1. Chapter 11, Section 1 – World War I Begins
Objectives:
1. Identify the long-term causes and the immediate circumstances that led to WWI.
2. Describe the first two years of the war.
3. Summarize U.S. public opinion about the war.
4. Explain why the U.S. entered the war.

2. Bellringer
What do you do when someone insults a friend? Do you defend them? How?

3. What were the causes of World War I?
Militarism…Weapons
Alliances…Secret
Imperialism…Economic
Nationalism…Pride

4. Europe was a “powder keg” waiting for a spark to ignite
Assassination of the Archduke Ferdinand - heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne - and his wife
A chain of events follows leading Europe to war

8. The assassin… Gavrilo Princip
A Serbian nationalist trained in Serbia
The “Black Hand”…

9. The assassination

12. The chain of events… AFF assassinated in Bosnia AH blames Serbia
AH makes harsh demands of Serbia
AH asks Germany for support
continued >>>

13. The chain of events... Germany responds with the “blank check” …
Russia is allied with Serbia and mobilizes
Fearing a two front war Germany launches a plan

14. The Schlieffen Plan Germany’s plan to win the war early
Germany needed a quick strike against France and then a quick strike against Russia
Needed to go through Belgium first to do this
Belgian army resisted and slowed the German advance

16. First Battle of the Marne
French and British armies moved into northern France and stopped the German advance near the Marne River
Germany lost its opportunity for a quick victory
The western front led to a stalemate miles of trenches
Costly - in one battle British suffered 60,000 casualties in a single day of combat

17. Fragile Alliances 1871 last great European conflict
1907 two camps evolve:
Triple Alliance (Central Powers)
Germany, A-H, Italy
Triple Entente (Allies)
GB, France, Russia

18. New Alliances Allies Central Powers Great Britain Germany
France Austria – Hungary
Italy Ottoman Empire
Serbia Bulgaria
Russia
Japan
Belgium

19. European Imperialism
broadly : the extension or imposition of power, authority, or influence
Africa
Asia
Middle East

21. How did the standards of warfare change?
Distinction between soldier and civilian erased
Fields were burned and wells poisoned
British naval blockade starved the German people
Germany submarines struck at any ship believed to carry armaments

22. Stalemate Earlier wars were fought with a cavalry
Modern weapons made the cavalry useless
New weapons - guns, grenades, artillery shells, poison gas, mustard gas led to trench warfare
No Man’s Land

26. Modern weapons made the trenches a grim reality

29. British prepare to go “over the top” at the Battle of the Somme

30. Australians resting in dug-out during the Battle of the Somme

31. Diagram of an Australian dug-out

33. German Trench near the Hindenburg Line

34. Captured German Trench at the Battle of the Somme

37. What was the American response?
War would threaten U.S. business interests
Many saw no reason to become involved
Wilson: America should remain above the conflict and he would serve as peacemaker
Neutrality Proclamation: U.S. was not committed to either side and should remain neutral

38. America should be “neutral in fact as well as in name-impartial in thought as well as in action.” – Woodrow Wilson

39. What does neutrality mean?
To be as neutral as possible in a neutral sense – not care about the outcome of the war
Be as fair as possible to both sides without influencing either side to win
During war belligerents and neutrals can trade – but everything a neutral does affects the outcome of the war.

40. How did Americans feel about the war?
President Wilson’s message “impartial in thought and action”
Economic, cultural, and political factors make impossible.
1914 1/3 of all Americans are “hyphenated” Americans
8 million German-Americans and 4 million Irish-Americans
Culture and language bonds along with Franco-American friendship

41. What was the tone of American neutrality?
Propaganda….
Violation of neutral rights…
Financial and Economic…

42. British propaganda
Emphasized common ties: heritage, language, literature, legal systems, democratic institutions
Cut communications with the continent
Exaggerated stories of German atrocities in Belgium

47. What were America’s economic ties with the Allies?
As a neutral power we could trade with belligerents
Trade with Germany ended because
of British blockade practices and
Pres. Wilson denounced German war atrocities and
the threat of Germany to democracy.

48. American Neutrality USA economically tied to GB
Trade with Germany ends
Trade with Allies shoots up
1914 = $824 million
1916 = $3.2 billion
1917 loans = 2.5 billion
Great economic boom for USA
Neutral in name only

49. How did Germany violate American neutrality rights?
February, 1915 – Germany announced waters around Great Britain as a war zone
Warned neutral powers identification at sea a problem
Wilson informed Germany that will be held in strict accountability
American response: “an indefensible violation of neutral rights”

50. Lusitania British liner – departed from New York
Sunk off the coast of Ireland
128 Americans died
Wilson condemned the act as barbaric and insisted on sending a warning to Germany
Lusitania Notes
Wm. Jennings Bryan resigned as Sec. of State

53. Burying the dead from the Lusitania

54. The Sussex Unarmed French ship Sunk by Germany – March, 1916
4 Americans injured
Wilson protested
Sussex pledge: Germany agreed to warn all ships before sinking puts the decision of when the U.S. goes to war in Gemany’s hands

55. What was Germany’s defense for submarine warfare?
England had taken liberties with international law
England was attempting the starvation of Germany
England proclaimed the North Sea a military zone
Germany must stop the flow of munitions from the U.S.

56. “Unrestricted Submarine Warfare”
Lusitania and Sussex sunk
Barbaric U-boats killing innocent civilians
Lusitania secretly carrying war materials to the Allies
Wilson’s diplomatic response…harsh words
Germany promises to board ships prior to attack

57. Who opposed the war? Jane Addams, Lillian Wald – progressive reformers
Suffrage movement: “I didn’t raise my boy to be a soldier.”
Socialists – opposed capitalist interests
Wm. Jennings Bryant - Pacifists
Wilson’s campaign slogan in 1916 – “He Kept Us Out of War”

58. Fading opposition to the War
War becomes viewed as a positive force for social change
War required greater government involvement in American life
Women believed they could win the right to vote
Middle-class women became community leaders

59. Who advocated U.S. preparedness?
National Security League
business leaders urged that the United States be more prepared - many had ties to Great Britain and would have liked the U.S. to aid G.B. if necessary.
National Defense Act – 1916 – doubled sized of army to 220,000
Congress increased spending for navy

63. The Russian Revolution and America’s Response

64. How did the Russian Revolution affect the war?
1917 – Lenin took control of the Russian government
Promised to make peace with Germany
Civil war broke out
March 3, 1918 signed treaty with Germany
Allowed Germany to concentrate on Western Front
June 3, German forces within 56 miles of Paris

66. Why did the U.S. enter the war?
Germany – fearful of loss unless she cut British supply lines – announced resumption of unlimited submarine warfare
Wilson broke diplomatic relations – Feb, 3, 1917
Zimmerman note…
Russian Revolution…
Wilson ordered Am. Merchant ships armed in March
Germany sank 7 Am. Merchant ships

67. U.S. Declared War on Germany
April 2, 1917 – Wilson addressed Congress
Submarine warfare – “warfare against mankind”
“The world must be made safe for democracy”
Senate – 82 to 6
House – 373 to 50
Declaration of war – April 6, 1917

68. President Wilson delivers his War Message to Congress April 2, 1917

69. Central Powers v. Allied Powers
Austro-Hungarian Empire
Germany
Ottoman Empire
United States
Serbia
Belgium
France
Great Britain
Italy
Japan