America and World War I Causes of the War 1. Aggressive Nationalism.

America America and and

World World War IWar I

America America and and

World World War IWar I

CausesCausesof theof theWarWar

CausesCausesof theof theWarWar

1. Aggressive Nationalism

1. Aggressive Nationalism

2. Economic & Imperial Rivalries

2. Economic & Imperial Rivalries

Colonial

Rivalries:

Africain

1914

Colonial

Rivalries:

Africain

1914

Colonial Rivalries: Asia in 1914

Colonial Rivalries: Asia in 1914

The British Empire in 1914The British Empire in 1914

3. Militarism & Arms Race3. Militarism & Arms Race

1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1914

94 130 154 268 289 398

Total Defense Expenditures for the Total Defense Expenditures for the Great Powers [Ger., A-H, It., Fr., Br., Great Powers [Ger., A-H, It., Fr., Br.,

Rus.] Rus.] in millions of dollars.in millions of dollars.

1910-1914 Increase in Defense

Expenditures

France 10%

Britain 13%

Russia 39%

Germany

73%

4. The Alliance System4. The Alliance System

Triple EntenteTriple Entente::Triple EntenteTriple Entente:: Triple AllianceTriple Alliance::Triple AllianceTriple Alliance::

Two Armed Camps!Two Armed Camps!Allied PowersAllied Powers::Allied PowersAllied Powers:: Central PowersCentral Powers::Central PowersCentral Powers::

Europe in 1914Europe in 1914

The Major Players: 1914-17

The Major Players: 1914-17

Nicholas II Nicholas II [Rus][Rus]

Nicholas II Nicholas II [Rus][Rus]

George V [Br]George V [Br]George V [Br]George V [Br]

Pres. Poincare Pres. Poincare [Fr][Fr]

Pres. Poincare Pres. Poincare [Fr][Fr]

Allied PowersAllied Powers::Allied PowersAllied Powers::

Franz Josef [A-H]Franz Josef [A-H]Franz Josef [A-H]Franz Josef [A-H]

Wilhelm II [Ger]Wilhelm II [Ger]Wilhelm II [Ger]Wilhelm II [Ger]

Victor Emmanuel Victor Emmanuel II [It]II [It]

Victor Emmanuel Victor Emmanuel II [It]II [It]

Central PowersCentral Powers::Central PowersCentral Powers::

Enver PashaEnver Pasha[Turkey][Turkey]

Enver PashaEnver Pasha[Turkey][Turkey]

TheThe

“Spark”“Spark”

TheThe

“Spark”“Spark”

Archduke Franz Ferdinand & His Family

Archduke Franz Ferdinand & His Family

The Assassination: Sarajevo

The Assassination: Sarajevo

The Assassin: The Assassin:

GavriloPrincipGavriloPrincip

Who’s To Blame?Who’s To Blame?

The Germans strike first.

The Schlieffen PlanThe Schlieffen Plan

Why the stalemate?

Trench WarfareTrench Warfare

““No Man’s No Man’s Land”Land”

““No Man’s No Man’s Land”Land”

Verdun – February, 1916

Verdun – February, 1916

German offensive.

Each side had 500,000 casualties.

German offensive.

Each side had 500,000 casualties.

The Somme – July, 1916

The Somme – July, 1916

60,000 British soldiers killed in one day.

Over 1,000,000 killed in 5 months.

60,000 British soldiers killed in one day.

Over 1,000,000 killed in 5 months.

War Is HELL !!War Is HELL !!

Sacrifices in WarSacrifices in War

What’s the United States doing while all this is going on?

Staying neutral!

America’s Precarious Neutrality

America’s Precarious Neutrality

Why Neutrality?– Both sides had

popular support. Why?

– War Profiteering-US arms manufacturers at first sold to both sides, later only to Allies. Why?

– Anti-war movement very strong in the US.

America’s Precarious Neutrality

America’s Precarious Neutrality

Why did Neutrality dissolve?

Why did Neutrality dissolve?

The US sold so much munitions and lent so much money to the Allies, we couldn’t afford to let them lose.

1. Profits Endangered?1. Profits Endangered?

American “merchants of death”.

2. The British Blockade and the German

Response

2. The British Blockade and the German

Response

•In early 1914 the British Navy acts immediately to blockade Germany and cut it off from all food and supplies.

2. The British Blockade and the German

response

2. The British Blockade and the German

response

Why were U-boats perceived as “unfair”?

2. The British Blockade and the German

response

2. The British Blockade and the German

response

The “war zone” around Britain. The Germans warned that any ship, neutral or otherwise, would be torpedoed in this zone.

