WWI Begins

1914-19181914-1918

100 years of peace (Napoleonic Wars) were ending

• Secret alliances bound countries together• June 28, 1914, Archduke Ferdinand of Austria-

Hungary was assassinated by a Serbian nationalist

• Austria-Hungary made demands on Serbia• Germany backs Austria-Hungary• Russia backs Serbia• France supports Russia• Germany declares war on Russia and France

and marches through neutral Belgium on way to France

• Great Britain has Belgium’s back and declares war on Germany

• So…

• Allies: Russia, France, Britain

• Central Powers/Triple Alliance: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey

M.A.I.N. causes of WWI

• Militarism

• Alliances

• Imperialism

• Nationalism

What Happened

• France and Britain stop Germany’s advance

• Trench warfare is result

• Western Front (in France): four years of fighting, 500 miles long, no more than 5 miles ever gained

Why it was horrible

• Trenches awful: (mud, rats, disease, no food)• New weapons made killing faster and easier

than ever before– Airplanes: bombs– Gas: weren’t prepared for, awful way to die– Machine guns: 450 rounds per minute – froze the

front– Tanks and submarines (after Britain blockade of

Germany)

Trench Warfare – type of fighting during World War I in which both sides dug trenches protected by mines and barbed wire

Trench Warfare

Cross-section of a front-line trench 

British trench, France, July 1916 (during the Battle of the Somme)

French soldiers firing over their own dead

All Quiet on the Western Front – trench warfare (9:27)

Soldiers digging trenches while protected against gas attacks

A photograph of a man suffering from trench foot.

• 1915: The Germans' use of thousands of cylinders of chlorine during battle in World War I was the first large-scale use of chemical agents.

• Both sides in the war carried out numerous attacks using chlorine.

• Both also developed more poisonous respiratory agents, such as phosgene, and chemicals, such as mustard gas.

• More than1 million casualties were attributed to chemical weapons during the war.

• Battle of Somme in 1916: 60,000 British died in ONE day

• 13 million soldiers, 6.5 million civilians

U.S. initial views

• Stay out• Families (many immigrants) from all countries

involved• Most favored Britain because Kaiser Wilhelm of

Germany was an autocrat (unlimited power) and Germany invaded Belgium

• We declare ourselves neutral• Our trade suffers, but weapons manufacturers

making lots of money selling to Allies

• Preparedness movement organized National Security League

• Build up of army 1916 – 90,000 to 175,000

• 1915 – American Union Against Militarism fought against the war

• Wilson wins reelection with slogan “He Kept Us Out of War”

Why we entered

• Germany sinks British ship Lusitania in 1915 with 123 Americans on board

• Wilson protests unrestricted submarine warfare, Germany promises to stop

• Zimmerman telegram, 1917

- Germany wants U.S. out of Europe

- Encourages Mexico to attack U.S. and get back Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona

- Not very credible, but builds up war fervor

• Feb. 1 - Germany resumes unrestricted submarine warfare - sinks 4 U.S. merchant ships

• March 1917 – Revolution in Russia, we are more needed and Russia’s not as involved

• We declare war in April 1917

• Reinforce Allied troops

Initial Feelings

• Many for it (Roosevelt) others against• One women’s group supported it and in turn

Wilson helped support women’s suffrage• Why for?1) Violated our neutrality – even though we

supported England with money and munitions2) Commercial interests wanted war to make

more money3) British propaganda4) Wilson said it would protect democracy from

communism

• May 1917: Selective Service Act (Draft) – men 18-45 had to register

• 24 million registered and 2.8 million drafted