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United States History Chapter 12 The World War I Era (1914-1920)
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Section 1 The Road to War
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Causes of World War I: Imperialism A great scramble for colonies took place in the late 1800s, European powers rushed to claim the remaining un-colonized areas of the world, especially Africa, Asia, and the Pacific The competition for the remaining lands led to conflict among the European powers
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Causes of World War I: Militarism This policy involved aggressively building up a nation’s armed forces in preparation for war and giving the military more authority over the government and foreign policy The powers of Europe spent large sums of money on new weapons and warships for expanding their armed forces The endless planning for war made war much more likely
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Causes of World War I: Nationalism Two kinds of nationalism contributed to World War I: The tendency for countries such as the great powers to act in their own national interest; when such action went against the national interest of another nation, warfare could result Nationalism occurred in countries with diverse ethnic populations, particularly those in central and eastern Europe, these groups sought self- government, this goal often led to violence
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Causes of World War I: Alliances A complicated system of alliances developed among the nations of Europe during the late 19 th century Designed to bolster each nation’s security, the alliances bound the great powers to come to each other’s aid in the event of an attack
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What incident would spark the start of the “Great War”? The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria Hungary, heir to the throne The assassination occurred on Bosnian soil, by a Bosnian terrorist, and Austria-Hungary demanded certain requirements be met as punishment for this incident When Bosnia was unable to meet the terms, Austria-Hungary declared war, setting off a chain of events that spread throughout Europe via the complex web of alliances
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Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
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Define mobilization. The readying of troops for war
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Identify the Central Powers. Germany Austria-Hungary Ottoman Empire
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Identify the Allies. Russia France Great Britain Eventually, the United States
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Identify the characteristics of trench warfare. With the available modern weapons, soldiers were forced to take cover in a system of fortified ditches Soldiers fought from one trench to another while dodging gunfire, barbed wire, and bombs Living conditions in the trenches were sub par In times of rain the trenches flooded; soldiers faced ailments as “trench foot” and “trench mouth” Trenches were havens for rodents and home to the dead, as it was too dangerous to remove the bodies Many who fought in the trenches suffered from a condition known as “shell shock” [post-traumatic stress syndrome]
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World War I is often considered the first modern war. Explain. Soldiers now had at their disposal a variety of new weapons that changed the way wars were fought Rapid-fire weapons Artillery Poison gas Tanks planes
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Explain the American “preparedness movement.” Americans welcomed the path of neutrality, but other urged the United States to “prepare” for the possibility of war By the summer of 1916, the United States had stepped up efforts to train men for combat, as well as a large increase in the size of the American armed forces
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Section 2 The United States Declares War
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What would ultimately push the United States into World War I? Unrestricted submarine warfare Germany changed their naval strategy and began to attack British ships in hopes of preventing weapons and supplies from reaching Britain After sinking ships, such as the Lusitania, which killed innocent Americans, the United States would move closer to entering the war
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What was the Zimmerman Note? (1917) Telegram sent by Germany to Mexican officials proposing an alliance with Mexico and promising U.S. territory if Mexico declared war on the United States The United States did not take the message seriously, Mexico was already divided in civil war and lacked the ability to successfully invade the United States
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What impact did the Russian Revolution have on the course of World War I? The revolution led to the removal of the czar from power and the emergence of a new communist government The communist government was not in support of the war, thus making peace with Germany and removing themselves from the war Russia’s withdrawal would make possible the Central Powers focusing all of their efforts on the western front
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Section 3 Americans on the European Front
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What was the Selective Service Act? Law requiring all males aged 21 to 36 to register for military service in World War I The goal of this legislation was to bolster the size of the American military for the war effort
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What impact did the American military play in World War I? Not only did the American military bolster the number of soldiers for the Allies, but these fresh soldiers also provided additional manpower needed to win several key battles as well as a morale boost for the Allies The United States would also provide the Allies with military supplies, general supplies, and money needed to sustain the war effort
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What events brought about an end to World War I? The Central Powers soon collapsed from Allied attacks and domestic revolutions In Germany, a revolt spread throughout the country which pressured leadership to bring about an end to the war, the Kaiser fled and a new civilian government was established, who would sign an armistice which ended the war (November 11, 1918)
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Define armistice. A cease fire or truce
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Section 4 Americans on the Home Front
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How did the United States pay for the war? The government borrowed money from the American public through the sale of bonds The government sold Liberty Bonds, making it patriotic to support the war effort The government would also rely on taxation to fund the war effort
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How did the American government manage the country’s economy during World War I? The government called on industry to switch from producing commercial goods to war goods The War Industries Board was created to oversee the nation’s war-related production The National War Labor Board was established to settle labor disputes that might disrupt the war effort The government established price controls and urged the American public to limit consumption [in order to prevent the need for rationing]
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How did the American government enforce loyalty in the United States during World War I? The government imposed censorship of the press and media Congress passed the Espionage and Sedition Acts to ensure no physical or verbal obstruction occurred against the war effort
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How did World War I change the United States economically and socially? The war effort created many new industrial jobs, which would also lead to higher wages for workers Jobs were made available to African Americans [the need for workers were greater than racism] The war would virtually end the flow of immigrants from other countries to the United States
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How did World War I change life for African Americans? The war opened job opportunities in industrial jobs for African Americans Nearly 500,000 African Americans would migrate to northern cities where these industrial jobs were locate [Great Migration]
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Section 5 Global Peacemaker
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Define self-determination. The power to make decisions about one’s own future
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What were the “Fourteen Points”? What was the fate of this legislation during the peace talks? President Wilson’s proposal for a postwar European peace Notable provisions: Open peace Freedom of the seas Removal of economic barriers and equality of trade Reduction in arms Self-determination League of Nations
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Explain the League of Nations. International organization formed after World war I that aimed to ensure the security and peace for all of its members This provisions pledged that members of the League would regard an attack on one country as an attack on all
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Explain the Treaty of Versailles. Treaty that ended World War I Provisions: Several new nations were created The admittance of guilt by Germany, with billions of dollars in reparations owed to Allied Nations In regards to the Fourteen Points, the only provision to make the treaty was the League of Nations
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How did the United States Senate respond to the Treaty of Versailles? The United Senate rejected the Treaty on the basis of the inclusion of the League of Nations, they wanted no part in entering a peacetime military alliance After continued efforts by Wilson the Senate would again reject the treaty The United States would never sign the Treaty of Versailles, never join the League of Nations, and would make their own separate peace with the nations of the Central Powers
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