WWI NOTES

I. THE M.A.I.N. CAUSES OF WWI

1
Militarism: fascination with military power and war
-Led to Arms Race: A competitive increase of military quality and quantity between two or more
nations.
-Enemy nations saw this build up of military as a move toward war

Example: Germany built up its navy to compete with Great Britain’s navy, causing tension between the
two countries.

Alliances: agreements between countries to help each other during wartime

• Alliances pulled many countries into the war

The Allied Powers (The Allies; Triple Entente) The Central Powers (Triple Alliance)

Great Britain Germany

France Austria-Hungary

Russia (until 1917) The Ottoman Empire

Imperialism: Building larger empires by expanding territory and gaining colonies.

-Competition for land (colonies) led to intense rivalries among the European powers.

• The newly united countries of Germany and Italy established colonies to gain wealth &
international influence, & competed with other nations to do so.
• Colonies were a source of raw materials and a market for finished goods.

Example: as Germany industrialized, it competed with France and Britain for colonies.

Nationalism: strong feelings of pride and unity among a particular group of people that share the same
language, culture, background, and/or religion etc.

• A ‘Nation’ refers to a group of people who share a common language, religion, history
and traditions.
• Ethnic & ideological differences led to conflict within empires.
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• Conflict led nations to seek to create their own empires or break away from the ones
they’re a part of. 2
• Nationalism created competition between groups

II. The Spark that Begins WWI

A. Trouble in the Balkans (diverse region of Southeastern Europe)
1. Serbia wanted to take control of Bosnia
2. Austria-Hungary took over Bosnia
3. Archduke Franz Ferdinand (the heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary) was
assassinated by a Serbian terrorist (Gravilo Princip).
4. Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia
5. The alliance system brought other nations into this conflict.
III. US INVOLVEMENT IN WWI
A. US is neutral at first
The U.S. declared neutrality at the outbreak of the war, however various factors challenged
American neutrality & eventually led to the involvement of the U.S. in the Great War.
1. The U.S had a long standing trading partnership with Great Britain
2. The U.S was unable to trade with Germany due to the British Naval Blockade.
3. American businesses made loans to the Allies in order to continue trade.

B. Submarine warfare and the Lusitania

In 1915 a German U-boat (submarine) sunk a British passenger ship, the Lusitania with
Americans onboard.
• President Woodrow Wilson was angered by the deaths of innocent Americans.
• This event did not bring the U.S into the war

As a result to Wilson’s protests Germany pledged to restrict their use of the submarines.

Wilson campaigned for re-election in 1916 on the slogan that “he kept us out of war.”

C. Zimmerman note
Zimmerman note which was a secret German telegram intercepted by the British
proposed an alliance between Mexico and Germany. The note said that, in the event
that US became involved in the war, Germany would help Mexico recover “lost
territory” in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona.
D. Changes in Russia
In early 1917, revolution in Russia replaced the monarchy with a republic & President
Wilson could now consider allying the U.S. with a ‘democratic’ Russia.
E. US enters the war
1. The decision of Germany to resume unrestricted submarine warfare in the
Spring of 1917 forced Wilson to ask the Congress to declare war on Germany in April of
1917.
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2. President Wilson announced his intention to “make the world safe for
democracy” and later issued his Fourteen Points. 3

• Wilson’s Fourteen Points was his plan to restore peace.

IV. The War Effort
A. Selective Service Act
To meet the government’s need for more fighting power, Congress passed
the Selective Service Act in May 1917. It required men to register with the government in
order to be randomly selected for military service. Almost 3 million were called up.

B. US helps end the war

1. The American Expeditionary Force changed the course of the war by fighting the
Germans on the western front in France.
2. Armistice of November 11, 1918: ended fighting between the Allies & Central
Powers.

Armistice: an agreement between two sides to stop fighting.

3. World War I was the bloodiest war in history up to that time: Deaths numbered
about 22 million.
C. The War at Home
1. The war stimulated ethnic & philosophical conflicts within the U.S.
• For example, propaganda characterized Germans as “Huns” & resulted in
discrimination against Americans & immigrants of German descent.

