WORLD WAR ONE GUIDED READING ACTIVITY The War, It’s Causes, and It’s

WORLD WAR ONE GUIDED READING ACTIVITY The War, It’s Causes, and It’s Consequenc es

THE M.A.I.N. CAUSES OF WORLD WAR I M.A.I.N. is an acronym, and each of the letters in the term refer to one of the most important reasons that World War I started: M – Militarism A – Alliance Systems I – Imperialism (or Colonialism ) N - Nationality

MILITARISM Nations in Europe were engaged in what amounted to an arms race – each nation attempted to build up it’s military strength to absurd levels – hoping to always negotiate from a position of strength. By the

THE ALLIANCE SYSTEMS N a t i o n s i n Eu ro p e h ad d i v i d ed u p i n to t wo m aj o r m i l i ta r y a l l i an c e s d u r i n g t h e early 1900s: The Tr i p l e En te n t e , a n d t h e Tr i p l e A l l i a n c e . A l th o u g h b o th a l l i an c e s w e re p or tr a y e d a s d ef e n s e a l l i an c e s – m e an i n g , t h e y o n l y w e n t i n to e ff e c t i f a m e m b e r n at i on we re a tt a c ke d – the alliances gave e v e r y n a ti o n c o n fi d en c e th at th e y could push the e n v e l o p e a n d p o s tu re t ow a rd s c o n fl i c t.

TRIPLE ENTENTE The Triple Entente was an alliance between: England France Russia In 1917, when the United States entered into World War I, we would join this side!

SIDES OF WWI Major Countries Germany - Austria & Hungry Turkey USA Britain - France Russia Yellow Central Powers Red Allied Powers

TRIPLE ALLIANCE The Triple Alliance was an alliance in Europe between these three nations: Germany The Austro -Hungarian Empire Italy When the war started, these nations were known as the Central Powers. Italy quit the alliance – and switched sides Both the Ottoman Empire and Romania joined the Central Powers.

NATIONAL ISM Nationalism is almost always c o n s i d e re d a good thing in American s o c i e t y t o d a y. I t re m i n d s u s of the pride w e t a ke i n o u r national heritage, and helps to p ro m o t e patriotism and civic pride. But when nationalism exists in places which do not have their own g o v e rn m e n t s , it can lead to m o re n e g a t i v e re s u l t s : l i ke w a r f a re !

NATIONALISM IN THE BALKAN PENINSULA, 1900S On the Balkan Peninsula, where Greece, Macedonia, and a host of other nations peacefully coexist today, there was once enormous discontent from people who were unable to rule themselves. These

GAVRILO PRINCIPS OF THE BLACK HAND In 1914, a Serbian nationalist named Gavrilo Princips, who was a member of the terrorist organization “The Black Hand,” lobbed a bomb into the carriage of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary. Ferdinand and his wife were killed. Austrians, outraged that the heir to the throne had been murdered, posted an impossible list of demands for the Serbian people to follow. They threatened war otherwise. This was the spark that set off the war.

A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS 1 . A u s t r i a- H ung a r y inva d e d Serbia. 2 . Ru s s i a d ecl a re d war o n Au s t r i a - H ung a ry. (S ecret Al l i a n c e wi t h S e r b i a. ) 3 . G e rm a ny d ecl ared w ar o n Ru s s i a . (Tr i p le Al li ance ) 4 . Fr a n c e d e cl ared wa r o n Ge rm a n y. (Tri p l e E nt e nt e) 5 . E n g l a nd d e cla re d wa r o n Ge rm a n y. (Tri p l e E nt e nt e) 6 . I t a l y – d i vi d e d – b e g i ns t o fi g h t Fr a nce b ut t hen q ui t s t h e wa r – o n ly t o la t e r s u p p o r t t he Al li e s . . .

WOODROW WILSON AND NEUTRALITY When war broke out in Europe, Woodrow Wilson was decidedly neutral! He advised Americans to stay neutral in mind as well as in action. Knowing that Americans had no consensus about the war – this was especially so in 1914 – Wilson advised refl ection and neutrality. When he ran for reelection in 1916, his campaign slogan was “He Kept Us Out of War!”

