Causes of WWI and American Involvement

Causes of WW1

1. Nationalism

2. Imperialism

3. Militarism

4. International Anarchy

Reasons why U.S Joined WW1

1. Unrestricted Submarine Warfare by Germany

2. Allied Propaganda

3. Hostility Towards Germany

4. American Economic Interest

5. American Idealism

6. American Security

Nationalism

a) France was determined to recover Alsace and Lorraine back from Germany following the Franco-Prussian War

b) Yugoslavs(Serbians), Czechs, and Poles sought independence from Austria-Hungary and Russia

c) Patriotism assured support for countries to go to war

Imperialism

a) France and Germany clash over Morocco

b) Russia and Austria-Hungary were rivals in the Balkans

c) Britain and Germany competed for imperialistic control in Africa and the middle east for world markets.

Militarism

a) By peacetime conscription, the continental European nations each sought military superiority.

b) Germany had a military tradition and extolled armed might.

c) Britain, relying heavily upon her navy for protection, felt threatened by Germany’s huge naval building program.

International Anarchy

a)No international organization existed to compel European nations to obey its decisions.

b) The Hague Court of Arbitration was the only organization that existed to attempt to settle international disputes, but it was voluntary and had no authority

Why Americans wanted to remain Neutral

• Felt like it was not our fight

• Europe was too far away

• war is expensive

• divided loyalties because we traded with both Germany and Britain and France and did not want to ever ties with either by fighting

Unrestricted Submarine Warfare

a) Sinking of the Lusitania (1915), a German U‑boat sank the Lusitania, a British passenger liner, without first searching for contraband war goods and without providing for the safety of the crew and passengers, which resulted in the death of 100 Americans

b) Sussex Pledge (1916), president Wilson threatened to sever diplomatic relations after a U-boat torpedoed a unarmed French vessel the German government gave the Sussex Pledge, not to sink merchant vessels without first attempting to save lives.

c) Unrestricted Submarine warfare again (1917), U‑boats soon sank several unarmed American merchant ships. President Wilson ordered guns to be placed on our merchant ships and shortly afterward asked Congress to declare war.

Allied Propaganda

Americans were receptive to Allied Propaganda

a) kinship for Britain, based upon a common language, culture, and belief in the democratic way of life

b) Friendship with France dated back to the American revolution

Hostility Towards Germany

Americans were hostile towards Germany because
a) Germans supported a dictatorship controlled by the military and the Kaiser

b) invaded Belgium in violation of a treaty guaranteeing Belgian neutrality
c) waged unrestricted submarine warfare

d) attempted to sabotage American industries

e) plotted to draw Mexico into war against the United States, as evidenced by the Zimmermann Note

Zimmermann Note

German Foreign Minister Zimmermann in early 1917 sent instructions to the German minister in Mexico. In the event of German‑American hostilities, he was to induce Mexico to declare war against the United States, intercepted by the British

American Economic Interest

a) Americans sold foodstuffs and manufactured goods almost entirely to the Allies

b) manufacturers, workers, farmers, and exporters all shared in a period of prosperity
c) Americans gave Allies loans to afford their goods, should Germany win the loans wouldn’t be paid off

American Idealism

Americans thought it would be better for the world if the Allies won, president Wilson stated that the first world war would end all wars.

American Secruity

Germany replacing Britain as the dominate European power would have threaten american security through their aggressive military.

Social Result of War

a) 10 million soldiers were killed, and over 20 million were injured
b) millions of civilians died, famine, disease

c) world was left with legacy of hatred and extreme nationalism

Economic Result of the war

a) cost of 350 billion for war, paying causes high taxation and lower living standards for Europeans

b) international trade suffered from tariffs and self-sufficiency

c) communists rised to power in Russia and introduced new economic system
d) economic dislocation brought in the great depression

Political Results of War

a) 3 dethroned major European powers: Hohenzollerns of Germany, the Hapsburgs of Austria‑Hungary, and the Romanovs of Russia

b) New nations arose in central Europe, including, German speaking populations of Poland and Czechoslovakia

c) European nations –notably Spain, Russia, Germany, and Italy- turned to left wing and right wing dictatorship.

d) The League of Nations was established to solve international problems and advance world peace

e) The United States emerged as a world power

Civil War

1861-1865

Reconstruction

1863-1877

Spanish American War

1898

Philippine–American War

1899-1902

World War 1

1914-1918

Russian Revolution

1917-1923

Great Depression

1929-1939

World War 2

1939-1945

Cold War

1947-1991

Wilson’s 14 Points

a) Points 1–5 propose measures to prevent another war

b) 6–13 address how ethnic groups can form own nations or join others

c) 14 calls for the international organization or League of Nations