Transcript 5.4a

USHC-5.4a

Analyze the causes and consequences of
United States involvement in World War I,
including the failure of neutrality and the
reasons for declaration of war, the role of
propaganda in creating a unified war effort,
the limitation of individual liberties, and
Woodrow Wilson’s leadership in the Treaty
of Versailles and the creation of the League
of Nations
Origins of the Great War
Nationalism- a feeling of pride in ones country was
sweeping across Europe. This made the countries of
Europe more concerned about their own interests than
those of Europe as a whole. Ethnic and ideological
differences led to conflicts within these empires.
 To protect their own interests many countries adopted a
policy of militarism which is the process of a country
building up its military might for the purpose of
intimidating and deterring other countries. This led to an
arms race in which countries continually try to produce
more advanced weapons.
 Countries also formed many alliances agreeing to
help one another if attacked by another country.
 Imperialism- actions to become powerful

The War Begins

kaboom
***The Spark- Archduke Francis Ferdinand was the heir
to the throne of Austria-Hungary and was visiting the
province of Bosnia when assassinated.
 Operating in the province was a Serbian nationalist group
the *** “black hand”. They wanted Bosnia to be Serbian
and not Austrian. One member of this group Gallio
Princip killed the archduke and his wife.
 ***Austria-Hungary accused Serbia of the plot and
threatened to go to war. The Russians were allied with
Serbia and agreed to back up the Serbs.
 Shortly there after Europe was divided and at war.
Europe Takes Sides

The Triple
Entente

– Great Britain
–
– France
–
– Russia
– Eventually the
–
United States
–
The Central
Powers
Germany
AustriaHungary
Turkey
(Ottoman
Empire)
Bulgaria
The Key Players for the Triple Entente

George
Clemenceau Tsar Nicholas II
Wilson
The Key Players for the Central Powers
Kaiser Wilhelm II of the German Empire,
Franz Joseph of Austria-Hungary, Mehmed V of the
Ottoman Empire, and Tsar Ferdinand of Bulgaria
The United States Remains
Neutral


The United States wanted to stay out of the war and the
practice of isolationism was supported by most. (the
philosophy that the United States should stay out of
international conflicts.) Peace activists
Others supported a policy of preparedness which
advocated neutrality while taking steps to prepare for war.
 These issues were key to the 1916 election that Wilson
barely won using the slogan, “He kept us out of the war.”
The U.S. enters the war

***Germany had a very small navy compared to Great
Britain and so Germany had no choice except to use UBoats (German submarines).
 ***President Wilson said that the Germans had no right to
sink U.S. shipping or neutral shipping on the high seas.
 ***However, the U.S. had secretly begun to ship military
supplies to Britain on passenger liners.
 One of these liner the Lusitania was sunk by a U-boat and
1,200 people including 128 Americans died. People in the
United States were furious and an anti-German feeling
swept the nation.

Germany stopped attacking U.S. shipping until 1917 to keep the
U.S. out of the war. When Germany resumed unrestricted
Submarine warfare the United States moved closer to war.
RMS Lusitania
U-Boat that sank the Lusitania
The Zimmerman Telegram

Also in 1917 the British intercepted the Zimmerman
Telegram from Arthur Zimmerman the German foreign
minister to the Mexican Government.
 ***The telegram told the Mexicans to attack the
United States if they declared war on Germany. In
return if the Germans won the war they would give
back land to Mexico that the United States had
acquired.
 This further angered the Americans and when Germany
started sinking U.S. ships again Wilson asked for war
saying, “the world must be made safe for democracy.”
 April 1917 the United States officially entered the
war.