World War I The war to end all wars???? - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

World War I

The war to end all wars????Slide2

Cause of World War I

Remember M.A.I.N

Militarism

-

the process of building up military strength for the purpose of intimidating other countriesAlliance System ImperialismNationalism -intense pride in one’s own country or nationalitySlide3

Why the war began in Europe

Archduke Franz Ferdinand (1863-1914)

Heir to the Austria-Hungry Throne

Assassinated

by Bosnian rebels Austria demanded that Serbia, who had supposedly supported the assassins, turn over anyone who was involved in the plotSerbia refused  Austria declared war

Russia

enters to show

support for Serbia. Germany enters to show support for Austria.Slide4

Alliances by 1914

Allied Powers/Entente:

-Serbia

-Russia

-France

-Britain

-Eventually U.S. (1917)

Central Powers:AustriaGermanyOttomansSlide5

United States’ stance in 1914

The United States

did not

want to enter the war.

Long stance of isolationism since Washington. Exceptionalism- the perception that a country, society, institution, movement, or time period is "exceptional" in some way and thus does not need to conform to normal rules or general principles.

Woodrow Wilson

Supported neutrality and isolationism

He advocated that Americans stay neutral during this period, and not take sides with either the Central Powers or Triple Entente. Slide6

American’s Differing views

Central Powers

German immigrants

Irish immigrants – anti-British.

Mainly supported Germany’s efforts in the war. Triple Entente

Most Americans supported Britain.

Identified more strongly with them

$ ReasonsU.S had loaned more money to British than they had to Germany. Slide7

Forced to take Sides

The United States wanted to maintain a state of neutrality. President Wilson thought it was in the best interest of the United States to maintain trade relationships with all countries, regardless of side.

However, Britain and France created a blockade and made trading with the Central Powers almost impossible for the United States.

Trade with England

and France more than tripled between 1914 and 1916, while trade with Germany was cut by over ninety percent. This leads Germany to start submarine warfare against the United States. Slide8

The Lusitania

May 7, 1917

German U-boats attacked and sunk

British passenger liner

Lusitania, killing nearly 1200 civilians, including 128 AmericansWhy would Germany attack a passenger ship with Americans on it if the United States was not involved in the war?Feb. 1915: Germany announced unrestricted submarine warfare in the waters around Britain –

any ships could be attacked without

warning

Wilson warned Germany that Germany had a responsibility to protect civilians not involved in the war, or they would risk the United States’ entry into the war. Does Germany listen?Slide9

Not Again!: The Sussex Pledge

Germany apparently did not get the message!

They attacked the French ship the

Sussex

on March 2nd 1916Wilson issued a second warning. Germany relented.Sussex Pledge: A promise by

Germany

which stated they would

no longer sink non-combative ships unless they found contraband on the ship. Wilson used this pledge as a way to get re-electedSlide10

Election of 1916

Wilson won the election with the slogan “He kept us out of war”

However, with the sinking of two ships which had Americans on board fewer Americans were supportive of a stance of neutrality in the war.

The war in Europe was becoming more intense and American interests began to be threatened. Slide11

The Final Straw: The Zimmerman Telegraph

January

1917

: German

Foreign Minister Arthur Zimmermann sent orders to the German ambassador in Mexico to offer Mexico an alliance with GermanyGermany would help Mexico reclaim Texas, California, and the Southwest if Mexico could keep the U.S. occupied and out of the war in Europe

However, the telegraph was

intercepted by the British and published in American newspapers.

Americans were angry and demanded warSlide12

Germany in Trouble

Germany realized that having the United States enter war on the enemy side would not be good for them so they tried to end the war before the U.S officially entered.

They resumed unrestricted submarine warfare in the hopes they could force a quick British surrender

Began to attack US merchant ships without warning, prompting Wilson to take action

Was this a smart move on Germany’s part?Slide13

United States enters the Great War

April

2, 1917: Wilson

appeared before Congress and asked for a

declaration of war against Germany.The Senate approved war by a vote of 82 to 6, the House by a vote of 373 to 50Joined on the side of Britain and FranceU.S. entry into the war is considered a

major turning point in the War

.Slide14

American War efforts at homeSlide15

Selective Service act of 1917

May 18, 1917

Congress passed the Selective Service Act.

