4 Causes of WWI Imperialism Militarism Nationalism Alliances

4 Causes of WWI • Imperialism • Militarism • Nationalism • Alliances

• Imperialism… The struggle for new territories in Africa and Asia caused some countries to become rivals

• Militarism… aggressively building up a nations armed forces in preparation for war – Austria. Hungary, FR, GER, GB, RUS all engaged in militarism

• GER had the largest military of any nation • 1914 – GER had an Army of almost 2 million and 17 large warships in its Navy • GB saw GER building up its military and did the same • Everyone knew what everyone else was doing – so the arms race kept growing • When the next war took place – it would involve more troops, more technology – machine guns, tanks, submarines, airplanes

Nationalism…. • 2 kinds of nationalism caused WWI…. . • One super-power acts in its own best interests and it puts in the path of another superpower acting in its own best interest – war is the outcome • In countries with diverse populations – ethnic minorities often long for independence – war can be the outcome

• Alliances… Set up to bolster a nations security, alliances bound great powers to come to each others aid in case of attack

Triple Alliance • Germany • Austria. Hungary • Italy Triple Entente • France • Russia • Great Britain

Social Darwinism… • This theory did not soothe competitive instincts – majority and minority ethnic groups, large or small countries

Serbia… • Serbia once part of Austria-Hungary had declared its independence in 1878 • New Serbia tried to take land where Serbians lived away from A-H • Serbia by declaring its independence from A-H – had set a bad example to other A-H territories

Assassination… • Archduke Franz Ferdinand (heir to the throne of A-H) and his wife Sophie went on a routine visit of Sarajevo, Bosnia on June 28, 1914 • A group of ethnic Serbs who believed that Bosnia should be part of independent Serbia – saw Franz-Ferdinand as a tyrant • The Chauffeur made a wrong turn and Gavrilo Princips, leader of the Serb group, spotted the couple, pulled his gun, fired twice and killed Sophie then Franz Ferdinand instantly

Declares war on Serbia A-H SERB Allies Declares war on Russia GER RUS Declares war on Germany Declares war on Belgium Allies BEL Allies GB Allies Declares war on Germany FR

Central Powers Allied Powers Germany Austria-Hungary Ottoman Empire Serbia Russia France Great Britain

Battle of Marne… • The first battles of WWI were fought in FR and BEL by the GER – most were GER victories • Schlieffen Plan – GER plan for the war – attack the FR first to gain victory on the western front while RUS mobilized then fight RUS on eastern front after FR was defeated – NOT to fight a 2 fronted war • However the GER were not expecting a counterattack at Marne on the outskirts of Paris

• Sept 5 -12, 1914 – FR and BR counterattacked to slow the GER advance on Paris • Although the two sides did not agree – they were able to hold off the GER and end any GER hopes that the was would be short lived • Ready to go down in defeat the FR army was bolstered by the arrival of 6, 000 fresh infantry troops at the front by way of 600 taxi cabs – The FR were able to push through GER lines and divide the GER army – GER were in retreat but halted and dug trenches that would be the definition of the western front for the rest of the war

Trench Warfare… • 450 miles of trenches were dug along the border of BEL to Switzerland known as the Western Front • Machine guns, artillery and rifles were used to kill anyone crossing “No Mans Land” – the area that stretched in between the two sets of trenches • Poison gas and fire throwers were used with deadly results • If all of the trenches dug in WWI were laid end to end they would stretch around the world one time – 25, 000 miles of trenches

Reality of Trenches… • Trench foot – developed by soldiers from standing in muddy wet trenches for hours • Lice – from the millions of rats that lived in the trenches • Bites from rats • Mud slides – trenches collapsing • Hypothermia • No sleep – 4 hours of sleep in 96 • When desparate – soldiers held urine soaked clothes over their faces during gas attacks

Wilson Urges Neutrality… • In the melting pot nation – the US should be neutral • At first everyone saw this as a quarrel in a distant land • Unless the US was threatened – no one wanted any part of the war – wanted traditional American isolationism • However many still sided with a certain group involved – many businesses did not want their markets affected by the war

• Just before WWI, about 1/3 of all Americans were 1 st or 2 nd generation immigrants. When the was broke out in Europe, many of these US citizens still felt very close to their “old countries. ” • Which ethnic group in the US might have favored the nations of the Central Powers? Why? Write 1 -2 sentences to explain. • Which ethnic groups might have favored the Allies? Why? Write 1 -2 sentences to explain.

