3. Origins of World War I
Causes of WWI
Imperialism: European competition for trade & territory in Africa, Asia, &
Pacific
Fed militarism (glorification of the military)
Nations built up forces (protection & glory)
Military leaders gained influence in governments
Nationalism: (pride in one’s nation or ethnic group)
Boosted tensions
National groups sought freedom from Austria-Hungary
Serbians & Balkan nationalists (powder keg of Europe)
Alliance System: formed as tensions mounted
Germany & Austria-Hungary
France, Britain, & Russia
Conflict between 2, would soon involve others
War Begins
June 28, 1914
Serbian nationalist assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to Austria-Hungary
throne
A-H accused Serbia of supporting terrorism; declared war on July 29
20 countries became involved
Allies: led by France, Britain, & Russia
Central Powers: led by Germany, Austria-Hungary, & the Ottoman Empire
4. The Deadliest War
Quick victory sought by both sides
September
Germany: 30 miles from Paris, France
1st Battle of Marne
French & British halted German advance
Area became known as Western Front
Fighting settled into a long stalemate w/ trench warfare
Charges on the enemy resulted in mass casualties as both
sides fought back & forth over the same piece of land
5. Technological Advances
Made war more lethal
Airplanes: scouting & ground support
Armored tanks
Machine Guns
Heavy artillery
Poison gas: most feared
1st used by Germans
Caused choking, blinding, severe skin blisters
Banned by 140 nations after the war
6. American Neutrality
President Woodrow Wilson
Issued proclamation of strict & impartial neutrality
Ethnic Loyalties
Americans supported ethnic group
German Americans: central powers
Irish: central powers; hated England
British propaganda
Used to win American support
Spread of information designed to win support for a
cause
Focused on Germany’s brutal treatment of Belgians
7. Supplying the Allies
American firms
Could sell to both sides
Most traded w/ Allies
Banks also lent to Allies
British blockade
Stopped supplies from reaching Germany
Wilson agreed w/ blockade only if British bought more
American cotton to make up lost sales w/ Germany
8. The Lusitania
Germany’s navy
Few surface vessels to impose blockade
Large supply of U-boats
1905
Germany announces use of U-boats to blockade Britain
May 7, 1915
Lusitania sunk by German U-Boat
1,200 people died
128 Americans
President Wilson & American public were outraged
Germany said Lusitania was carrying ammunition to
England
Germany announced U-boats would no longer target
passenger liners fearing U.S. entering the war
9. Entering the War
November 1916
Wilson reelected under slogan “he kept us out of war”
Tried to make peace with warring powers
Attempt failed
Germany continued unrestricted U-boat attacks in
February 1916
Wanted to cut off British supplies from U.S.
Break stalemate on Western Front
U.S. cut diplomatic ties w/ Germany
10. Zimmermann Telegram
February 24
British intercepted German
telegraph
Wilson was shown telegraph
Germany proposed Mexico to
join the war on Germany’s
side
Germany would help Mexico
re-conquer New Mexico, Texas,
& Arizona
Released to press on March 1
Americans were outraged
Ready for war after U-boats
sank 3 American merchant
ships
11. Russian Revolution
March 1917
Military defeats & food shortages led to an uprising
Russian tsar overthrown
New gov’t vowed to keep Russia out of War
U.S. could now enter the war
Joined Allied powers
Did not side w/ a tyrant
Sided w/ other democracies to fight tyranny
12. Declaring War
April 2
Wilson asked Congress to
declare war on Central
Powers
Goal:
To fight “…for the rights of
nations great and small
and the privilege of men
everywhere to choose their
way of life and of
obedience. The world
must be made safe for
democracy.”
14. Building the Military
U.S.
Had large navy
World’s 16th largest army (125,000 men)
Would have to mobilize quickly to contribute
Selective Service
Declaration of War = eager young men volunteering for
military service
Not enough to expand army
Wilson wanted draft established
Selective Service Act passed
All young men between 21-30 to register for the military draft
15. Women in the Military
Not subject to draft
30,000 volunteered
Most served in Army & Navy Nurse Corps
Others preformed clerical work
Women were divided on war topic
Some favored war, others opposed it
Jane Addams
Cofounded Women’s Peace Party in 1915
Jeannette Rankin of Montana
1st women elected to Congress
Voted against Wilson’s war resolution
Carrie Chapman Catt
Urged women to support war effort
Hoped it would gain women the right to vote
16. A Diverse Force
Reflected diversity within the U.S.
