World War I

1
World War I

• The United States Watches and Waits

2
Causes of World War I

• No one event or person caused the Great War.
  There were many factors that contributed to
  mobilization of the belligerents
• Five Major factors often identified as causes of
  World War I (but not causes of U.S. entry)
• Militarism
• Alliances
• Imperialism
• Nationalism
• Events or Economics

• Possible causes of U.S. entry
• British Propaganda and Pro-British sentiment
• Submarine Warfare
• Munitions trade and loans to Great Britain
• Zimmerman Note
• Sinking of the Lusitania

3
U.S. Neutrality and the Rights of Neutrals.

• What was Americas neutrality?

Oskar II- Peace ship
4
U.S. Neutrality

• Aug. 4, 1914 Wilson proclaims the neutrality of
  the United States. U.S. needs to be the model for
  world peace. U.S. more interested in competing
  for markets than killin.
• 1915 Henry Ford charters a Peace Ship to
  Stockholm, Sweden conference January 1916
• Ford, then one of the richest men in the world,
  actually thought he could talk the leaders of
  Europe into stopping World War.
• Ford believed if he could only get foreign
  leaders to sit down in a room, he could make them
  listen to reason and the war would end. Straight
  talk from a no-nonsense businessman would
  persuade where diplomatic doubletalk had failed.
• A boat of pacifists-Every crackpot and nut in
  the country wanted to get on that boat, from
  socialists, to prohibitionists, to anti-smoking
  crusaders, to pro-German partisans, and people
  from every religious splinter-group in the
  country.
• The Peace Expedition became a farce, The world
  press mocked them mercilessly. It failed.

Oskar II- Peace ship
5
Problem of Neutral Rights

• International Law and use of the Seas
• Neutral nations still allowed to trade with both
  sides.
• Warring nations were allowed by International Law
  to stop and inspect neutral vessels at sea.
• Warring nations could seize certain war materials
  (Contraband)- explosives, guns and ammunition.
  But not other goods.
• Before sinking a commercial ship, the attacker
  had to give warning.
• No court, or police force to make nations obey
  the law.
• Freedom of the Seas

6
The Problem of Neutral Rights

• British Navy
• Blockade- Control the seas and starve Germany
  into submission
• Contraband included all sorts of goods including
  food.
• All neutral ships would be searched even those
  going to neutral countries. England would seize
  any ship bound for Germany.
• North Sea was a military are and put mines down.
• All in violation of international law.
• British would pay for all goods seized after
  America protested.

• German Submarines
• 1915- fleet of 27 subs disobeyed international
  law.
• War zone- Germany declares this around the
  British Isles.
• Unrestricted sub warfare.
• Advised all neutrals not to travel there or on
  British ships.
• Wilson insists under International law Americans
  had the right to sail on any ship. And Germany
  would be accountable for all American lives.
• 1915- Germany sinks Lusitania, then Arabic and
  Sussex passenger ships. After promising not to
  sink unarmed passenger ships without warning.

7
U.S. Neutrality and the Rights of Neutrals.

• What did England do to the Central Powers?
• What happened to U.S. shipping?
• What is a U-Boat and how did the Germans use
  them?

Oskar II- Peace ship
8
U.S. Neutrality and the Rights of Neutrals.

• What happened on May 7, 1915?
• What was the American reaction?

Oskar II- Peace ship
9
Sinking of the Lusitania- May 7, 1915

• departed New York for Liverpool on May 1, 1915,
• The famous liner's speed still seemed the best
  guarantee of safety.
• On May 7, as the Lusitania entered the most
  dangerous part of her passage, Captain William
  Turner actually slowed down, apparently worried
  by patchy fog.
• Mistakes of the Captain-. steaming too close to
  shore, instead of in the relative safety of the
  open channel. sailing at less than top speed, and
  not zigzagging
• The initial explosion set off a violent secondary
  blast. The ship sank in 18 minutes, with a lost
  of 1,195 of the 1,959 on board, including 123
  Americans.

10
Sinking of the Lusitania- May 7, 1915

• The original thought was the"illegal high
  explosives in the ships magazine had probably
  caused the tragedy".
• Other theories as to the source of the second
  explosion have been a coal dust explosion, boiler
  explosion, steam line fracture, or even a second
  torpedo.