Divided Loyalties… • 1914 – 1/3 of Americans were foreign born • Many still saw themselves and others as GER-AM or IR-AM • Many had immigrated from A-H and GER • Many IR-AM still harbored hatred for BR • Many Jews hated Czarist RUS for years of murderous pogroms • Most sided with BR and FR as we had close historical ties to both countries

Invasion of Belgium… • BR journalists and propagandists sent chilling reports and photos of the atrocities committed by GER soldiers as the pushed through BEL to get to FR • Americans were shocked and horrified by what they read and saw • BEL was a neutral country that was being destroyed at the hands of the GER

Isolationists… • This group believed that the war was none of our business • As a nation we should isolate ourselves from the hostilities

Interventionists… • They felt that the war was affecting American interests • The US should intervene in the war on the side of the Allies

Internationalists… • This was the middle ground • The US should play an active role in world affairs • The US should work towards a peaceful end to the war but not enter the war

Naval Blockades… • BR uses their navy to blockade GER – keeping supplies/goods from reaching the country - International law allowed contraband goods to be confiscated by warring nations – weapons, artillery, etc… • Noncontraband goods could not be confiscated – food, medical supplies etc… • As the war continued BR contested the definition of noncontraband goods to include everything that help in the war

• GER responded with a naval blockade of BR – using U-Boats or submarines – sinking any ship that attempted to get close to BR • May 7, 1915 – Luisitania – BR passenger boat – fired upon and sunk off the coast of Ireland • Torpedo hit the ship – sank in in 20 minutes – killing 1200 passengers – 128 of them American • GER insisted that the ship carried weapons and ammo (fact)

• US protested that the GER had no right to attack an unarmed, unresisting ship – a warning should have been given and the passengers should have been given safe passage • Wilson was stunned by the violence but still wanted peace • GER promised that it would not sink any more passenger ships • 10 months later - GER sank the FR passenger ship the Sussex • Again GER promised not to sink any more passenger ships – Called the Sussex Pledge

US Mobilization… • Wilson knew that the time was coming for US entry into the war – began preparation • Many believed that preparedness would be seen as an act of aggression • National Defense Act - expanded the size of the Army • Naval Construction Act – funded the building of more warships

Election of 1916… • Wilson, the Democrat incumbent – won by a narrow margin over Republican Charles Evans Hughes • Wilson won on the campaign that he “kept us out of the war”

1917… • Blockades were working for BR – GER was desperate for supplies… • Zimmerman Note – GER Foreign Min. Arthur Zimmerman sent a coded telegram to the GR Ambassador to MEX instructing him to make a deal with Mexico asking them to declare war (with GR funding) on the US when the US joined WWI after GR started unrestricted submarine warfare again – in return for the victory - the GER would return to MEX all land that the US had taken from them – TX, NM, AZ – MEX laughed at the idea. • April 2, 1917 – Wilson asked Congress for a declaration of war against GER

Selective Service Act… • May 1917 – Congress enacted the draft • June 5, 1917 – over 9. 6 million men registered for the draft and given a number • July – all numbers were put into a jar – 258 was the first number – all men with 258 as their numbers were the first draftees in WWI • 24 million registered for the draft – 2. 8 million were called up – including volunteers – men in uniform during the war – almost 4. 8 million

Shift to Wartime Economy… • Businesses and factories had to shift from peacetime goods to wartime goods • Council of National Defense – 1916 – created new agencies to oversee different aspects of preparedness • Food production – who grew what and how much, coal and petroleum distribution factory production and railway use • War Industries Board – Bernard Baruch – regulated all industries engaged in the war effort

