The Great War

9.1The Beginnings of

World War I

Leading up to World War I• 3 things help bring the war to a start:

1. Nationalism- This means to have pride in one’s own country and to want certain freedoms or independence – relates to imperlialism

2. Militarism- This means the glorification of war and the military.

--Europe was experiencing an “arms race”--Military plans that were set in stone

3. Alliances- This term means agreements between nations to form a group.

• Due to all this tension, Europe was nicknamed the powder keg.

Formation of Alliances• Alliances were formed in Europe by certain countries for

trade and protection. • It would be the formation of these alliances that would

help to start World War I (WWI).

• There were only two European Alliances: Triple Alliance (Central Powers) Triple Entente (Allied Powers)

1. Germany 1. Britain (England)2. Italy 2. France3. Austria 3. Russia

England vs Germany Arms Race

Britian’s “Two Power Standard”

British Dreadnought

During Wilson’s Presidency Tensions Begin Boiling in Europe

The “Balkans” were the real powder keg

The Start of WWI• Due to growing tension, war in Europe

was about to start.• June 28th, 1914 Archduke Francis

Ferdinand (the future king of Austria) was shot to death while visiting Sarajevo, the capital city of Bosnia.

• He was assassinated by Gavrilo Princip who was a member of a secret nationalist group called the Black Hand.

Archduke Franz Ferdinand Gavrilo Princip

The Car of Death

• After the shooting, 15 people would go on to own the car. It would be involved in 6 separate accidents leading to 16 deaths.

World War I Begins• After his assassination, all countries in Europe would be

involved in WWI.• Assassination was the first domino to fall…Austria

declares war on the Serbs, Russia declares war on Austria, Germany then declares war on Russia and France (they knew they had to), etc

• US & Britain still not involved…but had eyes on the situation

• WWI marked an end to a long era of international peace.

• This would be the largest and most expensive war the world had ever seen.

Austria-Hungary invades Serbia to begin the war

The Schlieffen Plan• Germany was surrounded on two sides by enemies so they made a plan• Russia would be unorganized and slow to act…so take out France 1st• Send troops through neutral Belgium around French forces…capture Paris within 3 weeks•Then turn and focus all resources on Russia

The Schlieffan Plan•Britain had a semi-secret agreement with Belgium, and just like that Britain had entered the war• A couple things happen: • Britain quickly gets troops into France to help• Russia is faster than Germany thought and began

invading…Germany sends troops to help • These factors keep Germany from capturing Paris…

they get within 30 miles• Both sides in France dig trenches and a bloody

stalemate lasts for the next 3 years on the western front

German supply train on its way to Paris“Trip to Paris”

US Remains Neutral• Now that England (our closest allie) was involved in the war, pressure was building for us to get involved as well • Woodrow Wilson did not want to get involved in the Great War• His cabinet urged him to side with Britain• US big business was also heavily invested in the Allies and pushed to support them• Britain also desperately wanted the US’s help and began using propaganda to draw us into war

Propaganda• Propaganda is a technique for shaping public

opinion and influencing people.1. Newspapers 4. Telegraph2. Magazines 5. Radio3. Telephone 6. Flyers

• Britain came up with creative ideas to get

America involved. One of the lies was that Germany was using the bodies of dead soldiers as grass fertilizer.

USA still didn’t want to join…until a couple of

unforeseen events made it impossible to not get

involved.

Sinking of the Lusitania• Germany issued a statement that any ship

found off the waters of England was subject to getting sunk by U-boats. (under water boats or submarine)

• May 7th, 1915 the British passenger liner Lusitania was sunk by a U-boat.

• 1,200 people died including 128 Americans.• Germany stated that the boat was carrying

contraband from the United States.

1916 Presidential Election• Wilson still refused to go to war

but did give one last warning to the Germans called the Sussex Pledge

• Sussex Pledge – Germany agreed to certain conditions and US would keep out of war

• Wilson ran for reelection on a platform of being the peacetime president who kept the US out of war

• He won by a narrow margin

Zimmerman Telegram (Note)

• In early 1917 U.S. intelligence intercepted note from Germany to Mexico.

• It was written from the German foreign minister Arthur Zimmerman.

• Germany wanted Mexico to invade the U.S. and keep us busy.

• After Germany won in Europe, they would come help Mexico regain the “lost territory” of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona.

United States Goes to War• Three major events led the U.S. into WWI

1. Lusitania2. Zimmerman Note3. American belief of propaganda

• April 2nd, 1917 President Woodrow Wilson asked Congress to declare war.