Causes of the War -Lots of Instability Nationalism Old Empires Old Style Gov’ts Alliance System
Alliances -Led to an arms race -Triple Alliance (Central Powers) Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire -Triple Entente (Allies) France, Britain, Russia
Strategy -War starts Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand -Alliances cause chain reaction to Austria-Hungary’s attack on Serbia after the assassination
Strategy -War develops into trench warfare after initial German advance failed to defeat France -Germany wants to defeat Russia first if faced with two front war -Allies want to force fighting on two fronts and get help from U.S.
U.S. Neutrality -U.S. declares neutrality in the war -develops sympathy for the Allied cause -Begins to export war materials -Submarine warfare begins -Wilson wins 1916 election on slogan “He kept us out of war!” -isolationist policy
Stalemate -War quickly reaches a stalemate -Trench warfare Over the Top No Man’s Land -New Type of War new technology submarines airplanes horrible weapons poison gas -mustard gas
Stalemate -War quickly reaches a stalemate -Trench warfare Over the Top No Man’s Land -New Type of War new technology submarines airplanes horrible weapons poison gas -mustard gas
Stalemate -War quickly reaches a stalemate -Trench warfare Over the Top No Man’s Land -New Type of War new technology submarines airplanes horrible weapons poison gas -mustard gas
U.S. Enters War -U.S. continues to export war materials -German u-boats sink any ships they find Lusitania sinks, 1915 Sussex Pledge
U.S. Enters War -Wilson wins 1916 election calls for peace -Zimmerman Note Attempt to get Mexico involved in war vs. U.S.