Chapter 19 Section 1

The Road to War

Whose assassination was the immediate cause of World War I?

• Archduke Francis Ferdinand– Heir to the throne of

Austria Hungary– Wanted to bring

Serbians into his empire– Serbians were not

interested…so one killed him

Imperialism• Trying to obtain new

colonies or territories for your country

How did competition for colonies help lead to war?

• A great scramble for colonies took place in the late 1800s

• European powers scrambled to obtain uncolonized areas– By 1910, the best areas

were already claimed, this led to increased tension between European powers

Militarism

• This policy involved aggressively building up a nation’s armed forces in preparation for war and giving the military more authority over the government and foreign policy– All European powers were

spending money on and building up large armies and navies

How did nationalism contribute to the start of World War I?

• One form of nationalism led nations to act in their best interest and ignoring the needs of other nations

• Another form is when a group of people want a nation of their own

What role did alliances play in the initiation of World War I?

• Alliances could turn what should be only a small conflict into a large one because countries pledge their assistance to other nations

Mobilization

• The readying of troops for war

Central Powers

• Germany • Austria-Hungary• Ottoman Empire

Allies

• Great Britain• France• Russia

• Eventually Russia would drop out and the U.S. would join

Look at the map on page 647. Based on this map, which side, if any, had a geographical advantage in the war?

• Allies- Because they have the central powers surrounded

• Central Powers- They have the Allies divided, possibly making it difficult for the Allies to communicate

What affect did modern warfare have on how World War I was fought?

• New killing machines were amazingly effective– Machine guns– Grenades– Poison gas– Planes– Tanks

• Generals often times had difficulty countering new technologies– They simply attempted

to won by throwing more troops into battle

Stalemate

• A situation in which neither side is able to gain the advantage

What were two causes of the stalemate in the West?

• Similar size and strength of the opposing militaries

• The choice of both sides to dig and and defend their lines

• Germany had to divide their troops in order to fight the Russians

• Inability to break through machine gun fortifications

Propaganda

• Information intended to sway public opinion – The U.S. was mostly

exposed to anti-German propaganda• The British were not

allowing German news to reach the U.S.

What was the main reason that the United States stayed neutral at the start of World War I?

• President Wilson wanted to protect American commercial investments overseas

• Also…Americans were not interested in a European war and Wilson wanted to win reelection 1916, therefore…

How did the peace movement differ from the preparedness movement?

• The preparedness movement wanted America to be ready to go to war if necessary.

• The peace movement wanted to avoid war