World+War+I+Test+Review

 On this page, we will be practicing using a wiki to review for the World War I test next Wednesday and Friday. **Directions:**

Choose a section to write an entry that will help you and your classmates review the material of the section. You must write using complete sentences and you must note with parenthetical citation where you got the information. Check out my entry on characteristics of fighting in World War as an example. For these entries, you may refer to sources as your book (book), your notes (notes), the videos shown (video notes), other sources (other).

Bryant White US involvement in ww1:
 * Wanted to protect loans given to Great Britain
 * Protect democracy around the world
 * Punish Germany for the Zimmerman note which asked Mexico to declare war on US
 * Lusitania-stop unrestricted naval warfare/retalliate for US citizens who were killed on the Lusitania

 **Nitin Gohri

3 Reasons why the US entered WWI**
 * 1) The US lended money to France and Britain and when they found out Russia left the war and Germany could focus all their power on the Western Front they knew France and GB needed help. So they decided to join the War
 * 2) Germany sent a telegram to Mexico telling them to declare war on America. The US intercepted the telegram and decoded it. This is another reason why the US entered the war and declared war on Germany.
 * 3) Unrestricted Naval Warfare was also another reason why the US entered the war. The US were sending cargo ships full of material to GB and France but Germany kept blowing them up so the US decided to place the cargo on passenger ships but then Germany decided to attack those ships. This was Unrestricted Naval Warfare.

I. Causes of World War I user:cfield1  While Imperialism helped make the alliances, Nationalism fueled imperialism and the need for war. Nationalism, when a group of people comes together because of similarities and fights for a cause, existed in two distinct forms in Europe. When Austria Hungary became a dual monarchy in 1867, only those two countries had any power in the government, resulting in the loss of freedom for Czechs, Slovaks, Serbs, Croats, Poles, and Romanians. There were people within a nation that wanted their independence. Serbia, after receiving strong Austrian pressure, promised to end all hostile activities, but they could not fulfill their promise. There were many nationalistic societies, such as the Black Hand which was a group of Serbs who wanted unification with Serbia. They had been suppressed and ruled for centuries by Austria Hungry, the Ottoman Empire, and Venice. Because two thirds of the Russian population was Slavic, Russia aligned with them. The other kind of Nationalism that existed was the desire of a nation’s dominance and prestige in the world. This was extremely present in Germany, which was united in 1871 after the Franco-Prussian War. The Germans, under the rule of Wilhelm II, wanted to create alliances and build their world influence because they aspired to be the number one power. In France, the embarrassment of the fast loss to Germany in the Franco-Prussian War fueled the need to recover their high status. Winston Churchill said, “National passions…burned beneath the surface of every land with fierce, if shrouded fires.” Nationalism invigorated the nations of Europe with extreme pride in their race or country. This new found energy increased the tensions as well and it only added wood to the fire for the impending war. (notes book) user:cfield1  In order to make their country the most powerful, all of Europe entered a militaristic era. Militarism is the intense advocacy of war and the increase in military expenditure. A militaristic country is prepared to administer the threat of war and completely willing to enter a war. Each of the great powers in Europe doubled their forces between 1870 and 1914, except Great Britain. Russia and Germany, who had the largest budgets, increased their troops from 700,000 to 1.3 million and 380,000 to 846,000, respectively. By 1870, all of the powers had adopted conscription, or the drafting of troops. Great Britain was coveted by all nations for its large and powerful navy. In 1905 they created the Dreadnought which rendered all previous battleships obsolete. Germany had been building a large battle fleet deliberately to compete with England, and with the new addition to its navy, there was a great amount of hostility between the two. The most evident example of the extreme militarism is the creation of the Schlieffen Plan in 1905 by German strategist Alfred von Schlieffen. This plan was created before they knew that war was going to happen, displaying how Germany knew that war was the only way they could become a world power. The premise of the plan was to overtake and isolate Paris in six weeks, which would cede the French government to the Germans. The plan also made German troops go through the neutral country of Belgium. This directly broke the Treaty of London, signed in 1839 and guaranteed the protection and neutrality of Belgium. This is the reason Great Britain entered the war. The encouragement of war and the militaristic policies adopted by the countries only made the war completely imminent. (notes book)

