Word War I

Background for War

Competing Alliances
1. Triple Alliance:
Austria- Hungary, Germany, Italy
Began in 1882
2. Triple Entente:
France, Great Britain, Russia (1907)
The system of alliances played an important part in turning the
assassination into war.
Imperialist rivalries threatened peace in Europe.
Assassination
June 28, 1914-Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary,
was assassinated in Sarajevo.
Killer: Gavrilo Princip; A serbian Nationalist
Mobilization and Invasion of Belgium
200,000 Belgian troops could not stop Germany, but did slow them as the other
allies mobilized.
Eastern and western battlefronts-Opposing armies dug trenches from which to
fire on the enemy lines.
Most extensive trench warfare took place in France.
American Neutrality
Proclamation of Neutrality
Wilson-Thought the Allies could win without US involvement.
The U.S. adopted a Neutral Position.
Americans had a tough time remaining uninvolved.
Propaganda
Both sides used propaganda to try to influence public opinion.
Most major American papers backed the Allies.
Immigrant papers - Supported Central Powers.
Allied Propaganda- Had the greatest impact
Germans were portrayed as the aggressors
New German Weapons: Submarine and Poison gas.
Economic Ties
Economic ties to the Allies made strict neutrality impossible.
Military orders from the Allies created an economic boom.
Trade with Allies grew: $500 million 1914, 3.5 billion in 1917.
British set up a naval blockade to keep military contraband from reaching
Germany.
Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
1914-1915 - German submarines began attacking Allied ships.
International Law- Required ships to warn that it was about to sink an enemy
vessel.
Subs could not do this.
1915 - Germans - Ships risked attack in war zone around Britain
May 1915 - Lusitania - British passenger ship; torpedoed and sunk - 1200 dead,
128 Americans.

Pressure for Preparedness

Sussex Pledge - Germany promised, with certain conditions, to sink no more
merchant ships without warning.
Roosevelt criticized Wilson for not preparing for war
Resisted building up military
1916 - Could not ignore the possibility of war - Doubled army, built a larger navy.
Election of 1916
Nation favored peace
Republican nominee: Charles Evans Hughes
Label as a war candidate by democrats
Democrat nominee: Woodrow Wilson
Democrats portrayed Wilson as the man who would keep the US out of war.
Wilson won the close election.
Renewed effort at Mediation
1917 - Germany unleashed its submarines to sink ALL ships in the warzone.
Wilson then broke off relations with Germany.
Zimmerman Telegram - Germany was trying to lure Mexico and Japan to its side.
Mexico may gain land back from the US
April 6, 1917 - US declared war on Germany.
American Participation
By June 5, 1917 almost 10 million men between the ages of 21-31 had registered
for the war.
American Mobilization:
America was caught short on supplies.
Needed to make adjustments to prepare.
Wartime Agencies:
1. War Industries Board (WIB)
Spur production and coordinate war industries.
Similar efforts brought order to the shipping and railroad industries.
Led by bernard Baruch - Prepared industry
2. Food Administration
Increasing American food Production became a top priority.
The country came together to raise the food.
Victory gardens - Promoted by Hoover.
Wheat, Pork, and Sugar were top priorities.
3. Committee on Public Information (CPI)
150,000 citizen lectures.
Said the war was fought for freedom and democracy.
Helped spur the sale of Liberty Bonds.
American Preperation
2 million soldiers were sent to france.
Slow mobilization: fewer than 300,000 fighting troops within a year
The US used convoys to get a ship safely to Europe.
The American Expeditionary Force
American Expeditionary Force (AEF) - American troops involved in WW1 - Led
by General John J. Pershing.
Wanted to keep US troops together.
Russia - Drops out of the war - 1917.

Battle of Belleau Woods - US troops distinguished themselves.

Stopped the Germans, drove them back, through the line.

Allies pressed onto victory - November 11, 1918

American troops and supplies helped turn the battle.
Wilsons Fourteen Points
Wilsons proposal for peace in World War 1.
First Five Points: Open treaties, freedom of the seas, free trade, arms reduction,
and important adjustment of colonial claims.
Point six-thirteen: National self-determination and realignment of borders.
fourteenPoint : An establishment of an international organization to settle
disputes between nations and prevent future wars.
Peacemaking
Big Four
Leaders of United States, Great Britain, France, Italy.
Dominated the peace negotiations at Versailles.
The treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations
European leaders - Wanted the treaty to be more selfish and vengeful.
Wilson wanted the treaty to be more just and noble.
Victors - Received land in secret treaties.
The US Senate and the Treaty
The US didn't not accept the Versailles treaty.
The US Senate most strongly opposed setting up the League of Nations.
US - Never joined the League of Nations.