World War I

When was WWI? WWI was a major war

centered in Europe that began August 4th,1914 and lasted until November 11th, 1918. It involved all of the world’s most powerful countries. There had been tension and competition between these powerful countries for many years. Each country wanted to be the most influential and the most powerful. This tension and competition eventually led to the first World War.

Causes of WWI Historians generally attribute 4 long-term

causes of WWI:

1) Nationalism

2) Imperialism

3) Militarism

4) Alliances

Causes: NationalismNationalism Strong devotion to one’s

national group or culture The belief that national

interests and national unity should be placed ahead of global cooperation.

Foreign affairs should be guided by national self-interest

Competitiveness with and antagonism towards other nations

Causes: ImperialismImperialism Strong desire to conquer

and expand into other territories in an effort to build an empire.

Germany, France, Russia, and Great Britain competed to become great imperial nations.

Industrialization contributed to the desire to imperialize.

The more colonies a country had, the greater their power and prestige.

Causes: MilitarismMilitarism The massive development

and buildup of a country’s armed forces and their use as a tool for diplomacy

As many countries imperialized and built empires, it was essential to also build a strong military in an effort to protect overseas colonies from other nations

Growing power of armed forces left all sides ready to act at the first sign of trouble

Minor disagreements had the potential to turn into armed conflict

Causes: Alliances All these mutual hostilities,

jealousies, fears, and desires led the nations of Europe to sign treaties of assistance that committed them to support one another if they faced attack.

There were 2 major alliances:

1) The Triple Entente (Allies)- France, Great Britain, and Russia

2) The Triple Alliance (Central Powers)- Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy (later Italy joined the Allies and the Ottoman Empire joined the Central Powers)

What “sparked” the war?• On June 28th 1914, a man from

Serbia named, Gavrilo Princip, killed the leader of Austria-Hungry, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and his wife

• Germany (an ally of Austria-Hungary) declared war on Russia (an ally of Serbia)

• Germany also declared war on France and Belgium (an ally of Russia)

• Great Britain (an ally of France and Belgium) declared war on Germany

American Neutrality

Most Americans in 1914 saw no reason to join a war 3,000 miles away since the war was not threatening American lives or property.

Despite the widespread opposition to the war, a general feeling of sympathy for Great Britain and France emerged.

Many Americans felt close to England because of a common ancestry, language, and government.

Most important, America’s economic ties with the Allies were far stronger than with the Central Powers.

The U.S. Enters the War By 1917, Americans began to

contemplate entering the war against the Central Powers for 2 reasons:

1) To ensure Allied repayment of debts to the U.S. (war supplies)

2) To prevent the Germans from threatening U.S. shipping (Germany sank many British ships carrying goods to and from the U.S., killing British and American citizens)

The Zimmermann Note The Zimmermann Note was a telegram

sent by the German foreign minister to the German ambassador in Mexico.

The telegram was intercepted by British agents before it reached Mexico.

The telegram suggested an alliance between Mexico and Germany and promised that if war with the U.S. broke out, Germany would support Mexico in recovering their lost territory in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona.

The German threats suggested in this note, along with the continuous sinking of British ships filled with American passengers, finally provoked U.S. President Woodrow Wilson to make the ultimate decision----the U.S must join the war in order to pave the way for a future of peace and freedom.

The Collapse of Germany On November 11th, 1918 at

11:00am Germany agreed to a cease-fire that ended the war.

The German war machine and war economy were too exhausted to continue the fighting.

The final toll of the war was staggering. It lasted 4 years and involved more than 30 nations.

There were over 26 million deaths, 20 million wounded, and 10 million who were left to be refugees.

Historians estimate the direct economic costs of the war to be $350 billion.

Treaty of Versailles On June 28th, 1919 the Big Four

(U.S., Britain, France, and Italy) and the leaders of the defeated nations gathered in the Great Hall of the Palace at Versailles to sign the treaty.

The treaty established 9 new nations and shifted the boundaries of other nations.

It demilitarized Germany, stripping is of its air force and navy, and significantly reduced its army.

It required Germany to pay $33 billion to the Allies for war damage.

It also forced Germany to acknowledge that it alone was fully responsible for WWI.