WW1

• World War One


  1914 – 1919
• Pre-War Alliances


  • Triple Alliance: Austria-Hungary, Germany, Italy
  • Triple Entente: Britain, France, Russia
• Main Causes of World War One

  • Nationalism
  • Alliances
  • Imperialism
  • Militarism
• Nationalism


  The feeling that a specific nation, language or culture is superior to all others
• Alliances


  Agreements to support each other in times of war
• Imperialism


  Getting involved politically and economically in other countries in order to gain wealth and power
• Militarism


  Competing to build bigger and better armies and navies than rivals
• Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia
• Russia agreed to defend Serbia and mobilized for war
• Germany declared war on Russia and France
• Britain declared war on Germany
• Austria-Hungary declared war on Russia
• Central Powers


  • Austria-Hungary
  • Germany
• Allied Powers


  • Britain
  • France
  • Russia
  • Italy (switched sides in 1915)
• The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, by a Serbian nationalist was the spark that started the war
• New military technologies used in World War One


  • Machine Guns
  • Poisonous Gases
  • Airplanes
  • U-Boats (submarines)
• Trench warfare


  Defending a position by fighting from the protection of deep ditches, with the area between opposing trenches called no-man's-land
• Reasons for US Neutrality

  • Many thought the War dealt with European matters, not American ones
  • Many Americans had immigrated from the nations of the Central Powers
  • American businesses were making lots of money off of the war, especially selling supplies to the Allies
• US Involvement in the War

  • The Sinking of the Lusitania
  • The Zimmerman Note
• On April 6, 1917, the US declared war on Germany
• Domestic Policies during the War

  • The War Industries Board
  • The Committee of Public Information
  • The Selective Service Act
  • Liberty Bonds
  • The Food Administration
  • The Fuel Administration
  • The National War Labor Board
• Role of Women


  Took over jobs at home, volunteered as nurses and ambulance drivers in the army
• In 1917, Russia had left the War and the US had joined it. In Nov 1918, an armistice (truce) went into effect, bringing an end to the war.
• Effects of World War One

  • Millions of deaths and widespread destructions in Europe
  • Treaty of Versailles
  • Breakup of German and Austro-Hungarian Empires
  • Creation of several new nations
  • League of Nations

  
• Wilson's Fourteen Points


  President Wilson's plan for peace terms that would not be too hard on the Central Powers and would not lead to another war, including the right of self-determination and the creation of a League of Nations
• Many Americans and Europeans did not like Wilson's Fourteen Points, as they wanted to punish the Germans
• Paris Peace Conference


  The Big Four (Wilson, British PM Lloyd George, French Premier Clemenceau, Italian PM Orlando) and others meet to figure out terms of peace, resulting in the Treaty of Versailles
• The Senate did not agree with the Treaty of Versailles and refused to ratify it, concerned that if the US joined the League of Nations, the US would be too closely involved with Europe