Propaganda: The spreading of ideas, information or rumor for the purpose of

helping or hurting a person, group or institution.

2. The passage of the Espionage Act of 1917 intended to stop interference with
military operations or recruitment, to prevent rebellion in the military, and
to prevent the support of United States enemies during wartime.

Schenck vs. United States: a United States Supreme Court case concerning
enforcement of the Espionage Act of 1917 during World War I. Charles
Schenck distributed fliers that urged men not to join the war draft. Schenck
was found guilty of violating the Espionage Act.

• The court’s decision declared it was constitutional for rights, including

freedom of speech, to be limited during wartime.
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• The most famous and most often quoted passage from the court’s 4
decision was this:

“The most stringent protection of free speech would not protect a man in
falsely shouting fire in a theatre and causing a panic. [...] The question in
every case is whether the words used are used in such circumstances and are
of such a nature as to create a clear and present danger that they will bring
about the substantive evils that Congress has a right to prevent.”

-The phrase "shouting fire in a crowded theater" has since become a

popular metaphor for dangers or limitations of free speech.

3. The passage of the Sedition Act of 1918 restricted the rights of Americans to voice
their opposition to the war effort.

Sedition Act: This law disallowed “disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive

language” about the United States government, its flag, or its armed forces.

4. Propaganda created a united war effort at the expense of individual freedoms.

V. The Treaty of Versailles

A. President Wilson heads to Versailles Conferences
1. While the armistice of 11/11/18 ended the fighting, the Treaty officially ended the
war.
2. President Wilson took a leadership role at the Versailles Conference.
3. Wilson hoped to create a lasting peace based on the principles of his Fourteen
Points which he hoped would eliminate many of the causes of the war, but did not
understand the desires of the European leaders of France, Italy, & Great Britain.
B. The 14 Points
1. The points were divided into 3 groups:
-The first 5 points were meant to prevent another war:
a. There should be no secret treaties among nations.
b. Freedom of the seas should be maintained for all.
c. Tariffs & other economic barriers among nations should be lowered or
abolished in order to have free trade.
d. Militaries should be reduced “to the lowest point consistent with domestic
safety, thus lessening the possibility of military responses” during diplomatic
crises.
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e. Colonial policies should consider the interests of the colonial peoples as well
as the interests of the imperialist powers. 5

-The next eight points dealt with boundary changes.

Wilson based these on the principle of self-determination. Groups that claimed distinct
ethnic identities were to form their own nation-states or decide for themselves to what
nations they would belong.
- The fourteenth point called for the creation of an international organization to
address diplomatic crises like those that had sparked the war.
• The League of Nations would provide a forum for nations to discuss & settle
their issues without having to resort to war.

C. The Allies want to punish Germany

1. The other allies were determined to protect their own national interests.
2. Germany had to accept responsibility for war.
• Germany was forced to give up its colonies and some European territory.
• Germany was forced to make reparation (compensation) payments.

3. New national borders drawn at the conference, based on self determination,

could not accommodate all of the ethnic diversity within Europe.

These actions by the allies created a path for the next world war. It was a punishing peace and
the Germans were absolutely humiliated by it. The Allies planned to cripple Germany so badly
that it could never again be a threat. The bitterness of the Germans helps the rise of the Nazis
movement. The reparation payment demands weaken the German economy and helps lead
into the depression.

D. Back at home in the US

1. President Wilson was able to include the League of Nations in the Treaty of
Versailles, however the U.S. Senate was hesitant to involve the U.S. in European
affairs on a permanent basis. They were concerned that it would get US involved in
future military action without the consent of the Senate.
2. Wilson was unwilling to compromise with the Senate & his poor health made
compromise impossible.
3. The Senate refused to ratify the Treaty of Versailles & the U.S did not become a
member of the League of Nations.
4. The U.S. later made a separate peace with Germany & sent representatives to
meetings of the League of Nations.
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