Chapter 12 Sec. 1

World War I Breaks Out

World War I

Began in 1914 and ended in 1918 Called the “Great War” because there were

so many countries involved

4 MAIN Causes (Long-Term) of WWI

Militarism- glorification of military; policy of building up strong armed forces to prepare for war

Alliances- agreement between countries to support each other in case of war

Imperialism- policy used by strong countries to gain social, political, and economic control over foreign territories

Nationalism- love of one’s country; patriotism

Nationalism

Strong in the Balkans Led to instability in this

area because of different ethnic groups and rivalry over territory

Area known as the “powder keg” of Europe

Militarism

Major European powers believed that disputes should be settled on the battlefield

Engaged in arms race to develop large armies and more powerful weapons

Led to formation of alliances

Alliances

Result of militarism

Two Alliances formed BEFORE the War:1. Triple Entente- Britain, Russia, France2 Triple Alliance- Germany, Italy, Austria-HungaryAlliances DURING the War:1. Allied Powers- Britain, France, Russia, Italy Serbia

(later joined by US)2. Central Powers- Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman

Empire (Turkey), Bulgaria

30 nations involved in this war

What triggered the war?

June 1914 Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary was assassinated when he went to Bosnia

Assassinated by Serbian Nationalist Gavrilo Princip

Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia sparking allies to join in on both sides

Result: World War I began

New Weapons and Fighting Tactics

Trench Warfare No-man’s-land Machine guns Tanks Poison gas Submarines (U-Boats) Airplanes

Dogfights Top German: Manfred von Richtofen AKA “Red

Baron” Top American: Edward Rickenbacker

Zeppelins (blimps)

Ch. 12 Sec. 2

The United States Goes to War

US Approach Before the War

As a country: Took position of neutrality Viewed as strictly European matter Isolationists- stay out of other countries’

affairs

Citizens: Sympathized with European countries

because many citizens were immigrants Most sided with Allied Powers Propaganda influenced opinions

What caused the US to enter the War?

1. Sinking of the Lusitania May 7, 1915 German U-Boat sank

British ship Lusitania which had 128 Americans on board

2. Sussex Pledge Violated Sussex Pledge- promise by Germany that

they would not attack ships without warning (1916)

Germany resumed full-scale U-Boat warfare in 1917

Hoped that they could defeat allies before US joined the war

3. Zimmermann Note Sent in 1917 by Arthur Zimmermann of

Germany to Mexico Proposed a secret alliance against the US

saying that Germany would help Mexico get the land back that they lost in the Mexican-American war if they helped Germany win the war

Telegram intercepted by Great Britain

4. Russian Revolution The Communist Party (Bolsheviks) took

over in Russia in 1917 US felt it was their duty to protect

democracy Russia backed out of the war

Preparing for War

1916 Wilson passed the National Defense Act Increased the size of the army from 90,000 to

175,000 Still did not enter the war, just preparing

Due to the German violation of Sussex Pledge and the Zimmermann Note the US could not avoid war

Congress declared war on April 4, 1917

Mobilizing the Troops

Selective Service Act passed May 17, 1914 Required men ages 21-30 to register for draft Later changed to 18-45 More than ½ of soldiers who served in the war

were drafted

The US Entry into WWI

Germany attacks several passenger ships (Sussex, Lusitania)

March 1916

Pres. Wilson threatens to cut diplomatic ties; Germany makes the Sussex Pledge

Germany resumes full scale U-boat warfare

US begins to prepare for war; arming ships; cut diplomatic ties

February 1917

Zimmermann Note discovered and published in American newspapers

Note proves German hostility towards Americans and the war

The Senate declares war

US joins the war on the side of the Allies

March 1917April 1917

EVENT

SIGNIFICANCE

Ch. 12 Sec. 3

The War at Home

Mobilizing the Nation

Raising Money War cost $35 billion for

US Liberty Bonds and

Victory Bonds sold Increased taxes

Conserving Resources Food Administration and Fuel Administration

created 2 Goals

Encourage increased agricultural production Conserve existing food supplies

Victory gardens Limit wheat and meat intake Encouraged to ration food

War Industries Board (WIB) Created to allocate scarce materials, establish

production priorities, and set prices

Mobilizing Workers

National War Labor Board (NWLB) created in 1918 Settled disputes between workers and

employers Labor shortage strengthened unions Women entered workforce to do “men’s jobs”

Role in WWI led to the passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920 (women’s suffrage)

Great Migration

Higher wages and more job opportunities caused Great Migration 1915-1930 Thousands of African Americans moved North

to escape discrimination and take advantage of job opportunities

Allowed for a better standard of living Discrimination still existed

Great Migration-states in blue represent largest population gain; states in red represent largest population loss

Propaganda and Government Control

Committee on Public Information (CPI) created in 1917

Created propaganda to encourage Americans to support war

Resulted in discrimination towards German-Americans

Espionage Act (1917) and Sedition Act (1918) Outlawed acts of treason Made it illegal to speak, write, or print anything

disloyal about the government, flag, or military