world war one

World War One

Start of World War One

• Causes of WWI– Imperialism– Nationalism– Alliance System– Militarism

Start of World War One

• The southeastern region of Europe was known as a “powder keg” – Many national groups in the region tried to break

free from Austria-Hungary

Start of World War One

• War Begins– June 28, 1914 Archduke Franz Ferdinand (heir to

Austro-Hungarian throne) is assassinated by Gavrilo Princip

Start of World War One

• Austria Hungary accused Serbia of the assassination and declared war– The alliance system quickly drew more countries

into the war

Start of World War One

Allied Powers (Triple Entente) • Britain• France• Russia

Central Powers• Germany• Austria-Hungary• Ottoman Empire

The Deadliest War

• Both sides thought it would be a quick victory, but reality quickly set in– A stalemate started on the Western Front and the

battle would drag on for 3 years without either side gaining a clear victory

– The Western Front saw the use of trench warfare

The Deadliest War

• New Technology made the war more lethal– Airplanes– Armored tanks– Machine Guns– Poison Gas

American Neutrality

• President Woodrow Wilson wanted to keep the U.S. out of the war.– Americans were split on who to side with

American Neutrality

• American businesses sold supplies to both sides, but a majority of trading was to the Allies and Britain

American Neutrality

• The Lusitania– German U-boats practiced unrestricted warfare– May 7, 1915 a U-boat sank A British passenger

ship the Lusitania• 1,200 people died (128 were Americans)

U.S. Enters The War

• Wilson won reelection in 1916 and promised to keep the U.S. out of the war– However, Germany kept using its unrestricted

warfare

U.S. Enters The War

• Zimmermann Telegram– Britain intercepted a telegram from Germany to

Mexico– Arthur Zimmermann (German Foreign Minister)

proposed that Mexico enter the war on Germany’s side and attack the U.S.• In return Germany would help Mexico get back New

Mexico, Texas, and Arizona– Soon after the U.S. entered the war (April 6, 1917)

U.S. Enters The War

• Russian Revolution– Military defeats and food shortages led to an

uprising in Russia– The tsar was removed, which made it easier for

the U.S. to enter the war because they would not be siding with a tyrant

Building the Military

• The U.S. had a very large navy, but a small army (only 125,000 men)– The U.S. had to mobilize quickly in order to be

able to contribute to the war effort

Building the Military

• The U.S. did have men volunteer for service, but not enough and they had to institute a draft– Selective Service Act was passed and it required

men between the ages of 21 and 30 to register for military draft

– By war’s end almost four million Americans had served

Building the Military

• Women in the Military– Women were not subject to the draft– More than 30,000 women volunteered for service

and were nurses or performed clerical work

Building the Military

• A diverse force– About one in five recruits had been born in foreign

lands– About 380,000 African Americans also served

during the war• Served in all black units• African Americans were mainly held out of combat

roles and instead were forced to unload ships, work in kitchens, or construction

Managing the War Effort

• Managing Food Supplies– Herbert Hoover was chosen to head the new Food

Administration• He had to assure adequate food supplies for both

civilians and troops– Hoover urged Americans to conserve valuable

food resources• Americans observed “wheatless Mondays,” and

“meatless Tuesdays”• Many grew their own “victory gardens”

Managing the War Effort

• Producing for War– The war increased demands on American

industries• Government ordered two million rifles and 130 million

pairs of socks• The War Industries Board was set up to oversee

production

Managing the War Effort

• Finding Workers– War brought a Labor Shortage• Men went to war and immigration declined

– In order to fill jobs, businesses turned to women and African Americans to do the work

Shaping Public Opinion

• Calling on Patriotism– President Wilson created the Committee on Public

Information, which was to deliver patriotic speeches at places like movie theaters and ball parks

