1. WWI Facts Alliances TRIPLE ENTENTE: Germany, Italy, Austria-Hungary
TRIPLE ALLIANCE:
Britain, France, Russia, (USA)
War lasted from: – 1918
People thought war would last no longer than 6 weeks
10 million deaths:
116,000 US soldiers
2,000,000 German soldiers
1,500,000 French soldiers
1,000,000 English soldiers
over 5,000,000 civilians

2. Causes of WWI
Arms Race
Competition between enemies to build up their armies and navies; creation of new battleships
Nationalism
People in some European countries developed sense that their nation was better than others and should control other countries
Imperialism
Definition: a country’s desire to own, control, and develop groups of people in other parts of the world besides their own country, usually for power and profit
Germany wanted to strengthen itself by having more colonies around the world like England and France had
Propaganda War
England and Germany (enemies) tried to persuade Americans to support their own side

3. Why did the USA support the Alliance so quickly?
America shared English language with Britain
France had helped USA during the Revolutionary War
Many USA businesses had ties with England & France
British propaganda painted Germany as attacking innocent women & children in the war
German U-boat (submarine) sunk the Lusitania cruise ship, killing 100 Americans, USA begins to support England
Germany continues to destroy British and French ships, & declares any US ship heading to England will be attacked; 2 US ships destroyed
Zimmermann telegram: Germany tries to send telegram to Mexico offering southwest part of USA to them if they’ll attack USA (if USA joins the war); US officials intercept it

4. America Prepares for War
Draft Act:
law states any man ages can be called to military duty
draft wasn’t needed, military went from 200,000 men to 9 million in one day (June 5, 1917) due to volunteers
Factories
begin working day & night producing war supplies
new guns, battleships, submarines, tanks, airplanes, gas masks, uniforms created to help Allies and Americans in war

5. Fighting in the War America saves Paris
Allies were outnumbered by Entente troops/supplies
30,000 American soldiers came and helped keep Paris in Allies hands
Argonne Forest
700 “Yanks” (American soldiers) were surrounded by German troops in the forest
US soldiers became known as the “Lost Battalion”
US Major sent messages for help by carrier pigeon
American cannons accidentally attacked the trapped US soldiers instead of German troops
After 5 days of fighting the Lost Battalion was saved, only 194 men survived
2 million new American troops ready to fight
Germany realized it couldn’t keep up with the US troops
Triple Entente troops surrendered in 1918

6. Wilson tries to end the war fairly…
Armistice: agreement between enemies to stop fighting until a treaty is reached
President Wilson wanted “peace without victory,” meaning Germany wouldn’t be punished for the war (let things get resolved peacefully)
(What other US President didn’t want to punish the enemy for war after it ended?)
Wilson’s plan for peace was called The 14 Points
it was so fair that even Germany liked it
League of Nations was suggested
goal was to unite countries around the world and prevent another world war through peaceful talks

7. Germany Punished… Germany, 1914 Germany, 1918
Other Allied powers wanted to punish Germany, making it weak so that it couldn’t cause another world war again
Some German land & all of its colonies taken away to keep Germany small
Germany lost all profitable companies, had to pay major war debts
Germany refused to sign the treaty at first
“We would have continued to fight if we knew we were going to be punished so severely”
Germany gave up its weapons & ships, & signed the Treaty of Versailles
President Wilson feared that Germany would resent the world for this treaty, leading to another world war
Germany, 1918

8. The League of Nations is developed…
Goal:
an association of countries who work to resolve future international conflicts together to prevent future world wars
USA refuses to join, even though President Wilson created it and started it up
USA fears:
members of the League would have to help other members if a war did ever develop; USA didn’t want to get involved in world wars ever again
USA concerned that the League would have more power than the US Constitution in America