1. Road to WWI
US HISTORY

2. Long Term Causes of WWI Nationalism
Ethnic groups band together and demand independent nations (self-determination)
Imperialism
Rivalries created as countries compete and fight for foreign colonies
Militarism
Countries build up military for war
Alliances
Countries make agreements to support each other

3. Causes Cont.

4. Short Term (Immediate) Cause
Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
June 28, 1914
After this event, in a few days World War I will start

5. Events Archduke Franz Ferdinand Assassinated by a Serbian nationalist
Austria declares war on Serbia
Russia (Serbia’s ally) will step in to defend Serbia
Germany (Austria’s ally) will declare war on Russia
England and France will join to defend their ally (Russia)

6. US Neutrality Reasons George Washington’s Farewell Address
Avoid Entangling Alliances
US isolationism
American people did not support a war
Woodrow Wilson will win re-election in by using the slogan “He Kept us Out of War!”

7. Isolationism Become difficult
British blockade and German U-boats (submarines) make trade difficult
German U-boats sink US merchant vessels
Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
Germans warn the US they will sink any ship in the range of their U-boats
May,
Germans will attack and sink a British ship, the Lusitania (128 Americans die)
Lead to an increase in Anti-German opinions in US and an increase in support for entering World War I

8. Headline in paper following sinking of the Lusitania
German U-boat
Headline in paper following sinking of the Lusitania

9. Lusitania Conspiracy Lusitania was a British ship
Illegally hiding bombs and military supplies in the bottom of the ship
Passengers did not know of this
German U-boat torpedo hit the ship and then the bombs on the ship exploded
Actually the Lusitania sunk because of the illegal bombs and weapons hid on board

10. Why does the US enter WWI?
Unrestricted submarine warfare and the sinking of the Lusitania
Zimmerman Note- February 1917
Sent to Mexico from Germany
Propose an alliance between Germany and Mexico
Germans want Mexico to invade the US and promise Mexico land they lost to the US
US trade disrupted
US factories and businesses hurt

11. US entry US enters World War I on April 2, 1917
President Wilson asks Congress for a declaration of war to “Make the world safe for democracy”
May 1917
US passes the selective service act
Requires all men to register for the military draft
Current requirements
Almost all male U.S. citizens, and male aliens living in the U.S., who are 18 through 25, are required to register with Selective Service