The Causes of WWI

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The Causes of WWI

• Militarism
• Alliances
• Imperialism
• Nationalism

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WWI The Great War

• Causes
• Imperialism France, Great Britain, Russia,
  Germany
• Kaiser Wilhelm II
• Industrialization
• Germany can compete through blood and iron

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Kaiser Wilhelm II
Germany must have its place in the sun The
world belongs to the strong.

• Kaiser Wilhelm II
• Built up German army and navy
• Aggressive foreign policy
• Determined to make Germany a top nation.
• Distrusted by other powers

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2. Militarism

• Define build up of armed forces
• 1890 Germany has strongest military

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Militarism

• Germany was competing with the UK to build
  battleships.
• The British feared an attack on their Empire
• Germany was competing with Russia and France to
  expand their armies

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3. Alliance System

• Triple Entente France, Great Britain, and
  Russia
• Triple Alliance Germany, Austria-Hungary,
  Ottoman Empire
• Global security
• Balance of power
• Imperialism caused many countries to form
  alliances

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Alliance Structure
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• Alliances tested
• Archduke Franz Ferdinand
• June 28 1914- assassinated
• Black Hand-Serbian Nationalists
• Gavrillo Princip is the assassin

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• July 28, 1914 Austria-Hungary declares war on
  Serbia
• Russia is allied with Serbia
• Germany is allied with Austria-Hungary
• August 1 Germany declares war on Russia
• Russia is allies with France
• August 3 Germany declares war on France
• Great Britain is allies with France
• Great Britain immediately declares war on
  Germany..WWI has BEGUN!!!!

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Nationalism Imperialism

• Extreme hatred for other nations
• Causes build-up of arms
• Battles of WWI begins August 4, 1914
• Germany invades Belgium

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Schlieffen Plan

• Hold off Russia, ATTACK France
• Start in Belgium, drive to Paris
• Once France falls, German forces focus on Russia
• Trench Warfare fortified ditches
• No Mans Land
• Early fightingstalemate

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Britains Reaction

• 1838- UK had signed a Treaty to protect Belgium.
• Britain also scared of Germany controlling
  Channel ports.
• Did not want Germany to defeat France and
  dominate Europe. Britain next?
• UK issued ultimatum to Germany to withdraw troops
  from Belgium. War declared August 4 1914

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World War I Assignment

• On a sheet of poster paper, create a poster of
  the causes of WWI.
• Include key facts about each cause.
• Include key countries, individuals, and
  vocabulary
• Use textbook and notes as a resource
• Use Coloring Pencils or Markers
• On a sheet of poster paper, create a timeline of
  the events preceding WWI.
• Include key countries, individuals, vocabulary
• Include declarations of war and reasons for those
  declarations.

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Key Ideas of WWI

• Mobilization- The gathering and movement of
  troops for war
• Isolationism- A policy of non-intervention into
  intercontinental violence
• Pacifists- Opposed war and violence as a mean of
  diplomacy
• Monroe Doctrine- Europeans were no longer to
  interfere with American affairs
• Protectionism- The theory of protecting domestic
  markets by placing tariffs and quotas on imports

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American Neutrality

• 1914- why fight?
• Opposition to the war
• Sympathy for Germany
• Sympathy for Allies
• GermanyImperial Bully
• Economics
• U.S. enters the war
• British Blockade prevent contraband

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• Reasons we couldn't remain neutral
• Friendship with France and G.B.
• British propaganda had large influence
• Economic ties to European nations
• Allies depended on U.S. supplies
• Economic boom in the U.S.
• 1916, he ordered a major defense buildup
• National Defense Act called for a larger army
  and a navy second to none
• most people still favored peace though
• Wilson campaign man who had kept the nation out
  of war

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• German U-Boats
• Counter to blockade
• Any ship is fair game
• No warning needed
• Lusitania British liner
• Sank by U-boat
• 128 Americans killed
• Americans are furious

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• America still neutral Wilson wants peace
• 1916 Germany breaks promise
• Sussex unarmed French passenger boat
• Attacked by German U-boat
• 80 people killed
• U.S. issues another warning

