splash screen. chapter intro 1 the united states enters world war i what is neutrality? when had the...
TRANSCRIPT
Splash Screen
Chapter Intro 1
The United States Enters World War I
What is neutrality?
When had the US tried to be neutral earlier in our history?
How successful was our attempt to stay neutral?
Section 1
World War I Begins
Old alliances and nationalist sentiments among European nations set the stage for World War I.
Section 1
• By 1871, Prussia had united Germany and proclaimed the birth of the German Empire.
– The new German nation rapidly industrialized and quickly became one of the most powerful nations in the world.
World War I Begins (cont.)
• To protect itself from the French, Germany signed alliances with Italy and with Austria-Hungary. This became known as the Triple Alliance.
Section 1
• Russia and France had a common interest in opposing Germany and Austria-Hungary, so they signed the Franco-Russian Alliance.
• The system of alliances in Europe encouraged militarism.
World War I Begins (cont.)
– German militarism eventually forced Britain to become involved in the alliance system.
Militarism and Alliances in Europe, 1914
Section 1
• Britain, France, and Russia entered into an entente cordiale, or friendly understanding, and became known as the Triple Entente.
– This was one of the reasons for the tensions among the European powers.
– In the 1800s, nationalism led to a crisis in the southeastern region of Europe known as the Balkans.
World War I Begins (cont.)
• By the late 1800s, nationalism had become a powerful idea in Europe.
Section 1
• Imperialism had convinced the major European powers to build empires in the 1700s and 1800s.
– Nationalism ran counter to imperialism.
– Therefore, many different national groups within Europe’s empires began to press for independence in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
World War I Begins (cont.)
Section 1
– The Serbs, Bosnians, Croats, and Slovenes wanted independence.
– Russia supported the Serbs, while Austria-Hungary tried to limit Serbia’s growth.
World War I Begins (cont.)
• In June 1914 the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and his wife were assassinated by a member of a Serbian nationalist group who hoped to start a war that would bring down the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Section 1
• On July 28, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, causing Russia to immediately mobilize its army.
• On August 1, Germany declared war on Russia, and two days later they declared war on France.
• World War I had begun.
World War I Begins (cont.)
Section 1
• When German troops crossed the Belgian frontier, Britain declared war on Germany.
• Those fighting for the Triple Entente were called the Allies.
• France, Britain, Russia
World War I Begins (cont.)
Section 1
• What remained of the Triple Alliance—Germany and Austria-Hungary—joined with the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria to form the Central Powers.
• The German plan seemed to work at first, until Russian troops invaded Germany.
World War I Begins (cont.)
– The Germans were forced to pull some of their troops away from the attack on France and send them to stop the Russians.
Section 1
– This weakened the German forces and allowed the Allies to stop them.
• Both sides became locked in a bloody stalemate 30 miles outside of Paris. They would barely change their positions for the next three years.
• The Central Powers had greater success on the Eastern Front, stopping the Russian attack and then going on the offensive.
World War I Begins (cont.)
Neither side could overcome the other’s defenses, and a stalemate quickly developed.
The era’s deadly defensive weapons made attacks difficult and dangerous.
Many Americans favored one side or the other.
As the war dragged on in Europe, President Wilson urged Americans to remain neutral.
• The United States had a long tradition of staying out of European conflicts.
• Yet one-third of Americans had been born in a foreign country and still identified with their homelands.
NEUTRAL?
Most Americans Favored the allies because of close ties to Great Britain
German / Irish Americans
Favored the Central powers
Pacifists Wanted to stay out of the war. Many Socialists were pacifists
U.S. public opinion fell into three main groups.
NEUTRAL?
Section 1
• Sept 1914, British implement a blockade of the Central Powers in the hope of cutting off vital supplies of food, raw materials, and military armaments
• The US protested as a “neutral,” but took no action
-- US trade with allied powers $824 million in 1914 to $3.2 billion in 1916
-- By 1917, U.S. banks had lent the Allies $2.5 billion. In contrast, American trade and loans to Germany totaled only $29 million and $27 million, respectively, by 1917.
Neutral?
Section 1
• Germans challenge British control of the seas by unleashing the U-Boat.
• In April 1915 the German embassy in the United States issued a warning to civilians that all ships flying the flags of Britain or its allies were liable to destruction
German Response
German U-boats torpedoed ships bound for Britain.
On May 7, 1915, a U-boat sank the British passenger ship Lusitania off the coast of Ireland, killing many Americans.
The Lusitania
Americans were angry about the Lusitania. Germany promised not to attack passenger ships
• President Wilson still wanted peace, but he began to prepare for the possibility of war.
• In 1916, Congress expanded the army and authorized more warships.
Wilson
• The Zimmermann Note was intercepted. In this telegram, Germany tried to forge an alliance with Mexico against the United States.
• Germany returned to a policy of unrestricted submarine warfare, sinking any ship headed for Britain (THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT REASON).
Two events in 1917 led President Wilson to ask Congress to declare war on the Central Powers.
The US Joins WWI
On April 2, 1917, Wilson asked Congress to declare war against Germany, saying “The world must be made safe for democracy.”
Congress responded with a declaration of war on April 6, and the United States entered World War I.