1. The Road to War
Chapter 12, Section 1

2. Terrorism!
Austro-Hungarian Archduke Francis Ferdinand was assassinated by a member of Serbia’s Black Hand group
Those in the Black Hand didn’t want Austria-Hungary to rule over their land
Austria-Hungary was not happy– and the Serbs would have to pay.

4. The MAIN causes of WWI M- Militarism
Rather than use diplomacy, countries began to build up their armies and to give the military more power
Chose hard power over soft power…
Chose stick over the carrot…
This meant new weapons and warships for their armies
This made war a greater option for resolving conflicts

5. A- Alliances A complicated system of alliances turned an assassination
into a war
When Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary was assassinated, A-H considered it an attack.
Germany had promised to come to A-H’s aid
Russia had Serbia’s back
France had an alliance with Russia
Great Britain had a loose alliance with France
If you give a moose a muffin…

6. I- Imperialism
In the 1800’s, European powers scrambled for colonies in Africa, Asia, and the Pacific
By 1910 (4 years earlier) the most desirable colonies had been taken. What makes a colony desirable?
Britain and France had started colonizing earlier than Germany. They had more and better lands.
Other countries would have to take lands away from Britain and France if they wanted new colonies

7. N- Nationalism
Countries tended to do things that were best for their own country, which could cause conflicts with other countries
Both France and Germany wanted to own Alsace-Lorraine (a small strip of land between France and Germany)
Diverse ethnic populations inside bigger countries often longed for their own country
Millions of Czechs, Slovaks, Poles, and others in A-H
Poles in Germany and A-H wanted to build an independent Poland
This is still an issue today! Happy Birthday Kosova!

8. The Conflict Expands July 28, 1914: A-H declared war on Serbia
July 29: Russia began mobilization to protect Serbia
France and Germany both began to mobilize
August 1: Germany declared war on Russia
Stuck between l’rock and a hard place: the Schlieffen Plan
Avoid a war on 2 fronts
Knock France out quickly, and then go east and defeat Russia
Germany had to pass through Belgium to get to France quickly
August 4: When Germany invaded Belgium, Great Britain came to its aid
From peace to war in 1 week

9. The Sides Germany and Austria-Hungary ↓ The Central Powers
Russia, France, Great Britain, and Serbia ↓ The Allies (The Entente)

10. A Stalemate
Each side was pretty sure they were going to win quickly and decisively. Not so much.
On the Western Front, German was pretty well matched with the forces from France and Great Britain
Neither side was able to gain an advantage, so it was a stalemate

11. The Eastern Front
Russia had some early victories, which scared Germany into sending soldiers to the Eastern Front ahead of schedule.
These two armies were relatively equally matched as well

12. Trench Warfare Both sides dug into the ground for protection
Each side had rows of trenches
In between was “no man’s land”
Heavy casualties when soldiers were sent “over the top”

13. The Realities of War
Trenches were disgusting– full of mud and bugs and disease
New weapons changed the face of war:
Machine guns
Rapid-fire artillery
Gas: Chlorine and Mustard Gas Strategies that worked in the wars of the past only led to more casualties in WWI
Both sides became desperate and began to attack civilians by burning fields, poisoning wells, and killing livestock

15. Dulce et Decorum Est Written by Wilfred Owen
Most widely known poem from WWI
"It is sweet and right."
“It is sweet and right to die for your country.”

16. The War Expands
Germany, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire (end of 1914) ↓ The Central Powers
Russia, France, Great Britain, Serbia, and Italy (spring of 1915) ↓ The Allies (The Entente)

18. American Response: The Personal Connection
More than 1/3 of Americans were 1st generation immigrants or the children of immigrants
Nearly ¼ of these were from Germany. It’s not hard to guess who they favored in the war.
An 1/8 were from Ireland and held a grudge against Great Britain. Which side they would have liked to be on?
Millions of Americans had recently come from or identified strongly with Great Britain.
Immigrants from occupied countries hoped that a defeat of the Central powers would mean independence of their homeland
Most Americans favored the Allies

19. Mistrust and Propaganda
Many Americans mistrusted the leader of Germany, Kaiser Wilhelm II.
Kaiser = Emperor
Autocrat = Ruler with unlimited power
Germans were seen as embodying militarism and cold-blooded efficiency
Propaganda swayed public opinion with exaggerations of German crimes and cruelty

20. American Propaganda

23. German Propaganda

24. American Neutrality Overseas trade was a huge business for the US
Fear of German submarine attacks and a British naval blockade of the North Sea risked interrupting US business
To protect trade, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the US a neutral country

25. The Preparedness Movement
American business leaders led the Preparedness Movement
They wanted the US to be ready to help Great Britain if necessary
Summer, 1915: the leaders convinced the government to set up training camps
Summer, 1916: Congress agreed to increase the armed forces

26. The Peace Movement
Former Populists, progressives, and social reformers formed The Peace Movement
Women (and suffragists) were a big part of this opposition to potential war
Congress increased taxes on income and on the makers of arms in the hopes of discouraging preparedness.