– Also created pro-war cartoons and posters

Shaping Public Opinion

• Suppressing Dissent– Government created the Espionage Act of 1917

and Sedition Act of 1918, which could close newspapers or jail individuals that expressed antiwar views• One of the people arrested was Eugene V. Debs for

giving a speech that urged workers not to help in the war effort

Shaping Public Opinion

• Anti-German Hysteria– German Americans were harassed and assaulted • Some were even tarred and feathered• Many school stopped teaching the German language

Joining the Fight

• The first troops reached Europe in June of 1917– John J. Pershing was chosen to be the commander

of American Expeditionary Force– American forces rarely fought together with

British or French troops• This was Wilson’s idea, because he wanted to have a

greater influence in post war talks

Setbacks and Advances

• Russia Makes Peace– The government that replaced the tsar was

struggling to keep Russia in the war• Two million soldiers deserted the front lines

– Vladimir Lenin led the Bolsheviks (red army) to seize control of the government on November 7, 1917• Lenin wanted to lead Russia on a path to communism• In March of 1918 Russia signed a peace agreement

(Treaty of Brest-Litovsk) and pulled out of the war.

Setbacks and Advances

• March 21, 1918 Germany had unleashed a series of attacks known as the “peace offensive”– Germany managed to break through Allied lines in

Belgium and France– By June of 1918 Germany was less than 50 miles

from Paris

Setbacks and Advances

• Turning the Tide– American troops were used to stop the German

advance and push them out of a forested area called Belleau• After three weeks of intense fighting and heavy

causalities the Americans managed to force the Germans out

Setbacks and Advances

• By the fall of 1918 disease and lack of supplies had hurt Germany– September of 1918, Allied forces (over one million

American soldiers) had advanced and pushed German forces back

– By November of 1918, Germany had decided to seek an armistice.

The Armistice

• A Harsh Armistice– France and Britain dictated the terms• Germany had to cancel the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, pull

back their troops, and hand over its fleet of U-boats• Kaiser Wilhelm II had to step down and Germany

became a republic

The Armistice

• The armistice took effect at 11 A.M. on November 11 of 1918– Approximately 10 million military personal were

killed (More than had dies in all the wars fought in Europe during the previous 100 years combines)• France 1.3 Million• Britain 900,000• Germany 1.6 Million• Russia 1.7 Million• United States 50,000

Shaping the Peace

• The Fourteen Points– President Wilson’s Plan for peace• Wanted to prevent future wars

– Freedom of the seas– Free Trade– Military Reduction– Self Determination (Self Rule)– League of Nations

Peace Conference in Paris

• Britain and France wanted to punish Germany and had no interest in Wilson’s fourteen points

Peace Conference in Paris

• Treaty of Versailles– Territory was taken away from Germany, including

colonies– Germany had to accept full responsibility for the

war– Had to pay huge reparations to Allies– Placed limits on the size and nature of Germany’s

military– Creation of the League of Nations

Battle Over the League of Nations

• President Wilson fought for the ratification of the treaty and joining the league of nations– United states had to accept its destiny to lead the

world on a new path• Many senators opposed the treaty and joining the

League of Nations, including Henry Cabot Lodge– Cabot said that membership in the League would

restrict the right of the U.S. to act independently in its own interest

Battle Over the League of Nations

• Wilson’s Last Battle– In September of 1919, Wilson tried to gain

support for his position by traveling 8,000 miles by train in three weeks and giving 40 speeches

– Wilson suffered a stroke on October 2, 1919– November of 1919 the Senate voted to reject the

treaty– The absence of the U.S. crippled the League of

Nations

Postwar Troubles

• Influenza Epidemic– A worldwide epidemic that took more than

500,000 lives in the U.S. alone between 1918 and 1919

Postwar Troubles

• Labor Unrest– Peacetime brought high unemployment, because

production was slowing and more people entered the workforce

Postwar Troubles

• Red Scare– Many Americans feared that Communists or

“Reds” were behind the labor unrests, and that there would be a communist revolution

– Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer order immigrants with radical views to be deported• These became known as Palmer Raids, which reached

their height on January 2, 1920– Authorities arrested more than 4,000 people in 33 cities