Week of December 12th - December 16th - Blogs

Monday -

Causes for WWI and US Involvement

Allied Powers
- England
- France
- Russia
- US
- Italy
Central Powers
- Germany
- Austria-Hungary
- Ottoman Empire
Main Causes
- Nationalism - deep devotion or pride to one's specific country
  - Competition and rivalries between European Nations
- Militarism - Power military power
  - keeping a large standing army prepared for war
  - Caused nations to build up their military to be greater than other nations
- Imperialism - when one country takes over another country politically and economically
  - led to rivalry and distrust among European nations and often almost led to war
- Alliance System - agreements between nations to provide aid and protect one another
  - designed to keep peace - lead to distrust and war
  - major allies and pitted countries against each other
- M - militarism
- A - Alliance
- I - Imperialism
- N - nationalism
Short term causes
- Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand - June 28th, 1914
  - Killed by Gavrilo Princip because they hate Austria Hungary and wanted part of the country to become part of Serbia
  - Austria Hungary was crumbling from the inside out - ethnic groups wanted to be by themselves
  - Huge spark of WWI
- Austria Hungary wanted Serbia to give into many demands, pay money, surrender country, etc. because of the Assassination – Serbia refused
- Serbia’s refusal created a domino effect
  - Austria Hungary declared war on Serbia
  - Germany supports Austria Hungary
  - Russia supports Serbia
  - Germany declares war on Russia
  - France supports Russia
  - Germany declares war on France
  - Germany invades Belgium on the way to France
  - Great Britain supports Belgium and declares war on Germany

Why did US get into WWI

Zimmerman note –Spring 1917
- Telegram sent from Germany to Mexico that created an alliance between them
- Germany wants Mexico to attack America – British intercept the telegram
- Britain told America – America gets upset and declares war on April 6^th, 1917
- America entering war gives allies boost
- Germany Attacks American ships
Sinking of Lusitania – May 7^th 1915 – killed over 1000 people, over 100 Americans
- Germany warmed they would sink any boats going across the Atlantic
- German U-Boat sunk the RMS Lusitania (British ship – carrying supplies)
- The sinking played an important role – angering America

British Propaganda
- Germany went through a neutral country - Belgium
- British propaganda – Germany was raping women in Belgium
- Swayed Americans to favor and help allies
Nye Committee
- Came to conclusion that big businesses pushed America into war
- Cemented isolationist views in 1930s
- Big businesses “influenced” congress into war
Trade
- Trade with Britain increased
- Trade with Germany decreased
- Economically tied to Britain

Tuesday -

Goals for the Major Countries

US
- “Make the world a safer in the war” -Woodrow Wilson
  - War was democracies vs monocracies
  - Germany
    - Weaken France
    - Build empire in Europe – get colonies
    - Britain
      - Weaken Germany to protect their allies
      - Gain colonies from Germany and Turkey

Battle Strategies

Von Schlieffen Plan
- Germany would invade through Belgium France on different sides – take over France
- Belgium held off Germany long enough for France to build trenches
- Germany’s plan didn’t work – only got to northern France

Extra

US didn’t start battling until 1918 in the War
US helped end the war in around 7 months

Wednesday -

Food Pledge
- Encouraged women to join
- Gave women different ideas to save food
- Around 10 million families joined
- Food Administration initiated first Food Pledge campaign
- Role of Home Economists
  - Taught public basics of food substitution
  - Taught importance of consumption of fresh fruits/vegetables
  - Federal and states levels
  - Creating hundreds of recipes and menus, articles, books and pamphlets, and traveled to demonstrate food conservation methods
  - “war garden”
  - Clean your plate
    - Elementary school textbook/numerous posters – children do their part
    - Origin of generations of parents saying “Clean your plate”
Committee on Public information
- Woodrow Wilson spearheaded it
- 1^st time in history large scale propaganda was needed
- George Creel was boss of Committee on Public Information
- James Montgomery Flagg – Artist for I want you for US Army
Four Minute Men
- 75,000 volunteers – give around 4 minute speeches
- 755,190 speeches
Espionage Act of 1917
- Crime if anyone said anything negative about US troops
- 20 years in prison - $10,000 fine
Sedition Act of 1919
- Reinforced Espionage Act
National War Labor Board – March 1918
- Main goal was to prevent strikes or anything that would cause disruption in the production industry
- Persuaded industry to
  - Raise wages
  - Improve working conditions
  - Open themselves to negotiations with employees regarding labor contracts
  - Approx. 700,000 workers in 1,000 establishments were affected directly

