World War I (1914-1920)

World War I (1914-1920) The War to End All Wars?

Section 1: Road to War • Prior to WWI, a dramatic rise of nationalism, imperialism, and militarism in Europe seemed to make large-scale conflict inevitable.

Causes of World War I • Although one event provoked the start of war, the main causes of war existed prior to 1914. • Imperialism • Militarism • Nationalism • Alliances

Imperialism • A great scramble for colonies took place in the late 1800s. • European powers rushed to claim the remaining uncolonized areas of the world, particularly in Africa, Asia, and the Pacific. • By 1910, most land was colonized, leading to increased hostility and competition for land within Europe. • Germany felt envious of Britain and France, who fared better in the imperialist race.

Militarism • Diplomacy is largely abandoned for militarism. • Nations built up their armed forces in preparation for war. • Industrial and technological growth gave birth to new weaponry. • Preparation leads to action

Nationalism • Some countries acted out of national interest. When interests conflicted with other countries, war often ensued. • Other countries had diverse ethnic groups within them. These ethnic minorities often wanted their independence.

Alliances • A complicated system of alliances developed among European nations at the turn of the century. • Germany and Austria-Hungary • Russia and France • Great Britain and France • If two countries went to war, the alliance system would pull the entire continent into the conflict.

Alliances • Alliances were broken into two groups: the Triple Alliance, and the Triple Entente

“A Powder Keg” • Due to these alliances, strong nationalism, and the expansion of armed forces, Europe appeared to be on the brink of a continent-wide conflict. • Many referred to it as a “powder keg” ready to explode with any small spark.

Assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand • On June 28, 1914 Francis Ferdinand, heir to the throne of Austro-Hungarian Empire was assassinated.

Austria-Hungary had recently annexed Bosnia, many Serbians lived in Bosnia and resented A-H’s control; wanted to reunite with Serbia. Ferdinand was in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia, and his assassin, Gavrilo Princip, was a Serbian nationalist.

Powder Keg explodes • The assassination of Francis Ferdinand was the spark that lit the powder keg. • Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia • Russian declared war on Austria-Hungary • Germany sides with A-H • France and Great Britain side with Russia/Serbia.

Allied Powers • Russia, Serbia, France, and Great Britain became known as the Allied Powers, or the Allies.

Central Powers • Germany and Austria-Hungary made up the Central Powers. • Italy was an ally to Germany and Austria-Hungary prior to the war, but switched sides after the war began.

Schlieffen Plan • Both sides expected victory within months. • The Schlieffen Plan was Germany’s plan for quick sweeping victory on the Western war front. • Germany hoped to avoid fighting on two fronts by winning quickly on the Western Front before facing Russia in the east.

Stalemate • Germany quickly moved through Belgium and northern France, but were stopped by British and French forces 30 miles from Paris. • Stalemate occurred, where neither side could gain land or advantage.

Trench Warfare • In the stalemate that was most of WWI, soldier dug trenches into the ground for protection. • Both sides trenches faced each other across an empty “no man’s land”.

Trench Foot

Modern Warfare • WWI is often considered to be the first modern war. • Industrial development created new, more efficient killing machines. • Rapid fire machine guns, grenades, artillery shells, poison gases, armored tanks.

New Weapons Effect • A machine gun can fire 450 rounds a minute. • In prior wars, armies fought in an open field. • Rapid-fire weapons made fighting in the open deadly and impossible. • 20,000 British soldiers were killed in a single day trying to rush a German trench. • Soldiers dug into the ground to avoid being “mowed down”.

American Response • Most Americans sympathized with the Allied powers. • Many German and Irish American immigrants, however, felt ties with Central powers and resented the British. • Wilhelm II, the Kaiser, or Emperor, of Germany had strong militant control over Germany. His authoritarian leadership concerned Americans, who valued democracy.

Propaganda • British newspapers published false propaganda, information to sway public opinion, that soon infiltrated American thought.

Neutrality • President Woodrow Wilson officially proclaimed the U.S. a neutral country. • American business leaders supported neutrality, but many with strong commercial ties to Great Britain urged “preparedness” for war. • In 1915-1916, Wilson greatly expanded the U.S. armed forces to prepare for possible involvement.

Peace Movement • Many also opposed “preparedness” and any consideration of war. • Former Populists, progressives, and social reformers advocated peace and neutrality. • Many cited the financial costs and increased taxes as reasons not to enter war.

Section 2: U.S. Enters War • As WWI increasingly jeopardized U.S. business interests, America finally declared war.

German Submarine Warfare • The German U-boat, or submarine, changed naval warfare and trade. • U-boats fired on merchant ships while hidden underwater without warning.

Sinking of the Lusitania • On May 7, 1915, A German U-boat attacked the Lusitania, a British passenger liner. • The ship sank in eighteen minutes, killing 1,200 passengers and 128 Americans. • Outraged the U.S. who demanded Germany stop submarine warfare.

