Transcript He kept us out of war

THE FIRST WORLD WAR
1914-1918
CAUSES OF THE WAR

Four long-term causes of the First World War
(M.A.I.N.)
 MILITARISM
–increased military spending
 ALLIANCE SYSTEM – By 1907 Europe was divided
into two armed camps
 IMPERIALISM – Economic and political control
over weaker nations
 NATIONALISM – a devotion to the interests and
culture of one’s nation
MILITARISM
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Empires had to be defended and
European nations increased military
spending enormously in the late
19th and early 20th century.
By 1890 the strongest nation
militarily in Europe was Germany
France, Italy, Japan and the United
States quickly joined in the naval
buildup.
Militarism & Arms Race
Total Defense Expenditures for the Great
Powers [Ger., A-H, It., Fr., Br., Rus.]
in millions of £s.
1870
1880
1890
1900
1910
1914
94
130
154
268
289
398
1910-1914 Increase in
Defense Expenditures
France
10%
Britain
13%
Russia
39%
Germany
73%
Battleships were being stockpiled by European nations,
Japan, and America in the late 19th and early 20th century
ALLIANCE SYSTEM
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By 1907 there were two major defense alliances in
Europe
The Triple Entente, later known as the Allies, consisted of
Russia, France, Britain, Italy, Japan and Russia
The Central Powers consisted of Germany, AustriaHungary, Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria.
IMPERIALISM

For many centuries,
European nations built
empires. Colonies
supplied raw materials,
markets, military bases,
etc.
NATIONALISM
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Various ethnic groups
resented domination by
others and wanted
independence.
Russia and AustriaHungary disagreed over
the treatment of Serbs in
central Europe.
Germany was allied with AustriaHungary while Russia, France and
Britain were partners
Pan-Slavism: The Balkans, 1914
The
“Powder Keg”
of Europe
THE SPARK: AN ASSASSINATION

“The powder keg of Europe”
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Russia wanted access to the
Mediterranean Sea.
Germany wanted a rail link to
the Ottoman Empire. AustriaHungary, which had taken
control of Bosnia in 1878,
accused Serbia of subverting its
rule over Bosnia.
Finally, in June of 1914,
Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir
to the Austrian throne was
gunned down by a Serbia radical
igniting a diplomatic crisis.
The Assassin:
Gavrilo
Princip
THE FIGHTING BEGINS
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The Alliance system pulled
one nation after another into
the conflict – The Great War
had begun.
On August 3, 1914, Germany
invaded Belgium, following a
strategy known as the
Schlieffen Plan. This plan
called for a quick strike
through Belgium to Paris,
France.
The plan was designed to
prevent a two-front war for
Germany.
The Schliefflen Plan
THE WAR BECOMES A STALEMATE

Unable to save Belgium, the Allies
retreated to the Marne River in
France where they stopped the
German advance in September 1914.

Both sides dug in for a long siege. By
the spring of 1915, two parallel
systems of deep trenches crossed
France from Belgium to Switzerland.
British soldiers standing in mud
German Soldiers
The conditions in these trenches were horrific. Aside from the fear of
bombardment, soldiers also had to contend with mud, flooding, lice, vermin,
and disease associated with living in such an unhealthy environment.
TRENCH WARFARE = MORE CASUALTIES
Gas attacks were common features
of trench life and often caused
blindness and lung disease

During the First Battle of the
Somme the British suffered an
enormous number of casualties
(60,000 on the first day).

Final casualties for this phase of
the war totaled 1.2 million, yet only
7 miles of ground was gained.

This bloody trench warfare, in
which armies fought for mere yards
of ground, lasted from 1916 to
1919.
IMPORTANT NEW WEAPONS

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Machine Guns: Guns could
now fire 600 rounds per
minute.
The Tank: New steel tanks
ran on caterpillar treads.
Airplanes: Early dogfights
resembled duals, however by
1918 the British had a fleet
of planes that could deliver
bombs.
Poison Gas: Mustard gas was
used to subdue the enemy.
OTHER WEAPONS & EQUIPMENT
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Howitzers
Flame throwers
Torpedoes
U-boats
Phosphorus grenades
Field phones
Search lights
Gas masks
Camouflage
Railroad guns
Blimps
German U-boat sinking a British commercial steamer
Both humans and animals were susceptible to the
effects of poison gas. Dogs were used during World War
I as sentries, sled dogs, pack animals, and messengers.
HOW WAS WW1 A “WORLD WAR”?
AMERICANS NEUTRALITY
When
war was declared in Europe in
July 1914, Wilson proclaimed
American neutrality due to:

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Tradition of non-involvement
Progressives & women organized
against war
America as a land of immigrants
should not take sides in Europe
The
majority of the U.S. supported
the Allies but wanted to avoid war
In 1914, most Americans saw no
reason to join a struggle 3,000 miles
away – they wanted neutrality.
French propaganda poster
portrayed the Germans as
inhuman.
AMERICANS QUESTION NEUTRALITY

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There are 7 reasons why the US will feel compelled to go to
War.
Examine the primary sources for each of these 7 reasons
and complete the class handout
From Your Handout, What is the most compelling reason the
US questions Neutrality.
THREATS TO AMERICAN NEUTRALITY

U.S. neutrality was threatened from the very beginning:
 England & Germany appealed to the U.S. to enter on
their side
 England
appealed to cultural ties & propaganda of Germans
atrocities
 Germany blamed the war on Russian expansion & French
revenge
 U.S.
trade with England & France provided a strong
bond
 The most serious threat proved to be Germany’s
violation of the right to “freedom of the seas”
FREEDOM OF THE SEAS