• WIB determined what products industries would make, where those products went, and how much they would cost • Americans realized that they had to cooperate if they wanted to defeat the Central Powers • Sec. of Ag. Herbert Hoover lead the Food Administration – set high prices for wheat to encourage production and asked for conservation in the US – eat less so that more food can be sent to our troops – wheatless Mondays & Wednesdays, meatless Tuesdays and porkless Thursdays & Saturdays

Committee on Public Information… • CPI was to educate the public about the causes and nature of war – convince the American people that the war was a just cause • George Creel was head of the CPI • 75 million pamphlets, 6, 000 press releases • 75, 000 speakers were sent all of the US to give lectures and speeches on war goals and the nature of the enemy • CPI stressed the wickedness of our enemy on millions of posters – especially GER – which created problems for GER-AM people

Draft Controversy… • Some Americans felt that the draft was an illegal intrusion into their private lives • Some men refused to register and they were court-martialed and jailed • 12% of notified draftees did not respond • Conscientious Objectors – people whose moral or religious beliefs forbid them to fight in wars • Even though this was a legal excuse – it was usually ignored – treated poorly by local draft boards or bullied at training camp

Women at Work for Peace… • Women’s Peace Party – lead by Jane Addams • Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom • Jeannette Rankin – 1 st woman in the US House of Representatives voted against the declaration of war • After the US joined the war on the Allies side – most began to support all war efforts • When the NAWSA began to support the war – its membership doubled in size

Dissent… • Although the US was founded on the idea of personal rights and freedom – during wartime those rights were often subjugated for the war effort • 1917 – Espionage Act – allowed postal authorities to ban treasonable or seditious newspapers, magazines or printed materials from the mail – also set severe penalties for anyone caught in disloyal or treasonable acts • Anyone caught obstructing army recruiters or aiding the enemy could be fined up to $10, 000 and jailed for 20 years

• Sedition Act – illegal to use disloyal, profane or abusive language about the US gov’t, Constitution or US military forces • Used to prosecute Socialists, radicals, and pacifists – Eugene V. Debbs – head of the Socialist Party in the US was arrested and jailed for 10 years for giving a mildly antiwar speech to a group of Socialists in OH

Schenck v. US • There are times when the need for public order is very important that 1 st amendment protections of speech do not apply • “Clear and present danger” ie// yelling fire in a crowded theater • Sec. of the Socialist Party – sent out pamphlets telling people to not be intimidated into joining the military – to not be bullied by the gov’t • Sentences to 6 mos. In jail – later found dead in his home

Hatred for Germans… • GER-AM were treated badly in the US due to the war posters, and movies that showed the GER as the horrible enemy • German was no longer taught as a language in schools, Beethoven and Brahms were not played any more • German Measles were liberty measles • Dachshunds were liberty pups • Hamburgers were liberty steaks

Women… • Women filled jobs that were vacated by men who went into the Service • Worked in munitions factories, on railroads, as telegraph operators, trolley conductors and farm laborers • Some joined the Red Cross or the American Women’s Hospital Service and went overseas • 1, 000 s enlisted in the Army Corp of Nurses

Women’s Suffrage… • Wilson support suffrage after women had risen to the occasion by taking men’s places in the work force • 1919 – 19 th amendment passed

African Americans… • 367, 000 AA served in the military during WWI – all served in segregated black units lead by white officers • At home – many AA moved from the South to the North – Great Migration • Moved due to racism in the South, for jobs available in the North or a better future for their kids – 1910 -1920 – 1. 2 million AA moved to the North

Mexican Americans… • Mexicans crossed the border for jobs, better lives for their children, to escape poverty and violence • An increase in demand for food and a decrease in farmhands made this group useful – some were seasonal workers only crossing during the picking seasons – others stayed and made the US their home – formed barrios (Hispanic neighborhoods) in California cities