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• Zimmermann Note British intercepts message
• Germany asks Mexico to declare war on U.S.
• Mexico would gain Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona
• U.S. enters war make world safe for democracy
• ..\World Civilization\Zimmerman Telegram.doc

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American war effort

• April 1917 U.S. officially in war
• 200,000 men in army----Draft or Recruit?
• Selective Service Act men required to register
  for military
• Set minimum draft age of 18
• Resulted in 3 million draftees
• U-boat resistance
• Convoy System merchant ships provided defense
• American troops fresh

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Gearing up for War

• U.S. was short on supplies
• Pres. Wilson created War Industries Board to
  organize the country for war
• Increased production controlled limited
  resources
• Railroad Administration organized all RR lines
  into one network that serviced the entire nation
• Shipping Board oversaw the building of a
  merchant marine
• Gained govt. support thru increased taxes war
  bonds

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Feeding the Allies

• Food Administration Board headed by Herbert
  Hoover
• Controlled food production distribution
• Top needs were wheat, pork, sugar
• Americans were encouraged to cut back to save
  cost
• Volunteered to participate in saving techniques
• (Wheatless Mondays, Meatless Tuesdays, Porkless,
  Thursdays Saturdays)
• Children grew vegetables on playgrounds
• People planted "victory gardens" in their
  backyards

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Wartime Propaganda

• Committee on Public Information- Wilson
• 75,000 men spoke around the country
• were called "Four Minute Men"
• War was fought for democracy freedom
• Those criticizing the war were treated poorly,
  sometimes beaten
• Espionage Act (1917)fines jail sentences for
  aiding the enemy or blocking recruitment
• Sedition Act (1918)--punished those using
  disloyal or abusive language about the American
  govt., flag, or military uniforms
• 1,500 citizens lost their civil liberties
• People were arrested for everything from
  criticizing the draft the Red Cross to
  complaining about taxes

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• Replacement soldiers
• General Pershing old glory
• Separate army
• Russia drops out of war
• April 1918 U.S. independent army
• New weapons tanks, poison gas, airplanes
• War is mechanized

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• Germany collapses
• Mutiny amongst the soldiers
• Rebellion in Berlin
• November 11, 1918 at 1100 Germany surrenders
• 26 million total deaths
• Russia- 9 million
• Germany- 7 million
• U.S.- 325,000

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Post-war

• Fourteen Points
• II. Absolute freedom of navigation upon the seas
• XIV. A general association of nations must be
  formed
• League of Nations provide national security
  without war

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• Big Four
• Woodrow Wilson- United States
• Georges Clemenceau- France
• David Lloyd George- Gr. Britain
• Vittorio Orlando- Italy
• Make Germany pay
• Treaty of Versailles
• Germany must pay for war 28 billion in total

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• German military
• 100,000 soldiers
• no airplanes
• no submarines
• War Guilt Clause Germany must take
  responsibility for starting the war
• Humiliation---Adolf Hitler uses Treaty of
  Versailles as a rallying cry for Germany prior to
  WWII

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End of the War

• Treaty of Versailles- Made Germans accept
  reparations (compensation to cover war damages)
  worth 132 billion gold marks 28 Billion
  Dollars) Initial sum of 50 billion gold marks was
  330 of national income from previous year
• Main cause for World War II

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• Opposition to treaty
• Too much imperialism
• Too harsh on Germany
• U.S. never ratifies Treaty of Versailles or joins
  League of Nations
• Opposition in Congress Henry Cabot Lodge
• November 11, 1918 _at_ 11 am
• The date to end the war.

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Changes in America

• Industry jobs increase
• Wages increase
• Food conservation
• Victory Gardens
• Women in workforce
• Civil liberties
• Espionage and
• Sedition Acts

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U.S. Economics of WWI

• United States economy was in a recession prior to
  1914
• Recession- Period of reduced economic activity
• United States economy improved following start of
  war and the sale of goods to Europe- Agriculture
  and Industrial equipment
• Following World War I, the United States was
  member in the international market

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• Military 1917 200,000
• 1918 4.5 million
• Total labor 1916 40 million
• 1918 44 million
• Financing the war
• Raise taxes
• Borrow from public (war bonds)
• Print money (Uh-Oh!)
• Economic boom in 1920s