High School History – WW I

HW about WW I……pleases answer based upon the textbook pages, disregard where it says simulation…(f you missed the simulation, please just answer the prompt in a response format based upon the text pages 578-586….answer the questions exactly per the powerpoint file attached

 

please see attached power point and related textbook pages

U.S History
Unit 3 American Power: WWI

Daily Prompt (15 points)
Assess and Analyze the factors that contributed to WWI’s development and Americas eventual involvement.
Activity: Simulation and research. 19-1 in text (578-586)
Task: Compare and contrast World War I with the classroom simulation. Please use examples from simulation and historical examples (2-3 Similarities, 1-2 Differences)
Complete sentences and please be content specific
Due at end of class

578 CHAPTER 19

Terms & NamesTerms & NamesMAIN IDEAMAIN IDEA

One American’s Story

•nationalism

•militarism

•Allies

•Central Powers

•Archduke Franz

Ferdinand

•no man’s land

•trench warfare

•Lusitania

•Zimmermann

note

As World War I intensified,

the United States was forced

to abandon its neutrality.

The United States remains

involved in European and

world affairs.

WHY IT MATTERS NOWWHY IT MATTERS NOW

It was about 1:00 A.M. on April 6, 1917, and the members of the U.S.

House of Representatives were tired. For the past 15 hours they had

been debating President Wilson’s request for a declaration of war

against Germany. There was a breathless hush as Jeannette

Rankin of Montana, the first woman elected to Congress, stood

up. Rankin declared, “I want to stand by my country but I can-

not vote for war. I vote no.” Later she reflected on her action.

A PERSONAL VOICE JEANNETTE RANKIN
“ I believe that the first vote I cast was the most significant vote

and a most significant act on the part of women, because women

are going to have to stop war. I felt at the time that the first woman

[in Congress] should take the first stand, that the first time the first

woman had a chance to say no to war she should say it.”

—quoted in Jeannette Rankin: First Lady in Congress

After much debate as to whether the United States should join the fight,

Congress voted in favor of U.S. entry into World War I. With this decision,

the government abandoned the neutrality that America had maintained for

three years. What made the United States change its policy in 1917?

Causes of World War I

Although many Americans wanted to stay out of the war, several factors made

American neutrality difficult to maintain. As an industrial and imperial power,

the United States felt many of the same pressures that had led the nations of

Europe into devastating warfare. Historians generally cite four long-term causes of

the First World War: nationalism, imperialism, militarism, and the formation of a

system of alliances.

Jeannette Rankin was

the only member of the

House to vote against

the U.S. entering both

World War I and World

War II.

�

World War I
Begins

A

NATIONALISM Throughout the 19th century, politics in the Western world were

deeply influenced by the concept of nationalism—a devotion to the interests

and culture of one’s nation. Often, nationalism led to competitive and antago-

nistic rivalries among nations. In this atmosphere of competition, many feared

Germany’s growing power in Europe.

In addition, various ethnic groups resented domination by others and longed

for their nations to become independent. Many ethnic groups looked to larger

nations for protection. Russia regarded itself as the protector of Europe’s Slavic

peoples, no matter which government they lived under. Among these Slavic peo-

ples were the Serbs. Serbia, located in the Balkans, was an independent nation,

but millions of ethnic Serbs lived under the rule of Austria-Hungary. As a result,

Russia and Austria-Hungary were rivals for influence over Serbia.

IMPERIALISM For many centuries, European nations had been building

empires, slowly extending their economic and political control over various peo-

ples of the world. Colonies supplied the European imperial powers with raw mat-

erials and provided markets for manufactured goods. As Germany industrialized,

it competed with France and Britain in the contest for colonies.

MILITARISM Empires were expensive to build and to defend. The growth of

nationalism and imperialism led to increased military spending. Because each

nation wanted stronger armed forces than those of any potential enemy, the

imperial powers followed a policy of militarism—the development of armed

forces and their use as a tool of diplomacy.

By 1890 the strongest nation on the European continent was Germany, which

had set up an army reserve system that drafted and trained young men. Britain was

not initially alarmed by Germany’s military expansion. As an island nation, Britain

had always relied on its navy for defense and protection of its shipping routes—

and the British navy was the strongest in the world. However, in 1897, Wilhelm II,

Germany’s kaiser, or emperor, decided that his nation should also become a major

sea power in order to compete more successfully against the British. Soon British

and German shipyards competed to build the largest battleships and destroyers.

