Simpson 1

Background for War

Competing Alliances
1. Triple Alliance: Austria-Hungary, Germany, Italy (Began in 1882)
2. Triple Entente: France, Great Britain, Russia (1907)
The System of alliances played an important part in turning the assassination into war
Nationalism was strong in Europe
Imperialist Rivalries threatened peace in Europe

Assassination

(June 28, 1914) Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of Austria- Hungary,

assassinated in Sarajevo
Killer- Gavrilo Princip, a Serbian Nationalist

Mobilization and Invasion of Belgium

Central Powers: Austria-Hungary and Germany

o Anticipated a swift victory
o Marched through Belgium to France (Aug 3rd Invasion)
200,000 Belgium troops could not stop Germany, but did slow them as the other allies

mobilized
Eastern and Western battlefronts- opposing armies dug trenches from which to fire on the
enemy lines
o Most extensive trench warfare took place in France

American Neutrality

Procamation of Neutrality
Wilson throught the Allies could win without US involvement
The US adopted a neutral opposition
Americans had a tough time remaining uninvolved

Propaganda

Both sides used propaganda to try to influence public opinion

Most major American papers backed the Allies
Immigrant papers- supported the central powers
Allied Propaganda- had greatest impact
Germans were portrayed as the aggressors

Simpson 2

New German weapons- submarines and poison gas

Economic Ties

Economic ties to the allies made strict neutrality impossible

Military orders from the allies created an economic boom
Trade with Allies grew- $500 million in 1914, $3.5 billion in 1917
British set up a naval blockade to keep military contraband from reaching Germany

Unrestricted Submarine Warfare

(1914-1915) German submarines began attacking Allied ships

International Law- required ships to warn that it was about to sink an enemy vessel (subs

could not do this)

(1915) Germans- British passenger ship; torpedoed and sunk. 1200 dead, 128 Americans

Pressures for Preparedness

Sussex Pledge- Germany promised, with certain conditions, to sink no more merchant
ships without warning
Roosevelt criticized Wilson for not preparing for war
o Restricted building up military
(1916) Could not ignore the possibility of war- Doubled Army, biuilt a larger Navy

Election of 1916

Nation favored peace

Republican Nominee: Charles Evans Hughes
Labeled as a war candidate by democrats
Democratic Nominee: Woodrow Wilson
Democrats portrayed Wilson as the man who would keep the US out of war
Wilson won the close election

Renewed effort at Mediation

(1917) Germany unleashed ALL ships in the war zone

Wilson then broke off relations with Germany
Zimmerman Telegram- Germany was tryig to lure Mexico and Japan to its side
o Mexico may gain land back from the US
(April 6th, 1917) US declared war on Germany

Simpson 3
American Participation

By June 5th, 1917, almost 10 million men between the ages of 21-31 had registered for the
war
American Mobilizationo America was caught short on supplies
o Needed to make adjustments to prepare

Wartime Agenies
1. War Industries Board (WIB)
a. Spur production and coordinate war industries
b. Similar efforts brought orders to the shipping and railroad industries
c. Led by Bernard Baruch- prepared industry
2. Food Administration
a. Increasing American food production became a top priority
b. The country came together to raise the food
c. Victory Gardens- promoted by Hoover
d. Wheat, Pork, and sugar were top priorities
3. Committee on Public Information (CPI)
a. 150,000 citizen lectures
b. Said the war was fought for freedom and democracy
c. Helped spur the sale of liberty bonds
American Preparation

2 million soldiers were sent to France

Slow Mobilization: fewer than 300,000 fighting troops within a year
The US used convoys to get ships safely to Europe

The American Expeditionary Force

(AET) American troops involved in WWI- Led by General John J. Pershing

Wanted to keep the US troops together
Russia- Drops out of the war (1917)
Battle of Belleau Woods- US troops distinguished themselves. Stopped the Germans,

drove them back, then broke through the line

Battle of the Argonne Forest- a Massive American counterattack
Allies pressed onto victory (Nov 11th, 1918)
American troops and supplies helped turn the tide of battle

Wilsons Fourteen Points

Simpson 4

Wilsons proposal for peace in WWI

First Five Points: Open Treaties, freedom of the seas, free trade, arms reductions,

adjustments to colonial claims

Points Six-Thirteen: National self-determination and realignment of borders
Point Fourteen: An establishment of an international organization to settle disputes
between nations and prevent future wars

Peace Making

Big Four
Leaders of United States, Britain, France, Italy
Dominated the peace negotiations of Versailles

The Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations

European leaders- wanted the treaty to be more selfish and vengeful

Victors- Received land in secret treaties

The US Senate and the Treaty

The US did not accept the Versailles Treaty

The US Senate most strongly opposed setting up the League of Nations
US never joined the League of Nations