A Path to War

Root Causes

• Nationalism: Deep devotion to one’s own country & culture - at the expense of all others!

– Larger nations “protected” smaller ones of similar ethnicity - e.g., Russia protected Serbia

• Imperialism: Great nations competed for empires - those fights overseas became fights at home

• Militarism: Nations need a big military not just for defense but for prestige.– Top army: Germany (Brits try to

catch up– Top navy: Brits (Germans try to

catch up)

• Alliance system: Countries signed agreements for mutual defense. Attack on one is an attack on all…– Triple Entente: UK, France,

Russia– Central Powers: Germany,

Austria Hungary, Ottomans.

Spark that leads to war

• June 1914: A-H Archduke Franz Ferdinand assassinated in Bosnia.

• AH declares war on Serbia• Russia declares supports of Serbia• Germany declares war on Russia• Germany declares war on France• Britain declares war on Germany

Fighting Begins

• Aug. 1914: Germany heads for France through Belgium.

• Germany has to beat France 1st, then turn to Russia.

• Allies dig defensive positions in France to repel Germans

• Trench warfare begins

U.S. position

• Wilson declares US “neutral”

• Many Americans hated the Brits anyway!

– Irish had no love for Brits

– Germans sympathize with home

– Italians resented Brits

• It’s about the economy• America’s economic ties with Brits

& France were tight - so we really weren’t “neutral”

• American biz made $$$ selling guns, ammo, subs, powder, engines, copper, etc.!

War Hits Home

• Brits blockade Germany. Cuts off US trade. Starves GER - 790K die

• GER fights back - subs (u-boats) sink Brit ships

– LUSITANIA sunk, with 128 Americans onboard.

• Still, Wilson does nothing• Reelected in 1916 with slogan: “He

kept us out of war”• Jan 1917: Zimmermann Note (379)

– GER minister offers Mexico help in getting back lost lands in return for joining war on their side.

• Apr. 2, 1917: U.S. enters war to “make the world safe for democracy”

US Turns The Tide

• Forms AEF under Gen. John Pershing; troops ship out in May

• July 1918: Aussies stop Germans; US & UK begin turning them back

• Sept: 260K US troops go ‘over the top,’ break through GER lines