The Road To World War I

The First World WarThe Road to War

Essential Question: How and why did World War I start?

U.S. and the War in Europe Even though the United States

was separated from Europe by the Atlantic it still felt many of the same pressures that had led the nations of Europe into war

President Woodrow Wilson blamed the war on militarism

He argued military elites had too much power in countries like Germany, Russia, and Austria-Hungary He said war was a result of their

desire for military power and their disdain for democracy

Nationalism 20th century politics was deeply

influenced by nationalism

Nationalism is a devotion to the interests and culture of one’s nation

It led to competition and rivalries among nations

Certain ethnic groups resented being dominated by others They longed for their nations

to become independent

Imperialism For centuries European nations

had been building empires

They slowly extended their economic and political control over the different world cultures

Imperial colonies supplied European nations with raw material Provided a market for their

manufactured goods

As Germany industrialized it competed with France and Britain in contest for colonies

Militarism Empire growth led to military spending

Larger empires need to be defended

European powers followed a policy of militarism Development of armed forces Armed forces were a tool of diplomacy

By 1890 the strongest nation was Germany Had army reserve system that drafted

and trained young men Britain was unconcerned about

Germany

Germany decided to expand its naval force Soon Britain and Germany were

competing to build the largest warships

France, Italy, Japan, and the United States quickly joined the naval arms race

Alliance System By 1907 there were two major alliance

systems in Europe

Triple Entente (known as the Allies) France, Britain, and Russia

Triple Alliance (known as the Central Powers)

Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy, and the Ottoman Empire

Alliances were supposed to serve as a measure for international security

Nations were supposed to be reluctant to disturb balance of power

In fact it led to a world war