user:Ratna Nationalism, an excessive patriotism and pride in one’s country, was one primary long term cause of World War One. While this may be expressed through increased appreciation of one’s own nation, it often manifests itself as intense odium of other states. For example, Slavic nationalism triggered the Pan-Slavic movement, which in turn caused the emergence of a radical nationalistic group known as the Black Hand who desired the union of Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia, which were two nations home to many people of Slavic heritage. Nationalism also caused a struggle to acclaim territory abroad, which is known as imperialism. Countries competing to assert their superiority while conquering lands across the world often vied for imperialistic holdings, perilizing European peace. For example, the British and the Dutch fought bitterly over control of South Africa, leaving behind bitter feelings when the land was won by Great Britain. (book+notes) user:Ratna Militarism was a major long term cause of the war. This tendency to regard military power as a nation’s chief priority often results in the misappropriation of resources by the government in efforts to fully develop the state’s military aspects, while overlooking domestic issues within the state. Highly apparent was the decision made by some European countries to conscript, or draft, large numbers of men into the army. For example, Russia’s standing numbers increased from 800,000 in 1910 to 1.2 million in 1914. Militarism is embodied by the arms race, or competition between countries to achieve superiority of military arms, that existed between European nations in the late 1800s and early 1900s. For example, when Great Britain invented the //Dreadnought// in 1906, Germany also scrambled to create a battleship armed with powerful guns. Rising militarism caused a dire snowball effect, for as one nation devoted increased attention to its army and navy, other nations, out of fear, felt as though they ought to do the same, leading to a highly hostile Europe. (book+notes)

user:Ratna The complex alliances, or treaties between nations to cooperate and act as a team, made by European countries in the late 1800s and early 1900s also served as long term factors leading to the World War One. France and Germany had been strategically forming agreements with various powerful nations in Europe for many decades. For example, France had signed the Defensive Pact with Russia in 1894 as a way to dissuade Germany from attacking her, brokered the Anglo-Russian Entente between Great Britain and Russia in 1907 to ensure that her hopeful allies were on good terms, and finally became a member of the Triple Entente before the war erupted. At the same time, Germany, hoping to isolate France, was part of the neutrality alliance known as the League of Three Emperors with Russia and Austria-Hungary in 1873, the defensive Dual Alliance with Austria-Hungary in 1879, and eventually joined the Triple Alliance before the outbreak of war. These alliances caused Europe to become heavily divided, leading to the involvement of many countries in what appeared to be a conflict between only two European nations.

user:Ratna The main //casus belli// that sparked the terrible war was the assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand by Gavrilo Princip, a member of the Serbian nationalist group called the Black Hand, who desired that Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia be made into one nation. Dragutin Dimitrijevic, the head of the Black Hand, had instructed Princip to assassinate the Archduke and proceed to commit suicide by cyanide. Princip and a group of his friends shot the Archduke and his wife in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914, a day on which the Archduke was to inspect army exercises outside Sarajevo. They attempted first to explode his car using a bomb, but were unsuccessful, as they destroyed the incorrect vehicle. They then stopped to rest at a pub, and the car holding the Archduke and his wife drove by just as they were departing, allowing them to shoot the heir to the Austrio-Hungarian throne and his wife. This assassination caused Austria-Hungary, backed by the Triple Alliance, to declare war on Serbia, who had contributed weapons and money to the Black Hand. Russia also began to mobilize its troops in order to defend Serbia, engaging the Triple Entente in the conflict which is now known as the Great War. (book+notes)

