WORLD WAR I

The Great War

Pancho Villa
Pancho Villa
Did not like the United States Led guerilla strikes against the U.S. killing many Americans

General John J. Pershing

Was sent by President Woodrow Wilson to hunt Villa down Never finds him

LONG TERM CAUSES

Nationalism Imperialism Militarism Alliance System Triple Entente Central Powers

Nationalism
Feeling of intense pride of ones homeland Putting your nations interest above every other country

Imperialism
When a stronger country takes over a weaker one European countries looked to expand and become more powerful

Militarism
European countries started building up their militaries Countries trying to flex their muscles Protecting themselves and their colonies

Alliance System
Triple Entente (Allies) Great Britain France Russia Italy is the wildcard (originally signed with the central powers, but joined the allies in 1915)

Central Powers
Germany Austria-Hungary Bulgaria Ottoman Empire

Archduke Francis Ferdinand

Heir to the Austrian thrown June 28, 1914 Assassinated while visiting Sarajevo by a Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip Creates Domino effect in Europe

Fighting in Belgium
Germany strikes in Belgium, hoping to eliminate France from war 1st As a result, Great Britain enters the war Introduced trench warfare and modern weapons

Trench Warfare
Very unproductive The land between trenches was known as no mans land Neither side could control it Conditions were awful

Neutrality
The U.S. was neutral, but partial to the Allies British used propaganda to try to lure us into the war
Ex. Germany was using dead corpses to make fertilizer and soap

European Affair We sent supplies to British

British Blockade vs German U-boat

British set up a blockade in waters North of Germany British expand contraband in order to ensure Germany did not receive supplies Germans counter the blockade with U-boats (submarines)

British Blockade vs German U-Boat

Germany starts sinking any ship traveling to Great Britain Lusitania- British luxury liner sunk by Germans in May of 1915 (Killed 128 Americans) Sussex- French luxury liner sunk by Germans in March of 1916 (More American vacationers killed)

Wilsons Message
Wilson threatened to declare war on Germany Germany looked to make a deal with the U.S. Sussex Pledge- Germany agreed not to sink anymore passenger ships if Britain moved the Blockade Later that year (1916) Woodrow Wilson was reelected with the slogan He kept us out of the war The U.S. was on the brink of war and didnt even know it

Zimmerman Telegraph
January 1917- German official, Arthur Zimmerman, had a plan to get Mexico involved. He attempted to send a telegraph to Mexico asking for their help. In return, Germany was going to help Mexico win back their lost territory (Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, etc).

Wilsons Reaction
The telegraph never made it to Mexico It was intercepted by Great Britain and immediately sent to the U.S. Wilson saw this as a threat to national security and asked Congress to declare war on Germany On April 2, 1917 Congress elected to go to war

Jeanette Rankin
1st woman ever elected to congress One of very few to vote against going to war (Pacifist) She did not want to send her son to war