1. World War I

2. WWI Begins – Causes (MAINE)
Militarism
Nationalism
Brinkmanship – Army and Naval Buildup
Black Hand
War Readiness
Gavrilo Princip assassinated Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo, Bosnia
War as Glorious
Influence of military Leaders
Ethnocentrism
Alliances
German military and industrial pride
Uniting of Central Powers
French loses in Franco-Prussian War
Uniting of Allies
Russia and Pan-Slavism
Economics
Defense Agreements
Industrialization and search for New Markets
Imperialism
Rivalries among Britain, Germany, and France
Jingoism
Social Darwinism
Empire Building
Global Meliorism

3. Effects - Allied and Central Powers
Allied Powers
Central Powers
Great Britain, France, Russia, Italy (Switched Side), Belgium, Portugal, Montenegro, Albania, Serbia, Greece and Romania
Germany, Austria-Hungary Empire (Bosnia), Bulgaria, Italy, and Ottoman Empire

5. Wilson Declares U.S. Neutrality
Causes
Effects
World War I broke out in Europe
Held tradition of Washington to not ally with any European power or become in a war across the Atlantic
Difficult to protect U.S. trading rights and maintain a policy that didn’t favor either the Allied Powers or Central Powers
US ships began to be seized by Great Britain if they ran the blockade in the North Sea

6. Germany began Submarine Warfare
Causes
Effects
Wanted to challenge the British naval power at sea with the submarine
Germany answered the British blockade by announcing their own around the British Isles
Warned that any ships attempting to enter the “war zone” risked being sunk by German Submarines

7. Lusitania Sinks – May 7, 1915 Causes Effects
German U-Boat torpedoes Lusitania off the coast of Ireland
A British passenger ship was carrying 128 Americans was believed to be carrying armaments
Wilson responded by sending Germany a warning that they would be held to “strict accountability” if it continued is policy of sinking unarmed ships

10. Sussex Pledge is Issued - 1916
Causes
Effects
August 1915, two more American lives were lost on another passenger ship
March 1916, Germany sunk a merchant ship, the Sussex, killing several Americans
Wilson threatened to cut off diplomatic relations with Germany
Instead of risk the U.S. entry into war with the British
Promised to not sink merchant or passenger ships without giving due warning

11. Preparedness Legislation - 1916
Causes
Effects
Many recognized the U.S. army and navy were hopelessly unprepared for a major war
National Defense Act, increased the regular army to a force of nearly 175,000
Naval Construction Act, Authorized the construction of more than 50 warships in a year!

13. Woodrow Wilson is Reelected (1916)
Causes
Effects
“He kept us out of war”
Peace, progressive reforms and weakness of the republican candidate
Wilson felt he needed to maintain his peace efforts
Made a commitment to the idea of “peace without victory” – January 1917

14. Germany Resumes Unrestricted Submarine Warfare - 1917
Causes
Effects
German commanders decided to resume unrestricted submarine warfare in January 1917
Thought that cutting off supplies to Allies would allow Germany to win the war before the US could join
Wilson broke ALL diplomatic relations with Germany

15. Zimmerman Telegram – March 1917
Causes
Effects
Mexico should ally itself with Germany in return for Germany’s pledge to help Mexico recover lost territories – Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona
Aroused nationalist anger of the American people
Convinced Wilson that Germany fully expected a war with the United States

16. Russian Revolution Causes Effects
Russia was governed by an autocratic Czar – Nicholas Romanov II
Russian revolutionaries overthrew the czar’s and proclaimed a democratic republic (March 1917)
The barrier to US participation in the war was lifted – an Imperial Empire was no longer in the war
Bolshevik Revolution ousted democratic government and instituted a communist government under Vladimir Lenin in November 1917
Central Powers signed an armistice with Russia in December 1917

17. The US Declares War – April 1917
Causes
Effects
Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
Sinking of the Lusitania
Popular Opinion
The Zimmerman Telegram
Economic Relationship with European Nations
Ethnocentrism
The U.S. was now a member of the Allied Powers in World War I

18. Analysis
Evaluate the US government's decision to declare war on Germany? Explain if the response was reasonable and what was the ultimate cause of US involvement.
To what extent is it America’s role to “keep the world safe for democracy”?