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.