1. Chapter 19 The First World War

2. Section 1: World War I Begins
Causes of World War I
Nationalism- Many feared Germany’s growing power in Europe
Imperialism- Germany competed against Britain and France for colonies
Militarism- The world powers needed strong military to protect their armies
Alliance system-
Triple Alliance (central powers): Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy
Triple Entente (allies): Britain, France, Russia

3. Assassination of Franz Ferdinand
Archduke Franz Ferdinand in June 1914 by a Serbian nationalist named Gavrilo Princip
Princip was a member of the Black Hand, a group promoting Serbian nationalism
Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia
The alliance systems pulled in the other countries, starting the Great War

4. The Fighting Starts August 3, 1914- Germany invades Belgium
Schlieffen Plan- strategy for attack.
Drive through Belgium to Paris, then defeat Russia
Trench Warfare
Parallel system of trenches
Three kinds of trenches- front line, support and reserve.
Between trenches “No Man’s Land”

5. Americans Question Neutrality
Most Americans did not want to enter the war
Many followed the war because of their ancestry to the warring nations
Britain blockaded goods from entering Germany
Germany responded by using U-boats to sink Allied ships in German waters.

6. U.S. declares war
German U-boats sank the Lusitania, a British liner with American passengers onboard
The German foreign minister sent the Zimmerman note to the German ambassador in Mexico proposing an alliance between Mexico and Germany and promised to return Mexico the lost territories of Texas, new Mexico, and Arizona if they won.
On April 2, 1917, the U.S. went to war

7. Section 2: American Power tips the balance America Mobilizes
The U.S. only had 200,000 men in service when war was declared
Selective Service Act passed in May 1917
By the end of 1918, 24 million registered under the act, and 3 million were called up to serve

8. America Turns the Tide
Convoy system- a heavy guard of destroyer ships escorted merchant ships back and forth across the Atlantic in groups
U.S. lay mines from Norway to Scotland to prevent U-boats from sailing into the Atlantic
New Weapons and New Hazards

9. American troops go on the offensive
Russia drops out of the war in 1917, which allowed Germany to shift its armies all to the western front.
Allied forces went on the offensive after the Second Battle of the Marne
Austria-Hungary surrendered on Nov. 3, 1918
Germany signed armistice on Nov. 11, 1918 at 11a.m.

10. Section 3 The War at Home
The entire economy was focused on the war effort. Instead of producing consumer goods, they produced war supplies.
Power of government was greatly expanded because the shift was too complicated for a private industry to handle.
President Wilson had direct control over much of the economy.

11. War Industries Board
encouraged companies to use mass-production techniques to increase efficiency and to eliminate waste by standardizing products.
Production increased by 20% but retail prices almost doubled

12. FUEL ADMINISTRATION FOOD ADMINISTRATION
They monitored coal supplies and rationed gas and heating oil to save fuel.
In March 1918, the Fuel Administration introduced daylight-saving time. It had been proposed by Benjamin Franklin in the 1770s and is a way of taking advantage of the longer days of summer.
FOOD ADMINISTRATION
To help conserve and produce food, Wilson set up the Food Administration.
Set up days of the week where meals were “meatless”, “sweetless”, “wheatless”, etc.
Homeowners planted gardens

13. The United States spent about $35.5 billion on the war.
One third of the amount was raised through taxes
As soon as war was declared, immigrants were attacked, especially Germans and Austria-Hungarians.
Espionage and Sedation Acts: Person can be fined up to $10,000 and 20 years in jail for saying anything disloyal

14. WWI caused the Great Migration, the move of thousands of African Americans North.
Women had jobs that were exclusively for men such as dockworkers, bricklayers, and cooks.
Fall of 1918, an international flu epidemic affected ¼ of the population
Killed as many as 30 million people worldwide before it ended in 1919

15. Section 4 Wilson Fights for Peace
Jan 1918, President Wilson gave a speech called The Fourteen Points.
It addressed ways on how to prevent wars, boundary changes, and called for The League of Nations, a way for nations to settle issues without going into war.
The peace treaty was signed on June 2, 1919
The Treaty of Versailles established 9 new nations and required Germany to pay war damages of $33 billion.
Germany couldn’t pay and had to give up colonial possessions in the Pacific.
Russia lost territory and was determined to regain it.

16. Wilson suffered a stroke after trying to convince the people that the US should join the League of Nations.
Americans feared that membership would force the US to form their policy around the League.
The US finally signed a separate treaty with Germany in 1921 and never joined the League of Nations.

17. In the end, the Treaty of Paris settled nothing.
There were still unresolved issues in Europe such as the Communist states that formed during the war.
The war caused instability and violence for decades.