1. World War I Overview Notes
Prelude to American Involvement

2. Causes of the War Tide of Events The Main Players Orders in Council
main causes of WWI were nationalism, imperialism, militarism, & alliances.
immediate cause was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary who was shot in Sarajevo, Serbia by a Serbian nationalist.
Austria declared war on Serbia, who went to Russia for help.
Austria declared war on Russia, who went to France for help.
Germany, together with its ally Austria, declared war on France.
Lastly, Austria declared war on Russia.
Germany invaded Belgium so Great Britain declared war on Germany.
Allies/Triple Entente = France, Great Britain, Russia, & Serbia.
Central Powers/Triple Alliance = Germany, Austria-Hungary, & Turkey.
Issued by Great Britain est. an allied blockade around Germany, declared the North Sea & English Channel “military areas”
Led Germans to unrestricted submarine warfare to eliminate the blockade
Tide of Events
The Main Players
Orders in Council

3. American Neutrality
Wilson urged America to be “impartial in thought as well as deed”
Issued a proclamation of neutrality on 8/4/14
BUT Wilson was an admirer of Br traditions, culture, & political system
Imbued a moral quality to the Allied position
Br reports of German atrocities helped Am support of Allied cause
War orders from Fr & Br were economically lucrative, so by 1915 Wilson realized U.S. couldn’t remain neutral—needed to become the “arsenal” of the Allies
Lusitania (1915): Br passenger liner sunk by German U-boat
128 Ams on board, so Wilson demanded that Germany respect rights of neutral nations traveling on nonmilitary vessels (Note: in fact, Lusitania carried some arms!!!)
Preparedness movement: building up our defense & preparing for involvement in the war; rearmament under way by 1916
Sussex Pledge (1916): unarmed Fr steamer, the Sussex, attacked by Germany
Several Am passengers injured
Germany pledged not to sink passenger vessels w/out warning
torpedo attacks began again in Jan (nothing to lose—US not neutral)
National Defense Act (1916): increased regular army to 175,000 & Nat’l Guard to 450,000; authorized military training at universities/colleges
Merchant Marine Act (1916): U.S. Shipping Board formed Emergency Fleet Corp to build, requisition, purchase, & operate merchant vessels
Election of 1916: Wilson ran on slogan “He kept us out of war.”—promised to continue Progressive policies & maintain peace
Defeated Republican Charles Evans Hughes (associate, & later, chief justice of S.C.)

4. U.S. Entry into War & Effect
Zimmerman Note (Jan 1917): Alfred Zimmerman, German Foreign Sec, sent dispatch to German rep in Mexico
Urged Mexico to support Germany if U.S. declared war
In return, Mexico would receive TX, AZ, & NM
Coded note intercepted by Br, decoded, & published in the U.S.
The note + Feb 1, 1917: Germany announced it would sink all ships, enemy & neutral alike = U.S. entry into war on April 6, 1917
Trivia: Jeanette Rankin = 1st woman elected to Congress (MT)—voted no to war; also voted no to WWII (only person to do so)
American Expeditionary Force: Gen. John J. Pershing arrived in Euro at end of 1917
Assisted Allies in halting German advance
Fought for 8 months until the armistice of Nov 11, 1918
U.S. gave more of a moral boost than anything
Germany surrendered on November 11, 1918, ending the war.