THE AMERICAN RESPONSE G e r m a n - A m e r i c a n s : We re s y m p a t h e t i c t o G e rm a n y , a s o n e m i g h t ex p e c t , b u t s t i l l l a rg e l y l o y a l t o t h e United States of America. I r i s h - A m e r i c a n s : T h e h a t r e d o f t h e I r i s h f o r t h e B r i t i s h i s d i ffi c u l t t o understate at this moment in history; they tended to support the Central Po w e r s i f o n l y b e c a u s e “ t h e e n e m y o f my enemy is my frient.” H i s t o r i c T i e s t o E n g l a n d : A m e r i c a n s s h a re d l a n g u a g e , c u s t o m s , t r a d i t i o n s , and political institutions with England; out ties to Britain encouraged us to support their war e ff o r t . Wo m e n ’ s P e a c e Pa r t y : Wo m e n l i ke J a n e Ad d a m s w e re o p p o s e d t o t h e war, and wanted for Americans to stay o u t ! L a b o r a c t i v i s t s l i ke E u g e n e V. Debs also took this line – he ended up in jail!

THE HMS LUSITANIA On May 7, 1915, the HMS Lusitania was torpedoed and sunk off the coast of Irelan d, killing thousan ds of passen gers, including over 120 Americans. Since the ship was offi cially a passen ger liner, Americans were outraged that it had been targeted by German Uboats. German y, however, was certain that the sh ip was transporting weapons to the English, and had taken out advertisements to make it known that the ship would be a target.

THE SUSSEX PLEDGE Americans threatened to go to war with Germany if the unrestricted submarine warfare continued, and almost entered the war when a German U-boat sank the ferry boat Sussex in the English Channel; however, when the Germans pledged to refrain from sinking passenger vessels, the US backed down. In 1917, though, the Germans would break the Sussex Pledge.

THE ZIMMERMANN TELEGRAM In what proved to be one of the least intelligent moves of the entire war, Germany sent a telegram to Mexico, encouraging that nation to attack the United States. The hope was, that if the United States was occupied by a war in North America, they would not be able to participate in World War I in Europe.

WILSON ASKS CONGRESS TO DECLARE WAR ON GERMANY After the sinking of the Lusitania, the breaking of the Sussex Pledge, and the interception of the Zimmermann Telegram – all in quick succession – the United States was moved towards a declaration of war with Germany. In April of 1917, the war was offi cially on for the United Stats.

THE WAR INDUSTRY BOARD The War Industries Board was created in 1917 in order to coordinate the manufacturing of war materials. During times of war, converting the economy to better produce the military equipment which soldiers need in order to win the war is a large task. The War Industries Board helped to make this happen!

THE NATIONAL WAR LABOR BOARD The Nationa l Wa r Labor Board was crea ted in order to prevent a ny work stoppages dur ing World War I. In genera l, all labor union organiza tions a greed not to go on strike while the war wa s on. They did not want to be responsible for American soldiers fi nding themselves in a diffi cult situation – without supplies. The NWLB sided strongly with working people during the war, establishing higher wages, the eight hours working day, the right to unionize, a nd rights to collective ba rga ining.

WOMEN WORK TO WIN THE WAR During World War I, women joined the work force in large numbers for the fi rst time, as well. Millions of women took on jobs that were slightly outside traditional gender roles: working in factories, for railroads, as police offi cers, or in the naval shipyards. Most of the gains were short lived, however, since most women were forced to leave their posts when the war came to an end.

18 TH AMENDMENT During World War I, the movement towards Prohibition really picked up steam. Arguing that (a) the soldiers needed all of the grain that American could produce and (b) that no man should be drinking beer at home while millions of American soldiers risked their life for the freedom of our nation and others like it, the temperance union crusaders had gotten the 18 t h Amendment ratifi ed by the end of 1918.

19 TH AMENDMENT Women who ha d made great sacrifi ces during the Great War through their work and their eff orts to organiz e the supply of America n soldiers a broa d were rewarded one yea r after the war by gaining suff ra ge rights. Carrie Cha pma n Catt, leader of the Na tional American Woman’s Suff ra ge Association, had planned ti this way! By supporting the war eff ort of Woodrow Wilson, she hoped that Wilson would support her groups demands for woma n’s suff r age. The 1 9 t h Amendment was ratifi ed in 1919 .

GREAT MIGRATI ON D u r i n g Wo r l d Wa r I , Af r i c a n Americans left their homes in the Deep South in order to t a ke h i g h e r paying jobs in the Northern manufacturing c i t i e s . D e t ro i t , St. Louis, N ew Yo r k , Cleveland, and Chicago all o ff e r e d b e t t e r jobs and better living conditions than most parts of the South. Thousands of Af r i c a n Americans participated in t h e “G r e a t Migration.”