US Enters WWI… • 1917 – Conflict in Europe was a deadly, bloody stalemate – with the war being won or lost on Western Front

Europe on US Entry… • Would a country with such a diverse population be able to fight a war with the people of their ancestors? • Could the US raise, train, equip and transport a military force in enough time to make a difference? • GER renewed unrestricted sub warfare in hopes of ending the war before the US could join – sinking merchant ship faster then replacements could be built

Convoys… • Groups of merchants ships sailing together protected by warships – convoys of BR and US ships proved an instant success

Russian Revolution… • March 1917 – Czar Nicholas II was overthrown but RUS stayed in the war • November 1917 – RUS was taken over by radical Communists lead by Vladimir Lenin • December 1917 – RUS stopped fighting and by March 3, 1918 signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk ending the war between RUS and GER – thereby ending the war on the Eastern Front

• GER could now concentrate on the Western Front • Spring 1918 – GER launched an all out offensive on the Western Front • Attacks threatened to push the Allies back – opening up a path for GER straight to Paris • Allies put together a joint command under the leadership of FR Gen Ferdinand Foch

US Joins the Fight… • Gen John J. Pershing arrived in FR with a small US force (AEF) in June 1917 – not until early 1918 would large # of US troops arrive • At the same time the great GER offensive began to stall – March 1918 – Allies counterattacks and GER exhaustion ended this phase in the war • More fighting took place with US troops taking on more of the burden on the battlefield

• Allied defenses buckled and stretched but did not break under the constant assault by the GER • Each failed assault weakened the GER a bit and strengthened Allied hopes

Doughboys… • US infantry troops were called Doughboys • Walked behind the Cavalry and were covered in dust – that looked like flour – name was initially an insult – started in the Mexican/American War

US Troop Action… • Summer 1918 – US troops saw action at the 2 nd Battle of Marne on the defensive and on the offensive at the Battle of Cantigny

Alvin York… • Oct. 8 1918 – York and 16 other US soldiers were pinned down in N. FR • Trapped behind enemy lines- they took cover from blistering machine gun fire – half of the US soldiers died – York made waste of a nearby machine gun nest with his rifle – and then took out several other machine gunners taking the last GER position with just his pistol • Killed 25 – captured 132 GER • Won the Congressional Medal Honor and the FR Croix de Guerre

US Statistics… • By the end of the war… • 1. 3 million US soldiers had served on the front lines in Europe • Over 50, 000 had died • 230, 000 had been wounded • WWI cost $186 billion – todays cost $2 trillion in total to all nations

The War Ends… • US, FR, IT, BR troops allied together were able to defeat the Central Powers • By the fall of 1918 – GER and A-H troops were exhausted – many deserted and many refused to fight any more – leaders had little choice but to surrender • November 11, 1918 – GER surrendered to the Allies in a RR car in Compiegne, FR • During the 6 hours between signing and actual ceasefire – 11, 000 died needlessly

Casualties…

Casualties… • • 5 million Allied soldiers died 8 million Central Powers soldiers died 10 million civilians were dead 10 million horses, dogs and carrier pigeons died while in service • 21 million soldiers wounded

Peace and Freedom… • Lenin released secret treaties after the ended – showing how the some Allied countries had wanted to divide up the land of the defeated enemies when the war ended • Wilson never saw the war as an imperialistic battle – he wanted only peace and freedom – he wanted “peace without victory”

Fourteen Points… • Peace inspired by noble ideas, not greed and vengeance • The Fourteen Points outlined Wilsons and the US war aims – called for open diplomacy, freedom of the seas, free trade, ending colonialism and a reduction of armaments • National Self-determination – right of a people to chose their own form of gov’t • League of Nations – a group “to assure mutual guarantees of political independence and territorial integrity to great and small states alike”

Versailles… • Peace conference held at Versailles in Paris by the Allies • Pres. Wilson attended to be a part of the major decisions being made post-war • Did not trust Henry Cabot Lodge – Foreign policy expert to attend – angered R members of Congress who had just won the majority in Congress

