WORLD WAR ONE

PRE-WWI USA The United States is growing at this point. We are imperialist, and have just acquired loads of new territory. American NATIONALISM (or pride in your country) is at an all time high. We believe that we are the greatest country in the entire world. We are rapidly growing our military. We have one of the best Navies in the world. Germany, Britain, France, Italy, and Japan are doing the same thing. Nations are developing alliances (friendships) with other nations. Russia, France, and Britain are allies. Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy are allies. The two sides do not like each other.

THE FOUR UNDERLYING CAUSES OF WWI MILITARISM: The developing of strong militaries across the world for national defense. ALLIANCES: Nations forming bonds of friendship with other nations, which includes the promise to defend each other’s nation. IMPERIALISM: The process of taking over land and territories to grow a nation. NATIONALISM: The thought that your country is the greatest.

MEANWHILE IN EUROPE The signs of a global struggle are beginning to show up, even though the leaders of the nations in Europe hoped alliances would stop a war. In June of 1914, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand was shot by a Serbian terrorist. Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. Russia declared war on Austria-Hungary. Germany (Austria-Hungary’s ally) declared war on Russia and France. Germany invaded Belgium, leading Britain to declare war on Germany and Austria-Hungary. The world was now at war!!!

US NEUTRALITY Wilson refused to get into a European war. He maintained that the US would be Neutral (would not take sides). He did authorize the sale of weapons and ammunition to Britain to help them. Then an event happened that changed the US Stance on the war.

SINKING OF THE LUSITANIA The British blocked sea transport, so the German U-Boats torpedoed ships in the Atlantic. May 7, 1915 a British luxury ship Lusitania was torpedoed off the coast of Ireland. Several Americans were killed. The Germans agreed to stop torpedoing ships if the US did not enter the war by issuing the Sussex Pledge.

THE US ENTERS THE WAR Woodrow Wilson is reelected in 1916. European nations all ignored his calls for peace. Germany began to torpedo all ships in the Atlantic again, which mean that the US would be forced to go to war. The Germans sent a note, known as the Zimmerman Note, to the Mexicans promising to help restore their lost territory to help take the US down. In 1917, Russia pulled out of the war because a new government came to power which compelled the US to go to war. Congress passed a declaration of war against Germany and Austria- Hungary and their allies in April of 1917.

GETTING TROOPS AND MONEY The United States needed troops to fight this war overseas, but there were not enough volunteers to do so. Congress passed The Selective Service Act of 1917. This required all men to sign up for a random draft of troops. The US Government raised money by selling war bonds, which was where civilians paid the amount they could pay to support the war effort. Over 400,000 African-American Soldiers fought in World War One. The most famous Black Regiment was the 369th Infantry Regiment, known as the “Harlem Hellfighters.”

AMERICAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCE The Americans that went overseas to fight made up the American Expeditionary Force. They were led by famed General John “Blackjack” Pershing. The AEF is a term that just means the US Military in WWI. US Soldiers in WWI were called Doughboys because of their white belts.

COMPARING THE CIVIL WAR AND WWI Single Fire Weapons Napoleonic Warfare (Lines firing at each other) Death by diseases Large cannons firing huge cannonballs Machine Guns (Kills Tons of People) People fight in deep trenches (climb out and charge the enemy) Chemical warfare used (Mustard gas) Artillery very small

ISSUES AT HOME Some people refused to go to war based on religious or moral reasons. They were known as conscientious objectors. The Government was becoming very worried about people with German or tied to the new government in Russia. They passed the Espionage and Sedition Acts that allowed for punishment of people that said bad things about the government. When WWI was concluding a massive pandemic of the Spanish Flu hit both at home and abroad. It killed millions worldwide. Yellow journalists began publishing nationalistic posters called PROPAGANDA, that called people to arms using however much or little of the truth as they saw fit.

PROPAGANDA

THE END OF THE WAR The war comes to an end on November 11, 1918 at 11 AM in what is called the armistice. The Treaty of Versailles is signed and blames Germany for the war and sends Germany into a bitter and long economic depression. Germany must pay for the war and the cost of rebuilding countries.

THE ARMISTICE

THE FOURTEEN POINTS Wilson wants to never see the world go to war again. He comes up with 14 points of diplomacy to help the world avoid another war. His points include banning secret agreements between nations and the founding of a group called the League of Nations. All nations would be invited to join. The United States would never join the League of Nations. That upset a lot of nations. The creator of the League was American, but the US would not join.