The First World War War at Home

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The First World War- War at Home Abroad
Treaty of Versailles Fourteen Points
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Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand (June
1914)

• The following is an eyewitness account of the
  Archduke Franz Ferdinands bodyguard.
• He was one of those in the car when the Archduke
  of Austria-Hungary was shot.
• At that, I seized the Archduke by the collar of
  his uniform, to stop his head dropping forward
  and asked him if he was in great pain. He
  answered me quite distinctly, 'It's nothing!' His
  face began to twist somewhat but he went on
  repeating, six or seven times, ever more faintly
  as he gradually lost consciousness, 'It's
  nothing!' Then, after a short pause, there was a
  violent choking sound caused by the bleeding. It
  was stopped as we reached the Konak."

3
Woodrow Wilson U.S. Declaration of Neutrality
(August 19, 1914)

• Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia in July,
  1914 after the assassination of Archduke Franz
  Ferdinand.
• This one declaration of war brought many other
  world powers into war because of the alliances
  each country had made prior to the outbreak of
  war.
• President Wilson declared the United States
  neutral at the outset of war.

4
German Declaration of Naval Blockade Against
Shipping to Britain (February 4, 1915)

• The following is the declaration by the German
  government informing countries around the world
  that Germany was establishing a war zone
• Germany did this in response to Britains naval
  blockade of Germany.
• The waters round Great Britain and Ireland,
  including the English Channel, are hereby
  proclaimed a war region.
• On and after February 18th every enemy merchant
  vessel found in this region will be destroyed,
  without its always being possible to warn the
  crews or passengers of the dangers threatening.

5
President Wilson U.S. 'Strict Accountability'
Warning to Germany (February 10, 1915)

• After World War I started Great Britain blockaded
  Germany.
• In response Germany declared a War Zone around
  Great Britain and used unrestricted submarine
  warfare sinking all ships regardless if they were
  belligerents or neutral countries.
• In the following Wilson warned that the US would
  hold Germany accountable for any harm done to
  Americans or their property on the seas.
• the Imperial German Government can readily
  appreciate that the Government of the United
  States would be constrained to hold the Imperial
  Government of Germany to a strict
  accountabilityand to take any steps it might be
  necessary to take to safeguard American lives and
  property and to secure to American citizens the
  full enjoyment of their acknowledged rights on
  the high seas.

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The Lusitania and Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
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Propaganda Leaflettes from World War I

• The following excerpts include examples of
  leaflets dropped over enemy lines from planes and
  balloons.
• These are great examples of the types of
  psychological tricks employed by the combatants
  during the war.
• British leaflet dropped into German trenches
  by balloon
• FOR WHAT ARE YOU FIGHTING, MICHEL?
• They tell you that you are fighting for the
  Fatherland. Have you ever thought why you are
  fighting?
• You are fighting to glorify Hindenburg, to
  enrich Krupp. You are struggling for the Kaiser,
  the Junkers, and the militarists....

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U.S. Propaganda Posters
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(No Transcript)
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German Ambassador Count Johann von Bernstorff
letter to Robert Lansing, U.S. Secretary of
State (January 31, 1917)

• This is a response from The German Ambassador to
  the Secretary of State regarding President
  Wilsons stance on unrestricted submarine warfare
  
• The German people also repudiate all alliances
  which serve to force the countries into a
  competition for might and to involve them in a
  net of selfish intrigues.  On the other hand,
  Germany will gladly cooperate in all efforts to
  prevent future wars.

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President Wilson Address to Congress (February
3, 1917)

• This is President Wilsons response to Germanys
  decision to resume unrestricted submarine
  warfare.
• Unless the Imperial Government should now
  immediately declare and effect an abandonment of
  its present methods of submarine warfare against
  passenger and freight carrying vessels, the
  Government of the United States can have no
  choice but to sever diplomatic relations with the
  German Empire altogether.

12
Arthur Zimmermann Decoded message text of the
Zimmermann Telegram

• The following is a letter the German foreign
  minister Arthur Zimmermann wrote to Mexico.
• Germany wanted to try and beat the Allied Powers
  before the U.S. joined.
• Germany thought if the U.S. were to be fighting a
  war against Mexico in the U.S. they would not
  send troops to fight in Europe.
• This note was published in U.S. newspapers and
  angered most Americans. A month later the U.S.
  declared war on Germany, April 4, 1917.
• keep the United States of America neutral. In
  the event of this not succeeding, we make Mexico
  a proposal or alliance on the following basis
  make war together, make peace together, generous
  financial support and an understanding on our
  part that Mexico is to reconquer the lost
  territory

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The Espionage Act (May 16, 1917)

• The following act was passed by Congress shortly
  after the United States declared war on Germany
  in April, 1917.
• Congress passed this to silence people who did
  not support the war in the U.S.
• and whoever shall wilfully advocate, teach,
  defend, or suggest the doing of any of the acts
  or things in this section enumerated and whoever
  shall by word or act support or favor the cause
  of any coun try with which the United States is
  at war or by word or act oppose the cause of the
  United States therein, shall be punished by a
  fine of not more than 10,000 or imprisonment for
  not more than twenty years, or both

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Woodrow Wilson Fourteen Points (January
8, 1918)

• The following is President Wilsons plan to end
  World War I
• The Fourteen Points.
• He delivered this plan to congress January 8,
  1918 after an armistice was signed to stop the
  war in Europe November 11, 1918.
• What we demand in this war, therefore, is
  nothing peculiar to ourselves. It is that the
  world be made fit and safe to live in and
  particularly that it be made safe for every
  peace-loving nation which, like our own, wishes
  to live its own life, determine its own
  institutions, be assured of justice and fair
  dealing by the other peoples of the world as
  against force and selfish aggression

15
Peace Treaty of Versailles Articles 159-213
Military, Naval and Air Clauses

• After World War I ended a peace conference was
  held in Paris.
• At this peace Conference the Big 4 (President
  Wilson from the U.S., Prime Minister David Lloyd
  George from Great Britain, Premier Georges
  Clemenceau from France, and Prime Minister
  Vittorio Orlando from Italy) dominated the peace
  talks.
• The Treaty of Versailles was the treaty that
  Germany signed.
• The terms of the treaty were very harsh and
  disliked by Germans.
• The Treaty of Versailles made many German
  soldiers, like Adolf Hitler, bitter about the
  results of World War I.