Transcript The Powder Keg of Europe

Causes of
“The Great War”
Nationalism
Nationalism = intense
pride in one’s own
country or nationality
 European states
became more
concerned with their
own interests than
with maintaining the
peace that had held
for close to 100 years

Militarism
Militarism: the
process of building up
military strength for
the purpose of
intimidating other
countries
 If one nation builds
up its military, then
all others must do so
as well

Confusing (& secret) alliances
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1882: Germany
allied with Austria &
Italy
1894: France allied
with Russia
1904: Britain allied
with France
Germany secretly
allied with Ottomans
Britain secretly
allied with Japan
Archduke Franz Ferdinand
1863 – 1914
 Nephew of Austrian
Emperor Franz Joseph
& heir to the throne of
Austria
 Married Countess
Sophie who was
beneath him in station,
essentially giving up
his rights to the throne
 Sent on an official
state visit to Sarajevo
in the Austrian-held
province of Bosnia

Assassination
June 28, 1914
 Franz Ferdinand and
his wife were
assassinated by a
Bosnian nationalist
 Austria demanded
that Serbia, who had
supposedly supported
the assassins, turn
over anyone who was
involved in the plot

When Serbia refused,
Austria declared war
Russia enters the war

Russia, which
supported a policy
of Pan-Slavism
(unity of all Slavic
peoples),
demonstrated its
support for Serbia
by declaring war
on Austria
Germany, under their monarch
Kaiser Wilhelm II, sided with
Austria
France sided with Russia
Germany invaded neutral
Belgium to position
themselves to attack France
Britain, an ally of Belgium,
declared war on Germany
The Two Sides of WWI
 “The
Central
Powers” :
Germany,
Austria, & the
Ottomans
 “The Triple
Entente”:
Great Britain,
France, &
Russia
The U.S. & The War
Woodrow Wilson
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1856 – 1924
28th President (1913 –
21)
A pacifist, he supported
US neutrality (taking no
sides) and isolationism
(avoiding foreign
conflicts)
His Secretary of State,
William Jennings Bryan,
was also dedicated to
neutrality
Americans Take Sides

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Some were pro-Germany:
German immigrants, Irish
immigrants (who were
more anti-British)
Most were pro-British:
most Americans identified
with Britain (same
language & culture), US
businesses traded heavily
with Britain, US banks
had loaned Britain over
$2 billion (had only
loaned $27 million to
Germany)
German U-boats

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Germany attempted to
prevent Britain & France
from obtaining supplies
from overseas by using
submarines to attack
shipping
Feb. 1915: Germany
announced unrestricted
submarine warfare in the
waters around Britain –
any ships could be
attacked without warning
The Lusitania
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May 7, 1916: German Uboat attacked and sank
the British passenger liner
Lusitania, killing nearly
1200 civilians, including
128 Americans
Wilson responded by
warning Germany that it
had a responsibility to
protect non-combatants
or risk war with the US
The Sussex Pledge
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After a 2nd attack in March
1916 that injured Americans
aboard the French ship Sussex,
Wilson issued a sterner
warning to Germany
Germany did not want the US
to enter the war, so they
promised to stop attacking
merchant ships without
warning
Wilson, who did not really
want to enter the war, used
the so-called Sussex Pledge as
a political tool for getting reelected
Election of 1916
Wilson won reelection on the slogan
“He kept us out of
war!”
 Isolationists’ numbers
were dwindling
though as the war in
Europe grew more
intense and US
interests were
threatened

Jeanette Rankin
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1880 – 1973
Became the first woman
to ever serve in Congress
when she was elected by
Montana to serve in the
House of Representatives
Dedicated pacifist, she
was the only member of
Congress to vote against
the US entering both
WWI & WWII, also
opposed the Korean &
Vietnam Wars
The Zimmermann Telegram
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January 1917: German
Foreign Minister Arthur
Zimmermann sent orders
to the German
ambassador in Mexico to
offer Mexico an alliance
with Germany
Germany would help
Mexico reclaim Texas,
California, and the
Southwest if Mexico could
keep the US occupied and
out of the war in Europe
Zimmermann Telegram Backfires
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Zimmermann’s note
was intercepted by
the British and
published in US
newspapers
Most Americans
were enraged and
began to demand
war
Germany’s New Plan
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Germany decided they
needed to end the war
before the US could
mobilize
Feb. 1, 1917: 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
US Declares War
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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
50