user:FHSKatieD World War I is called “The Great War”, because essentially all of Europe was involved. A war this tremendous does not emerge overnight; World War I occurred because of two types of causes, long and short term. Long term causes (deep seeds) are events or things that have been building up for a long time and builds up creating tension, so when something happens war is flamed easier. A long term cause takes a lot of time for the effects to occur. However, short term causes effects happen immediately. A short term cause (spark) is an event or thing that is like the climax in a story, it sets off the tension building off the long term causes. WWI had a series of long and short term causes that all led to the outbreak of war. Some long term causes that led up to World War I were militarism and the alliance system. Militarism is when the government gives all resources to supporting the military and the government promotes the idea that it is good to go to war. An example of this is the arms race; countries developing new weapons by competing with other countries and this led Europe to being more violent. The British naval ship, the Dreadnought led to Germany and Great Britain having competing navies for which country could build the stronger navy. In Russia, military parades were being held in order to promote war. Russia also had a draft even when Europe was at peace. Militarism and the arms race were long term causes of WWI, because they glorified war and created competition between countries so when a spark happened everyone was ready for war and the countries had advanced weaponry. Militarism and the arms race dragged people into the war, but the effects were not seen immediately which makes it a long term cause. Another long term cause of World War I is the alliance system. The alliance system caused all of Europe to get involved in the war. There are three different types of alliances, defensive, entente, and neutrality. A defensive alliance is when you agree to back another country up if they’re attacked. An entente is a general understanding of friendship, but it has no obligations, a neutrality alliance also has no obligations, but your country agrees not to attack or help the other country involved in the alliance. Basically all of Europe was involved in some sort of alliance, so it obligated them to get involved in the war. Otto von Bismark, former prime minister of Germany, saw France as a problem, so he created this vast alliance system in order to isolate France. This is a long term cause, because it did not have any immediate effects but it caused the country to split onto one side or the other and it dragged all of Europe into the war by some alliance with another country. The alliance system created tensions between opposing countries. When war did break out, all of Europe was involved in some way due to the alliance system. These are both long term causes, but nationalism and imperialism were also causes of World War I. Nationalism and imperialism are some other causes that led the world into the “Great War”. Nationalism is extreme patriotism for one’s country. The Pan-Slavic movement is an example of a nationalistic long term cause of WWI. Pan-Slavism is where people of a Slavic background unite together. Russia was trying to become friends with the people in the Balkans and Ottoman Empire, because of nationalism and bringing people of the same backgrounds and cultures together. Russia wanted the Balkans for warfare as well. Nationalism is a long term cause of World War I, because it built up for a while and created tensions between countries of different backgrounds or cultures. While nationalism brought countries with similar beliefs together, it also separated those with different beliefs. Nationalism brought about groups such as the Black Hand, which was the cause of a major spark of World War I later on. Imperialism is the act of a stronger country imposing their beliefs, cultures, ways of life, religion, and other similar things on weaker, underdeveloped countries. The First Moroccan Crisis of 1905 was an act of imperialism that brought Great Britain and France closer, while further separated Germany. France and Great Britain had an Entente Coridiale, which recognized that France had the right of the sphere of influence over Morocco. However, Germany did not want to be surrounded, so Wilhelm II announced that Germany supported Moroccans in their fight for independence. An international conference was held after request by Wilhelm II, but France was insured dominance over Morocco. Imperialism brought countries closer together, such as Great Britain and France, if the countries supported each other in their imperialistic acts. However, while allies were strengthened, more grudges and hatred for other countries was built up, hence France and Germany. This is a long term cause of WWI, because these countries did not have a resulting battle after the First Moroccan Crisis, and the effects of the imperialism and growing hatred were not immediate, but it built tension and led into the war. Nationalism and imperialism greatly affected the feelings towards other countries in Europe, which built tension and made it easier for a spark to grow into a wildfire. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Austrians ultimatum to Serbia were the first sparks of World War I. The tensions had been building up from the long term causes, but these events really set off those tensions and starting fighting and really jumpstarted the war. The Black Hand was a nationalistic group of Serbians against the Austrians. Serbia was funding and giving weaponry to the Black Hand. The Black Hand assassinated the Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife on June 28, 1914. Austria-Hungary blamed Serbia for the assassination, because of the funding being given to this Anti-Austrian group. This is a short term cause, because it immediately jumped into an ultimatum sent to Serbia from Austria which set off a series of events that lead directly into the war. On July 23, 1914 Austria sent an ultimatum, final statement, to Serbia. The ultimatum wanted all Anti-Austrian organizations or groups, such as the Black Hand to end. It also demanded that all Serbian hostile officers be removed from their positions in office. However, the Serbian’s did not accept all of the terms of the ultimatum, and Austria wanted all or nothing. This led into Austria declaring war on Serbia on July 28, 1914. The ultimatum sent to Serbia had a domino effect on all these other events that led straight into war being declared. The ultimatum is a short term cause, because no tensions were being built anymore, the effects of the ultimatum were immediate with Austria declaring war on Serbia, and now war had begun. A few more major short term causes made this war between Austria and Serbia into a “world war”. The alliance system had a lot to do with how the whole continent of Europe got involved in the war. Germany gives Austria a Blank Check. A Blank Check is an agreement saying that Germany will help Austria-Hungary however they need it, and fully support them in the war. This is a short term cause, because now Germany is involved in the war fighting on Austria-Hungary’s side. Hatred is built between Germany and the Serbians. Germany now must fight with Austria-Hungary in the war, which made the war larger. Russia has an alliance with Serbia due to the Pan-Slavism movement, so on July 30, 1914 Russia mobilizes. Mobilizing is getting your troops prepared to go to war. Russia mobilizing is an affect of the nationalistic and alliance system long term causes. This is a short term cause, because now Russia was dragged into the war and fighting on Serbia’s side. Russia was immediately involved, which makes it a short term cause. The final short term cause that involved basically all of Europe into the war was the Schleiffen Plan. The Schleiffen Plan was Germany’s plan of attack against France. The plan was to go through Belgium to France and take over France’s government. However, Belgium was guaranteed neutrality, so marching through Belgium is a violation of that guaranteed neutrality. Therefore, Great Britain defended Belgium by attacking Germany. This now brought Great Britain and France into the war. This is a short term cause, because it had immediate effects of putting Great Britain and France into the war. The Schleiffen Plan was one of the many short term causes of World War I. All of the effects of World War I are inter-related, because of the long term causes the sparks brought all of Europe into the war. The long and short term causes led Europe into a massive war, which had deep effects on the relationships between countries. The causes of World War I led into a massive outbreak of war. (essay; notes & book)

