First world war

*Chapter 19 - The First World War

-4 main causes of World War 1

1. Nationalism: Overinflated love of one’s country or intense pride in one’s country

2. Imperialism: Extending political, economic and military control over weaker territories

3. Militarism: Making sure one’s country does not fall behind in the arms race

4. Alliances

-2 alliance groups
-Triple entente: France, Great Britain, Russia
-Triple alliance: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy, Later on Ottoman Empire

*How it all began (June 1914)

-Archduke Franz Ferdinand & His wife Sophie visited Sarajevo, Bosina
-Heir to the Austrian throne
-They were shot by Gavrilo Princip A serbian nationalist
-Then Austria-Hungary placed a series of harsh demands on Serbia which the Serbians could not meet & WHen they did not, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia → Serbia was under Russian protection
-So Russia declared war on Austria - Hungary → Germany, An ally of Aust-Hung declared war on Russia → Germany then invaded Belgium
-This led to Great Britain declaring war on Germany & Austria Hungary

*Aug 1914 ~ Spring 1915 - Several battles settled nothing both sides settled down to a long siege of Trench warfare

-Space between the 2 trenches - no man’s land
-Heavy casualties
-Example: first battle of the somme (July 1, 1916) - Mid November British lost 60,000 men first day (Nobody won)
-Total 1,200,000 casualties for the whole battle

*Opposition to the war

-Socialists → Eugene V. Debs - War just involves Great Britain + Germany
-Pacifists → William Jennings Bryan - All war is evil + US should set an example for peace
-Americans favored Great Britain → Why? common ancestry - common democratic institution and legal system. American had more economic ties with allied powers
American traded interests with the central power’s drop when Great Britain blockade prevent weapons and other military supplies getting through

*One of the worst U-Boat attacks took places on May 7, 1915. The British passenger liner the Lusitania was attacked & sunk off the Southern coast of Ireland. 1, 1198 people killed 128 were Americans.

*The Germans claimed the Lusitania carried military supplies

*President Wilson protested. Then August 1915 The Arabic British line was sunk

*Wilson again protested - Germans stopped Sub attacks until March 1916 when the Germans attacked a French ship, the Sussex, so Americans killed.

*Wilson protested & threatening to break diplomatic relations

*Germans agreed but if the USA could not get Great Britain to lift the blockade they would resume

*Election of 1916

-Democrats: Woodrow Wilson

-Republicans: Charles Evans Hughes (associate justice of supreme court)

-Election was very close. California the key