The Main Causes of the Great War

M

• A potentially dangerous trend was militarism, aggressively building up a nation’s armed forces in preparation for war as well as giving the military more authority over the government

A

• Alliances. A lot of them. With secret treaties

• Prior to World War I, secret alliances were formed among various European nations as a means of securing military support and protection. These alliances were often kept confidential to maintain strategic advantages and to avoid provoking other nations.

I

• Imperialism created rivalries and envy among European powers in the years leading up to WW1 due to competition for resources, territories, and global dominance.

N

• Europe was seeing a rise in nationalism (insane pride in your own country, kind of a superiority complex)

• Pan-Germanism was a nationalist ideology that aimed to unite all German-speaking people under one nation (bad)

  • Leader of the movement: Wilhelm Kaisen II

• Pan-Slavism is a political ideology that promotes the unity and cooperation of all Slavic peoples (bad again)

General background info

The assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand on June 28, 1914, in Sarajevo, Bosnia, was a significant event that sparked World War I. He was the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne. The assassination was carried out by a Serbian nationalist group called the Black Hand. This event triggered a series of diplomatic tensions and military alliances, leading to the outbreak of war. The assassination of Archduke Ferdinand is considered the catalyst for the start of World War I.

here’s a shitty-quality pic of the list of each country categorized by their side in the war:
most of the countries aren’t necessary to know but whatever

The Trench System

• Trench warfare was a military strategy used during World War I, where soldiers fought from trenches dug into the ground. The conditions in the trenches were extremely harsh, with soldiers enduring constant exposure to mud, water, disease, and the constant threat of enemy attacks.

• This strategy starts as a stalemate due to these terrible conditions where neither side held an advantage

• In this, America stays neutral

1914, The British blockade of German ports which lead to starvation

• → The Germans fought back by using U-boats

• This leads to American citizens getting caught in the crossfire

• Germany warned the United States that their ships could be attacked

US Declares war

The Lusitania

• The Lusitania was a British ocean liner that was famously sunk by a German submarine during World War I.

• This ship was heading from New York to England

• Germany believed there were weapons on board and evidently killed 1000 people (by means of U-boat)

• This results in 128 American deaths

Wilson did not declare war but he did want Germany to pay the families and stop the submarine warfare

→ In response, Vilhelm (German leader) said to warn them next time

The Sussex

3/24/1916

Germany wanted to disrupt Allied shipping and weaken their morale, killing 5 people and injuring 2 Americans on board.

The USA does not declare war

The Sussex Pledge

The Sussex Pledge was an agreement made between Germany and the United States during World War I as a response to the sinking of the French passenger ship, SS Sussex, by a German U-boat.

• Give warning before attacking merchant ships, in order to avoid antagonizing the United States.

• USA will try to convince the British to end the blockade

Germany backs out of the Sussex pledge just months later

(angers the us)

Zimmerman Telegram

• The Zimmerman Note was a secret diplomatic communication sent by Germany to Mexico during World War I, proposing a military alliance against the United States, ultimately contributing to the United States' decision to enter the war.

• As well as that, Germany said they would give Mexico back their territories

Although rumored to be fake, the British likely told America to get them on their side

Meanwhile in Russia, the Russian king steps down, ultimately dropping out of the war entirely

March 1917

Germany sank 7 American merchant ships without warning in a matter of days

USA Declares war

The Homefront

• WW1 affected life at home for all Americans

• Everyone was expected to contribute

  • Everyone

The US is in

There were only 100,000 volunteers serving in the military

This leads to

• Propaganda, specifically Uncle Sam

• Selective service

• Mandatory draft for all men

Summer of 1917

• Very little was ready, troops slept in tents and practiced with sticks and barrels

• Within months, 4.5 million make up the AEF (American Expeditionary Forces)

• The United States outsmart the U-boats using The Convoy System

  • The convoy system was a strategy where merchant ships were grouped together and escorted by naval vessels to protect them from enemy attacks. This system helped to minimize losses from submarine attacks and ensure the safe transportation of goods and troops across the Atlantic Ocean.

U-boats did not sink any ships traveling to the east

Digging Deeper into Modern Warfare

Some new technologies used in World War I were tanks, airplanes, machine guns, poison gas, and submarines.

Some of note are

• Tanks

  • Gained ground and mowed over the trenches, breaking the stalemate faster than possible before

• Chemical warfare

  • Chemical warfare in WW1 involved the use of toxic gases, such as chlorine and mustard gas, to harm and incapacitate enemy soldiers.

  • They were used to break enemy lines, create chaos, and demoralize troops.

  • The long-term effects of chemical warfare were devastating, causing widespread suffering and death.

• Flamethrowers

  • Crowd control

Americans arrived in France one year after the war declaration. They found the Allied soldiers to be exhausted whereas the American soldiers were ready to fight.

Italy switches sides. Italy had little to gain from the Central Powers as well and the British promised them territory

Hammering the Hun (I feel like I should rename this but I can’t think of something)

In late spring of 1918, Germans got within 50 miles of Paris. This doesn’t look good until the American troops arrive. This led to terrible casualties but eventually ended in the Americans seizing their territory back.

• Germany’s drive to Paris is halted

• The American entry changed the war's momentum

Central Powers Fall

• Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire make peace with the allies

• Austria-Hungary Collapses in October when the groups declared independence

The Allied powers cut off the German Railroad supply line

• defeat is near and the Allies want total surrender

  • American troops and supplies seem endless

Kaiser Wilhelm flees the country to safety in Holland (i think?) and an armistice (cease-fire) is signed. This however does not end the war.

Disease

As if the war wasn’t bad enough, the Spanish Flu Pandemic swept through much of the world

• Killing millions, even more than the war had