1. World War I
Domain 4
Part I

2. World War I Origins Allies: France, Britain, Russia
Central Powers: Germany, Austria
FOUR MAIN CAUSES
Militarism – army/navy build-up
Alliances – common defense guarantees
Imperialism – competition for lands
Nationalism – overdeveloped pride
WWI began in Europe in 1914 and president Woodrow Wilson vowed to keep America neutral
Why would Woodrow Wilson’s America want to stay neutral?
15a

3. MAIN Causes of wwi
15a

4. Who’s in and who’s out Alliance Central Powers Serbia Russia France
Great Britain
United States
Austria Hungary
Germany
Italy (kinda)
15a

5. America Ends Neutrality
In 1915, the Lusitania was sunk by German u-boats
America demanded an end to unrestricted submarine warfare that endangered our neutral rights, lives, and trade
In 1917, the German Zimmerman Note to Mexico enraged Americans
In 1917, Russia’s communist revolution pulled them out of the war
Why would Russia’s pull-out push America into WWI?
15a

6. Sinking of the Lusitania
Zimmerman Note

7. Great Migration
WWI created lots of industrial jobs in the cities of the NE and MW
African Americans moved North by the thousands
Why would African Americans be eager to leave the South?
15b

8. Great Migration
Before
During
15b

9. Great Migration
After
15b

10. The Great Migration
15b

11. Espionage & Sedition Acts
Fear of dangers amongst us led the government to pass these acts in 1917
Communicating any info that would interfere with military operations or help our enemies would be a criminal offense
What might be Constitutionally problematic about these wartime laws?
15b

13. Espionage Act
15b

14. Eugene V. Debs
Labor union leader (Pullman Strike!) and Socialist presidential candidate in 1904, 1908, 1912
Gave a speech protesting military recruitment tactics and got TEN years in jail
When else have we seen constitutional rights taken away during an American war?
15b

15. 15b

16. Fourteen Points
America had put the Allies over the top to win WWI in just over one year of fighting
President Woodrow Wilson had a plan to avoid future wars and as the war came to an end he started to push it at home and abroad
#1: Open Diplomacy
#2: Freedom of the Seas
#3: Equal Access to Trade
#4: Disarmament
#5: National Self-Determination
#14: International Peace-Keeping Group
Why does Wilson think he gets such a voice in the post-war treaty-making process?
15c

17. Wilson’s 14 Points
1. No more secret agreements ("Open covenants openly arrived at").
2. Free navigation of all seas.
3. An end to all economic barriers between countries.
4. Countries to reduce weapon numbers.
5. All decisions regarding the colonies should be impartial
6. The German Army is to be removed from Russia. Russia should be left to develop her own political set- up.
7. Belgium should be independent like before the war.
8. France should be fully liberated and allowed to recover Alsace-Lorraine
9. All Italians are to be allowed to live in Italy. Italy's borders are to "along clearly recognizable lines of nationality."
10. Self-determination should be allowed for all those living in Austria-Hungary.
11. Self-determination and guarantees of independence should be allowed for the Balkan states.
12. The Turkish people should be governed by the Turkish government. Non-Turks in the old Turkish Empire should govern themselves.
13. An independent Poland should be created which should have access to the sea.
14. A League of Nations should be set up to guarantee the political and territorial independence of all states.
15c

18. Woodrow Wilson
15c

19. League of Nations
Wilson’s 14th point was the most controversial – and unpopular at home
Isolationists in America feared the League
The Senate refused to ratify the treaty including the League of Nations
Wilson campaigned heavily across the country for the League, but the US never bought into the international peace-keeping group
Why would isolationists fear joining the League of Nations?
15c

20. League of nations
15c

21. Checking for Understanding
What were the four main causes of WWI?
Why did America enter WWI?
How did WWI change African American lives?
How did WWI change women’s lives?
Why was the Espionage and Sedition Act viewed as unconstitutional?
What rule did Eugene Debs break?
What was Woodrow Wilson’s 14th point going to create?
Why would isolationist fear joining the League of Nations?

22. Isolationism
After WWI was over and Wilson left the presidency, America craved a return to normalcy in the 1920s
For many, this meant a rejection of external political trends, international trade and more of a focus on domestic issues
It has been said that WWI killed progressivism in the US…if so, what should we expect of government in the 1920s?
15c