Causes of WWI – M.A.N.I.A. M ilitarism – buildup of a nation’s military in preparation for war A lliances – agreements between nations to provide aid.

Causes of WWI – M.A.N.I.A.

• Militarism – buildup of a nation’s military in preparation for war

• Alliances – agreements between nations to provide aid and protect one another (or fight on the same side)

• Nationalism – – Extreme pride in one’s nation; desire to make that nation the most

powerful.– extreme pride in one’s ethnic or national background; desire to create a

nation along those lines.

• Imperialism – control of other regions or countries for economic or political gain

• Assassination – of Austrian Archduke Franz (Francis) Ferdinand

Nationalism

• In 1815, several European countries sent representatives to a meeting called the Congress of Vienna. The purpose was to resolve several disputes, such as national boundary lines.

• In some cases, boundaries were drawn that put ethnic groups inside “foreign” borders.

For example, the Alsace-Lorraine region, which contained a French-speaking population, was given to Germany. For almost a century, France was determined to get it back.

Nationalism cont.

The areas of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slavic in heritage, were part of Austria; but many Slavs thought they should be part of Serbia.

AlliancesIn Europe, a complicated web of alliances dictated the way that the nations responded to each other. Those countries who had pledged to support one another were “primed” to get involved in conflict if their allies were involved.

ImperialismThe Europeans were competing for control over parts of Africa and Asia, thus increasing tensions among themselves.

Imperialism Cont.

• In particular, Germany was clashing with Britain and France over territories in North Africa.

• Additionally, the Ottoman Empire (Turkey) was crumbling; Russia and Austria-Hungary were looking to take control there.

Militarism

• Add to this the fact that the major Europeans countries had been increasing their military powers, with Germany leading at a 74% increase over 1910-1914.

• Europe in 1914 has been described as a “powder keg” that was primed for war – physically, psychologically, etc.

The Spark

• In June 1914, an Austrian Archduke (Franz Ferdinand) was assassinated by a Pro-Slavic terrorist. Serbia was blamed.

Graphic Courtesy Janet Diederich

The Combatants

• The Allied Powers – Great Britain, France, and Russia

• Previously called the Triple Entente

• The Central Powers – Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire (Turkey)

• Previously called the Triple Alliance

In the meantime,

• The United States had decided to stay neutral. President Woodrow Wilson hoped to stay above the conflict and help mediate its settlement.

• Also, Wilson was aware that the people of the United States were divided in their loyalties and couldn’t be brought together to fight on one side.

• At the beginning of the war, the U.S. traded with nations on both sides and loaned money to both sides, but the majority of the trade was with the Allies – Britain, France and Russia.

• In 1915 Germany issued a statement that all ships flying British or Allied flags would be subject to attack.

• The sinking of the Lusitania : Shortly after that, a German u-boat (submarine) torpedoed and sank a British passenger ship, the Lusitania. Of the over-1000 people killed, over 100 were Americans. We were outraged. How would this change our thinking?

• When the U.S. sent a strong protest to Germany, the Germans announced they would no longer attack passenger ships without warning.

• That fall, Wilson got congressional approval to increase military spending to $1 billion.

• In 1916, Wilson campaigned for re-election as “the president who kept us out of war.” He won by a small margin.

• In early 1917, Germany again announced that it would not restrict its marine attacks. This was due to a stalemate on land.

• Shortly after that, Wilson broke off diplomatic relations with Germany (stopped trying to talk to the Germans).

• Zimmermann Telegram: In Feb. 1916, a telegram from Germany to Mexico was intercepted. The telegram, sent by Arthur Zimmermann (the German foreign secretary) asked Mexico to join the Central Powers in the war. If Mexico joined and the Central Powers won, Germany promised to help Mexico “recover” the territories of Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico.

• On March 18, German u-boats sank three American ships.

• On April 2, 1917, Wilson asked Congress to declare war against Germany. The United States’ involvement would “make the world safe for democracy,” he said.

• Although Congress did declare war (on April 6), the country was still divided in its feelings.

• http://www.marseillaise.org/english/audio.html

Americans in the War

• Many Americans didn’t expect to send men into the war; they thought we would just send money and supplies. However, in declaring war, Wilson and Congress had committed troops to the effort of making the world “safe for democracy.”