France, Italy, Japan, and the United States quickly joined the naval arms race.

ALLIANCE SYSTEM By 1907 there were two major defense alliances in Europe.

The Triple Entente, later known as the Allies, consisted of France, Britain, and

Russia. The Triple Alliance consisted of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy.

Vocabulary

alliance: a formal

agreement or

union between

nations

German Emperor

Wilhelm II (center)

marches with two

of his generals,

Hindenburg (left)

and Ludendorff,

during World

War I.

�

579

MAIN IDEAMAIN IDEA

A

Analyzing

Causes

How did

nationalism and

imperialism lead

to conflict in

Europe?

Germany and Austria-Hungary, together with the Ottoman Empire—an empire of

mostly Middle Eastern lands controlled by the Turks—were later known as the

Central Powers. The alliances provided a measure of international security

because nations were reluctant to disturb the balance of power. As it turned out,

a spark set off a major conflict.

An Assassination Leads to War

That spark flared in the Balkan Peninsula, which was known as “the powder keg

of Europe.” In addition to the ethnic rivalries among the Balkan peoples, Europe’s

leading powers had interests there. Russia wanted access to the Mediterranean

Sea. Germany wanted a rail link to the Ottoman Empire. Austria-Hungary, which

had taken control of Bosnia in 1878, accused Serbia of subverting its rule over

Bosnia. The “powder keg” was ready to explode.

In June 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to

the Austrian throne, visited the Bosnian capital Sarajevo. As

the royal entourage drove through the city, Serbian nation-

alist Gavrilo Princip stepped from the crowd and shot the

Archduke and his wife Sophie. Princip was a member of the

Black Hand, an organization promoting Serbian national-

ism. The assassinations touched off a diplomatic crisis. On

July 28, Austria-Hungary declared what was expected to be a

short war against Serbia.

The alliance system pulled one nation after another into

the conflict. On August 1, Germany, obligated by treaty

to support Austria-Hungary, declared war on Russia. On

August 3, Germany declared war on Russia’s ally France. After

Germany invaded Belgium, Britain declared war on Germany

and Austria-Hungary. The Great War had begun.

The Fighting Starts

On August 3, 1914, Germany invaded Belgium, following

a strategy known as the Schlieffen Plan. This plan called

for a holding action against Russia, combined with a quick

drive through Belgium to Paris; after France had fallen, the

two German armies would defeat Russia. As German

troops swept across Belgium, thousands of civilians fled in

terror. In Brussels, the Belgian capital, an American war

correspondent described the first major refugee crisis of

the 20th century.

A PERSONAL VOICE RICHARD HARDING DAVIS
“ [We] found the side streets blocked with their carts.

Into these they had thrown mattresses, or bundles of

grain, and heaped upon them were families of three

generations. Old men in blue smocks, white-haired and

bent, old women in caps, the daughters dressed in their

one best frock and hat, and clasping in their hands all

that was left to them, all that they could stuff into a pil-

low-case or flour-sack. . . . Heart-broken, weary, hungry,

they passed in an unending caravan.”

—from Hooray for Peace, Hurrah for War

NO
WNO
W

THEN

THEN

CRISIS IN THE BALKANS

After World War I, Bosnia became

par t of a countr y that eventually

became known as Yugoslavia.

Although Yugoslavia included vari-

ous religious and ethnic groups,

the government was dominated

by Serbs.

In 1991, Yugoslavia broke apart,

and Bosnia declared indepen-

dence in 1992. However, Serbs

wanted Bosnia to remain part of

Serbian-controlled Yugoslavia.

A bloody civil war broke out.

This war became notorious for

the mass murder and deportation

of Bosnian Muslims, a process

known as “ethnic cleansing.” In

1995, the United States helped

negotiate a cease-fire.

But peace in the Balkans did

not last. In the late 1990s,

Albanians in the province of

Kosovo also tried to break away

from Serbia. Serbia’s violent

response, which included the

“ethnic cleansing” of Albanians,

prompted NATO to inter vene.

Today, peacekeepers in the

Balkans struggle to control the

continuing ethnic violence.

