World War I: Overview

Vocab Words

Alliance

John Pershing

Nationalism

Selective Service Act

Zimmerman Note

Machine Guns

Militarism

Convoy system

Mobilize

Woodrow Wilson

Trench warfare

Stalemate

State of Europe

_________________

Belief that one should show allegiance to one’s nation above all else

What is a nation?

A group of people identified by similar cultural and ethnic markers

Why does this matter?

Demise of the Ottoman Empire creates new states (countries) that are formed along the lines of the nations (people)

This was a major change because most states included multiple nations

Balkan nations will start World War I on this principle

State of Europe

_________________

The buildup of weapons and armies on a mass level, intended to gain the full support of the government and people

“Where there’s smoke, there’s fire”

Smoke does not appear without cause

Belief that armies are not built up for show but for action

Key factors:

Biggest army – Russia

Biggest navy – Britain

Biggest increase in overall forces and weapons - Germany

State of Europe

“The enemy of my enemy is my friend”

Strange ___________ form

Napoleonic wars terrified Europeans of another war without any recourse to stop the aggressor

Purely for political and military reasons

States formed pacts with each other for support

Large states with multiple nations found trouble in gaining support from all the differing peoples in its borders

Citizens want agreements along cultural lines, not political

Alliances

Triple Alliance

Germany

Austria-Hungary

Italy

Will never fight with other two

Joins Entente powers

Triple Entente

France

Russia

Britain

War Begins

World War I starts in the Balkan Peninsula

Serbia was an independent country

Tried to gain more land where native Serbs lived

Encouraged other nations, such as Bosnia, to attempt independence

Unrest in Austria-Hungary

Serbia and A-H were not on good terms

Serbia encouraged Bosnia to break away (many native Serbs lived in Bosnia)

A-H tried to calm the situation by sending Archduke Franz Ferdinand to take attention away from the agitated situation

Rebel group banded together and assassinated the Archduke

War Begins

Alliances make regional conflict international

A-H demands an investigation of the death and cooperation from Serbia

Serbia refuses

A-H declares war on Serbia

Russia declares war on A-H (needed Serbia as a port to the Mediterranean)

Germany back A-H and declared war on Russia

France then declared war on Germany (think alliance agreement)

Germany declared war on Belgium (part of the war strategy)

Britain declares war on Germany to support France and Belgium

Ottoman Empire declares war on Russia to try and regain Serbia

War Begins

Summer of 1914, each belligerent ___________ its armies

Germany quickly moved towards Paris via Belgium

Battle of Marne

Entente forces stop German assault 30 miles from Paris

War strategy failure: weapons are more advanced than strategy

New weapons forced an “on the fly” plan to fight using ______ _____

Life In the Trenches

“Whilst asleep during the night, we were frequently awakened by rats running over us. When this happened too often for my liking, I would lie on my back and wait for a rat to linger on my legs; then violently heave my legs upwards, throwing the rat into the air. Occasionally, I would hear a grunt when the rat landed on a fellow victim.” (R L Venables)

“The water in the trenches through which we waded was alive with a multitude of swimming frogs. Red slugs crawled up the side of the trenches and strange beetles with dangerous looking horns wriggled along dry ledges and invaded the dugouts, in search of the lice that infested them.”  (unknown journalist)

Effects of the Trenches

“If you have never had trench foot described to you, I will explain. Your feet swell to two to three times their normal size and go completely dead. You can stick a bayonet into them and not feel a thing. If you are lucky enough not to lose your feet and the swelling starts to go down, it is then that the most indescribable agony begins. I have heard men cry and scream with pain and many have had to have their feet and legs amputated. I was one of the lucky ones, but one more day in that trench and it may have been too late.” (Harry Roberts)

War Begins

Most fighting was done on the Western Front

Focused on western France and Belgium

World War II will take place in some of the same areas

Trench warfare created a __________, in which neither side hardly moved

New Weapons

Britain introduces the tank

Germany begins use of the submarine

Airplanes are used but very rudimentary

See the movie “Flyboys”

Mustard gas and other gasses for the trenches

__________ _______ - revolutionary automatic weapon

Early American Opinions and Actions

President _________ ________ vows to remain out of the war

1916 slogan – “He kept us out of the war”

Most Americans are anti-American involvement

Isolationists – believe America should have no role at all in the war

Interventionists – American should join in the war and help friends

Internationlists – believe American should have a role of negotiator but not join without cause

1914-1916

US is involved with Mexican Revolution

General ______ ________ used Mexico as a training ground for many Americans that fought in World War I

Early American Opinions and Actions

Relations with Europe

US stills sells noncontraband goods to most of Europe

Food, medical supplies, nonmilitary items

US still sold contraband items to Britain and France

Weapons and other articles for war

Germany will declare all items contraband and attempt to seize any ship

Germany attacks the Lusitania on May 7, 1915

This attack nearly pulls the US in World War I

Admits mistake, apologizes, promises no further attacks

US remains out of the war but seething

Early American Opinions and Actions

In order to protect American merchants ships, the ______ _______ was developed

America Enters World War I

Shortages force Germany action

Unable to break the British blockade, Germany attacks more American ships

Proposed alliance

The ___________ ____________ was sent from Germany to Mexico

This note promised German assistance to Mexico to regain Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona from the US

Shock over the telegram and attacks force action

Most of the public now wants to enter the war

President Wilson asks for a declaration of war

Congress agrees and grants request on April 6, 1917

This is the official day the US enters the war

America Enters the War

Congress immediately passes the ________ ________ ____

This law requires all men upon the age of 18 to register with the government

In times of war, when a draft is necessary, this system is used to raise an army

June 1917 – Over 9 million men register

July

Draft held

2.8 million American men drafted to fight

America Enters the War

Troops arrive in June 1917 in France

Most American men arrive in early 1918

Nicknamed “doughboys” by the Entente powers

After Mexican wars of 1848 and 1916 when chalky dust made the uniforms look white and soft, like dough

African Americans serve as soldiers

Hardly in combat

Treated better in France than US, demand reforms of treatment

War ends on 11/11/18

End

In preparation for next class, consider the following questions:

How does war change society?

How does war change the economy?

What should the outcome of war be?