Required

ALL men between ages 21 and 30 had to sign up for the draftCandidates were drafted through a lottery system and then either accepted or rejected for service by a local draft boardAbout

2.8 million Americans were drafted

while another

2 million volunteeredSlide16

African American Soldiers

Nearly 400,000 blacks were drafted to serve overseas

Had to serve in segregated units under white officers, faced racial

discrimination

Why do you think African Americans during this time had to serve in segregated units?Still, many, such as the “Harlem Hell Fighters,” served with distinction, winning medals Slide17

Women

Since the men were at war, women had to step up and become more active members in the workforce.

Women helped out the war effort in a number of ways:

Selling war bonds

Conserved foodWomen served in the navy and marines, and thousands served as nurses.Women aligned themselves with humanitarian organizations such as the American Red Cross, YMCA, Salvation Army

and others to meet wartime needs.

Workforce Efforts

Women worked in factories as well as in the government. Approximately 1,600,000 women joined the workforce between 1914 and 1918Women gain the right to vote in 1920Slide18

The War Industries board

Created in July 1917

Run by

former stockbroker

Bernard Baruch, appointed by Woodrow WilsonTasked with efficiently managing US industry in the manufacture of war materialsControlled what products were made in US factories

Terminated 1 January 1919, by executive order. Slide19

Food Administration

Run by

Herbert

Hoover

The United States made a great effort to conserve food and other vital materials to help supply the troops and our allies abroadResponsible for increasing food production and reducing food consumption15% reduction in domestic food consumption without

rationing

Different method from Europe, where food was being rationed.

Encouraged families to grow their own food in “victory gardens” and to observe “Wheatless Mondays” & “Meatless Tuesdays”“Food Will Win the War”Slide20

Fuel Administration

Run by

Harry Garfield

To conserve fuel,

Daylight Savings Time was created and Americans were asked to observe Heatless MondaysControlled the production, distribution, and price of fuels.

Factories not making war materials had their workweeks shortened

The

Fuel and Food Control Act (1917) controlled the resource and supply of foodstuffs and fuels to the nation and overseas military.Slide21

Financing the War

The

total cost of World War I to the United States

was

approximately $32 billion, or 52 percent of gross national product at the time.Congress raised and created new taxes on corporationsUS also borrowed $20 billion from American citizens through the sale of Liberty Bonds or Victory

Bonds

Patriotic Duty

Bonds allowed private citizens to purchase a bond to help support the military effort. After the war ended the bond could be redeemed for its purchase price plus interestSlide22

War Propaganda? Slide23

The War to end all Wars EndsSlide24

Wilson’s 14 Points

Pres. Wilson presented his plan for resolving the war; his plan sought to

restabilize

Europe and resolve the root problems that had started WWI to begin

withWilson also proposed the establishment of the League of NationsFails because the U.S does not join. Wilson later used the Fourteen Points as the basis for negotiation of the Versailles Treaty that ended the First World War.

Britain and France rejected Wilson’s plan in favor of punishing Germany with harsh reparations

(fines

)Germany goes into an economic depression  WWIIWhy only punish Germany???? Slide25

Paris Peace Conference & Treaty of Versailles

Paris Peace Conference was an international meeting convened in

January 1919

at

Versailles just outside ParisPurpose of the conference was to establish the terms of the peace after World WarBig Four

Britain

France

ItalyUnited StatesThe Treaty of Versailles included a plan to form a League of Nations that would serve as an international forum and an international collective security arrangement. U.S. President Woodrow Wilson was a strong advocate of the League as he believed it would prevent future wars.The new German government was required to surrender approximately 10 percent of its prewar territory in Europe and all of its overseas possessionsSlide26

League of nations

and its Failure

When Wilson returned from Paris, the majority of Americans wanted the Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations.

32 state legislatures passed resolutions in favor of the

treatyThe Senate opposed the treaty. Opponents argued, the treaty

ceded the war powers of the U.S. Government to the League’s Council

March

19, 1920, the Treaty of Versailles fell short of ratification by seven votesUnited States instead signs the Treaty of Berlin- the United States would enjoy all “rights, privileges, indemnities, reparations or advantages” conferred to it by the Treaty of Versailles, but left out any mention of the League of Nations,