1. WORLD WAR I BEGINS Chapter 11 Section 1 Pages 370-407
OBJECTIVES
1. Identify the long term causes and the immediate circumstances that led to World War I.
Describe the first two years of the war.
Summarize U.S. public opinion about the war.
Explain why the United States entered the war.

2. 4 LONG-TERM CAUSES OF WORLD WAR I
Many Americans wanted to stay neutral and out of the war but neutrality was difficult to maintain
4 LONG-TERM CAUSES OF WORLD WAR I
Nationalism-a devotion to the interests and culture of one’s nation
Imperialism-the policy of extending a nation’s authority over other countries by economic, political or military means
Militarism-the development of armed forces and a tool of diplomacy
Alliance System- originally the Triple Entente, later known as the Allies (France, Britain, Russia) and the Triple Alliance later known as the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Otttoman Empire)

3. ASSASSINATION LEADS TO WAR
June 14 Archduke Franz Ferdinand visited the Bosnian capital Sarajevo, he and his wife Sophie were shot by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip
July 28-Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia
August 1-Germany declared war on Russia
August 3-Germany declared war on Russia’s ally France
August 4-Britain declared war on Germany and Austria Hungary

4. Archduke with his wife Sophie (top) Serbian Gavrilo Princip
(above)
Archduke Franz Ferdinand (left)

5. Look at your textbook page 375 (MAP)
THE FIGHTING STARTS
The Schlieffen Plan- holding action against Russia combined with a quick drive through Belgium to Paris; after France has fallen the 2 German armies would defeat Russia.
Look at your textbook page 375 (MAP)
THE BATTLE OF SOMME
1st Battle- Began July 1, 1916
British suffered 60,000 casualties in the first day alone
1.2 million total
Only 7 miles of ground exchanged because of trench warfare
TRENCH WARFARE (page 376)
3 Main kinds of trenches
-Front Line
-Support
-Reserve

6. TRENCH WARFARE
“NO MAN’S LAND”-a barren expanse of mud with shell craters and filled with barbed wire

7. Americans Question Neutrality
Public opinion was strong-but divided
Socialists criticized the war as capitalist and imperialist struggle between Germany and England to control markets
Pacifists believed that war was evil and the US should set an example for world peace
Millions of naturalized citizens followed the war closely because they still had ties with other nations
America had strong economic ties to the Allies
During the first two years of war the Allies flooded American markets with supply orders

8. GERMAN U-BOAT RESPONSE
THE WAR HITS HOME
In 1917 America had mobilized for war for 2 reasons
To ensure Allied repayment of debts to the U.S.
To prevent the Germans from threatening U.S. shipping
THE BRITISH BLOCKADE
Made use of naval strength
Blockaded German coast to prevent weapons and other supplies from getting through
Americans were angry b/c blockade threatened freedom of the seas
GERMAN U-BOAT RESPONSE
Germans responded with a counterblockade
May 7, 1915 U-Boat sank the British liner Lusitania off the coast of Ireland
128 Americans were lost
Americans became outraged and public opinion turned against Germany

9. 1916 Election Democrats renominated Woodrow Wilson
Republicans nominated Charles Evans Hughes
Wilson campaigned under the slogan “He Kept Us Out Of War”
Wilson was elected and hoped that all nations would join a “league for peace” which would work to extend democracy, maintain freedom of the seas and reduce armaments

10. The United States Declares War
Germans ignored Wilson’s call for peace and threatened to sink all ships entering British waters
Zimmerman Note-telegram from the German foreign minister to the German ambassador in Mexico that was intercepted by British agents
Telegram promised that if war with the United Sates broke out, Germany would support Mexico in recovering “lost territory in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona”

11. “Make the World Safe For Democracy”
Four more US merchant ships were sunk with 36 lives lost
Russia replaced there monarchy with a representative government
Now the United States could justify that this war was a war of democracies against brutal monarchies
“Make the World Safe For Democracy”