England began a blockade around Germany to
cut off war supplies:
 Wilson
protested that the blockade infringed on
America’s right to trade as a neutral nation
 But the flood of Allied war orders helped fuel the
U.S. economy
 Loans & trade drew the U.S. closer to the Allies
while trade with Germany all but ended
 Trade
with the Allies caused U.S. trade to jump from $2
billion to $6 billion from 1913 to 1916
 The U.S. gave $2.5 billion in loans to the Allies, but only $27
million to the Central Powers
THE U-BOAT THREAT

Germany’s response to the British blockade
was unrestricted submarine warfare in 1915:
 Americans
died during u-boat attacks on the
Lusitania, Arabic, & Sussex from 1915 to 1916
 In the Sussex Pledge, Germany agreed to limit
attacks if the U.S. helped end England’s blockade
 Despite the Sussex Pledge, Congress passed the
National Defense Act in 1916 that increased the size
of the U.S. army & navy
IMMEDIATE CAUSES: MARITIME RIGHTS

During the first two years of the war,
America was providing (selling) the
allied forces war material (dynamite,
cannon powder, submarines, copper
wire, etc)

Both the Germans and British imposed
naval blockades on each other.

The Germans used U-boats to prevent
shipments to the North Atlantic.
IMMEDIATE CAUSES: THE LUSITANIA
May 7, 1915
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A German U-boat sank the British
passenger liner killing all aboard
including 128 American tourists.
The Germans claimed the ship was
carrying Allied ammunition.
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Americans were outraged and
public opinion turned against
Germany and the Central Powers.
The N.Y. Times reports on the Lusitania
IMMEDIATE CAUSES: OTHER SINKINGS
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May 7, 1915
How Is Wilson going to respond?
How is Germany going to respond?
The “Arabic” (2)
“The Sussex” (many injured)
ELECTION OF 1916

In the 1916 election, Wilson balanced
contrasting stances:
 He
appealed to progressives & anti-war
voters with the slogan “He kept us out of war”
 But argued for “preparedness” by building up
the military in case the U.S. joins the war

Wilson won by affirming 2 goals: freedom
of the seas & neutrality
1916 ELECTION
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The November 1916 election:
Democrat Woodrow Wilson vs.
Republican Charles Evans
Hughes (Supreme Court).

Wilson won a close election
using the slogan, “He kept us
out of war.” (Ironic)
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In his defense he made
several peace attempts.
IMMEDIATE CAUSES: ZIMMERMAN NOTE
A telegram from the German foreign
minister to the German Ambassador
in Mexico, proposed an alliance with
Mexico and a return of their “lost
territory” in Texas, New Mexico, and
Arizona.
Encoded message from
Germany to Mexico
Zimmerman
note
intercepted
by a British
agent and
decoded
IMMEDIATE CAUSES: UNRESTRICTED SUBMARINE
WARFARE
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In December 1916, Germany led a
massive European offensive &
resumed unrestricted submarine
warfare to win the war
In 1917, Wilson hoped for a “peace
without victory” but key events
made neutrality impossible:
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German subs sunk 5 U.S. ships
The interception of Zimmerman
Telegram fueled U.S. anger
U.S. LOSSES TO GERMAN SUBMARINES,
1916-1918
AMERICA DECLARES WAR
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On April 2, 1917. crowds
gathered around the Capital
building to hear Wilson
deliver his declaration of
war.
Wilson said, “The world
must be mad safe for
democracy.”
Congress passed the
resolution a few days later.
April 2, 1917, Wilson asked Congress for a declaration of
war to “make the world safe for democracy”
American Troops Go On the Offensive

Men of the 42nd Division during the
Second Marne. These men were
killed by artillery fire just 5 minutes
after this photo was taken
When Russia surrendered to
the Germans in 1917, the
Central Powers were able to
focus on the Western Front . By
May, the Germans were within
50 miles of Paris. The
Americans arrived and
immediately played a major
role in pushing the Germans
back. In July and August the
Americans helped the Allies
win the Second Battle of the
Marne.
WWI ALLIANCES & BATTLEFRONTS, 1914-1917
When the U.S. entered the war in 1917,
the Allies were on the brink of defeat
U-boats effectively
limited Allied supplies
The Russian armistice in 1917 allowed Germany
to move its full army to the western front
THE 1ST U.S. TROOPS ARRIVED VIA CONVOY IN JUNE 1917 BUT
DID NOT SEE ACTION UNTIL EARLY 1918
American soldiers saw their 1st action in May
1918 at Chateau Thierry outside Paris &
helped resist a last-ditch German offensive
THE U.S.
ON THE
WESTE
RN
FRONT,
1918
WAR IN THE TRENCHES
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The arrival of fresh American soldiers & war
supplies raised Allied morale at a crucial time:
 By
October 1918, the German gov’t knew the war
was over
 Turkey, Austria-Hungary, & Bulgaria were all out of
the war
 Nov 11, 1918 Germany signed an armistice with
the Allies
CONCLUSIONS

The “Great War” was a total war but the U.S.
effort paled in comparison to other Allied forces:
 The
U.S. reluctantly entered WWI after 3 years of
neutrality & played a supportive (not a central)
military role in the war
9
million soldiers & 5 million civilians died
 The Allies had 52% casualties; the Central Powers had 57%
 U.S. had only 320,000 casualties (6.8%)
 But,
WWI had a huge impact on the American
economic, political, & cultural homefront
Soldiers Mobilized
14
12
Millions
10
8
6
4
2
0
France
Germany
Russia
Britain