11
U.S. Neutrality and the Rights of Neutrals.

• How did American-German relations get worse?
• Why did the U.S. join the Allies?

Oskar II- Peace ship
12
American Reaction and Relations with Germany

• Wilson was against embargo and going to war
  against Germany.
• Strong note of protest sent to Germany, America
  will stick up for its rights of neutrality.
• 1915-1917- Germany sinks two more passenger
  liners- Sussex and Arabic with some loss of
  American lives. To Germany submarine warfare was
  too important to give up.
• Americans were sympathic to Belgians and very
  anti-German.
• American Bankers had lent billions to the Allies
  to fight the war.
• It seemed that the Germans did not care if they
  sunk passenger ships.

13
Ties that bind

• Allies
• U.S. spoke English language.
• U.S. Laws and customs based on English
  foundations.
• All news from Europe came through British press.
  (England had cut the trans-Atlantic cable)
  British Propaganda-atrocity stories.
• Kaiser Wilhelm had made many warlike
  (militaristic) statements.
• Trade with England and Allies was enormous. 3
  Billion
• 2 billion in loans to Allies.

• Central Powers
• Millions in US favored Central powers due to
  ancestors who had been born in Austria, Germany
  or Hungary.
• Irish Americans were glad to see anyone fight the
  British.
• US had long been trading with the Germans. But
  that dropped by 1916 from 170 million to 1
  million.

14
Wilsons Peace Efforts

• In the election of 1916 his slogan had been He
  kept us out of war.
• After 1916 Wilson still tried to keep the US out
  of the war.
• He asked the European powers to declare a Peace
  without victory. But Germany announces
  unrestricted sub warfare.
• Germany felt the US would be too late even if
  they entered the war.

15
The United States goes to war

• Zimmerman note- German ambassador asked Mexico to
  join Central powers with promise to return all
  lands taken by the US.
• 1917-Wilson arms Merchant ships for protection
  against submarines.
• April 6, 1917 Wilson asks Congress to declare war
  on Germany.
• The world must be made safe for democracy. We
  must fight for the rights and liberties of small
  nations.
• Americans need to be soldiers of righteousness.

16
Wilsons 14 Points- His Dream for the world

• 1.
• 2..
• 3. An end to all economic barriers between
  countries.
• 4..
• 5. All decisions regarding the colonies should be
  impartial
• 6. The German Army is to be removed from Russia.
  Russia should be left to developher own
  political set-up.
• 7. Belgium should be independent like before the
  war.
• 8. France should be fully liberated and allowed
  to recover Alsace-Lorraine
• 9. All Italians are to be allowed to live in
  Italy. Italy's borders are to "alongclearly
  recognisable lines of nationality."
• 10. Self-determination should be allowed for all
  those living in Austria-Hungary.
• 11. Self-determination and guarantees of
  independence should be allowed forthe Balkan
  states.
• 12. The Turkish people should be governed by the
  Turkish government. Non-Turks inthe old Turkish
  Empire should govern themselves.
• 13. An independent Poland should be created which
  should have access to the sea.
• 14.

17
Wilsons 14 Points- His Dream for the world

• 1. No more secret agreements ("Open covenants
  openly arrived at").
• 2. Free navigation of all seas.
• 3. An end to all economic barriers between
  countries.
• 4. Countries to reduce weapon numbers.
• 5. All decisions regarding the colonies should be
  impartial
• 6. The German Army is to be removed from Russia.
  Russia should be left to developher own
  political set-up.
• 7. Belgium should be independent like before the
  war.
• 8. France should be fully liberated and allowed
  to recover Alsace-Lorraine
• 9. All Italians are to be allowed to live in
  Italy. Italy's borders are to "alongclearly
  recognisable lines of nationality."
• 10. Self-determination should be allowed for all
  those living in Austria-Hungary.
• 11. Self-determination and guarantees of
  independence should be allowed forthe Balkan
  states.
• 12. The Turkish people should be governed by the
  Turkish government. Non-Turks inthe old Turkish
  Empire should govern themselves.
• 13. An independent Poland should be created which
  should have access to the sea.
• 14. A League of Nations should be set up to
  guarantee the political and territorial
  independence of all states.