C AUSES OF W ORLD W AR I AMERICA ENTERS IN 1917

L ONG -T ERM C AUSES OF W AR Europe was in so much conflict it was a powder keg waiting to explode and the powder inside was… M ilitarism A lliances I mperialism N ationalism

M ILITARISM ( GLORIFICATION OF THE MILITARY ) European leaders knew there was a war coming so they start to prepare Increase the size of their armies and stockpile weapons (arms race) Germany was the frontrunner and Britain wanted to keep up This guaranteed that the next war was going to be deadly Machine guns, tanks, submarines, airplanes

A LLIANCES ( MAKING FRIENDS ) Another way to prepare for war Allied Powers or Triple Entente: France, Russia, and Great Britain… United States later Central Powers or Triple Alliance: Germany, Austria- Hungary, and Italy If one of these countries went to war then all of them would go to war as well…would also ensure that war would be deadly

I MPERIALISM ( COMPETITION FOR LAND AND POWER ) The more overseas colonies a nation had, the wealthier they were major rivalry between western nations Germany was threatening America’s dominance

N ATIONALISM ( DEVOTION TO ONE ’ S NATION ) Nations are starting to have pride in the majority ethnic group in their country Countries reject that they are collections of different ethnic groups Fueled by Social Darwinism

S HORT T ERM C AUSE (I MMEDIATE C AUSE /S PARK ) Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary (A-H) and wife killed by a Serbian nationalists who believed the Archduke was a tyrant wanted Serbia to be part of Bosnia not A-H, supported by the Allied Powers A-H investigates…Serbians are non compliant…A-H declares war

A LLIANCES ARE T ESTED After A-H declared war there is a domino affect: Russia began to mobilize to help its ally Serbia … Germany declares war on Russia… France has Russia’s back and declares war on Germany… Germany invades neutral Belgium to get to France… then Great Britain declared war on Germany in one short week a world war had started

T RENCH W ARFARE On each front (east and west) of Germany trenches were dug in the ground for cover Led to deadly stalemate (nothing happening) “no man’s land” Solution: Mustard Gas new technology used to attack the enemy without getting too close to the trenches lingered on the battlefield for days leaves chemical burns (blisters) or can burn the respiratory system if not fatal now a gas mask is part of a soldiers uniform

W HAT W ILL A MERICA D O ? President Wilson encouraged America to be neutral (Washington’s suggestion) Three Opinions of the War Isolationists (aka Neutralists): the war is none of our business ; neutrality is American tradition and too many lives would be lost Interventionists: the war did affect America ; get involved Internationalists: took the middle road (Pres. Wilson) But many Americans still chose sides and were affected indirectly…many Americans were immigrants from the countries at war Most side with Britain and France

A MERICA ’ S N EUTRALITY IS T ESTED ( U NRESTRICTED S UBMARINE W ARFARE ) Germany set up a blockade around Britain using u-boats or submarines…went undetected and unrestricted Germany attacked British passenger liner the Lusitania …America is outraged but remained neutral To keep the US out of the war, Germany promised, in the Sussex Pledge, not to sink passenger or merchant ships…they broke this promise

A MERICA G ETS R EADY FOR W AR Expanded the size of the US Army and started building more warships (militarism) Wilson runs for a successful reelection in 1916 on the slogan “he kept us out of war”

A MERICA A BANDONS N EUTRALITY Zimmerman Telegram was intercepted by the British Germany tries to gain Mexico as an ally by giving back Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona to Mexico upon a German victory Germany resumes its unrestricted submarine warfare (the straw that broke the camels back) America declares war on Germany in 1917