WH.H.7

“The Great War”

How did it get this far?...

WH.H.7:Understand how national, regional, and ethnic interests have contributed to conflict among groups and nations in the modern era.

Focus Question:How did international competition and nationalism

increase tensions in Europe?

Generalizations:• World conflicts can cause domestic priorities to shift.• Nationalism may have both a positive and negative impact on a nation as well as the global environment.• Idealism often wanes in the face of conflict.

Essential Questions:•How did the Industrial Revolution lead to Imperialism?•What were the European motives for imperialism during the 19th century?•What were the positive and negative effects of nationalism?•How did militarism, alliances, imperialism, and nationalism help lead to World War I?

WORLD WAR IREMEMBER THE

M.A.I.N. M.A.I.N. CAUSES!!!!

MILITARISMTHE GLORIFICATION AND

BUILDUP OF THE ARMY AND NAVIES OF ALL EUROPEAN COUNTRIES MADE THEM CONFIDENT TO ATTACK FIRST OR LOSE FEAR OF THE WAR

Militarism•Militarism: the process

of building up military strength for the purpose of intimidating other countries

•If one nation builds up its military, then all others must do so as well

THE ALLIANCE SYSTEMBY MAKING AGREEMENTS TO FIGHT ALONG OTHER COUNTRIES MEANT THAT ANY DISPUTE FROM DIFFERENT ALLIANCES THREATENED TO BRING ALL COUNTRIES INTO CONFLICT

Confusing (& secret) alliances

• 1882: Germany allied with Austria & Italy

• 1894: France allied with Russia

• 1904: Britain allied with France

• Germany secretly allied with Ottomans

• Britain secretly allied with Japan

IMPERIALISMTHE COMPETITION FOR RESOURCES,

COLONIES, EMPIRE, AND WORLD POWER WAS CREATING RIVALRIES

AND HOSTILITIES BETWEEN NATIONS!!!!

NATIONALISM• Nationalism = intense pride in one’s

own country or nationality• European states became more

concerned with their own interests than with maintaining the peace that had held for close to 100 years

NNationalismFANATICAL PATRIOTISM

TOWARDS ONES HOMELAND AND NATION

THAT LEADS TO CONFLICTS,

DECLARATIONS OF INDEPENDENCE, AND INCREASED TENSIONS AMONGST EUROPEAN

NATIONS

Archduke Franz Ferdinand •1863 – 1914

•Nephew of Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph & heir to the throne of Austria

•Married Countess Sophie who was beneath him in station, essentially giving up his rights to the throne

•Sent on an official state visit to Sarajevo in the Austrian-held province of Bosnia

Assassination•June 28, 1914

•Franz Ferdinand and his wife were assassinated by a Bosnian nationalist

•Austria demanded that Serbia, who had supposedly supported the assassins, turn over anyone who was involved in the plot

When Serbia refused, Austria declared war

Russia enters the war•Russia, which

supported a policy of Pan-Slavism (unity of all Slavic peoples), demonstrated its support for Serbia by declaring war on Austria

Germany, under their

monarch Kaiser

Wilhelm II, sided with

Austria

France was allied with Russia

Germany invaded neutral Belgium to position themselves to attack France

Britain, who was allied with Belgium, declared war on Germany

The Two Sides of WWI•“The Central Powers”

•Germany, Austria, & the Ottomans•Later called… Triple Alliance

•“The Triple Entente”: •Great Britain, France, & Russia•Later called… The Allied Powers

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f4/Europe_1914.png

The U.S. & The War

Woodrow Wilson• 1856 – 1924• 28th President (1913 – 21)• A pacifist, he supported US

neutrality (taking no sides) and isolationism (avoiding foreign conflicts)

• His Secretary of State, William Jennings Bryan, was also dedicated to neutrality

Americans Take Sides

•Some were pro-Germany: German immigrants, Irish immigrants (who were more anti-British)

•Pro-British: ▫most Americans identified with

Britain because of having same language & culture

•US businesses traded heavily with Britain, US banks had loaned Britain over $2 billion (had only loaned $27 million to Germany)

German U-boats•Germany attempted to

prevent Britain & France from obtaining supplies from overseas by using submarines to attack shipping

•Feb. 1915: Germany announced unrestricted submarine warfare in the waters around Britain – any ships could be attacked without warning

The Lusitania• May 7, 1916: German U-

boat attacked and sank the British passenger liner Lusitania, killing nearly 1200 civilians, including 128 Americans

• Wilson responded by warning Germany that it had a responsibility to protect non-combatants or risk war with the US

The Sussex Pledge

• After a 2nd attack in March 1916 that injured Americans aboard the French ship Sussex, Wilson issued a sterner warning to Germany

• Germany did not want the US to enter the war, so they promised to stop attacking merchant ships without warning

• Wilson, who did not really want to enter the war, used the so-called Sussex Pledge as a political tool for getting re-elected

Election of 1916•Wilson won re-election

on the slogan “He kept us out of war!”

•Isolationists’ numbers were dwindling though as the war in Europe grew more intense and US interests were threatened

Jeanette Rankin• 1880 – 1973• Became the first woman

to ever serve in Congress when she was elected by Montana to serve in the House of Representatives

• Dedicated pacifist• the only member of

Congress to vote against the US entering both WWI & WWII, also opposed the Korean & Vietnam Wars

The Zimmermann Telegram• January 1917: German

Foreign Minister Arthur Zimmermann sent orders to the German ambassador in Mexico to offer Mexico an alliance with Germany

• Germany would help Mexico reclaim Texas, California, and the Southwest if Mexico could keep the US occupied and out of the war in Europe

Zimmermann Telegram Backfires

•Zimmermann’s note was intercepted by the British and published in US newspapers

•Most Americans were enraged and began to demand war

Germany’s New Plan

• Germany decided they needed to end the war before the US could mobilize

• Feb. 1, 1917: resumed unrestricted submarine warfare in the hopes they could force a quick British surrender

• Began to attack US merchant ships without warning, prompting Wilson to take action

US Declares War

April 2, 1917: Wilson appeared before April 2, 1917: Wilson appeared before CongressCongress and and askedasked for a for a

declaration of war against Germanydeclaration of war against GermanyThe Senate approved war by a vote of 82 The Senate approved war by a vote of 82

to 6, the House by a vote of 373 to 50to 6, the House by a vote of 373 to 50

-In his speech, Wilson said, “The world must be made safe for democracy. Its peace must be planted upon the tested foundations of political liberty. We have no selfish ends to serve. We desire NO conquest, no dominion.”-(imperialism!)