THE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC INFORMATION The United States used propaganda in order to keep everyone informed of what was going on in Europe and what expectations were for how a good citizen could support the war eff ort. The Committee on Public Information, led by George Creel – produced propaganda posters and hired “fourminute men” to give speeches in favor of the war, the draft, and the continued support of working people.

THE ESPIONAGE ACT – THE ARREST OF EUGENE V. DEBS FOR SEDITION The Freedom of Speech which Americans enjoy thanks to the First Amendment to our Constitution in the Bill of Rights was threatened by a number of laws during the Great War. The Espionage Act and the Sedition Act were two examples of such laws. When union leaders and pacifi sts spoke out against the war, they were often arrested – as Eugene V. Debs was, for breaking the Sedition Act in 1918 .

SCHENCK V. UNITED STATES (1919) In Schenck V. United States (1919) the Supreme Court ruled that mailing pamphlets which discouraged men from registering for the draft and encouraging them to write letters of protest was against the law. The Supreme Court ruled that criticizing the government in this case was not a protected form of speech because it might create a “clear and present danger.”

ABRAMS V. UNITED STATES (1919) Jacob Abrams had criticized the government of the United States for participating in World War I and for sending troops into Russia to overthrow the fl edgling Bolshevik Revolution there in 1918. Oliver Wendell Holmes of the Supreme Court remarked: “When a nation is at war, many things that might be said in time of peace are such a hindrance to its eff ort that their utterance will not be endured.”

AFRICAN-AMERICANS IN WORLD WAR I Hundreds of thousands of African-American soldiers volunteered to serve in the American Expeditiona ry Force, in the hope that their service would result in greater respect a nd dignity at home. These soldiers were forced to serve in segrega ted units under white com manders, and in some ca ses, they served under French comma nders. And yet, their bra very a nd valor in battle wa s rewarded. Many black soldiers found that they were treated much better in France tha n they ever were in the United States.

NEW STYLES OF WARFARE AND TECHNOLOGY, 1914 1918

NEW STYLES OF WARFARE AND TECHNOLOGY, 1914 1918

OY SYST EM I n o rd e r t o m a ke certain that American supply ships and transport vessels made it a c ro s s t h e ocean to E u ro p e , t h e convoy system was used. D e s t ro y e r s u s e d d e p t h c h a rg e s and other methods to t a rg e t U - b o a t s a n d ro u t t h e m out of the water b e f o re d a m a g e could be done to American vessels.

THE RUSSIA REVOLUTION In 1917, Revolution struck twice in Russia. First, Tsar Nicholas II and his wife Alexandra were ousted from power and replaced by the popularly elected Duma and President Alexander Kerensky. Later, though, the Bolsheviks, a violent communist organization devoted to drastic political and economic changes took over the government.

TREATY OF BREST-LITOVSK Immediately after Vladimir Lenin and the Bolsheviks took control of Russia promising “Bread, Land, and Peace” – they signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, gaining peace with Germany at a very high price. They treaty ceded hundreds of miles of land in the western parts of Russia to the Germans – temporarily

OF CHATEA UTHIERR Y O n e o f t h e fi r s t major battles that Americans participated in d u r i n g Wo r l d Wa r I w a s t h e Battle of ChateauT h i e r r y. I n t h e battle, Americans fought against th e Germans, and routed them out of th e region – forcing a re t r e a t t o w a r d s G e r m a n y. American “doughboys” were proving their worth.

AU WOOD S At the Battle of B e l l e a u Wo o d , Americans w e re a b l e t o f o rc e G e rm a n y t o re t re a t o n c e again. Fr u s t r a t e d b y the endless supply of re i n f o rc e m e n t s and the u n b ro ke n supply lines of the Americans, the war weary G e rm a n soldiers inched closer and closer to ultimate s u rre n d e r. B y November of 1918, the war was up.

THE ARGON NE FOREST During the MeuseA rg o n n e o ff e n s i v e , American soldiers p re s s e d t h e G e r m a n y A rm y into a full re t re a t . Overwhelmed b y t h e f re s h American t ro o p s , Germans beat a h a s t y re t re a t t o w a rd s t h e Fa t h e r l a n d . American soldiers would be celebrated a s h e ro e s a s the war came to a conclusion.

JOHN J. “BLACKJACK” PERSHING John Pershing was the leader of the American Expeditionary Force during World War I. American soldiers marched under his command – all but the African-American soldiers he had optioned off to French Commander Ferdinand Foch. The “doughboys” performed ably, forcing Germany to surrender within a year of arriving “Over There” in Europe.