WWI 1914 1918 Long Term Causes Militarism a

WWI 1914 -1918

Long Term Causes ● Militarism - a glorification of the military ○ Nations started to stockpile weapons and created huge standing armies ● Alliances- European countries prepared for war by forming alliances ○ Alliances meant that if one country went to war their allies had to as well ● Imperialism - stronger countries take over weaker countries ○ Larger world powers wanted to control the most nations ● Nationalism - strong devotion to one’s country ○ ○ Social Darwinism - applying survival of the fittest to society International competition

Alliances Triple Alliance ● Germany ● Austria-Hungary ● Italy Triple Entente ● France ● Russia ● Great Britain

Short Term Cause of the War ● ● The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary A group of Bosnians wanted Serbia to be independent of Austria-Hungary One of them shot and killed Ferdinand his wife

Because of the alliance system… ● ● ● ● Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia Germany declared war on Serbia Russia mobilized to help Serbia Germany declared war against Russia France declared war on Germany declared war on neutral Belgium Great Britain declared war on Germany

New Alliances Central Powers ● Germany ● Austria-Hungary ● Ottoman Empire (later) Allied Powers ● ● ● ● Britain France Belgium Russia Serbia Italy United States (end of war)

Realities of War ● Most of the fighting occurred on the Western Front in France ● Armies began to utilize new technologies ○ ○ ○ Trench warfare Poison gas attacks Machine guns Tanks Artillery field guns Airplanes (reconnaissance and some bombing)

Trench warfare ● ● ● Forces would dig and hunker down in trenches facing each other Trenches were divided by “no man’s land” Soldiers would get trench foot They faced poison gas attacks They could not put their heads above the trench Lice from numerous rodents in the trenches

US Entry into WWI ● US maintained a stance of neutrality for most of the war ● Wilson ran in 1916 on “he kept us out of war” ● People at home were divided on whether to enter or not

Causes for US entry ● German atrocities in Belgium ○ Belgium was neutral and Germany attacked viciously ● Sinking of the Lusitania ○ The ships were unarmed and carrying civilians ● Unrestricted submarine warfare by German U-boats ○ ○ Sank the Sussex Continued to attack passenger ships carrying supplies ● Zimmerman telegram ○ Germany sent a letter to Mexico promising lands from Mexican Cession back if Mexico declared war on the US ● US entered the war in 1917

US Home front ● In 1917, Congress passed the Selective Service Act and authorized a draft ● US switched from peacetime economy to wartime economy - US managed: ○ ○ Food production Coal and petroleum usage Railway use Liberty bonds ● Propaganda became extremely important to get Americans involved ● War time industry in Northern factories led to the Great Migration ○ African-Americans moved north to fill factory jobs and to help bolster the economy

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