World War I

Dates: 1914-1918U.S. Entered: 1917

The war to end all wars!

The war fought to make the world safe

for democracy!

Who were the belligerents?

Central Powers• Austria-Hungary• Germany• Bulgaria• (Italy)• Ottoman Empire (Turkey)

Allied Powers• Great Britain• France• Russia• United States (1917)• 30 Nations

What were the causes of the war?

Primary Causes(Main causes of WWI)

•Militarism•Alliance Systems• Imperialism•Nationalism

Militarism• The glorification of armed strength…• Nations built large armies and navies

to be bigger and stronger than their neighbors…• This led to an arms race

Alliance Systems• Nations joined into alliances to

provide mutual defense from common enemies• Triple Entente - Great Britain,

France, Russia• Triple Alliance - Germany, Austria-

Hungary, Italy

Imperialism• Desire of a nation to create an empire• Need to control colonies in order to

become self-sufficient • Colonies serve three purposes– provide raw materials

–provide a market place for products– serve as military bases to protect empire

Nationalism• Strong sense of loyalty and duty

to one’s nation or ethnic group• Strong desire of a people to

govern themselves free from the control of foreign rulers

What sparked the start of the war?

• Assassination of the heir to the Austria throne - Archduke Ferdinand

• Austria threatened Serbia…• Russia mobilized it’s army to protect

Serbia….• Germany declared war on Russia….• Great Britain & France declared war on

Germany….

The U.S. enters the War - 1917• Freedom of the seas was being

threatened primarily by Germany• Close economic ties with with Great

Britain and France• Close political ties with Great Britain• Close cultural and heritage ties with

Great Britain and France

U.S. Goals?• Secure freedom of the seas• Insure repayment of U.S. loans

from European countries•Make the world safe for

democracy•War to end all wars