World War I

4 Contributing Factors for WWI World War I has Chronic & Acute factors The long term causes are generally attributed to four MAIN factors: Militarism Alliances Imperialism Nationalism

The Alliances in Europe became some confused and muddled in the early 1900s that they became Entangling Alliances: If any one country declared war on another country other countries HAD to become involved. This also encouraged have a big Military

Great War in Europe (1914-1919) Archduke and wife of Austria-Hungary assassinated by Serbian nationalist on June 28, 1914 Alliances and ultimatums dragged Europe into a destructive conflict

The US (Isolationism) As we’ve learned the US isn’t what you would call a “Global Player” The US maintains its’ policy of isolationism, and declares themselves Neutral. Though we were official neutral the US & British had a close international Relationship, and the War spurred the growth of an Anti-German Sentiment in the USA.

The Path to War American Neutrality German U-Boats Isolationists Preparedness Mostly pro-Allies German U-Boats Lusitania sunk on May 7, 1915 killing 128 Americans Sussex Pledge (1916) German resumes unrestricted submarine warfare Russian Revolution (1917) Zimmermann Telegram (1917) German request for Mexico alliance in return for lost land by U.S. United States declares war on April 6, 1917 To preserve and defend democracy, self-determination

What Dragged the US in? Two main Factors pull the US into World War I Unrestricted Submarine Warfare & the Zimmerman Telegram Unrestricted Submarine Warfare: The Germans had created U-Boats (Submarines) and were using them against the British Navy. Occasionally a civilian/merchant ship would get sunk What Dragged the US in?

The Lusitania In 1915 the Germans sunk the British passenger ship Lusitania, which resulted in the death of 100 Americans. Afraid the US would enter the War the Germans vowed to stop unrestricted submarine warfare, and then issued the Sussex Pledge (1916), a warning to ships before attack Though the US was outraged over the Lusitania the US did not immediately enter the war.

Zimmerman Telegram In 1917 the Germans resumed unrestricted submarine warfare (and the US did not immediately enter the war) In February 1917 the British intercepted a telegram from Germany to Mexico. In March 1917 the British share the telegram with the US In the Telegram the Germans asked the Mexicans to ally with them and attack the US, and in exchange Mexico would receive land once they won. The US was outraged and the US would declare war by April 1917

The US in WWI The US would be lead by John J. Pershing The only direct instruction President Wilson ever gave to Pershing was to maintain a separate fighting force (he wanted the US out when the US wanted out) The fresh US troops would help to break the stalemate of WWI and the War would be over about 8 months after the US had entered. The Armistice ends WWI on November 11th, 1918 at 11:00 AM (11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month = Armistice Day)

Lost Generation Before WWI war had been romanticized and glorified. Those who lived through the war and became writers often wrote about being disillusioned or lost, and how war was a horribly, tragic, meaningless event. “In those days we did not trust anyone who had not been in the war, but we did not completely trust anyone.” ~Ernest Hemingway

American Domestic War Effort War Agencies War Industries Board National War Labor Board Food Administration Committee on Public Information Liberty Bonds Financial support for American war effort Portrayed as an act of patriotic duty