2. The British Blockade and the German

response

2. The British Blockade and the German

response•750,000 German civilians starved to death as a result of the British blockade.•60,000 civilians were killed by the U-boats.•Which was worse?

Starving German children during WW1

Allied Ships Sunk by U-Boats

Allied Ships Sunk by U-Boats

The Sinking of the Lusitania

The Sinking of the Lusitania

Lusitania passengers in the water after the sinking.

Lusitania victims awaiting burial.

After the Lusitania, Germany agreed not to sink passenger ships without warning.

March 1916-the Sussex pledge. Germany again agrees not to sink merchant ships without warning as long as the British lift their blockade.

U-Boats and NeutralityU-Boats and Neutrality

On January 31, 1917 Germany reneged on the Sussex pledge and announced it would sink all ships, neutral or not, in the war zone around Britain. Why?

Germans feared the entry of America into the War, but in the end concluded that they could force the British and French to surrender before the American could arrive in large numbers.

The tool for doing so: The U-boat

U-Boats and NeutralityU-Boats and Neutrality

3. The Zimmerman Telegram

3. The Zimmerman Telegram

American perception of the Zimmerman note.

4. The Russian Revolution-March 1917

4. The Russian Revolution-March 1917

Czar Nicolas II overthrown, and a democratic government installed in Russia.

Now four democracies vs. three autocracies.

Americans felt better about joining a war to “make the world safe for democracy.”

The YanksAre

Coming!

The YanksAre

Coming!

The Most Famous Recruitment The Most Famous Recruitment PosterPoster

The Most Famous Recruitment The Most Famous Recruitment PosterPoster

U. S. Food U. S. Food AdministrationAdministration

U. S. Food U. S. Food AdministrationAdministration

U. S. Shipping BoardU. S. Shipping BoardU. S. Shipping BoardU. S. Shipping Board

U. S. Fuel U. S. Fuel AdministrationAdministration

U. S. Fuel U. S. Fuel AdministrationAdministration

Munitions WorkMunitions WorkMunitions WorkMunitions Work

““Remember Remember Belgium”Belgium”

““Remember Remember Belgium”Belgium”

The “Mad Brute”The “Mad Brute”The “Mad Brute”The “Mad Brute”

Americans in the Trenches

Americans in the Trenches

1918 Flu Pandemic: Depletes All Armies1918 Flu Pandemic: Depletes All Armies

50,000,000 – 50,000,000 – 100,000,000 died100,000,000 died

50,000,000 – 50,000,000 – 100,000,000 died100,000,000 died

11 a.m., November 11, 1918

11 a.m., November 11, 1918

The Armistice is Signed!

9,000,0009,000,000 DeadDead9,000,0009,000,000 DeadDead

The Somme American Cemetary, France

The Somme American Cemetary, France

116,516 Americans Died116,516 Americans Died116,516 Americans Died116,516 Americans Died

World War I CasualtiesWorld War I Casualties

01,000,0002,000,0003,000,0004,000,0005,000,0006,000,0007,000,0008,000,0009,000,000

10,000,000RussiaGermanyAustria-HungaryFranceGreat BritainItalyTurkeyUS

14 POINTS1. There should be no secret treaties among

nations.2. Freedom of the seas should be maintained

for all.3. Tariffs and other economic barriers among

nations should be lowered or abolished in order to foster free trade.

4. Arms should be reduced “to the lowest point consistent with domestic safety, thus lessening the possibility of military responses during diplomatic crises

5. Colonial policies should consider the interests of the colonial peoples as well as the interests of the imperialistic powers

14-points continued 6-13 dealt with boundary changes 14th point called for a creation of and

international organization to address the diplomatic crises like those that had sparked the war

League of Nations- provide a forum for nations to discuss and settle their grievances without war

•President of Princeton•Democrat•Believed in the League of Nations as the only way to end all war•Would only accept his ideas and not Congress’s

•Graduate of Harvard•Republican•Believed League of Nations would take away Congress’s power to declare war•Made additions to the League of Nations, Wilson would not accept them

Wilson vs. Lodge

The Members of the League undertake to respect and preserve as against external aggression the territorial integrity and existing political independence of all members of the League. In case of any such aggression or in case of any threat or danger of such aggression, the Council shall advise upon the means by which this obligation shall be fulfilled.

Article X-League of Nations

What’s the problem?

league cartoon1

•Was Wilson’s League of

Nations and his belief in “ending all war” based on idealism or

reality?

•Could the world eliminate war?

Without the assistance of

the of the United

States, the League of

Nations was doomed to

failure.