user:cfield1 By 1914, any small disturbance was bound to begin the war, and it finally came on June 28th. When Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated by Serbian nationalist and member of the Black Hand, Gavrilo Princip, Austria placed complete blame on Serbia. They sent an ultimatum, or a demand backed up by a threat should it not be completed in the set time period, demanding an end to the anti-Austrian groups and the removal of hostile officers. Once they refused the ultimatum, Austria had no choice but to declare war on Serbia. Once this first declaration of war was sent, pulling one card out of the house of cards created by the alliances, all countries became involved in full-fledged world war in about three months. Because Russia always backed up the Serbs as a result of the Panslav movement, they became involved in war with Austria-Hungary as well. Germany sent an ultimatum to Russia, and then declared war on them on August 1st. France began mobilization, or the movement of troops, because of Russia’s involvement. On August 3rd, Germany declared war on France and begin its Schlieffen Plan, which called for troops to enter the neutral Belgium. When they did not withdraw from Belgium, Britain declared war on Germany the next day. Japan, who was in an alliance with Great Britain since 1902, had to declare on Germany on August 13th. On October 29th, Turkey entered the war as well on the central powers’ side. Russia, Great Britain and France all had declared war on Turkey by November 5th. In this short period, as a result of the deep seeds that had been planted many years prior, the entire European continent and others outside of it had entered a war that would last for four years. (notes book)