Sussex Pledge • Germany promised to stop sinking passenger ships without warning, but continued doing so anyway. • After attacking the Sussex, a French ship, the U.S. threatened to cut diplomatic ties with Germany. • Germany promised again to warn ships before attacking, known as the Sussex pledge.

Wilson Reelected • Woodrow Wilson was reelected as president in 1916 on the slogan, “He kept us out of war.” • Soon afterwards, Germany declared it would end the Sussex pledge.

The Zimmerman Note • In February of 1917, Britain revealed an intercepted German telegram from Arthur Zimmerman, Germany’s foreign secretary. • The Zimmerman note was written to Mexico, proposing that if Mexico joined Germany in fighting the U.S., Germany would help Mexico reacquire Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona.

Zimmerman Note • Mexico, divided by civil war, didn’t pose a realistic threat to the U.S., but the telegram increased American hostility towards Germany. “We shall endeavor to keep the U.S. neutral. In the event of this not succeeding, we make Mexico a proposal of alliance… Make war together, make peace together… and… Mexico is to reconquer the lost territory in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona.” -Arthur Zimmerman

Russian Revolution • By 1917, Russia had suffered enormous casualties in the war (1.5 million killed, 2.5 million POW, millions more wounded) and Central forces had pushed deep into Russia’s interior. • In March 1917, Czar Nicholas II was forced out of the throne for a republican government. • This further pushed the U.S. to war, who was hesitant to ally themselves with a dictator.

U.S. Declaration of War • Germany sank the U.S. ships City of Memphis, Illinois, and Vigilancia before the President’s Cabinet voted unanimously for war. • A war vote passed 82 to 6 in the Senate and 373 to 50 in the House. • Wilson said that “the world must be made safe for democracy.” • U.S. entered war on April 6, 1917

Section 3: U.S. in Europe • Early on, the U.S. only contributed supplies and a small group of soldiers. In 1918, they increased the number of troops in Europe to 3 million.

Draftees and Volunteers • Congress passed a Selective Service Act, authorizing a draft of young men for military service. • More than 24 million registered for the mandatory draft, and 3 million were chosen by lottery. • Draftees and volunteers formed what was called the American Expeditionary Force (AEF).

The Convoy System • As a precaution against German U-boats, the U.S. merchant and troop ships began traveling to Europe in a convoy. • Groups of unarmed ships traveled in a large group surrounded by destroyers and torpedo boats designed to track and destroy submarines.

Soldiers in Europe • Led by General John J. Pershing • Pershing history: Spanish-American War & went to Mexico in search of “Pancho” Villa • Pershing kept U.S. troops independent from other Allied troops. • Believed the U.S. needed to bring a new, offensive mindset that would turn the tide of war and bring victory.

Russia’s Exit: The Bolshevik Revolution • In late 1917, Vladimir Lenin and his followers, Bolsheviks, overthrew the Russian government. • Prioritizing the communist revolution within Russia, Lenin signed a truce with Germany and pulled out of the war. • Eliminated the eastern front of the war and allowed Germany to move all their troops to the western front.

German Advancement • In 1918, with all their troops on the western front, Germany broke through the trenches and began advancing through France toward Paris. • First time that the stalemate ended since the beginning of the war in 1914.

American troops push back Germany • General Pershing dispatched troops to the front of the battle to turn back the German offensive. • They successfully halted the German advancement and began pushing the line of battle further back, away from Paris.

Allied Counterattack • The arrival of U.S. troops turned the tide of the war in favor of the Allied powers. • 250,000 new American soldiers were arriving in France each month and quickly sent to the front line. • The introduction of the armored tank allowed Allies to cross trenches and break German lines.

War in the Air • Towards the end of the war, airplanes are introduced in combat, forever changing warfare. • Used as scouting tools early on. • Began firing machine guns from planes and finally dropping bombs.

Ending the War • The Allied powers continued to overpower the Central forces. • Austria-Hungary divided in October of 1918. • Poles, Hungarians, Czechs, and Slovaks all declared their independence. • German commanders proposed peace, but Allies demanded full German surrender.

End of War • The German navy mutinied, or refused to fight any longer. • The German Kaiser fled to Holland in November. • A civilian representative from Germany signed an armistice, or cease-fire, on November 11, 1918.

Influenza Epidemic • Last months of war were darkened not only from war deaths, but epidemic. • American troops arriving in 1918 brought a new form of an influenza virus. • The epidemic killed an estimated 30 million people worldwide, far more than those who died in battle itself.

Impact of War • The scars of war ran deep throughout most of the world, particularly in Europe. • The sick and wounded outnumbered those who had died. • “The war to end all wars” only seemed to intensify the hatred and bitterness between nations and ethnicities in Europe.

Section 4: War at Home • Although the war more greatly impacted Europe, where it was fought, domestic life in America saw changes as well.

Financing the War • Government raised money from the American people. • Borrowed money by selling Liberty Bonds. • A bond is an investment, money loaned to the government to be paid back with interest. • Liberty Bonds raised $20 billion for the war.

World War I (1914-1920)