Ch 14: WWI and Its Aftermath1914-1920

Section 1: The U.S. Enters WWI

Woodrow Wilson’s Diplomacy

• Hated imperialism• Wanted to focus on U.S. internal problems• Wanted to ignore the rest of the world

outside of the Americas– Ex: Mexico, Nicaragua, Haiti, and the

Dominican Republic

Factors for Europe Going To War

• 1. Alliance System• When countries make agreements to protect each

other.• Triple Alliance-Germany, Italy, and Austria-Hungary vs. • Triple Entente-France, Russia, and Britain

Factors for Europe Going To War

• 2. Nationalism• A feeling of intense pride of one’s homeland• European countries wanted to go to war to get more

land for their own people (became greedy)• Led to self-determination-different groups within a

country wanted their own country– Ex: Serbians in the Balkins

Europe 1914

Serbia’s Desires in Europe• Serbia– Supported by Russia– Hated by Austria-Hungary who limited their

growth– Wanted to get Bosnia to join in the new Serbian

country but Austria-Hungary took it first.

Archduke Franz Ferdinand• Leader of Austria-Hungary• Visited Bosnia in 1914• Assassinated by a Serbian

supporter as he rode in his car through the streets

• Serbia was blamed• July 28, 1914 war was declared

Alliance System Kicks In

• Austria-Hungary asked Germany for support• Serbia asked Russia for support• If Russia went to war, France would help

Russia• Each country individually could not fight but

with support from others became stronger

Germany’s Plan Part 1

• Planned to attack/defeat France quickly and then attack Russia separately

• Problem: – To get to France, Germany attacked neutral

Belgium.– This made Britain angry, so they joined the war on

the side of France

Europe 1914

Alliances Build Up

• Allies:– France, Russia, Great Britain, Italy

• Central Powers:– Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire, and

Bulgaria

Germany’s Plan Part 2• Germany failed to capture France on the

Western Front• Germany was attacked by Russia forcing the

Germans to fight on two fronts

American Viewpoints

• President Wilson-America is neutral/staying out of the war

• Irish/German immigrants wanted to support Germany

• Most other groups supported Britain/France• U.S. Military supported Britain• U.S. public swayed by British Propaganda

American Viewpoints

• East coast companies and banks sent $2 billion to the Allies (Britain, France, and Russia)

• Midwest companies and banks sent $27 million to Germany– U.S. Secretary of the Treasury limited these loans

to Germany

• Money was used to buy weapons and support the war effort

Questions

• So, can we say that the United States was truly staying neutral in this war???

• What do you think each side will do to the U.S. for giving the other side money???

British Blockade

• Britain wanted to limit the supplies into Germany

• A blockade was set up• Germany used U-boats (small submarines) to

attack this blockade and any ship around Britain

U-Boat Attacks

• The U-boats were going to sink any ship, including non-military boats

• Americans were outraged at this news• May 7, 1915-a U-boat sank the cruise liner Lusitania. 1,200 people died including 128 Americans

U-Boat Attacks

• Americans wanted revenge for the sinking of the Lusitania but the president gave a warning to Germany instead

• March 1916, a U-boat sank a French cruise ship, Sussex, injuring many Americans on board

• Americans agree again• Sussex Pledge-Germany was afraid for the U.S. to

enter the war so they agreed to stop attacking civilian ships.

Zimmerman Note

• A German official, Arthur Zimmerman, sent a message to another official in Mexico

• Message wanted Mexico to attack the U.S. if the U.S. went to war with Germany

• If Germany won the war, it would give Mexico back the land the U.S. took after the Mexican-American War of 1848

Zimmerman Note

• British gov’t intercepted the note• Leaked to the U.S. newspapers• Americans angry/wanted war• Germany also started sinking American ships

with U-boats again• April 6, 1917 Congress declared war against

Germany

Questions

• If the U.S. declared war on Germany, who would they have an alliance with???

• If Germany had not sent the Zimmerman Note and attacked U.S. ships, do you think that the U.S. would have entered WWI???

Sources

• Textbook: The American Republic Since 1877• Pictures: Google Images