Placing Blame… • The Allies wanted all blame placed on GER for stating the war • Wanted reparations paid by GER to all of the Allied nations - $33 billion • Wanted to weaken Ger so that it would never threaten Europe as it had • Vittorio Orlandi (IT), David Lloyd-George (BR), Georges Clemenceau (FR) and Wilson met to discuss “terms of peace”

• BR and FR knew that their people wanted both peace and victory • Lloyd-George wanted colonial status quo and punishment for GER • Clemenceau wanted harsh punishments for GER + reparations + return of Alsace. Lorraine region as well as several key GER colonies • All but Wilson had grand schemes about what they wanted • All were very skeptical of Wilson’s grand vision

• All of the Representatives of the Allied nations were against most of Wilson’s Fourteen Points • Wilson kept fighting for the League of Nations – refusing to back down • The other members of the group finally capitulated and added the League of Nations to the final draft of the peace treaty • $64 Billion in gold was actually paid by Germany with the last payment coming in 2010

Problems with Peace… • New state/country divisions caused new problems • Some GER populations were now part of non-GER nations – the same was true for several AUS populations • In the Middle East – in Iraq – formerly part of the defeated Ottoman Empire – Basra, Baghdad, and Mosul were thrown together even though they had very different ties to other cultures – no sense of nationalism – and not allowed to practice selfdetermination – made into a BR mandate

Returning with the Treaty… • GER-AM thought the treaty to harsh on GER – especially the “war guilt clause” • IR-AM were angry that an independent Ireland was not created • Congress would have to ratify the treaty and Wilson was not going to have an easy time convincing them to agree

• “Irreconcilables” – Senators who did not believe that the US had any business in world affairs – these isolationists opposed any treaty that had a League of Nations • Article 10 of the treaty asked for “mutual defense of the signers of the treaty” • “Reservationists” – lead by Henry Cabot Lodge – were opposed to the treaty as it was written – some wanted small changes - other wanted huge changes • Reservationists felt that Art. 10 could lead the nation into another war w/o the consent of Congress – which was unconstitutional

• With some changes the Reservationists were prepared to vote for the treaty because the majority of American were in favor of the League of Naitons • When the Senate delayed the vote – Wilson went to the American people – 32 speeches in 33 days across the country • Sept. 25, 1919 – Wilson fell ill – suffering a stroke a few days later

• Nov. 1919 - A much revised treaty went to the Senate for a vote – Wilson convinced his Democrats to vote with the Irreconcilables against the treaty – not willing to compromise • Voted again on a treaty without any changes – Dem’s voted for it but the Irreconcilables and Reservationists banded together to defeat the treaty • Vote came up again with a few changes – Wilson again convinced Dem’s to vote against it – again with the Irreconcilables – the treaty was voted down

• Most Senators believed that the US had a place in world affairs – but opinions differed slightly on how much participation the US should have • Unfortunately no compromise could be found in either camp and without the full support of the American Government – the League of Nations was unable to maintain peace among the nations of the world

Effects of the War… • GER wanted revenge for the harsh punishment it rec’d for the blame of WWI • Lenin’s Soviet RUS wanted revolution throughout the industrial world • In the US – widespread fear of Communists and radicals caused many to questions their political and economic role in the world

Flu Epidemic… • 1918 – Spanish Flu – deadly form of influenza – mutated bird flu – originated in the US and traveled around the world • Almost 50 million people worldwide were died as a result of the flu • With the end of the Great War and so many dead and wounded and the spread of death from the Flu – gloom and depression was global

Women & African Americans… • A post-war recession – economic slowdown caused a competitive job market • Both groups had productive, well paying jobs during WWI - post-war…. • Women returned to the home • AA competed with returning soldiers for jobs and housing

