World%20War%20I%20and%20the%201920s%20(1914-1929)

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World War I and the 1920s (1914-1929) Lesson 1
America Enters World War I
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World War I and the 1920s (1914-1929) Lesson 1
America Enters World War I
Learning Objectives

• Identify the causes of World War I.
• Analyze the impact of technological innovations
  in weaponry that resulted in stalemate on the
  Western Front.
• Analyze reasons behind isolationism and
  neutrality in the United States before 1917.
• Explain why the United States entered the
  conflict on the side of the Allies.

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World War I and the 1920s (1914-1929) Lesson 1
America Enters World War I
Key Terms

• Alsace-Lorraine
• militarism
• Francis Ferdinand
• William II
• Western Front
• Casualties
• contraband
• U-boats
• Lusitania
• Zimmermann note

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The Causes of World War I
In 1914, nationalism, militarism, imperialism,
and entangling alliances combined with other
factors to lead the nations of Europe into a
brutal war. The war quickly spread around the
globe. The United States remained neutral at
first but ended up abandoning its long tradition
of staying out of European conflicts.
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The Causes of World War I

• Nationalism Escalates Tension in Europe
• Militarism Increases Arms Production
• Alliances Between Nations Increase the Potential
  for War
• A Significant Assassination

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The Causes of WWI

• Alsace-Lorraine French territory lost to
  Germany in 1871. France wanted it back (intense
  nationalism)
• Nationalism increased bad for minorities.
• Ethnic minorities wanted own country Serbia
• Militarism glorification of Military. Build up
  of Military (need to use it), military took over
  politics
• Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts
• Alliances German and Austria France, Russia,
  and UK
• Assassination Archduke Francis Ferdinand (heir
  to Austria-Hungary) killed in Sarajevo
• Killed by Serb nationalists that thought Bosnia
  belonged to Serbia
• Very modern Machine guns, mobile artillery,
  tanks, subs, and airplanes

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The Causes of World War I
Analyze Maps Based on the map, what can you
predict about where the major battles of World
War I would be fought?
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The Causes of World War I
With the rise of German manufacturers like Krupp
Cannon, Germany was able to gain an advantage in
the production of heavy arms prior to World War I.
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The Causes of World War I
Analyze Charts Which nation had the largest navy
at the beginning of World War I? Which had the
most troops?
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The Great War Begins
Everything was in place for a great
conflictnationalist ambitions, large armies,
stockpiles of weapons, alliances, and military
plans. The nations of Europe were hurtling like
giant trains toward a great collision. Archduke
Francis Ferdinands assassination was the
incident that triggered this conflict.
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The Great War Begins

• Alliances Cause a Chain Reaction
• Technological Innovations Lead to Stalemate
• The Reality of Trench Warfare

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The Great War Begins

• Kaiser William II German emperor
• Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia
• Russia came to Serbias aid
• Germany (ally to Austria) attacked Russia
• France (ally to Russia) declared war on Germany
• Germany attacked Belgium to get to France
• UK ally to Belgium
• British mowed down at Marne, both sides build
  trenches
• Western Front fighting in France in Trenches
• Used Civil War tactics attackers butchered
• Stalemate
• Trench foot, lice, rats, poison gas
• No mans land middle between trenches
  wasteland
• Casualties killed, wounded and missing
• French 1 million casualties first 3 months
• Verdun and Somme UK, Germany, and France 2
  million casualties
• UK lost 60,000 in first day alone

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The Great War Begins
Analyze Charts Why was one alliance called 'The
Central Powers'? (Consulting a map may help you
answer.)
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The Great War Begins
Machine guns were only one type of advanced
military technology used in World War I.
Long-range artillery guns also caused devastating
casualties.
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The Great War Begins
Analyze Maps What challenge did Germanys
location present to its pursuit of victory in the
war?
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The United States Remains Neutral
As the war spread in Europe, President Woodrow
Wilson called for Americans to be impartial in
thought as well as action. In a melting pot
nation that tried to make Americans of peoples
from diverse origins, Wilson did not want to see
the war set Americans against one another. At
first, most Americans viewed the conflict as a
distant European quarrel for land and influence.
Unless the nations interests were directly
threatened, Americans wanted no part of it. They
preferred to maintain what they viewed as
traditional American isolation from European
disputes. Still, many Americans felt the wars
effects and few were truly impartial in thought.
Most held a preference for one or another
combatant, and many businesses benefited from the
increased demand by warring nations for American
goods.
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The United States Remains Neutral

• Many Americans Choose Sides
• U.S. Opinion Solidifies

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The United States Remains Neutral

• US feared American would fight Americans (German
  and English immigrants)
• 1/3 foreign born in 1914
• Midwest and East Cost favored Germany (German and
  Irish immigrants)
• History, language, culture, and trade favored UK
  and France
• US divided into three isolationists,
  interventionists, internationalists

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The United States Remains Neutral
Analyze Political Cartoons Based on the cartoon,
what can you infer about President Wilsons
attitude toward the war?
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Reasons for U.S. Entry into the War
An internationalist, President Wilson sincerely
desired peace in his country and around the
world. Between the start of the war in 1914 and
Americas entry into it in 1917, Wilson attempted
to use his influence to end the conflict among
the warring countries. He failed in this great
effort. Ultimately, he also failed to keep the
United States out of the war.
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Reasons for U.S. Entry into the War

• Britain Blockades German Ports
• Passenger Ships Fall Victim to the War at Sea
• Preparations for War
• The United States Is Neutral No Longer

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Reasons for US Entry into the War

• Wilson tried to keep us out of war
• UK blockade Germany with its big navy
• Germany attempted to blockade UK with its U-boars
• US caught in middle
• Contraband goods and weapons used to fight a
  war
• U-boats unterseeboot - submarines
• Lusitania sunk of UK 1200 dead
• Sussex
• US begins to prepare for war
• US still trading with UK and France
• Not trading with Germany
• Zimmermann note German letter to Mexico asking
  them to declare war on the US. Get back Texas,
  New Mexico and Arizona
• US declared war on April 6th, 1917.

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Reasons for U.S. Entry into the War
The British Navy was the strongest in the world.
Draw Conclusions Why was naval superiority so
important to Great Britains war effort?
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Reasons for U.S. Entry into the War
German U-boats destroyed more than 11 million
tons of Allied shipping and killed nearly 14,000
people.Analyze Maps Why were U-boat attacks
clustered in particular areas?
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Quiz The Causes of World War I
Which philosophy emphasized the ideas of natural
selection and survival of the fittest? A.
militarism B. nationalism C. isolationism D.
Social Darwinism
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Quiz The Great War Begins
Which event triggered the start of World War
I? A. Germany's declaration of war B. economic
competition between European nations C. the
assassination of Francis Ferdinand D. the French
reclamation of Alsace-Lorraine
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Quiz The United States Remains Neutral
Which event at the beginning of the war
significantly swayed U.S. opinion against
Germany? A. the British use of contraband B.
the German invasion of Belgium C. the German
alliance with the Ottoman Empire D. the
establishment of the Sussex Pledge
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Quiz Reasons for U.S. Entry into the War
What did the Zimmermann note propose? A. a
German attack against Mexico B. the application
of Social Darwinism C. the establishment of the
Western Front D. an alliance between Germany and
Mexico