B

MAIN IDEAMAIN IDEA

B

Analyzing

Effects

Why were so

many European

nations pulled into

the conflict?

Vocabulary

refugee: a person

who flees in

search of

protection or

shelter, as in

times of war

or religious

persecution

580 CHAPTER 19

Tannenberg

Gallipoli

Easte
rn

F
ro
n
t
O
c
t.
1
9
1
7

Blockade
British

Sarajevo

Rome

Paris

Constantinople
(Istanbul)

London

Petrograd
(St. Petersburg)

Moscow

Vienna

Brussels

Berlin

B

A

L
K

A

N

P

E

N
I N

S U L A

GREAT
BRITAI N

SPAIN

FR AN CE

ITALY

GERMANY

AUSTRIA-
HUNGARY

GREECE

NORWAY

SWEDEN

O T T O M A N
E M P I R E

LUXEMBOURG

MONTENEGRO

SWITZERLAN

D

BELGIUM

SERBIA

ALBANIA

ROMANIA

BULGARIA

NETHERLAND

S

DENMARK
I RE LAN D

(Br.)
R U S S I A

PORTUGAL

ATLANTI

C

OCEAN

North

Sea

Bay

of

Biscay

Black Sea

Balt
ic
Se
a

A
d
ria
tic

Sea

A
eg
ea
n

S
ea

M e d i t e r r a n e a n

S
e
a

40°N

50°N

20°E

0°

10°

W

Allied Powers, 1916

Central Powers, 1916

Neutral countries

German submarine activity

Battle

0 250 500 kilometers

0 250 500 miles

N
S
E
W

The First World War 581

Tannenberg, Aug. 1914

Germans stop Russian

advance.

May 1915

Lusitania sunk.

Sarajevo, June 1914

Archduke Franz Ferdinand

is assassinated.

A
B
C
D

Farthest German a
dv
an

c
e
,

Sept. 5, 1914

Front on July
1, 1916

Metz

Lunéville
Paris

Brussels

En
g l
is
h
C
ha
n
n

e
l

Som
m
e

M
arne

Me
use

M
e
u
se

R
h
in
e

Seine

M
o
selle

O
ise Aisne

NETHERLANDS

BELGIUM

F R A N C E

G E R M A N Y

LUXEMBOURG

SWITZERLAND

0

0 50 100 kilometers

50 100 miles

Marne, 1st battle, Sept. 1914
Allies stop German advance on Paris.

Germans use chemical weapons for
the first time.

Ypres, 2nd battle, May 1915

French hold the line in longest battle
of the war.

Verdun, Feb.–July 1916

A
B
C

D
Disastrous British offensive.

German troop movement

Allied troop movement

Somme, 1st battle, July–Nov. 1916

N
S

EW

The Western Front 1914–1916

GEOGRAPHY SKILLBUILDER

1. Location About how many miles

separated the city of Paris from

German forces at the point of their

closest approach?

2. Place Consider the geographical

location of the Allies in relation to

the Central Powers. What advantage

might the Allies have had?

Europe at the Start of World War I

Gallipoli, April 1915–Jan. 1916

Allied forces defeated in bid to

establish a supply route to Russia.

Unable to save Belgium, the Allies retreated to the Marne River in France,

where they halted the German advance in September 1914. After struggling to

outflank each other’s armies, both sides dug in for a long siege. By the spring of

1915, two parallel systems of deep, rat-infested trenches crossed France from the

Belgian coast to the Swiss Alps. German soldiers occupied one set of trenches,

Allied soldiers the other. There were three main kinds of trenches—front line, sup-

port, and reserve. Soldiers spent a period of time in each kind of trench. Dugouts,

or underground rooms, were used as officers’ quarters and command posts.

Between the trench complexes lay “no man’s land”—a barren expanse of mud

pockmarked with shell craters and filled with barbed wire. Periodically, the sol-

diers charged enemy lines, only to be mowed down by machine gun fire.

The scale of slaughter was horrific. During the First Battle of the Somme—

which began on July 1, 1916, and lasted until mid-November—the British suf-

fered 60,000 casualties the first day alone. Final casualties totaled about 1.2 mil-

lion, yet only about seven miles of ground changed hands. This bloody trench

warfare, in which armies fought for mere yards of ground, continued for over

three years. Elsewhere, the fighting was just as devastating and inconclusive.

