World War I

Tension in Imperial Europe During Imperial Age, European nations

sought power through acquisition of colonies Countries competed with each other for relative

power They began to get paranoid about their

neighbors—If a war broke out, would they be strong enough to survive?

Nations began to look for ways to ensure their security

Militarism

Policy of aggressively building up a nation’s armed forces in preparation for war

Alliances

Secret treaties or informal understandings between nations that promised they would side together in the event of war

Gavrilo Princip

Bosnian-Serb terrorist and nationalist who assassinated Franz Ferdinand

Archduke Franz Ferdinand

Heir to the Austria-Hungarian throne. His assassination was the spark that ignited the war.

Brinksmanship

A strategy where a country seeks an advantage by creating the impression that they are willing and able to push a situation to the point of war in order to get their demands

Mobilization

The readying of troops for war

Ultimatum

A statement, especially in diplomatic negotiations, that expresses or implies the threat of serious penalties if the terms are not accepted

Road to war

Kaiser Wilhelm II

German leader during World War I. He declared war on Russia and invaded France.

Allied Forces

The group of nations that opposed the Central Powers; originally consisting of Great Britain, France and Russia and later joined by the U.S., Italy and others

Central Powers

The group of nations--led by Germany, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire--that opposed the Allied Forces

Military Alliances before the war

Schlieffen Plan

German plan of attack to avoid a 2-front war: first quickly take out France, then focus troops on Russia

“Rape of Belgium”

German war crimes committed during the march through neutral Belgium on the way to Paris

Race for the Sea

Early in the war when both sides tried to outflank each other; resulted in a front line of trenches over 200 miles long

Trench warfare

A form of warfare where opponents occupy static (non-moving) fighting lines, especially fortified trenches in the ground.

No Man’s Land

Area between the two opposing lines of trenches

Barbed wire

Formed a barrier to attacking soldiers attempting to cross no man's land

Mustard gas

First used by Germans in 1917; one of several poison gases used during the war

Machine Guns

Tanks

Aircraft

Manfred von Richthofen

a.k.a. The "Red Baron," a German fighter pilot who shot down 80 enemy planes and commanded the Flying Circus

Stalemate

A situation in which neither side can gain the advantage

Shell shock

Battle fatigue; a range of behaviors brought on by exposure to combat and acute psychological stress

The “Thousand-yard stare” --

Total war

The organization of entire societies for war in a social, economic, and even spiritual sense.

War of attrition

A war that is won by slowly wearing down the enemy through prolonged casualties and loss of resources

Woodrow Wilson

U.S. President during World War I

Isolationism

Foreign policy of neutrality and non-involvement

Wilson made a declaration of neutrality just days into the war

Blockade An effort to cut off food, supplies, war

material or communications from a particular area by force

England used their powerful navy to cut off Germany

Some estimate 750,000 Germans died of starvation

U.S. Exports

•After war began, U.S. traded even more with Allies•U.S. economy boomed from supplying Allies with war materials and extending credit

U-boat German submarine (Unterseeboot)

Germany began targeting merchant ships

Lusitania

British passenger ship sunk off coast of Ireland by German submarine; 128 Americans dead, led to U.S. outrage

American Reaction Wilson issues warning to

Germany He affirms Britain’s right to

blockade Germany but demands Germany stop attacks on ships

Secretary of State, William Jennings Bryan, resigned in protest of U.S. non-neutrality

Germany Resumes Attacks

At breaking point from blockade Germany makes calculated tactical

decision Declares they will attack without

warning after all Figure they can win war with

unrestricted submarine warfare before the U.S. could enter

Zimmerman Telegram Telegram intercepted by

British intelligence German ambassador asks

Mexico to enter the war on the German side

In return Germany promises to help them recover territory they lost in the Mexican War

Last straw for Wilson

Autocrat A ruler with unlimited power

Russian Revolution ends their autocracy Makes it easier for U.S. to justify war “to make the

world safe for democracy” Russia out of war, leaving France and Britain

vulnerable Wilson declares war on April 6, 1917

American Expeditionary Force

American forces sent to Europe

Harlem Hellfighters 369th (Colored)

Infantry Regiment integrated into the French Army

Received France's highest combat medal

Selective Service Act of 1917

Act that authorized the draft

Draft began almost immediately

Espionage Act of 1917

Made it illegal to oppose the draft

Sedition

Speech or actions meant to incite rebellion against a government

Sedition Act of 1918

Made it illegal to obstruct the sale of Liberty Bonds or to discuss anything "disloyal" to the U.S. government

Charles Schenck

Anti-war activist who was arrested for distributing pamphlets urging men to avoid the draft.

Schenck v. United States

Established restrictions of freedom of speech in cases of "clear and present danger"

OliverWendellHolmes

Propaganda

Committee on Public Information aimed to unite public opinion

Published over 75 million pieces of printed material

Encouraged journalists to use “self-censorship”

"Four Minute Men" 75,000 volunteers

recruited by the Committee on Public Information

Gave 4-minute speeches in support of the war effort

Helped turn public opinion

Shaping the economy for war

War Industries Board coordinated production of military supplies

National War Labor Board pressured industries to grant workers concessions in return for not striking

Other “War Boards” for railroads, fuel, food, etc.

Liberty bonds

Bonds sold to promote the war effort; heavily-promoted by the government

Help from the Homefront

$23 billion by 1920 Victory gardens Meatless Tuesdays and Wheatless

Wednesdays Production of alcohol restricted to

conserve grain

Women on the Homefront

Shortage of male labor led to women being hired to do work traditionally done by men

Workers were especially needed to produce war supplies

Great Migration Massive numbers

of African-Americans also migrated North for jobs previously closed to them

500,000 by 1920

Anti-German Sentiment

German names changed “Liberty sandwich,” “Liberty cabbage” Hot dog

Armistice Cease-fire

November 11, 1918

Fourteen Points President Woodrow Wilson

drafted 14-point plan for peace in 1918

First presented to joint session of Congress before war to justify entry in moral terms

Later presented at Versailles peace conference after the war, but failed to win approval of all 14 points into final treaty

Wilson advocated “Peace without victory”

Main Points No secret alliances Freedom of the seas Removal of trade barriers

(tariffs, etc.) Reduce military to just

what’s necessary to protect your own country

Let go of some colonies Create a League of Nations

Treaty of Versailles

Treaty that ended the war

June 28, 1919

Big Four Countries at

the table:*U.S. *Italy *France*Great Britain

Germany and Russia excluded

Reparations

Payments from an enemy for economic costs of war

Terms of the Treaty Germany humiliated:

--Charged with war crimes--Forced to accept guilt for the war--Must drastically reduce military --Allow France to occupy the Rhineland for 15 years--Give up territory--Pay reparations

France wanted revenge and security against any future German threat

League of Nations

International body proposed by Woodrow Wilson to ensure peace and stability after the war through cooperation and accountability

Ratification

Congressional approval of a bill

Wilson tours country making speeches

Failure to Ratify

Congress fails to ratify

League is weak without U.S.

Wilson collapses from stroke

Irreconcilables

Would not accept U.S. membership in the League of Nations, no matter what

Reservationists

Would accept the League of Nations with reservations

Henry Cabot Lodge

Dulce Et Decorum Est

Poem written by British poet and solider Wilfred Owen, famous for its horrific imagery of war

Owen died in battle shortly before the armistice