1 in 5 recruits had been born in foreign lands
Philippines, Mexico, Italy, etc.
Native Americans, who were not U.S. citizens, fought in WWI
17. African Americans Serve
38,000 served
Opportunities restricted
Encouraged to support the
war effort by W.E.B. Du Bois
Faced discrimination in
military
Placed in all black units
10% sent to combat
Most unloaded ships, worked
in kitchens, or constructed
barracks
Some served w/ French units
Harlem hell Fighters received
France’s highest medal for
bravery, the cross of war
18. The Military as Educator
1 in 4 draftees were illiterate
Some from poor rural areas not use to eating daily
meals, taking regular baths, or using indoor plumbing
Military taught men how to fight & read
Also learned about nutrition, personal hygiene, &
patriotism
19. Managing the War Effort
Managing food supplies:
Herbert Hoover lead Food Administration
Job was to assure adequate food supplies to civilians & troops
Americans urged to conserve: “wheatless Mondays” “meatless
Tuesdays”
Producing for War
American industry demands increased
War Industries Board set up
Oversaw shift to war production
Had limited power at 1st
w/ new head WIB had power to tell industries what to
produce, how much to charge, & how to use scarce resources
20. Finding Workers
Labor shortage w/ war
Millions of men joined military
Decline in immigration
Business owners turned to 2 sources
Women: took on roles denied to them before the war
African Americans: left rural South to work in factories
21. Shaping Public Opinion
Calling for Patriotism
Committee on Public
Information
75,000 “Four-Minute Men”
recruited
Delivered brief patriotic
speeches
Artists
Produced pro-war
cartoons & posters
Liberty Bonds
Issued to help finance war
22. Suppressing Dissent
Measures take to suppress critics
of the war
Espionage Act of 1917 & Sedition
Act of 1918
Newspapers closes & individuals
jailed for expressing antiwar views
War fever often collided with
personal freedoms
Private organizations started that
encouraged people to spy on their
neighbors
American Protective League
2000,000 members
Opened peoples mail, tapped
phones, & pried into medical
records
23. Anti-German Hysteria
German Americans
Shunned, harassed, & assaulted across the country
Some tarred & feathered
Schools stopped teaching German language
Also affected language
Sauerkraut became “liberty cabbage”
German measles became “liberty measles”
25. Joining the Fight
As U.S. prepared
U-boats continued assault on supplies ships
844 Allied ships sunk
Protecting Allied Shipping
Convoy system developed
Large group of merchant vessels sailing together
Light & fast Allied destroyers accompanied convoy
26. American Expeditionary Force
John J. Pershing
Commander of American Expeditionary Force
Wanted Americans to fight in separate units under
American command
June 1917
American troops reached Europe
Not ready to combat; meant to increase French moral;
symbolized American commitment to the war
27. Setbacks & Advances
1917
Allies waited for more American troops
Western Front: British offensive slowed in Belgium
Central Powers: major victory over Italians at Caporetto
Russia Makes Peace
New gov’t struggled w/ war effort
2 million soldiers deserted front lines
German troops drove deep into Russia
28. Vladimir Lenin
Leader of Bolsheviks; seized power on Nov. 7, 1917
Wanted communism
Embraced ideas of German thinker Karl Marx
Workers around the world would unite to overthrow the
ruling class
March 1918
Russia & Germany sign peace treaty
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
30% of Russia’s territory to Germany
Setback
Peace in the east
40 divisions of German army now re-focused to Western Front
29. Germany Attacks
March 21, 1918
Series of daring attacks
Goal: defeat allies quickly & bring peace on German terms
Pershing
Pledged U.S. troops would now fight under French command
“Infantry, artillery, aviation, all that we have are yours”, “Use them as
you wish”
2 months before significant contributions made
Germans
Broke through Allied line in Belgium & France
Reached Chateau Thierry (50 miles from Paris)
U.S. troops arrived to reinforce the Allies
30. Turning the Tide
American & French counterattacked Germans near
Chateau-Thierry
Americans: evict Germans from Belleau Wood
Filled w/ barbed wire, artillery, & machine guns
Suffered heavy casualties, but were successful
2nd battle of Marne
Germans second attempt to reach Paris
