually says:– Germany will pay $11 billion in reparations (pay back the

winners for the war) [634 Billion = 2012]– Germany loses 10-13% of the land – No conscription – No more than 100,000 men in the entire military– German navy limited to 15,000 men, 6 battleships, 6 cruisers

, 6 destroyers, 12 torpedo boats and 0 submarines. – No manufacture, import or export of arms allowed, No

armored cars, tanks or aircraft allowed. – Manufacture of machine guns and rifles limited. – Germany can not be a member of the League of Nations

The League of Nations• One of the Biggest of Wilson’s 14 Points was the League of Nations.• He believed this international peace keeping body would help to

settle international disputes without war, and that EVERYONE should be a member of it.

• The League did not have a standing military• The US did not join the League because Senator Henry Cabot

Lodge strongly campaigned against it, and urged the US to return to isolationism.

• The league also creates a mandate system in the Middle East. This is basically just imperialism with a different name, and explains a good deal of the tension in that area today.