Chapter 11, Section 1 – World War I Begins

1. Chapter 11, Section 1 – World War I Begins Objectives: • 1. Identify the long-term causes and the immediate circumstances that led to WWI. • 2. Describe the first two years of the war. • 3. Summarize U.S. public opinion about the war. • 4. Explain why the U.S. entered the war.

2. Bellringer • What do you do when someone insults a friend? Do you defend them? How?

3. What were the causes of World War I? • Militarism…Weapons • Alliances…Secret • Imperialism…Economic • Nationalism…Pride

4. Europe was a “powder keg” waiting for a spark to ignite • Assassination of the Archduke Ferdinand - heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne - and his wife • A chain of events follows leading Europe to war

8. The assassin…Gavrilo Princip • A Serbian nationalist trained in Serbia • The “Black Hand”…

9. The assassination

12. The chain of events… • AFF assassinated in Bosnia • AH blames Serbia • AH makes harsh demands of Serbia • AH asks Germany for support continued >>>

13. The chain of events... • Germany responds with the “blank check” … • Russia is allied with Serbia and mobilizes • Fearing a two front war Germany launches a plan

14. The Schlieffen Plan • Germany’s plan to win the war early • Germany needed a quick strike against France and then a quick strike against Russia • Needed to go through Belgium first to do this • Belgian army resisted and slowed the German advance

16. First Battle of the Marne • French and British armies moved into northern France and stopped the German advance near the Marne River • Germany lost its opportunity for a quick victory • The western front led to a stalemate - 600 miles of trenches • Costly - in one battle British suffered 60,000 casualties in a single day of combat

17. Fragile Alliances • 1871 last great European conflict • 1907 two camps evolve: • Triple Alliance (Central Powers) • Germany, A-H, Italy • Triple Entente (Allies) • GB, France, Russia

18. New Alliances AlliesCentral Powers Great Britain Germany France Austria – Hungary Italy Ottoman Empire Serbia Bulgaria Russia Japan Belgium

19. European Imperialism • broadly: the extension or imposition of power, authority, or influence • Africa • Asia • Middle East

21. How did the standards of warfare change? • Distinction between soldier and civilian erased • Fields were burned and wells poisoned • British naval blockade starved the German people • Germany submarines struck at any ship believed to carry armaments

22. Stalemate • Earlier wars were fought with a cavalry • Modern weapons made the cavalry useless • New weapons - guns, grenades, artillery shells, poison gas, mustard gas led to trench warfare • No Man’s Land

26. Modern weapons made the trenches a grim reality

29. British prepare to go “over the top” at the Battle of the Somme

30. Australians resting in dug-out during the Battle of the Somme

31. Diagram of an Australian dug-out

33. German Trench near the Hindenburg Line

34. Captured German Trench at the Battle of the Somme

37. What was the American response? • War would threaten U.S. business interests • Many saw no reason to become involved • Wilson: America should remain above the conflict and he would serve as peacemaker • Neutrality Proclamation: U.S. was not committed to either side and should remain neutral

38. America should be “neutral in fact as well as in name-impartial in thought as well as in action.” – Woodrow Wilson

39. What does neutrality mean? • To be as neutral as possible in a neutral sense – not care about the outcome of the war • Be as fair as possible to both sides without influencing either side to win During war belligerents and neutrals can trade – but everything a neutral does affects the outcome of the war.

40. How did Americans feel about the war? • President Wilson’s message “impartial in thought and action” • Economic, cultural, and political factors make impossible. • 1914 1/3 of all Americans are “hyphenated” Americans • 8 million German-Americans and 4 million Irish-Americans • Culture and language bonds along with Franco-American friendship

41. What was the tone of American neutrality? • Propaganda…. • Violation of neutral rights… • Financial and Economic…

42. British propaganda • Emphasized common ties: heritage, language, literature, legal systems, democratic institutions • Cut communications with the continent • Exaggerated stories of German atrocities in Belgium

47. What were America’s economic ties with the Allies? • As a neutral power we could trade with belligerents • Trade with Germany ended because • of British blockade practices and • Pres. Wilson denounced German war atrocities and • the threat of Germany to democracy.

48. American Neutrality • USA economically tied to GB • Trade with Germany ends • Trade with Allies shoots up • 1914 = $824 million • 1916 = $3.2 billion • 1917 loans = 2.5 billion • Great economic boom for USA • Neutral in name only

49. How did Germany violate American neutrality rights? • February, 1915 – Germany announced waters around Great Britain as a war zone • Warned neutral powers identification at sea a problem • Wilson informed Germany that will be held in strict accountability • American response: “an indefensible violation of neutral rights”

50. Lusitania • British liner – departed from New York • Sunk off the coast of Ireland • 128 Americans died • Wilson condemned the act as barbaric and insisted on sending a warning to Germany • Lusitania Notes • Wm. Jennings Bryan resigned as Sec. of State