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The Great war begins

Unit 8.1. The Great war begins. 5 Steps to War in Europe. Sarajevo, June 28, 1914: A Serbian terrorist assassinates Archduke Franz Ferdinand—the heir to the Austro-Hungarian empire—and his wife. 5 Steps to War in Europe.

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The Great war begins

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  1. Unit 8.1 The Great war begins

  2. 5 Steps to War in Europe • Sarajevo, June 28, 1914: A Serbian terrorist assassinates Archduke Franz Ferdinand—the heir to the Austro-Hungarian empire—and his wife

  3. 5 Steps to War in Europe 2. Vienna, July 23, 1914: The Austrian government threatens war against Serbia and invades that country 4 days later

  4. 5 Steps to War in Europe 3. Berlin, August 1, 1914: As Austria’s ally, the German government under Kaiser Wilhelm I declares war against Russia, an ally of Serbia

  5. 5 Steps to War in Europe 4. Berlin, August 3, 1914: Germany declares war against France, an ally of Russia, and immediately begins an invasion of neutral Belgium because it offers the fastest route to Paris

  6. 5 Steps to War in Europe 5. London, August 4, 1914: Great Britain, as an ally of France, declares war against Germany

  7. ? • How would the sequence of events in Europe been different had Archduke Franz Ferdinand not been assassinated?

  8. Alliances Triple Entente (Allied Powers) Triple Alliance (Central Powers) • France, Great Britain, Russia (and eventually the U.S.) • Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy

  9. Alliances

  10. Neutrality • As with the War of 1812, the problem was that either side was seizing American ships and blockading each other’s ports, which angered many Americans • Wilson: “a violation of a neutral nation’s right to freedom of the seas” • Great Britain the first to declare a naval blockade against Germany • Mined the North Sea and seized any ships attempting to run the blockade (including U.S. ships)

  11. Neutrality • Germany’s one hope for challenging Britain’s naval blockades was a new naval weapon, the submarine • In February, 1915, Germany issued its own blockade against Great Britain and established a “war zone” in waters near the British Isles

  12. Neutrality- Submarine Warfare • The Lusitania Crisis: • The Lusitania was a British passenger liner carrying U.S. citizens • A German torpedo sank it on May, 7, 1915, killing 128 Americans • Wilson sent a message to Germany warning that it would be held to “strict accountability” • William Jennings Bryan resigns as Sec. of State because he claims this message is too warlike

  13. Neutrality- Submarine Warfare • There were several other sinkings that Germany claimed to be accidents • March, 1916: A German torpedo sinks the Sussex, killing several American passengers • Wilson and Americans very angry

  14. Neutrality- Submarine Warfare • Rather than risk U.S. involvement, Germany issued the Sussex Pledge, and promised not to sink merchant or passenger ships…without giving fair warning

  15. ? • If Germany had not developed submarine technology, how might U.S. involvement in WWI been altered?

  16. Economic Links withGreat Britain and France • Industrialist Partnership: • U.S. economy became closely tied to the Allied war effort • Orders for war supplies from the Allied powers increased U.S. industry during the early years of the war • In theory, the U.S. could’ve traded with Germany, but British blockades effectively prevented such trade

  17. ? • What could’ve happened differently for the U.S. to economically support Germany and the Central Powers rather than France and Great Britain?

  18. Economic Links withGreat Britain and France • Loans: • J.P. Morgan and other bankers loaned over $3 billion to France and Great Britain • Maintained U.S prosperity because the money would be coming back to the U.S. to purchase war goods • Sustained the Allied war effort

  19. Public Opinion • Ethnic Influences: • 1914: 1st- and 2nd-generation immigrants made up 30% of the American population • They were glad to not be fighting and strongly supported neutrality • Even so, immigrants often sided with their ethnic origins • Italians cheered on the Allied powers • German Americans sympathized with Germany • Irish hated Britain, favored the Central Powers • Although most wanted neutrality, the majority of native-born Americans supported Great Britain and France

  20. ? • If immigrants had not made up such a large percentage of the U.S. population in 1914, how would public opinion about U.S. involvement in WWI been different?

  21. Public Opinion • British War Propaganda: • Britain commanded the war news that American newspapers and magazines received • The British government seized this opportunity to sway America’s public opinion by printing stories of evil German soldiers committing atrocities in Belgium and the German-occupied part of France

  22. ? • How would U.S. public opinion about Germany been different if Britain had not been the dominant source of war news?

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