World War I

Woodrow Wilson

1913-1917

World War I

Causes-1- Imperialism

Imperialism Continued

• European countries were in competition for overseas colonies.

• By 1910 the best colonies were taken and rivalry developed between nations

2- Militarism

Militarism Continued

• The great powers of Europe began to spend huge sums of money on

1- Large armies

2- New weapons

a- Airplane

b- submarine

c- Tank

d- poison gas

e- Zeppelins

f- machine gun & Big

Bertha

3- Nationalism

Nationalism Continued

• Great powers acted in their own interest;

Powerful nations went

to war for borderlands

such as Alsace –

Lorraine

• Ethnic groups ruled by one nation wanted to be independent or a part of another nation.

4- Military Alliances

• Triple Entente - Allies

• Russia

• France

• Serbia

• Great Britain

• Italy joined later in the War

• Triple Alliance – Central Powers

• Germany

• Austria-Hungary

• Ottoman Empire

• Bulgaria

5-Immediate Cause of War

Assassination of Arch –Duke- 1914

• The heir to the throne of Austria, Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajevo by Serbian Nationalist

• This group wanted to independent from Austria-Hungary

Map of Europe 1914

Stalemate on Western Front

Stalemate Continued

• The Allies ( British & French) and the Central Powers ( Germany & Austria) reached a point where neither army could move forward on the boundary of France & Belgium. (Western front)

• Each Side built Trenches

Trench Warfare

Stalemate Continued

• Britain places a naval blockade at German ports to break the stalemate

Submarine Warfare

• Germany uses the U-Boat or submarine to break the naval blockade

• The U-Boats sink passenger and merchant ships of neutral nations without warning

U.S. is Neutral 1914

U-Boats sink Lusitania

• U-boat sinks Lusitania in 1915, America turned against Germany

• To prevent the U.S from entering the war Germany issued the Sussex pledge

• This pledge was a promise to warn passenger & merchant ships before u-boat attacks

• America remains neutral

The Lusitania

America Prepares for War

Unrestricted Submarine Warfare

• Germany announced they would end the Sussex Pledge

• Britain intercepted a German Telegram, The Zimmerman Note encouraging Mexico to attack the U.S.

• Germany resumed unrestricted sub warfare

• The U.S. declared war on Germany 1917

Selective Service Act- Draft 1917

America on the Home Front

Financing the war

• The U.S. sold war bonds to raise money

Voluntary Rationing

• Herbert Hoover was placed in charge of the Food Administration

• Voluntary Conservation

• Victory Gardens: people grew their own vegetables

• Meatless Mondays

Propaganda

Loyalty at home

Sedition Act

• Anyone could be arrested if they encouraged rebellion.

Espionage Act

• Anyone could be arrested if they interfered with the draft

Loyalty At Home Continued

• Industrial Workers of the World (WOBBLIES) were critical of the war

• 200 members were arrested

• Eugene V. Debs was arrested for his anti-war position

• Schenck v U.S established : The Clear & Present Danger Clause; Freedoms could be restricted

Women in the War

Women in the War Continued

• Women ran the businesses during the war

• Women worked in factories during the war

• Women served in the Red cross during the war

• Women worked for the right to vote

Women’s Suffrage - 19th Amendment

Great Migration

• African Americans served in all Black units during World War I

• During World War I African-Americans began to move to Northern cities for Jobs

• This continued after WWI

Woodrow Wilson & the War

• Had to convince America the war was right;

• “Make the World Safe for Democracy”

• “The war to end all wars”

• “Peace without Victory”

Fourteen Points

• Wilsons’ Plan for Peace

• Called for the establishment of a League of Nations

• The League would be a place to settle world disputes

• The League was the 14th

point

Treaty of Versailles 1919• Wilson traveled to Paris

to negotiate the treaty• Met with the “Big Four”

to negotiate the treaty(France, Britain, Italy, & U.S.)

• Wilson did not want to punish Germany

• The other leaders did want to punish Germany

• The treaty included the League of Nations .

• The U.S Senate did not ratify the Treaty

• They were against the League of Nations

U.S. Senate rejected the treat of Versailles

David Lloyd George, Vittorio Orlando, Georges Clemenceau, Woodrow Wilson

Map of Europe 1919