Race Riots… • 25 Race Riots that summer across the US • Summer 1919 – Chicago – triggered by the death of a young AA male by a group of whites at a segregated beach - this riot lasted 13 days • 1921 – Tulsa, OK – Group of armed AA men – many who were war vets – tried to protect a young AA male from lynching – at the end 10 whites and 26 AA were dead – white rioters burnt 35 city blocks to the ground – 1200 homes destroyed – Churches, schools and library destroyed

Inflation… • Inflation – rising prices – after the war – Americans rushed to buy all of the goods that they could not get during wartime – scarcity + high demand = inflation • Prices of corn, wheat, cotton, cattle etc… had risen during the war – then plunged after the war – this started a tough period of time for farmers

• Workers were upset because their wages were not buying as much as they had during the war – inflation… • 1919 – 4 million workers or 20% of the US workforce went on strike at some point – striking for higher wages and shorter workdays – Boston Police even went on strike – some strike turned violent – some workers won their battles – others lost far more than they gained • Newspapers blamed the strikes on radicals among strike leaders

The Soviet Union… • The rise of the Soviet Union – a communist nation – calling for a world workers revolution and the death of capitalism – Lenin supported revolutions outside of RUS in various countries - making it seem to many Americans as if worldwide revolution was starting • All of the strikes in the US – problems with the economy……

The Red Scare… • …A wave of widespread fear of suspected communists and radicals thought to be plotting a revolution in the US • Bombs mailed to industrialists and gov’t officials including Atty. Gen. A. Mitchell Palmer by suspected anarchists • Bombs exploded in cities across the US • It was not hard for Americans to believe that a revolution was starting…

Palmer Raids… • Atty Gen Palmer had 1, 000 s of people arrested in the summer of 1919 -1920 • Many were radicals – others were simply immigrants from Eastern Europe • Most were never charged or tried for a crime – most were deported

ACLU… • American Civil Liberties Union – group formed in 1920 in NYC to protect the rights of American citizens during this time of turmoil • They got involved in important court cases • This group is still active today

Sacco and Vanzetti… • Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were both IT immigrants and known anarchists • Charged with shooting and killing 2 men during a holdup at a shoe factory near Boston • Eyewitnesses said that 2 suspects “looked Italian” • Sacco and Vanzetti were arrested and charged with the crime

• ACLU got involved in their defense – however they were convicted in a quick trial even though there was little hard evidence against them • Many argued that the convictions were based more on their ethnicity and political beliefs than the facts of the crime • August 23, 1927 – Sacco and Vanzetti were put to death by electric chair

End of the Red Scare… • Many crimes were committed, immigrants abused, radicals attacked – all in support of American way of life and democracy and capitalism • By the summer of 1920 – the Red Scare in the US had run its course

Getting Back to Normal… • Wilson hoped that the Election of 1920 would bring about normalcy • He believed that if Americans elected James Cox- a Democrat – that means that the US supported the idea of a League of Nations • However – if Republican Warren G. Harding of Ohio was elected as the next President then the people did not support Wilson plans

• Harding knew that an election was seldom won on a single issue – he ran on a platform of rejection of Wilsonian idealism • He was tired of progressive reforms and foreign crusades • He wanted the US to return to a time of normalcy – return to a simpler time before Wilson took office in 1913 • Harding won a landslide election and a Republican Congress was elected as well • America had decisively rejected Wilson’s ideas

Foreign Policy w/ Harding… • Under Harding the US did not completely withdraw from world affairs • US was an economic giant – richest, most industrialized country in the world • GB and FR demand for US goods was huge – it created a huge trade imbalance • Europeans had to borrow money from US banks and get lines of credit with US businesses to to pay for the goods

• US was now a creditor nation – other countries owed the US more money than the US owed them • World industrial capital had moved from London to NYC

World Adjustments… • Old GER and RUS had been crushed and replaced with new gov’ts • A-H and Ottoman Empire ceased to exist • GB and FR had emerged victorious from WWI but weak • US was strong, prosperous and confident but unsure what new role they would play in the world