World War 1

World War 1 and the United States

By Matt Wise

Clipart by Microsoft

Europe in the Early 20th Century

• Time of Great Change

– Technology, Human Rights, Culture

• Growing Populations

• Expansionist Idea

United States During the early 20th Century

• Rise of Big Business

• Racial Tensions

• Foreign Policy– Isolationism

Causes of World War 1

• Nationalism

• Competition between Nations

• Militarism

• Alliances

Nationalism

• Pride in ones own country– Unifying factor within a country

• Own country is seen as superior

• Causes tension between nations

Competition

• Countries Competing for Dominance– Colonization of new lands

• Competitive Industry and Technology

• Competing to be the Best

Militarism

• The Buildup of the Armed Forces

• New Technology– New Weapons

• Population Increase– Allows for Bigger Armies

Alliances

• Triple Entente– UK, France, Russia, and the US

• Triple Alliance– Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy

• Large Nations against each other

Spark that Started the War

• Assassination of Austrian Archduke– Franz Ferdinand on June 28, 1914

– Serbian Terrorists

• Alliances Declare War– Start of WW1

Major Conflicts

• Marne: 2 Battles– Sept 6 1914 and again in 1918

• Ypres– Oct 14, 1914

• Suez Canal– Feb 3 1915 Picture: PhillipC., “World War 1 Tank, Masterton, New Zealand,

April 2009”. May 7, 2009. via Flickr on Creative Commons

America and WW1

• Isolationism– Stay out of European Conflicts

• US Neutral– Could Trade With Both Sides

– British Blockade Stopped German Supplies

– Germans use Unrestricted U-Boat Warfare

America Enters the War

• Unrestricted German U-Boat Warfare

• Lusitania 1915– Sunk by German Sub in Atlantic– 128 Americans Died

• Zimmerman Telegram-Jan 1917

• US enters the war on April 6, 1917• Picture: bobster885., “Recruiting Poster, 1915”., March 17, 2009 via Flickr on Creative Commons

America in the War

• Draft 4 million men

• Huge Industrial Boom

• Sent Supplies and Men to Europe

• Major Battles– 2nd Battle of the Marne 1918

End of the War

• Germany Surrendered– Armistice on Nov 11, 1918

• Casualties: 37 million total– 16 million deaths, 21 million wounded

• Treaty of Versailles-June 28, 1918– Germany responsible for war

– Pay reparations

Wilsons 14 Point Plan

• Wilson’s plan of peace– Treaty to make all people safe

• League of Nations– Early United Nations

– Global Community

• US Congress– Fails to ratify the Treaty of Versailles

–Will not join League of Nations

Closing

• WW1 left Europe torn apart

• US starts to rise as a world power

• European Economic Depression– Leads to future rise of dictators

Sources

• Boyer, Paul S., Clark, Clifford E., Hawley, Sandra., Kett, Joseph F., Rieser, Andrew., Salisbusy, Neal.,Sitkoff, Harvard., & Woloch, Nancy. (2010). The Enduring Vision: A history of the American People. Boston: Wadsworth

• PBS.(1996-2004). The great war and the shaping of the 20th century. Retrieved October 3, 2009. from: PBS at: http://www.pbs.org/greatwar/