World War I & Its Aftermath American History and Government.

World War I & Its Aftermath

American History and Government

Warm-up

What is Nationalism? Nationalism is having an intense pride in

one’s country or culture.

Is there any danger in thinking this way? Can you identify any negative aspects associated with nationalism?

The Stage is Set

Causes of WWI:

1. Nationalism

2. Imperial Rivalries

3. Militarism

4. A tangle of alliances

1) Nationalism

Nationalism caused international tension throughout Europe

Alsace-Lorraine France bitter about this lost territory

Pan-Slavism Russia vowed to defend all Slavs!

Crisis in the Balkans Austria-Hungary & Turkey feared nationalism

2) Imperial Rivalries

Germany was becoming a superpower Britain felt threatened France & Germany clashed over territories France and Britain grew closer

Discussion Questions:

Being in high school you are affected by rivalries with other schools.

1. What are some specific feelings/emotions you feel toward your rival team/students?

2. How could these feelings relate to how Europeans felt toward each other before WWI?

3) Militarism- The building up of one’s armed forces

European leaders glorified war

Social Darwinism “Only the strong

survive!” Sparked arms-race

Britain vs. Germany

Tangle of Alliances

Alliances formed out of fear and distrust

The Central Powers Germany, Austria

The Allies Britain, France, Russia

Consequence Made people even

more nervous

Closing Activity

Choose one cause that we discussed in class and explain how it helped lead to a hostile situation.

Warm-up

By 1914 Europe was “an open powder keg waiting for a spark to ignite it.”

Discuss with a neighbor what you think this means. (1 minute)

Now explain your answer in 3-4 sentences. (2 minutes)

The Guns of August

Archduke Franz Ferdinand Successor to Austrian throne Visited Sarajevo, Bosnia

Black Hand Terrorist Group Angered over Ferdinand’s visit June 28th held special significance

Decided to assassinate Ferdinand

“The Spark”

On June 28, 1914 Ferdinand & wife were assassinated Gavrilo Princip

Peace unraveled Austria gave

Serbia ultimatum Serbia refused

WWI begins!!

Together in death

World War I Begins

Germany attacked first

Schlieffen Plan Plan to avoid two-front

war It almost worked!

Both sides settled down for a long war

Closing Question

Do you think Serbia was right to turn down Austria’s ultimatum? In other words, do you think Austria’s demands were justified? Why or why not?

(3-4 sentences)

Warm-up

There is a saying in the gambling world that goes: “Sometimes you just need to know when to cut your losses.”

What does this mean?

Think of an example in your own life when this applied to you?

A New Kind of Conflict

Trench warfare Thousands of miles

dug In between called

“No Man’s Land” Over the top!

Both sides ordered suicidal charges

Millions sacrificed

No Man’s Land

Costly Battles

Battle of the Marne Stopped Germans

from taking Paris Battle of Verdun

The longest battle Battle of the Somme

War’s most costly battle

German Soldiers

French Soldiers leading a bayonet charge

The dead at Verdun

A war of machines

New weaponry added to death toll: Planes Tanks Submarines Machine guns Poison Gas Grenades

Technology of the “Great War”

The Eastern Front

Russia invaded Germany (1914) Battle of Tannenberg Russians were defeated

Even more killed than in west Just as indecisive

Closing Question

Explain how “not knowing when to cut its losses” contributed to so much death and destruction in World War I.

Warm-up

What emotions did you feel after 9/11? Did you support us attacking those responsible?

How do you feel about the war today? Has your opinion changed since 9/11?

A Stalemate- Where neither side can gain the advantage over the other.

By 1917 Europe was tired of war Russia overthrew their king

Pulled out of the war Bolsheviks turned Russia into a Communist

nation renamed Russia the Soviet Union. Allies on the brink of losing

The Russian Revolution

Czar Nicholas II (Romanov) Vladimir Lenin

Winning the War The U.S. joined war

Zimmerman Telegram Unrestricted submarine warfare Sinking of the Lusitania

Sympathy for Great Britain and France Supported democratic nations unlike monarchy of Germany. (France helped U.S. in U.S. revolution and Britain speaks our language.)

Economic ties Fear of German Power If Germany won the war it might hurt

United States trade. British and French Propaganda Made up stories of Germany being a

villain. Desperate Conditions in Europe People were being killed off in Europe

in the millions and many more were starving.

Threat of German U-boats

Threat of German U-boats

American WWI Propaganda

American World War I Propaganda

Draft IssueDraft Issue An army can be recruited by:1) Calling for volunteers2) Compelling service by a

procedure known as the draft. Selective Service Act is

passed by Congress in May 1917.

All male citizens ages 21 to 30 were required to register for military service and if they passed medical examination were in the army.

Pacifists, anarchists, and socialists opposed the draft and the war.

General John J. “Blackjack” Pershing Commander of the American Expeditionary Force during WWI

American Soldiers - “Doughboys”

Espionage and Sedition ActsEspionage and Sedition Acts

Congress passed the Espionage Act in 1917 and then the much harsher Sedition Act in 1918.