user:FHSJordanP
 * II. People of World War I**
 * Woodrow Willson - 28th President of the United States that was a strong believer in the protection of liberty and democracy around the world. President Wilson's goal throughout WWI was to maintain the United State's neutrality and to not get involved in any direct way in the war. He stood by this policy for most of the war, but still indirectly supported the Allies. This indirect aid was a contributing factor to the German attack on all cargo vessels (unrestricted naval warfare). The interception of the Zimmerman note was a catalyst in the entrance of America into the war. American banks who leant money to Allied powers, pressured Wilson to go to war because if the Allies were defeated, then the debts to the American banks could not be paid. This was a large influence on the American involvement, but it was under the shadow of liberty (a propaganda postcard illustrated this). Although the publicized intent for American involvement was to protect liberty and democracy, a main reason was the protection of American assets.
 * Kaiser Wilhelm II - Wilhelm II was the German emperor and the ruler of the Prussian Kingdom from 1888 to 1918. Wilhelm was a disciplined, intelligent man that was raised in a strict household. Tutored as a boy, he learned to "keep his balance and stay on his horse." This expression has stuck with him throughout his life. Wilhelm, born from a British ruling family, was naturally impressed by the naval power of his relatives' country. His aunt was in fact the Queen of England. His fascination with the navy, and urge to build one more powerful, would later haunt his entire rule of Germany. As Wilhelm grew, his interest in becoming a powerful German officer grew with it. He joined the Germany military and quickly became a well decorated officer. Soon after, at the young age of 29, he assumed the title of Emperor of Germany. Now Wilhelm was a lone player in the ruling of Germany. Wilhelm looked up to Otto von Bismarck (the Blood and Iron Chancellor) for advice, but quickly got tired of Bismarck. This conflict grew, and eventually the two split completely, after Bismarck tried to pass an anti-socialist act under Wilhelm. Wilhelm's approach to a better Germany was not through comfort of the citizens, but through the power of Germany. Germany's army was the best in the world, but their navy was only sub-par. True to his word, Wilhelm started to make a navy larger, and more powerful than Britain's. Now what started this ambitious act? Britain's development of the Juggernaught class ship. The Juggernaught was the most powerful destroyer made, and made any other navy look weak. So Wilhelm set after another tactic, the U-Boat (or submarine). The U-Boats were almost indetectable, and were perfect tools of war. With the ability to stalk any ship without them knowing, the U-Boat could attack and sink nearly any opponent. This concentration of resources into the navy was what brought about militarism into Germany. Wilhelm started to dedicate all his resources into the development of his army and navy. His ambition to create a larger, more powerful navy than Britain's created a conflict between Wilhelm and his British relatives. This conflict created a tension between Germany and Britain, and this tension would later become a catalyst to the development of WWI.


 * Czar Nicholas II


 * Who else should we remember?

III. Fighting in World War I

user:FHSHistory10 Fighting in World War I encompassed many new elements of fighting. Some of the new weapons included the tank, the U-boat, the airplane, the radio, and machine guns. One new element of fighting was trench warfare. Trench life was very difficult. Trench warfare started as a result of the first battles on the Western Front when the Allies and the Central powers both dug in to hold their positions as each side raced to northern France to fight over the port area. (notes)

There were three types of trenches: front line, communication, and support trenches. Soldiers spent up to two to three weeks on the front line trenches where they were constantly on guard and concerned about defending the front line. Then they would cycle to spending a week or so on the support trenches. The communication trenches were used to run messages and supplies from the front lines to the support trenches. (other)


