1. THE FIRST WORLD WAR

2. Causes of the War
Four long-term causes of the First World War (M.A.I.N.)
MILITARISM –increased military spending
ALLIANCE SYSTEM – By 1907 Europe was divided into two armed camps
IMPERIALISM – Economic and political control over weaker nations
NATIONALISM – a devotion to the interests and culture of one’s nation

3. Militarism
Empires had to be defended and European nations increased military spending enormously in the late 19th and early 20th century.
By 1890 the strongest nation militarily in Europe was Germany
France, Italy, Japan and the United States quickly joined in the naval buildup.

4. 1910-1914 Increase in Defense Expenditures
Militarism & Arms Race
Total Defense Expenditures for the Great Powers [Ger., A-H, It., Fr., Br., Rus.] in millions of £s.
1870
1880
1890
1900
1910
1914 94
130
154
268
289
398
Increase in Defense Expenditures
France
10%
Britain
13%
Russia
39%
Germany
73%

5. Battleships were being stockpiled by European nations, Japan, and America in the late 19th and early 20th century

6. Alliance System
By 1907 there were two major defense alliances in Europe
The Triple Entente, later known as the Allies, consisted of Russia, France, Britain, Italy, Japan and Russia
The Central Powers consisted of Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria.

9. Imperialism
For many centuries, European nations built empires. Colonies supplied raw materials, markets, military bases, etc.

11. Nationalism
Various ethnic groups resented domination by others and wanted independence.
Russia and Austria-Hungary disagreed over the treatment of Serbs in central Europe.
Germany was allied with Austria-Hungary while Russia, France and Britain were partners

12. Pan-Slavism: The Balkans, 1914 The “Powder Keg” of Europe

13. The Spark: An Assassination
“The powder keg of Europe”
Russia wanted access to the Mediterranean Sea.
Germany wanted a rail link to the Ottoman Empire. Austria-Hungary, which had taken control of Bosnia in 1878, accused Serbia of subverting its rule over Bosnia.
Finally, in June of 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austrian throne was gunned down by a Serbia radical igniting a diplomatic crisis.

14. The Assassin:
Gavrilo Princip

16. The Fighting Begins
The Alliance system pulled one nation after another into the conflict – The Great War had begun.
On August 3, 1914, Germany invaded Belgium, following a strategy known as the Schlieffen Plan. This plan called for a quick strike through Belgium to Paris, France.
The plan was designed to prevent a two-front war for Germany.
The Schliefflen Plan

17. The War Becomes A Stalemate
Unable to save Belgium, the Allies retreated to the Marne River in France where they stopped the German advance in September 1914.
Both sides dug in for a long siege. By the spring of 1915, two parallel systems of deep trenches crossed France from Belgium to Switzerland.
British soldiers standing in mud

18. German Soldiers
The conditions in these trenches were horrific. Aside from the fear of bombardment, soldiers also had to contend with mud, flooding, lice, vermin, and disease associated with living in such an unhealthy environment.

19. Trench Warfare = More Casualties
During the First Battle of the Somme the British suffered an enormous number of casualties (60,000 on the first day).
Final casualties for this phase of the war totaled 1.2 million, yet only 7 miles of ground was gained.
This bloody trench warfare, in which armies fought for mere yards of ground, lasted from 1916 to 1919.
Gas attacks were common features of trench life and often caused blindness and lung disease

20. Important New Weapons
Machine Guns: Guns could now fire 600 rounds per minute.
The Tank: New steel tanks ran on caterpillar treads.
Airplanes: Early dogfights resembled duals, however by 1918 the British had a fleet of planes that could deliver bombs.
Poison Gas: Mustard gas was used to subdue the enemy.

21. Other Weapons & Equipment
Howitzers
Flame throwers
Torpedoes
U-boats
Phosphorus grenades
Field phones
Search lights
Gas masks
Camouflage
Railroad guns
Blimps

22. German U-boat sinking a British commercial steamer

23. Both humans and animals were susceptible to the effects of poison gas
Both humans and animals were susceptible to the effects of poison gas. Dogs were used during World War I as sentries, sled dogs, pack animals, and messengers.

24. How was WW1 a “world war”?

25. French propaganda poster portrayed the Germans as inhuman.
Americans Neutrality
When war was declared in Europe in July 1914, Wilson proclaimed American neutrality due to:
Tradition of non-involvement
Progressives & women organized against war
America as a land of immigrants should not take sides in Europe
The majority of the U.S. supported the Allies but wanted to avoid war
In 1914, most Americans saw no reason to join a struggle 3,000 miles away – they wanted neutrality.
French propaganda poster portrayed the Germans as inhuman.

26. Americans Question Neutrality
There are 7 reasons why the US will feel compelled to go to War.
Examine the primary sources for each of these 7 reasons and complete the class handout
From Your Handout, What is the most compelling reason the US questions Neutrality.

