Transcript America and the Great War - PHS

America and the Great War
Chapter 23: Pages 604-625
Origins of Conflict
• European powers were also acting in
imperialistic ways
• Became a rivalry
• They also were competing for economic growth
and military expansion
Alliances Form
• Europe basically is divided between two sides
• Germany forms an alliance with the AustroHungarian Empire
• Great Britain and France formed an alliance
with Tsarist Russia
Archduke Franz Ferdinand
• Heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne
June 28, 1914
• Archduke Ferdinand is assassinated by a Serbian
terrorist
• This causes a chain reaction of events
• Austria declares war on Serbia; Russia declares
war on Austria
More Declarations
• Germany declares war on Russia and France
• Germany moved quickly and attacked France
through Belgium, which was neutral
• In response, Britain declares war on Germany
Allies vs. Central Powers
• Allies Britain, France, Italy, Japan, and Russia
• Central Powers Turkey, Bulgaria, Germany,
Austria
• The war was a global conflict, fought not just in
Europe, but also in Africa, the Middle East, and
East Asia
American Attitudes
• Most felt the U.S. had no interests or reasons to
get involved
• Adopted policy of Neutrality
Wilson’s Proclamation
• “Americans are to be neutral in thought as well
as in action”
• Neither the American people or the President
were able to remain completely neutral
American Ties
• Ethnic, cultural, and economic ties bound most
Americans to favor the British and French
• Most Americans also felt more of a connection to
the democratic Western Allies
• Relationship with Britain was now strong,
Germany was viewed as a rival
Wilson’s Leanings
• Admired British culture and government
• Did not trust Germany, feared a victory would
threaten our economic, political, and strategic
interests
• “England is fighting our fight”
View of Germany
• British writers and artists went out of their way
to depict Germany as barbarians
• Talked of them mutilating nuns and babies
The Economy of War
• According to international law, neutral countries
could sell war supplies to other nations
• Americans were hoping this conflict would kick
start the American economy
Quote
• “War, for Europe, means devastation and death;
for America a bumper crop of new millionaires”
• British Navy prevented trade with the Central
Powers so only the Allies could buy American
goods
Effects on Neutrality
• Strengthened USA’s ties with the Allies and
made Germans angry
• Allied countries also borrowed money from the
USA, over 2 billion
• All of these things linked us to the Allies and
convinced Germany that American neutrality
was only a formality
Fake Neutrality
• We allowed Britain to break certain
international neutrality laws, but would not do
the same for Germany
• Boston globe said, “the British are a gang of
thieves, and the Germans are a gang of
murderers. On the whole, we prefer the thieves,
but only as the lesser of two evils.”
Declaration of London
• clarified international law and specified the
rights of neutral nations
• Germany agreed to follow new laws
• Britain tried to get around the rules
British Tricks
• British set up a blockade of Germany and forced
neutral ships into British ports to search their
cargoes for material deemed useful to the
German war effort
• British ships were intentionally flying the flag of
neutral countries in order to get past the
Germans
WDWK?
• What did Wilson (ole’ Woodrow) know?
• He knew what was going on and chose to ignore
it
• Saw any advantage to the Allies as a positive for
American interests
Germany’s Threat
• In response to Britain's rule breaking and
Wilson’s lack of response, the Germans
authorized the sinking of neutral ships
Wilson’s Response
• Wilson said he would hold Germany responsible
for any loss of American lives or property
The Lusitania
May 1915
• German submarine sank the Lusitania
• Killed 1198 people; 128 were Americans
Why did Germany sink it?
• German embassy had warned Americans against
travelling on the ship
• Germany suspected that it had been carrying
weapons for Britain
• Was it?
Does U.S.A enter war now?
• Wilson said he must “carry out the double wish
of our people, to maintain a firm front in respect
of what we demand of Germany and yet do
nothing that might by any possibility involve us
in the war”
Wilson’s Demands of Germany
• Wilson demanded that Germany abandon its
submarine campaign
• William Jennings Bryan resigned because of
this, he thought requiring more of Germany than
Britain violated neutrality and threatened to
draw the nation into war
Germany Keeps it Up
• The Germans would sink another ship, The
Sussex, and Wilson threatened to end diplomatic
relations with Germany
• Sussex Pledge Germany promised not to
sink merchant ships without warning but only if
the United States required Britain to adhere to
international law
Preparedness
• Program to expand the armed forces and
establish universal military training
Preparedness
• Many Americans opposed expensive military
preparations because they were certain the
United States would not get involved
• Wilson opposed it initially but reversed his
position when the German submarine crisis
intensified
“Peace Without Victory”
• Wilson’s ultimate plan
• Strictly an American vision, neither the Allies or
Central powers were interested
• What did it call for?
Details of Plan
• The new world order should be based on
national equality and self-determination
• arms reductions and freedom of the seas
• and an international organization to ensure
peace
Germany’s Plan to Win
• Resumed submarine warfare
• Germany thought it could end the war by
cutting the Allies off from US supplies before the
US could send an army to Europe
• Wilson was now committed to a war that the
people didn’t want
“Armed Neutrality”
• Wilson ordered armed merchant ships and
ordered naval gun crews to shoot submarines on
sight
• Called his policy “armed neutrality”
The Zimmermann Note
Zimmermann Note
• Wilson released an intercepted message from
the German foreign minister, Arthur
Zimmermann, to the German minister in Mexico
Wanted to Make a Deal
• It proposed that in the event of war between the
United States and Germany, Mexico should ally
itself with Germany
• In exchange, Mexico would recover its “lost
territory in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona.”
Note Was Intercepted
• This produced a wave of hostility toward
Germany and increased support for invention in
the war
One other Event
• Another separate even made entry to war more
realistic
• There was a revolution in Russia that overthrew
the tsarist regime and established a provisional
government. Russia was now a “fit partner” for
the United States
April 2, 1917
• Wilson declared that neutrality was no longer
possible given Germany’s submarine warfare
against mankind
Declaration Passes
• Senate passed the war resolution 82 to 6 and the
House 373 to 50 and on April 6, 1917, the US
officially entered the Great War
Organizations, Financing, and
Oversight
• See Handout
The War to End all Wars