American History

WWI

Woodrow Wilson’s Diplomacy

• Opposed Imperialism • Promoted democracy • Mexican Revolution– 1884-1911 Porfirio Diaz– 1911 Francisco Madero– 1912 General Victoriano Huerta– 1914 Venustino Carranza

• Pancho Villa

Causes of WWI

• Alliance System– German Empire– Triple Alliance • Germany, Italy, & Austria- Hungary • Franco-Russian Alliance

• Naval Race– Great Britain & Germany

– “entente cordial” Triple Entente (Britain, France, Russia)

European Alliances WWI

Causes of WWI

• Balkan Crisis – Nationalism• Intense pride-willing to go to war to expand their

nation at the expense of others

• Self-determination• People should have their own country• Serbia

– Russian supported– Annexation of Bosnia

• Franz Ferdinand

The Beginning

• Triple Entente Allies France, Russian, Great Britain (Italy in 1915)

• Triple Alliance Central Powers Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire & Bulgaria

• United States “We must be impartial in thought as well as action.” Woodrow Wilson

Europe on the eve of World War I, 1914

United States Involvement • People takes sides– Pro British “international balance of power”

• Propaganda

U.S. Involvement • British blockade– Mines in the North Sea– German U-boats– May 7, 1915 Lusitania

• “too proud to fight”– Sussex Pledge

• Promise – January 1917

• Zimmermann telegram• Germany to Mexico

– Feb 3-March 21• 6 ships sank

– April 4 • America is at war