Gained ground, but stalled
Allies counterattacked
31. Battle of the Argonne Forest
German troops
Became weakened by influenza & deprived of supplies;
started losing will to fight
September 1918
Allied forces pushed forward from North Sea to Verdun
1 million Americans advanced towards Meuse River &
Argonne Forest
Advanced slow at first; by November German defense
crumbled under unrelenting assault
32. The Armistice
Cause was lost
Realized by military & political leaders of Germany
No reserves left
Sought an armistice or halt in fighting
Germans
Knew French & British wanted harsh settlement
Germans wanted peace on Wilson’s “14 Points”
October 16, Germans requested armistice based on 14-Points,
but Wilson was reluctant
33. A Harsh Armistice
France & Britain
Dictated terms of armistice
Germany: pull back forces on Western Front, cancel
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, & hand over fleet of U-boats
Other Central Powers: also wanted armistice; in no
position to resist Allied demands
Wilson
Insisted Kaiser (absolute monarch of Germany) step
down
Kaiser Wilhelm II fled to Holland & soon gave up the
throne & Germany became a republic
34. War’s Deadly Toll
Armistice
Took effect 11 a.m. on November 11
11 day of 11 month of 1918
10 million military personnel died
Millions of other soldiers were blinded, lost limbs,
suffered permanent lung damage, or experienced
psychological problems
Unknown civilian deaths
36. The Fourteen Points
Presented to Congress before war ended
Plan made in idealistic terms
Hoped to prevent future wars
1st 5 Points
Factors that led to war
Wanted to eliminate secret international agreements
Freedom of seas
Free trade among nations
Sharp reduction in world’s military force
Settlement of colonial claims
37. Points 6-13
Dealt w/ specific territorial issues
Self rule for national minority groups in A-H & OE
Later turned into call for self-determination
Right of a group to decide its own form of government
Point 14
Setting up an international organization to guarantee
world peace
38. Peace Conference in Paris
Wilson, Lloyd George, & Clemenceau organized in
Paris for peace conference
Wilson’s 14 Points thrilled Europe’s population
The Big 4
Wilson, Georges Clemenceau, David Lloyd George, &
Vittorio Orlando
Made major decisions at conference
All did not agree w/ Wilson’s idealistic goal of peace
Wanted to punish Germany
Secret treaties were also signed during the war dividing up the
territories & colonies of Central Powers
39. The Treaty of Versailles
Dealt w/ Germany severely
Territory on Germany’s borders & colonies stripped away
Forced to accept full responsibility for war & pay Allies huge
reparations
Placed limits on size & nature of Germany’s military
League of Nations formed
Provided place for countries to meet, settle disputes
peacefully, & punish any nation that broke the peace
June 28, 1919 Germany reluctantly signed treaty
Anger at Treaty of Versailles would set the stage for WWII
40. Other Treaties
Treaties arranged w/ other Central Powers
Applied principle of self-determination for people of
Eastern Europe
Did not apply to non-Europeans
Britain & France divided Germany’s African colonies
Ottoman Empire dissolved, became Turkey
41. Battle Over the League
Wilson urged Senate to ratify Treaty of Versailles
Forcefully backed League of Nations
U.S. must accept its destiny to lead the world on a new
path
Lodge Opposes
Many Senators opposed treaty
Henry Cabot Lodge
Opposed U.S. joining LON
Would restrict the right of U.S. to act independently
42. Wilson’s Last Battle
September
Wilson set out on a tour to gain public support
8,000 miles in 3 weeks, giving 40 speeches
October 2
Suffered major stroke, paralyzed left side
Continued to reject all compromise on the treaty
November 1919
Senate voted to reject the treaty
Absence of U.S. crippled LON to stem the crises that
came in the 1930s
43. Postwar Troubles
U.S. didn’t adjust easily to peace after war
Influenza Epidemic
Took 500,000 lives in 1918 in the U.S.
Labor Unrest
High employment rates as soldiers came home to seek jobs
Union’s demanded higher wages w/ stiff resistance from
management
1919 4 million laborers went on strike
Red Scare
Americans feared Communists were behind labor unrest
Fear of Communist revolution gripped the nation
General A. Mitchell Palmer ordered immigrants suspected of
radical views to be rounded up and deported