The First World War
Boys and Girls! War Savings Stamps Poster by
James Montgomery Flagg 1917-18
The First World War:
What?
•War involving nearly all the nations
of the world
When?
•1914-1918
The First World War:
Causes
Long term -
1. Alliance system
2. Imperialist
Competition
3. Stockpiling of
Weapons
4. Nationalism
Franz Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria and his Wife Sophie, Duchess of
Hohenberg one hour before their deaths, June 28, 1914
Short term Assassination of
Franz Ferdinand of
the AustroHungarian Empire
The First World War:
Who Fought?
Central Powers:
Allies:
Germany
Austria-Hungary
Ottoman Empire
Bulgaria
Russia
Serbia
France
Great Britain
Italy
Japan
United States (1917)
5
Why did it take so long for America to
get involved in the war?
•America adopted a policy of neutrality
•“Why should I get involved in someone else’s
problems”
Reasons For US Neutrality
•
Public Opinion
• Americans felt the European War had
nothing to do with them
•
Wilson’s Leadership
• Wilson sought neutrality and offered to
mediate
•Wilson was also against war as a religious
basis
Problems with US Neutrality
•
Pro-British & Anti-German sentiments
• Americans favored the Allies (especially
Britain) and feared Germany (made worse by
anti-German propaganda)
•
Trade Issues
• US wanted to trade with both sides
•Allied blockade made trade with Britain
more desirable
Thinking Slide:
•Is neutrality really an option for
a country as powerful as the
United States?
9
Which side should the US pick?
Central Powers:
Allies:
•11 million GermanAmericans
•Irish-Americans hated
Great Britain
•Close cultural ties
•Shared transatlantic
cables (so censored
stories)
•Big business loaned
much $ to allies
US Exports to both sides:
Nations
Britain
France
Germany
1914
1915
1916
$594,271,863 $911,794,954 $1,526,685,102
$159,818,924 $364,397,170 $628,851,988
$344,794,276 $28,863,354
$288,899
What did it take to get the US involved?
1. Blockades
•Britain blockaded
(stopped) all
German ships
going to America
•Germany
announced a
submarine war
around Britain
Y-53 German Submarine 1916
What did it take to get the US involved?
1. Blockades
•In April 1915 Germany
told Americans to stay off
of British ships
•They could/would sink
them
What did it take to get the US involved?
1. Blockades
•Lusitania
torpedoed, sinking
with 1200
passengers and
crew (including
128 Americans)
German Propaganda Justifying Lusitania sinking
•Was eventually
found to be
carrying 4200
cases of
ammunition
What did it take to get the US involved?
1. Blockades
•The US sharply
criticized Germany for
their action
•Germany agreed not to
sink passenger ships
without warning in the
future (Sussex Pledge)
Note in Bottle After Lusitania Disaster
What did it take to get the US involved?
2. Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
•1917 Germany
announced
“unrestricted
submarine warfare”
in the war zone
•Broke the Sussex
Pledge
Why? Otherwise
their blockade
would not be
successful
What did it take to get the US involved?
3. Zimmerman Note
• Sent by German foreign secretary Arthur
Zimmerman to Mexico
• Intercepted and decoded by British
• Telegram stated Germany would again
begin unrestricted submarine warfare
• Even worse, telegram proposed alliance
between Germany and Mexico
• Germany promised it would help Mexico
get land back
Thinking Slide:
•Should the story of
WWI be told with
Germany as the “bad
guy”? Explain.
19
How was the war looking for the allies?
Not Good...
• Russia left the war after its communist
revolution in 1917
• Signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk which
gave more land to Germany
• Made it a one front war for Germany
• All its troops could concentrate on France
Convincing the American People
Propaganda
Posters
•How do you think this poster
helped to convince the
American people that the war
was a good idea?
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Getting Public Support
• Difficult given
tradition of neutrality
•Wilson cast the war
in moral terms
•This played on
people’s ideas of
America as the savior
Convincing the American People
Idealism: 2 Goals For War:
1. War to End All Wars
2. Make the World Safe for Democracy
What did the US do to help?
Supplies:
•US provided
the food,
money, and
fresh troops
needed to win
the war
American Troops March Through London