Lecture
Honors U.S. HistoryName:
Mr. Irwin
Week 24Period
Lecture #19
THE ROAD TO World WAR I
Introduction:
Historians generally cite 4 underlying term causes of World War I.
- Nationalism
- Imperialism
- Militarism
- Alliances
Definitions:
Nationalism – A devotion to the interests and culture of one’s nation.
Imperialism – The policy of extending a nation’s authority over other countries by economic, political, or military means.
Militarism – The policy of building up armed forces in aggressive preparedness for war and their use as a tool of diplomacy.
Overview:
Regarding nationalism; in Europe, nationalism led to competitive and sometimes antagonistic rivalries among nations.
Regarding imperialism; colonies produced goods to help support their European imperial powers with raw material. The imperial colonies also provided markets for manufactured goods from the controlling Imperialistic power.
As Germany industrialized, it began to compete with France and Great Britain in the contest to establish, control, and retain imperial colonies.
Regarding militarism; the growth of nationalism and imperialism led to increased military spending. Competition between nations created an atmosphere of militarism and its use as a diplomatic tool.
By 1890, Germany had become the strongest nation in Europe, and in 1897, German Kaiser Wilhelm II decided that his nation should expand its strength to the sea, in order to become a more formidable navy power. This, in turn, created an atmosphere of militaristic competition between Germany and Great Britain. As the result, both nations began building large battleships and destroyers.
Other countries followed suit; including France, Italy, Japan as well as the United States.
The Alliance System:
By 1907, there were two major alliance systems in Europe:
The Triple Entente
(later known as the Allies)
France, Great Britain & Russia
The Triple Alliance
(later on, Germany & Austria-Hungary, along with the Ottoman Empire were known as the Central Powers).
Germany, Austria-Hungary & Italy
These alliances established a balance of power in Europe, and as the result, they actually provided a measure of international security because nations were reluctant to disturb the balance of power that existed becauseof the alliances.
Ethnicity:
Ethnic groups looked to countries for protection. Russia and Austria-Hungary were rivals for influence over Serbia.
What Sparked the War:
1914 – Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austrian throne, visited the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo. An individual by the name of Garilo Princip, who was a member of a Serbian nationalist group called the Black Hand, was in the crowd waiting for the Archduke to pass by. At an opportune moment, Princip moved forward and shot Ferdinand, killing the Archduke.
The assassination was related to ethnic tensions, rivalries between different Balkan people, and Imperialism. The Serbian Black Hand was intent upon throwing off the “shackles” of Austria imperialism, and wanted to return Serbia to the Serb people.
July 28, 1914, Austria-Hungary responded to the assassination by declaring war against Serbia.
U.S. newspapers splashed the war across their front pages with headlines like “Austria Declares War, Rushes Vast Army into Serbia.”
Much of America was shocked and horrified to learn of this conflict. In 1914, approximately 1/3 of the U.S. population was comprised of immigrants who had come from the part of Europe that was now embroiled in war.
American sentiment about the war was divided. Some Americans favored the Central Powers, while others favored the Allies (although the majority put their support behind the Allies).
Since the U.S. had become a country by revolting against a monarchy, a great number of Americans were against the Central Powers because Germany’s Kaiser Wilhelm II, was considered to be an autocrat (a ruler with unlimited power).
Some Americans believed that the U.S. should get involved in the war, while others took more of an isolationist view and proposed that we stay out of the war in Europe, since it had nothing directly to do with the U.S.
Ultimately, the alliance system pulled one nation after another into a large scale war that originally became known as the “Great War.” It wasn’t until after World War II, that it became known as World War I. It’s a good idea to know it by both names.
Germany
On August 3, 1914 – While much attention was focused upon the assassination of Ferdinand and the subsequent war between Austria-Hungary and Serbia, Germany implemented a pre-existing war plan that it had ready to go. It was called the Schlieffen Plan (named after its author). The first phase of the plan called for a quick invasion of Belgium.
The Schlieffen Plan:
- Called for a holding action against Russia.
- A quick drive through Belgium, and then on to Paris.
- It was believed that France would fall, whereupon, two German armies would direct their attentions to defeating Russia.
The Allies:
By this time, the Triple Entente had “morphed” into the Allied Powers, or “Allies.” The Allies were unable to save Belgium, and were initially forced to retreat to the Marne River, in France.
- In September 1914, Allied forces were able to halt the German advance.
- This turned into a long siege.
- Trench warfare – mud and rat infested – terrible conditions.
- No Man’s Land – the area between the trenches of the opposing sides.
During the first battle, 60,000 British casualties were incurred on the first day.
Final casualties would total 1.2 million, yet only about 7 ground miles would have changed hands.
- This type of trench fighting continued for over 3 years!
Propaganda
As the war unfolded, reporters rushed into the combat zone. Their stories, that described the strength and ruthlessness of the German army made headlines in newspapers around the world.
The worst stories of German atrocities were unfounded. The British press published false information, designed to gain support for the Allies.
False information intended to sway public opinion is called propaganda. The British press was very skillful in its use of propaganda.
As the result, much of America’s sentiment turned against Germany (Since World War I, the use of propaganda has been used worldwide, by many countries, including the U.S., to shape public opinion on wars, as well as a variety of other issues).
Wilson Proclaims Neutrality:
In 1912, Woodrow Wilson was elected as President. He was only the second Democrat to be elected President since the Civil War.
By the time of the election of 1916, Wilson’s party, the Democratic Party, used the campaign slogan, “He Kept Us Out of War,” in order to get him reelected.
Ironically, after Wilson was reelected, he led America to war in Europe (he did, however, keep the U.S. out of the fight for the first three years of the war).
American Sentiment:
Not all Americans were in favor of U.S. involvement in the war.
When World War I broke out, a peace movement, comprised of former Populists, Midwest progressives, social reformers and women’s groups, including suffragist, began to form in the U.S.
American Economic Considerations:
Early on, the U.S. claimed neutrality. Our economy, however, was tied closely to Europe.
Initially, Britain effectively cut off our shipping trade with the Central Powers.
On August 4, 1914, President Wilson officially proclaimed neutrality. In action, however, our country began providing indirect support to the Triple Entente (later to become known as the Allies), mainly, in the form of supplies.
Economically, while the trade dollars with the Central Powers fell to practically zero, our country’s trade with the Allies rose to approximately $3.2 billion between about 1914 – 1916.
- End of Lecture -
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