• At the beginning of the war, the US military consisted of about 200,000 troops. By the end, we had 4 million men in uniform.

• Recruitment was done through conscription, or the draft. All men 21-30 were required to register for possible selection. This was brought about through the Selective Service Act of 1917.

Going “Over There”

• American troops were called the American Expeditionary Force

• To get to Europe, the Navy had to get the troops past the German u-boats; to do this they sent ships in convoys.

• Merchant ships were also sent in convoys and escorted by armed patrol boats.

• As a result, sub attacks were cut in half.

• Russian Revolution – November 1917 – took Russia out of the Allied Forces and enabled more Germans to fight along the Western Front.

• The AEF was engaged in the war for about 1 ½ years.

• Helped break the stalemate.

Why the stalemate? Trench warfare

New ideas and technology

• Machine Guns• Chemical weapons - chlorine and mustard gas• Tanks• Air attack squadrons • More sophisticated mortars and grenades

American forces

Out of the approximately 4 million troops we sent into the war, there were• 300,000 draft dodgers (“slackers”)• 4,000 conscientious objectors• 3,000 women in non-combat roles• 1/3 didn’t go into combat; of those who did, most

weren’t in the worst trench warfare situations.• 1/5 had been born outside of the U.S.• 13% were black• 25% of all Native American men served

On the home front

• ¼ of our gross national product (the value of everything we produced) went to the war effort: this totaled $33 billion.

• 1/3 would be paid through taxes;

• 2/3 was raised through loans (bonds)

The American Home Front

• Even with the money raised, the U.S. debt went from $1 billion in 1915 to $20 billion in 1920.

• With many resources and production going toward the war effort, Americans were encouraged to ration their consumption with Wheatless Mondays, Meatless Tuesdays and Porkless Thursdays and Saturdays.

• Women were a key part of the war, in taking the place of factory workers who had gone to war. As such they were (finally) given the right to vote through the 19th Amendment (1920).

• Also taking the place of factory workers in the North, about .5 million African-Americans moved from the South to cities like Chicago, in what would be called the Great Migration.

Also connected to the war

• Prohibition was pushed through with the 18th Amendment (1919); this was partly because most of the major beer companies being German-owned (and also to conserve grain);

• There were other forms of anti-German behavior; in some places German music performances were banned, and German foods were given new names.

Connected to the war continued…

• The Espionage and Sedition Acts were passed to deal with those suspected of working against the United States.

• The Justice Department commissioned 25,000 American Protective League members; their job was to spy on their neighbors and report suspicious activities;

• Socialists especially were under suspicion. There were bans against mailing or receiving socialist materials through the USPS.

End of the War

• In October 1918, the Germans asked for peace. • In November 1918, an armistice ended the war.• The Treaty of Versailles outlined the conditions of

peace; it was ratified in 1919.• The U.S. Senate rejected the Treaty of Versailles

due to conflict with President Wilson; they approved a separate peace treaty with Germany in 1921.

Wilson and the End of the War

• Allies’ plans v. Wilson’s vision• The Fourteen Points – Wilson’s vision for

permanently avoiding war in the future

Highlights of the 14 Points

• Open negotiations in arriving at peace (not secretive);• Freedom of navigation and trade;• Reduction of weapon stocks• Adjustment of colonial holdings• Troops would leave Russia, Belgium, and France.• Italy would include Italian nationals only;• Self-determination for Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman

Empire (self-determination = the people are free to form their own government).

• Polish independence;• Establishment of a League of Nations.

The Treaty of Versailles – negotiated by Britain, the U.S., France and Italy

• Independent states of Austria, Hungary, Poland, Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia; Finland, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia

• Czech. and Poland still contained German populations.• http://www.cyberlearning-world.com/lessons/ushistory/ww1/preww1.htm

• Central Powers’ colonies were divided up among the Allies;

• War guilt clause and war reparations of $33 billion to be paid by Germany.

• Freedom of the seas and free trade were not addressed.

• Wilson campaigned across America to have the treaty approved by Congress;

• Suffered a stroke as a result (probably) of exhaustion;

• The treaty was never approved; nor did we join the League of Nations. We did make a separate peace with Germany.

• Republican Warren G. Harding was elected President, promised “normalcy”

• In 1921, Congress passed a resolution officially ending the war.