582 CHAPTER 19

Saps were shallower trenches in

“no man’s land,” allowing access to

machine-gun nests, grenade-throwing

positions, and observation posts.

Communication trenches

connected the three

kinds of trenches.

Dugout

Barbed wire

entanglements

Trench Warfare

A

Artillery fire “softened

up” resistance before

an infantry attack.

Front line trench

Support trench

Reserve trench

Enemy trench

A

B

C

D

B
C
D
C

“No Man’s Land”

(from 25 yards

to a mile wide)

MAIN IDEAMAIN IDEA

C

Drawing

Conclusions

Why do you

think soldiers

were rotated in

the trenches?

Americans Question Neutrality

In 1914, most Americans saw no reason to join a struggle 3,000 miles away. The

war did not threaten American lives or property. This does not mean, however,

that individual Americans were indifferent to who would

win the war. Public opinion was strong—but divided.

DIVIDED LOYALTIES Socialists criticized the war as a capi-

talist and imperialist struggle between Germany and England

to control markets and colonies in China, Africa, and the

Middle East. Pacifists, such as lawyer and politician William

Jennings Bryan, believed that war was evil and that the

United States should set an example of peace to the world.

Many Americans simply did not want their sons to expe-

rience the horrors of warfare, as a hit song of 1915 conveyed.

“ I didn’t raise my boy to be a soldier,

I brought him up to be my pride and joy.

Who dares to place a musket on his shoulder,

To shoot some other mother’s darling boy?”

Millions of naturalized U.S. citizens followed the war

closely because they still had ties to the nations from which

they had emigrated. For example, many Americans of

German descent sympathized with Germany. Americans of

Irish descent remembered the centuries of British oppres-

sion in Ireland and saw the war as a chance for Ireland to

gain its independence.

On the other hand, many Americans felt close to

Britain because of a common ancestry and language as well

as similar democratic institutions and legal systems.

Germany’s aggressive sweep through Belgium increased

American sympathy for the Allies. The Germans attacked

civilians, destroying villages, cathedrals,

libraries, and even hospitals. Some atrocity

stories—spread by British propaganda—

later proved to be false, but enough proved

true that one American magazine referred

to Germany as “the bully of Europe.”

More important, America’s economic

ties with the Allies were far stronger than

its ties with the Central Powers. Before the

war, American trade with

Britain and

France was more than double its trade with

Germany. During the first two years of the

war, America’s transatlantic trade became

even more lopsided, as the Allies flooded

American manufacturers with orders for all

sorts of war supplies, including dynamite,

cannon powder, submarines, copper wire

and tubing, and armored cars. The United

States shipped millions of dollars of war

supplies to the Allies, but requests kept

coming. By 1915, the United States was

experiencing a labor shortage.

Vocabulary

emigrate: to leave

one’s country or

region to settle in

another; to move

D

The First World War 583

MAIN IDEAMAIN IDEA

D

Analyzing

Motives

Why did the

United States

begin to favor

Britain and

France?

ECO
NOMICECO
NOMIC

TRADE ALLIANCES

Maintaining neutrality proved diffi-

cult for American businesses.

Trade with Germany became

increasingly risky. Shipments were

often stopped by the British block-

ade. In addition, President Wilson

and others spoke out against

German atrocities and warned of

the threat that the German Empire

posed to democracy.

From 1912 to 1917, U.S. trade

relationships with European coun-

tries shifted dramatically. From

1914 on, trade with the Allies

quadrupled, while trade with

Germany fell to near zero.

Also, by 1917, American banks

had loaned $2.3 billion to the

Allies, but only $27 million to the

Central Powers. Many U.S. lead-

ers, including Treasury Secretary

William McAdoo, felt that American

prosperity depended upon an

Allied victory. (See trade on page

R47 in the Economics Handbook.)

Great Britain France Germany

All Other European Countries

D
o
ll
a
rs
(
in
m
il
li
o
n
s
)

2,00

0

1,600

1,200

800

400

0

1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917

U.S. Exports to Europe, 1912–1917U.S. Exports to Europe, 1912–1917

SKILLBUILDER Interpreting Graphs
1. By how much did total U.S. exports to Europe

rise or fall between 1914 and 1917?

