World War I

The War to End All Wars

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qw-d-HsSsVM

Essential Question

What factors combined to draw the world and ultimately the US into World War I?

Causes of WWI in Europe

• Militarism– Countries in Europe were building massive

militaries– Competition for colonies

Causes

• Nationalism– People in Europe

were competitive and proud of their nation

– Product of close proximity

• Self Determination– The idea that people who belong to a nation

should have their own country– Nation in political science terms refers to

ethnicity– Example: Serbs, Bosnians, Croats, and

Slovenes

The Alliance System

• The Alliance System– Agreements between countries to treat an

attack on one member country like an attack on all

– Triple Alliance – Germany, Italy and Austria Hungary

– Triple Entente – Great Britain, France and Russia

The Spark the Ignites the Powder Keg

June 1914, Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand is assassinated by a Serbian member of the Black Handhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v

=rsiHALh30qs

• Austria Hungary declares war on Serbia

• Russia rushes to help Serbia, and Germany helps Austria-Hungary

• Alliance System goes into effect, almost all of Europe goes to war!

Germany’s War Plan (Schliefflen Plan)

• Wanted to Avoid a Two Front War

• Attack and defeat France First: Then focus on Russia

• On way to France Germany invades neutral Belgium

• German advance into France stopped just outside Paris

• Both sides dig in on the Western Front

Causes of WWI

• List and explain the things that were causes of the conflictMilitarism

Nationalism

Self-determination

Alliance system

It only takes a spark…

• Describe the things that were the spark that led to World War I– Franz Ferdinand– Austria Hungary– The Black Hand– Serbia

The Domino Effect

• Explain the beginning of war– Austria Hungary– Serbia– Russia– Germany

The US In World War I

Essential Question

Why was the US unable to maintain a policy of neutrality during World

War I?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6WEBhYfB8k

US Finds it tough to remain neutral

• President Wilson wanted to abide by the Monroe Doctrine and remain isolationist

• US relied on trade with Great Britain

• German U boats made trade with Great Britain difficult

German Aggression• May 7, 1915, German U-

Boat sinks the British Passenger ship the Lusitania

– 128 Americans killed

• Many Americans push for war

• Germany doesn’t want the US in the War

• Pass the Sussex Pledge

– Promise not to sink US ships without warning

• US Ships going to Great Britain with supplies making it difficult for Germany to win the war

• Germany sends the Zimmerman telegram to Mexico (January 1917)– Promises to help Mexico

get back lost territory if Mexico allies with Germany

– Intercepted by the US and leaked to the press

US Enters WWI

• Germany returns to unrestricted submarine warfare

• April 2, 1917 – US Declares war on Germany

The Sides

Allied Powers

United States

Great Britain

France

Russia

Central Powers

Germany

Austria-Hungary

Bulgaria

Ottoman Empire

Document Based Question T-chart

• In your groups look through the documents and create a chart listing the evidence for and against going to war

• Each person must have a chart

• In the top right hand corner, label your chart with Goal 8.01