Chapter 12: The World War I EraI. The Road to War

Bell Ringer

• Define neutral

• What impact might the presence of many first-generation European immigrants have had on the position of the United States toward entering the war?

Objectives

• Identify the main causes of world War I.

• Understand how the conflict expanded to draw in much of Europe.

• Analyze how the Us responded to the war in Europe.

A) Setting the Scene

• June 28th, 1914 – Archduke Francis Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajevo.

• Wanted Bosnia to be part of Serbia, not the Austrian-Hungarian Empire.

B) Causes of World War Ia) Imperialism: All the good land had been taken – If

Germany wanted land – have to take it from England and France

1) Militarism: build up military and allow the military to have great say in government and foreign policy

b) Nationalism – what was good for one country might cause a war

• Alsace-Lorraine: border region between Germany and France – speak French but controlled by Germany

• Diverse ethnic pollution in countries that were controlled by other “people”

c) Alliances: Germany and Austria-Hungary; Russia and France; Great Britain and France

C) The Conflict Expands• Austria-Hungary blamed Bosnia for the

assassination of their heir• Declares war• Russia began mobilizing to defend Serbia2) mobilization: readying of troops for war• Germany began mobilizing to defend Austria-

Hungary• France gets ready to defend against Germany• Germany attacks France and goes through neutral

Belgium – Britain declares war on Germany• One week – the continent at war• movie

Stalemate3) Central Powers: Germany and Austria-

Hungary4) Allies: France, Serbia, and Great Britain5) Stalemate: situation in which neither

side is able to gain the advantage• Germany and the Schlieffen Plan got 30

miles from Paris – lines stabilized• Trench warfare – no man’s land• Germany fighting a war on both sides• Ottoman Empire (Turkey) join the Central

Powers – Italy joins Allies

Modern Warfare• Machine guns• Rapid fire artillery• Poison gases• Generals thought superiority of numbers

would win – ordered soldiers to go “over the top”

• Battle of the Somme – British 60,000 casualties in one day – 20,000 dead

• Poisoned wells, killed livestock, Britain blockaded Germany, submarines sunk everything

D) The American Response• 1/3 of US immigrants or children of

immigrants and felt involved• Irish and German Americans wanted

to join the Central Powers• Most Americans favored UK• Germany – monarchy6) propaganda: information intended

to sway public opinion (lies)• British lied to US about German

occupation

• American Neutrality: German submarines try to blockade Britain – US big trade partner with Britain – we declare neutrality

• Preparedness Movement - US slowly begins to prepare for war – build up and train armed forces

• Peace Movement – peace marches, taxed guns to pay for preparedness

Review

• What were the main causes of WWI?

• How did conflict expand to draw in much of Europe?

• In what ways did the US respond to the war in Europe?