2. What trends does the graph show before the
start of the war, and during the war?

584 CHAPTER 19

This image of a

U-boat crew

machine-gunning

helpless survivors

of the Lusitania

was clearly meant

as propaganda.

In fact, U-boats

seldom lingered

after an attack.

The War Hits Home

Although the majority of Americans favored victory for the Allies rather

than the Central Powers, they did not want to join the Allies’ fight. By

1917, however, America had mobilized for war against the Central Powers

for two reasons: to ensure Allied repayment of debts to the United States

and to prevent the Germans from threatening U.S. shipping.

THE BRITISH BLOCKADE As fighting on land continued, Britain began to

make more use of its naval strength. It blockaded the German coast to pre-

vent weapons and other military supplies from getting through. However,

the British expanded the definition of contraband to include food. They also

extended the blockade to neutral ports and mined the entire North Sea.

The results were two fold. First, American ships carrying goods for

Germany refused to challenge the blockade and seldom reached their desti-

nation. Second, Germany found it increasingly difficult to import foodstuffs

and fertilizers for crops. By 1917, famine stalked the country. An estimated

750,000 Germans starved to death as a result of the British blockade.

Americans had been angry at Britain’s blockade, which threatened

freedom of the seas and prevented American goods from reaching German

ports. However, Germany’s response to the blockade soon outraged

American public opinion.

GERMAN U–BOAT RESPONSE Germany responded to the British

blockade with a counterblockade by U-boats (from Unterseeboot, the

German word for a submarine). Any British or Allied ship found in the

waters around Britain would be sunk—and it would not always be possi-

ble to warn crews and passengers of an attack.

One of the worst disasters occurred on May 7, 1915, when a U-boat sank the

British liner Lusitania (lLQsG-tAPnC-E) off the southern coast of Ireland. Of the

1,198 persons lost, 128 were Americans. The Germans defended their action on

the grounds that the liner carried ammunition. Despite Germany’s explanation,

Americans became outraged with Germany because of the loss of life. American

public opinion turned against Germany and the Central Powers.

A newspaper ad

for the Lusitania

included a

warning from the

German Embassy.

�

�

Despite this provocation, President Wilson ruled out a military response in

favor of a sharp protest to Germany. Three months later, in August 1915, a U-boat

sank another British liner, the Arabic, drowning two Americans. Again the United

States protested, and this time Germany agreed not to sink any more passenger

ships. But in March 1916 Germany broke its promise and torpedoed an unarmed

French passenger steamer, the Sussex. The Sussex sank, and about 80 passengers,

including Americans, were killed or injured. Once again the United States warned

that it would break off diplomatic relations unless Germany changed its tactics.

Again Germany agreed, but there was a condition: if the United States could not

persuade Britain to lift its blockade against food and fertilizers, Germany would

consider renewing unrestricted submarine warfare.

THE 1916 ELECTION In November 1916 came the U.S. presidential election.

The Democrats renominated Wilson, and the Republicans nominated Supreme

Court Justice Charles Evans Hughes. Wilson campaigned on the slogan “He

Kept Us Out of War.” Hughes pledged to uphold America’s right to freedom

of the seas but also promised not to be too severe on Germany.

The election returns shifted from hour to hour. In fact, Hughes went

to bed believing he had been elected. When a reporter tried to reach him

with the news of Wilson’s victory, an aide said, “The president can’t be

disturbed.” “Well,” replied the reporter, “when he wakes up, tell him

he’s no longer president.”

The United States Declares War

After the election, Wilson tried to mediate between the warring alliances. The

attempt failed. In a speech before the Senate in January 1917, the president called

for “a peace without victory. . . . a peace between equals,” in which neither side

would impose harsh terms on the other. Wilson hoped that all nations would join

in a “league for peace” that would work to extend democracy, maintain freedom of

the seas, and reduce armaments.

GERMAN PROVOCATION The Germans ignored Wilson’s calls for peace.

Germany’s leaders hoped to defeat Britain by resuming unrestricted submarine war-

fare. On January 31 the kaiser announced that U-boats would sink all ships in

British waters—hostile or neutral—on sight. Wilson was stunned. The German deci-

sion meant that the United States would have to go to war. However, the president

held back, saying that he would wait for “actual overt acts” before declaring war.