27. Threats to American Neutrality
U.S. neutrality was threatened from the very beginning:
England & Germany appealed to the U.S. to enter on their side
England appealed to cultural ties & propaganda of Germans atrocities
Germany blamed the war on Russian expansion & French revenge
U.S. trade with England & France provided a strong bond
The most serious threat proved to be Germany’s violation of the right to “freedom of the seas”

28. Freedom of the Seas
England began a blockade around Germany to cut off war supplies:
Wilson protested that the blockade infringed on America’s right to trade as a neutral nation
But the flood of Allied war orders helped fuel the U.S. economy
Loans & trade drew the U.S. closer to the Allies while trade with Germany all but ended
Trade with the Allies caused U.S. trade to jump from $2 billion to $6 billion from 1913 to 1916
The U.S. gave $2.5 billion in loans to the Allies, but only $27 million to the Central Powers 11

29. The U-Boat Threat
Germany’s response to the British blockade was unrestricted submarine warfare in 1915:
Americans died during u-boat attacks on the Lusitania, Arabic, & Sussex from 1915 to 1916
In the Sussex Pledge, Germany agreed to limit attacks if the U.S. helped end England’s blockade
Despite the Sussex Pledge, Congress passed the National Defense Act in 1916 that increased the size of the U.S. army & navy 12

30. Immediate Causes: Maritime Rights
During the first two years of the war, America was providing (selling) the allied forces war material (dynamite, cannon powder, submarines, copper wire, etc)
Both the Germans and British imposed naval blockades on each other.
The Germans used U-boats to prevent shipments to the North Atlantic.

31. Immediate Causes: The Lusitania
A German U-boat sank the British passenger liner killing all aboard including 128 American tourists. The Germans claimed the ship was carrying Allied ammunition.
Americans were outraged and public opinion turned against Germany and the Central Powers.
May 7, 1915

32. The N.Y. Times reports on the Lusitania

33. Immediate causes: other sinkings
How Is Wilson going to respond?
How is Germany going to respond?
The “Arabic” (2)
“The Sussex” (many injured)
May 7, 1915

34. Election of 1916
In the 1916 election, Wilson balanced contrasting stances:
He appealed to progressives & anti-war voters with the slogan “He kept us out of war”
But argued for “preparedness” by building up the military in case the U.S. joins the war
Wilson won by affirming 2 goals: freedom of the seas & neutrality 13

35. 1916 Election
The November 1916 election: Democrat Woodrow Wilson vs. Republican Charles Evans Hughes (Supreme Court).
Wilson won a close election using the slogan, “He kept us out of war.” (Ironic)
In his defense he made several peace attempts.

36. Immediate Causes: Zimmerman Note
A telegram from the German foreign minister to the German Ambassador in Mexico, proposed an alliance with Mexico and a return of their “lost territory” in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona.
Encoded message from Germany to Mexico

37. Zimmerman note intercepted by a British agent and decoded

38. Immediate Causes: Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
In December 1916, Germany led a massive European offensive & resumed unrestricted submarine warfare to win the war
In 1917, Wilson hoped for a “peace without victory” but key events made neutrality impossible:
German subs sunk 5 U.S. ships
The interception of Zimmerman Telegram fueled U.S. anger

39. U.S. Losses to German Submarines, 1916-191814

40. America Declares War
On April 2, crowds gathered around the Capital building to hear Wilson deliver his declaration of war.
Wilson said, “The world must be mad safe for democracy.”
Congress passed the resolution a few days later.

41. April 2, 1917, Wilson asked Congress for a declaration of war to “make the world safe for democracy”

42. American Troops Go On the Offensive
When Russia surrendered to the Germans in 1917, the Central Powers were able to focus on the Western Front . By May, the Germans were within 50 miles of Paris. The Americans arrived and immediately played a major role in pushing the Germans back. In July and August the Americans helped the Allies win the Second Battle of the Marne.
Men of the 42nd Division during the Second Marne. These men were killed by artillery fire just 5 minutes after this photo was taken

43. WWI Alliances & Battlefronts, 1914-1917
When the U.S. entered the war in 1917, the Allies were on the brink of defeat
U-boats effectively limited Allied supplies
The Russian armistice in 1917 allowed Germany to move its full army to the western front

44. The 1st U.S. troops arrived via convoy in June 1917 but did not see action until early 1918

45. The U.S. on the Western Front, 1918
American soldiers saw their 1st action in May 1918 at Chateau Thierry outside Paris & helped resist a last-ditch German offensive

46. War in the Trenches
The arrival of fresh American soldiers & war supplies raised Allied morale at a crucial time:
By October 1918, the German gov’t knew the war was over
Turkey, Austria-Hungary, & Bulgaria were all out of the war
Nov 11, 1918 Germany signed an armistice with the Allies

47. Conclusions
The “Great War” was a total war but the U.S. effort paled in comparison to other Allied forces:
The U.S. reluctantly entered WWI after 3 years of neutrality & played a supportive (not a central) military role in the war
9 million soldiers & 5 million civilians died
The Allies had 52% casualties; the Central Powers had 57%
U.S. had only 320,000 casualties (6.8%)
But, WWI had a huge impact on the American economic, political, & cultural homefront