These laws imposed heavy fines and prison sentences for the following antiwar actions:

1) Spying and aiding the wartime enemy

2) Interfering with the recruitment of soldiers.

3) Speaking against the government’s campaign to sell bonds to finance the war.

4) Urging resistance to U.S. laws

5) Urging “disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive language” about the American form of government, flag, or military uniform.

In addition, the United States Post Office was given the right to remove any antiwar materials from the mails.

Schenck vs. United States

A dissenter who went to jail was the general secretary of the Socialist party, Charles Schenck.

Schenck mailed about 15,000 leaflets urging men who had been drafted into military service to oppose the law.

After being tried and convicted under the Espionage Act, Schenck appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

He argued that his First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and the press had been violated.

In the case of Schenck v. United States (1919), the Supreme Court ruled against Schenck and upheld the constitutionality of the Espionage Act.

Freedom of speech was not absolute. Acts of speech must be judged according

to the circumstances in which it was committed.

For example the, “the most stringent protection of free speech would not protect a man falsely shouting fire in a theatre and causing a panic.”

Furthermore, speech that might harmless in a time of peace might injure the public safety in a time of war.

The question to be asked, according to Holmes, was whether or not an act of speech posed a “clear and present danger” to the public.

If it did then Congress had the power to restrain such speech.

Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes

Red Scare

The Communist Revolution in Russia in 1917 fueled nativist fears about the loyalties of the huge foreign born population.

Nativists thought foreign born radicals might attempt to overthrow the U.S. government.

Reds (radical thinkers) Many people were deported homes,

businesses, and offices searched illegally.

The Fourteen PointsThe Fourteen Points

Wilson wanted the war to result not just in military victory but in a lasting peace settlement that was fair to all people and nations.

In January 1918, Wilson listed his goals for peace settlement.

This statement of goals became known as the Fourteen Points.

The key points were:

An end to the practice of making secret treaties.

Recognition of every nation’s right to freedom of the seas in peace and in war (especially, a neutral nation’s rights to use the seas for trade and travel.)

Reduction of weapons Changing the borders of European countries

according to the principle of self determination (the many peoples of Austria Hungary, for example, being allowed to decide to form nations of their own.

Establishment of a new international organization, the League of Nations, to keep the peace by fairly resolving disputes between nations.

Placing European colonies in Africa, Asia, and Latin America under the control of the League of Nations.

Allies seek revenge

Unlike Wilson, the leaders of France, Great Britain, and Italy wanted a peace treaty that would punish their wartime enemies.

The victorious European powers had suffered huge loses of life and property.

They wanted to make sure that Germany would never rise again as a major military power.

They also wanted a treaty that would force Germany to pay for war damages.

Kaiser Wilhelm

Germany made one final push (1918) Attack failed

Kaiser Wilhelm II stepped down

Germany asked for peace

Treaty of Versailles

June 28th, 1919 WWI ended Germany was ordered to sign treaty

Had to accept full blame Had to pay $30 million Could not have a military Had to give up territories League of Nations created (peace keeping

organization) to reduce the chance of future wars.

Closing question

Germany, along with the rest of Europe was devastated by the war.

Do you think the terms of the Treaty of Versailles were fair? Why or Why not?

(3-4 sentences)

Analysis of the TreatyAnalysis of the Treaty

The Treaty of Versailles was very harsh on Germany (although less harsh than France and Great Britain had originally wanted.)

Wilson was able to include the League of Nations in the Treaty.

League of Nations and the League of Nations and the United StatesUnited States

The League's goals included disarmament, preventing war through collective security, settling disputes between countries through negotiation, diplomacy and improving global quality of life.

The diplomatic philosophy behind the League represented a fundamental shift in thought from the preceding hundred years.

The League lacked its own armed forces and it therefore depended on the Great Powers to enforce its resolutions, keep to economic sanctions which the League ordered, or provide an army, when needed, for the League to use.

However, they were often reluctant to do so. Sanctions could also hurt the League members

imposing the sanctions and given the pacifist attitude following World War I, countries were reluctant to take military action.

It soon became evident that a certain group of United States Republican Senators was opposed to the League of Nations, especially Senators Henry Cabot Lodge, William E. Borah, and Hiram Johnson.

All American treaties, though created by the President, must be ratified by the Senate of the United States by a two thirds majority.

An able group of senators, led by the above opponents of the treaty, carried on a bitter fight against President Wilson and the League of Nations.

The resolution for the United States to enter the League of Nations was lost by a vote of 57-37 and failed to get two-thirds the vote needed.

In the general election of the following November, Wilson appealed to the people to support the League.

The result of the election, which was fought chiefly on the League, was an overwhelming Republican victory.

This was taken as the death blow for the League of Nations since the United States did not become a member.

The failure of the U.S. to enter the League weakened it from its very conception.

Kellogg-Briand Pact

In 1928, the United States signed a treaty with France known as the Kellogg-Briand Pact.

This pact invited all nations of the world to declare a common policy of never fighting an aggressive war.

No real commitment to stop an aggressor (war maker) only a written statement.