1. U.S. government WWI posters
The First World War Adapted from McIntyre at
U.S. government WWI posters

2. The First World War: What? When?
War involving nearly all the nations of the world
When?
65 million men mobilized from nearly every country.
8.5 million military and million civilian casualties.
Static war (trench warfare).

3. The First World War: Why? Long term causes: 1. Militarism
2. Alliance system
3. Imperialism
4. Nationalism
(Memory tip: Think MAIN.)
Franz Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria and his Wife Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg one hour before their deaths, June 28, The assassination was the spark that ignited the war.
Short term cause: Assassination of Franz Ferdinand of the Austro-Hungarian Empire

4. The First World War: Who? Central Powers: Allies: Germany
Austria-Hungary
Ottoman Empire
Bulgaria
Russia
France
Great Britain
Italy
Japan
United States (1917)
Kaiser Wilhelm II, Mehmed V, Franz Joseph: The three emperors of the Central Powers in World War I

5. The First World War: Where?
Map of Europe during WWI: Originally, Italy joined the Triple Alliance but after the war broke out, it switched sides and went to fight with the Triple Entente. Turkey later joined the Triple Alliance.

6. Why did it take so long for America to get involved in the war?
America was isolationist. (Washington’s Farewell Address to the Nation – Hamilton.)
“The Great War was Europe’s problem”
The Monroe Doctrine (1823) sought to isolate “the American continents” from European influences and problems.
In this cartoon, “The Great Wall” (1914), the Monroe Doctrine is shown as a protective shield for the United States.

7. Thinking Slide:
Is isolationism really an option for a country as powerful as the United States?
What are the disadvantages of isolationism?
What are the advantages?

8. Which side should the U.S. pick?
Central Powers:
Allies:
11 million German- Americans
Irish-Americans hated Great Britain
Close cultural ties to other allies
American, England, and France’s economies were increasingly interdependent.
US Exports to both sides:

9. What did it take to get the U.S. involved?
1. Unlimited Submarine Warfare by Germany
A British ship torpedoed by a German U-boat
1915 Sinking of the Lusitania in which 128 Americans died.
In 1917, Germany announced “unlimited submarine warfare” in the war zone.
Otherwise, Germany’s blockade would not be successful.

10. What did it take to get the U.S. involved?
2. Zimmerman Note
The U.S. intercepted a note from Germany to Mexico.
The decoded Zimmerman Telegram
Germany promised to help Mexico attack the U.S. to regain all the territory lost in the Best Treaty in the World (1848).

11. What did it take to get the U.S. involved?
3. Wilson’s idealism

12. How was the war looking for the allies?
Not Good...
Russia left the war after its communist revolution in 1917.
Russia’s withdrawal allowed Germany to fight a one-front war with all its troops concentrated on the Western Front.
Allies are
exhausted and
worn out by 1917
Calling for a Communist revolution, anti-Tsarist protesters gather outside the Winter Palace in Petrograd, Russia, February 1917.

13. Selling the War to the American public.
Wilson’s “turnaround”
President Wilson had spent the last 3 ½ years telling the American public that “this was not our war” and that America was “too proud to fight”. Now he and congress had to ”sell” the war to a skeptical public.
Wilson and Congress hired men to ”sell” the war with 4:00 speeches supporting U.S. involvement in the war.

14. Convincing the American People
Posters & Propaganda
How do you think these posters helped to convince the American people that the war was a good idea?

15. Convincing the American public

16. Convincing the American People
Idealism: 2 Goals For War
Wilson had to convince Americans that this would be the “War to End All Wars.”
He had to convince Americans that beating the Germans and the Central Powers would “make the world safe for democracy”.
The cost would be high. Aside from wanting to help the Allies (Britain and France) American involvement can be seen as an extension of the American Progressive Movement onto the world stage.
Can you explain this?

17. Convincing the American People
Idealism: Fourteen Points
President Wilson’s Fourteen Points was his vision for the future after the war, including freedom of the seas and a League of Nations to work for world peace.
President Woodrow Wilson

18. What did the U.S. do to help?
Supplies:
The U.S. provided the food, money, and fresh troops needed to win the war.
U. S. men & material will tilt the balance of power in favor of the Allies.
American troops march through London.

19. How did the war affect the U.S.?
Women
Women filled factory jobs.
Women’s war effort helped bring about passage of the 19th Amendment after the war giving women the right to vote.
African Americans
Black soldiers served in segregated (Jim Crow) units.
In the “Great Migration” thousands of African Americans moved to North cities to work in factories.

20. How did the war affect the U.S.?
Enforcing Loyalty
Hatred of all things German spread across the U.S. For example “sauerkraut” was renamed “Liberty Cabbage.”
The Espionage Act of 1917 and the Sedition Act of 1918 punished those who did not support the war, many of whom were labor leaders.
(169 imprisoned)

21. What ended the war? The Treaty of Versailles
After the Central Powers were exhausted by the war, especially after the US began fighting, it sought an armistice (the end of fighting 11:00 11/11/1918).
The Treaty of Versailles (ver-sigh) was signed between the Allied powers and Germany.
It took land away from Germany.
It dismantled Germany’s military.
It forced Germany to make reparations ($33 billion in payments) to the countries it harmed in the war.
This treaty so destroyed the German economy and the morale of the German people, that within 20 years, this treaty would start another world war.

22. How did the American public handle the end of the war?
Treat of Versailles
Despite Wilson’s insistence, the U. S. Senate will reject the Treaty of Versailles ending the war. Why?
The Big 4. Wilson’s political blunder U.S. wants to return to normalcy.

24. U.S. ”retreats” from world leadership
Senate rejection of the Treaty of Versailles and world leadership .

25. U.S. “declines” world leadership

26. POV?

27. U.S. rejects world leadership but helps Germany with its staggering war reparations.