The overt acts came. First was the

Zimmermann note, a telegram from

the German foreign minister to the

German ambassador in Mexico that was

intercepted by British agents. The

telegram proposed an alliance between

Mexico and Germany and promised

that if war with the United States broke

out, Germany would support Mexico in

recovering “lost territory in Texas, New

Mexico, and Arizona.” Next came the

sinking of four unarmed American mer-

chant ships, with a loss of 36 lives.

Finally, events in Russia removed

the last significant obstacle to direct

U.S. involvement in the war. In March,

the oppressive Russian monarchy was

The First World War 585

E

F

Wilson campaign

button

�

Alliances During WWIAlliances During WWI

Allies

Australia India

Belgium Italy

British Colonies Japan

Canada & Montenegro

Newfoundland New Zealand

France Portugal

French North Romania

Africa & French Russia

Colonies Serbia

Great Britain South Africa

Greece United States

Although not all of the countries listed

above sent troops into the war, they

all joined the war on the Allied side at

various times.

Central Powers

Austria-Hungary

Bulgaria

Germany

Ottoman Empire

MAIN IDEAMAIN IDEA

E

Analyzing

Effects

How did the

German U-boat

campaign affect

U.S. public

opinion?

MAIN IDEAMAIN IDEA
F

Making

Inferences

Why did the

Zimmermann note

alarm the U.S.

government?

586 CHAPTER 19

•nationalism

•militarism

•Allies

•Central Powers

•Archduke Franz Ferdinand

•no man’s land

•trench warfare

•Lusitania

•Zimmermann note

1. TERMS & NAMES For each term or name, write a sentence explaining its significance.

MAIN IDEA

2. TAKING NOTES

In a chart like the one shown, list

the causes for the outbreak of

World War I.

Which was the most significant

cause? Explain your answer.

CRITICAL THINKING

3. SYNTHESIZING

Describe some ways in which

World War I threatened the lives

of civilians on both sides of

the Atlantic.

4. SUMMARIZING

Why were America’s ties with the

Allies stronger than its ties with the

Central Powers?

5. ANALYZING ISSUES

Why do you think Germany

escalated its U-boat attacks

in 1917? Think About:

• Germany’s military buildup

• the effects of the British

blockade

• Germany’s reason for using

submarine warfare

replaced with a representative government. Now supporters

of American entry into the war could claim that this was a

war of democracies against brutal monarchies.

AMERICA ACTS A light drizzle fell on Washington on

April 2, 1917, as senators, representatives, ambassadors,

members of the Supreme Court, and other guests crowd-

ed into the Capitol building to hear President Wilson

deliver his war resolution.

A PERSONAL VOICE WOODROW WILSON

“ Property can be paid for; the lives of peaceful and

innocent people cannot be. The present German submarine

warfare against commerce is a warfare against mankind.

. . . We are glad . . . to fight . . . for the ultimate peace of

the world and for the liberation of its peoples. . . . The

world must be made safe for democracy. . . . We have no

selfish ends to serve. We desire no conquest, no dominion.

We seek no indemnities. . . . It is a fearful thing to lead

this great peaceful people into war. . . . But the right is

more precious than peace.”

—quoted in American Voices

Congress passed the resolution a few days later. With

the hope of neutrality finally shattered, U.S. troops would

follow the stream of American money and munitions that

had been heading to the Allies throughout the war. But

Wilson’s plea to make the world “safe for democracy” wasn’t just political pos-

turing. Indeed, Wilson and many Americans truly believed that the United States

had to join the war to pave the way for a future order of peace and freedom. A

resolved but anxious nation held its breath as the United States prepared for war.

WO
RLD STAGEWO
RLD STAGE

REVOLUTION IN RUSSIA

At first, the Russians surprised

the Germans by mobilizing rapid-

ly. Russian troops advanced

quickly into German territory but

were turned back at the Battle

of Tannenberg in August 1914.

Throughout 1915, the Russians

endured defeats and continued

to retreat. By the end of 1915

they had suffered about 2.5 mil-

lion casualties. The war also

caused massive bread shortages

in Russia.

Revolutionaries ousted the czar

in March 1917 and established

a provisional government. In

November, the Bolsheviks, led by

Lenin and Trotsky, overthrew the

provisional government. They set

up a Communist state and sought

peace with the Central Powers.

Causes of WWI