Thursday –

Trench Warfare
- Rat infested – disease and infection
- Diseases – Lice and Trench foot (fungal infection caused by cold and wet weather
- Trenches could be death traps
- 10 ft deep 15 ft wide
- Used for protection
- Area in between – no man’s land – barbed wires - bombs
- Tank Warfare
  - Beginning of the tank
    - Sketches made by Leonardo da Vinci
    - Thought they were unreliable - abilities
      - Max speed was 4 mph on flat land
      - Climb a 5-foot wall
      - Cross 8 foot gaps
      - Working radius of 20 miles
      - 10 men with 2 machine guns, 1 light artillery
Tanks on the Western Front
- US had 84 tanks
- UK had 1,391 tanks
- France had 4,00 tanks
- Trenches inhibited movement
- Aerial Warfare
  - Anthony Fokker
    - Machine gun fire through propellers
70 different types of planes
Hot air balloons used - blimps
Allies and Central Powers fired artillery rounds
Importance of Aerial Warfare
- Eastern Front – smaller scale
- Most nations in the war developed Air force
- Too dependent on weather
Major ways they were used
- Spying
- Fighting – Dog fighting
- Bombing
- Naval Warfare
  - Central Power
    - Sinking – sank enemy ships
Allies
- Blockage, blockade – tried to block enemy ships from sinking their ships\
Tactics
- German U Boats
  - Sank nearly half of the British and French boats
  - Used Torpedoes
  - Cruisers
    - Carried big guns
    - Costly
    - Slow
    - Compared to a tank
  - Merchant/Battleships
    - Cheaper form of a weapon
    - Defense Mechanism
    - Long distance travel
    - High value trade
    - Weapons
      - Rifles
      - Barbed Wire
        Slower attackers
        Western Front
Machine guns
- Depending on guns – 400-500 rounds a minute
- Couldn’t really carry them places
Artillery
- Majority of casualties
- Field guns
Gas
- Chlorine gas, phosgene, mustard gas
- 1 million casualties during the war
- Mustard gas
  - Oily type of gas
  - Internal bleeding
  - Causes boils whenever in contact with moisture

Friday –

Wilson’s 14 Points and Treaty of Versailles

Wilson’s 14 Points – What Wilson wanted the Treaty to be
Treaty of Versailles is a compromise between the 14 points and Frances wants to basically destroy Germany
Wilson’s 14 points
- Open diplomacy
  - No secrets between countries, open covenants of peace, diplomacy should be in the public view
Freedom of the seas
- Seas free for anyone, no blockades or sinking ships or anything of that sort
Removal of Economic barriers
- No barriers on trade – everyone trade with whomever – free trade
Reduction of Armaments
- National armaments to be reduced to the lowest point consisting with domestic safety
- Everyone had lowest amount of arms to keep their country safe
End to Colonial Claims
- No further colonization of other countries
- Eliminate imperialism
Russia is allowed to determine their own Government
- All German troops will leave Russian Soil
Germany will Evacuate Belgium
- Belgium will become an independent country again
France will regain Territory
- Invaded Portions will be restored
Borders of Italy will be shaped to house all Italians
- Readjustment of the frontiers of Italy should be effected along clearly recognizable lines of nationality
Austria Hungary to be an Independent country
- Safeguarded and assured
- Freedom for people living there
Central Powers to evacuate Serbia, Montenegro, and Romania
- Independent countries
- Occupied territories restored
- Serbia should have secure access to the sea
Ottoman Empire will have their own country
- Have security
- Left in peace and have their own government
Poland should be independent
- Open sea port
League of Nations
- Protects all countries independence
- Asks for infinite peace
- World-Wide peace organizations

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