Transcript Causes of WWI - Mrs. Gilbert`s Site

World War I
“The Great War”
1914 to 1918
Central Powers vs. Alliance
MAIN Causes of WWI
•Militarism- Policy of building up strong armed forces to
prepare for war (Competition to between different countries)
• Alliances- Agreements or promises to defend and help
another country (A crisis involving one member could affect all of
the nation’s allies)
• Imperialism- A policy in which one nation takes control of
the economic or political affairs of another country or
region (Nation’s competed for power, which led to wars (ex:
Spanish American War)
• Nationalism: Pride in one’s country and unity (mistrust and
hatred towards other countries)
Short Term or Immediate Causes
1.
2.
3.
4.
June 1914: Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand and his wife
Sophie by a Serbian nationalist
Tensions in the Balkan peninsula
July 1914: Austria-Hungary threatened to go to war with Serbia
July 1914: Russia mobilized its forces to come to the aide of Serbia
Alliances
Central Powers
Germany Austria-Hungary
Ottoman Empire
Allies
Great Britain
France
Russia (1917) exited war
U.S. (1917) entered war
What caused the USA to enter WWI?
1. Cultural Ties: Few Americans were neutral. Some
favored the Central powers (German-Americans). Most
favored the Allies. America had long standing cultural ties
with Britain and France.
2. Economic Ties:
• American trade to the Allies increased during the war.
American business and agriculture benefited. The US also
financed over $ 2 Billion in loans to the allies.
• Most Americans did not believe trade or loans violated
American neutrality. President Wilson in 1916 was in favor of
the allies. In his election campaign he advertised the slogan “he
kept us out of the war.”
US Exports to Great Britain, France, and
Germany, 1912-1916
What caused the USA to enter WWI?
3. Propaganda: Allies conducted effective propaganda
campaigns in the United States. They pictured the war as
one of civilized democratic nations verse the barbaric
monarch of Germany.
4. German Submarine Warfare: Germany used a policy of
unrestricted submarine warfare and. Germany attempted to block any
ship that was an ally or helping the allies.
– The Lusitania was a British ship that sailed from Great Britain to
New York…this ship was sunk by Germany. The ship carried
close to 200 American civilians. This upset the U.S. government
because at the time the U.S. was neutral.
What caused the USA to enter WWI?
5. Zimmerman Note (telegram): a telegram sent
from Germany to Mexico inviting Mexico to join
Germany…if the Central Powers win, Germany
promised to get Texas, New Mexico and Arizona
back to Mexico.
6. Russian Revolution: Russians overthrew the Czar,
so it appeared to the United States that if they joined
the war they would be joining an alliance of
democratic nations