 * IV. Total War**

user:Ratna Total War is “the total mobilization of all available resources in order to render useless, if not entirely destroy, the resources of one’s enemy.” (notes) It can also be defined as “a war in which every available weapon is used and a nation's full financial resources are devoted.” (other) Some examples of targeted resources include Human Resources (i.e. civilians and any persons benefiting the war effort, cf. War of Attrition: competition to kill as many people as possible), Industrial Resources (e.g. factories producing war goods), Agricultural Resources (e.g. farmland and food supply, cf. Russian scorched earth policy), Military Resources (e.g. military bases), Technological Resources (e.g. infrastructure), and Economic/Monetary Resources. (notes) user:Emily These are a few of the examples of total war of World War I. The blockade Germany put on Great Britain's ports affected the agricultural and industrial resources by cutting off their supply lines (food, weapons, other military supplies, etc.) from the United States and other Allied nations. The German unrestricted warefare affected the human resources because it introduced the beginning of war of attrition and the idea of killing as many people possible, regardless if they were a soldier or not, without prior warning. The Battle of Marne involved human, industrial, and technological resources because the Germans fought in the city of Marne in order to destroy it completely but the citizens not involved in the war were forced to defend the city the best they could with taxi cabs, ambulances, etc. The German goal to cut off supplies and displace citizens at the Battle of Ypres also involved both human and agricultural resources by forcing French citizens to leave with nowhere to go and by attempting to capture French ports, cutting off supply lines, and eventually weakening France. Another human resource was the idea of women working in factories, industry, and other important jobs that had usually been taken by men, which contributed to the war effort.

**V. American Entrance into the War** user:Emily The overseen reason that Americans entered World War I was that the United States had been selling goods to Great Britain and France which had improved the American economy significantly. However, after Russia withdrew from the war, Germany began to focus all of its strength and troops on the eastern front. The United States banks had lent money to the French and British governments in order for them to keep up in the war with Germany. If the Allies lost, they would most likely be unable to pay the United States back after suffering from their debts to Germany. Therefore it appeared Great Britain and France were going to be defeated easily but the United States did not want this to happen, not only for their thriving industry or their friendly relationship with Great Britain because of the colonization of America, but their banks and the money that would be lost due to the Allied defeat. American banks urged President Woodrow Wilson to aid the Allies in the war to prevent their economy from suffering a significant loss of money. However the //Luistania//, German unrestricted warfare, Zimmerman Telegram, and American idealism were important factors as to why the Americans joined World War I.

user:Emily After Germany put an ad in the New York Times in the United States announcing its new unrestricted naval warfare, the United States became increasingly concerned. The idea that Germany would target any ship they suspected carried cargo or supplies for the Allies and destroy it completely without warning was very frightening and alarmed the United States when the //Lusitania//, a British passenger liner with British civilians and 128 Americans, was sunk by German u-boats. Also, German Kaiser Wilhelm II ordered his foreign minister, Zimmerman, to send a telegram to Mexico, urging them to declare war on the United States, which would force Americans to focus on their homeland and fortify troops there. Germany even promised them territory from the United States. However when the United States intercepted this telegram, they were furious. The other significant reason for American entrance into the war was the American idealism which Woodrow Wilson believed was very important. He believed that the United States needed to protect democracy around the world and Germany was threatening two of the strongest democracies in the world, Great Britain and France. America had more than enough reasons to enroll themselves in World War I against Germany.

user:FHSHistory10 There are several main turning points in World War I. The key turning points were the thwarting of the German attempt to conquer Verdun, the decision by Woodrow Wilson and the US Congress to enter the war, and the Russian Revolution. (notes)
 * VI. Turning Points of the War**

user:Tlewris More key turning points in World War I German unrestricted naval warfare- The German forces stated that they would openly fire on passenger ships who they believed to have war supplies without warning. -This was then used by the Americans as propaganda. There was an ad in the New York Times talking about this inhuman strategy which caused more and more Americans to want to join the war.

Zimmerman Note- This was when Kaiser Wilhelm II instructed Zimmerman to encourage Mexico to declare war on the United States. Germans told Mexico they will assist Mexico in any way possible if they were to enter into a war. -The Americans intercepted this note through radio transmission and used this as propaganda as well. This was one of the many leading causes why the U.S. entered the war. This proved to the Americans that Germany was a clear threat to national security and only enforced America to take action.

Russia withdrawing from the war- This was when Russia, who was in no condition to fight, withdrew from WWI in 1917 -Over the course of the war, America had been lending money and selling war goods to France and Great Britain. This was a very profitable time for America. However, once Russia withdrew from the war, this made the probability of France and Great Britain beating the central powers by themselves highly unlikely. This is important because if France and Great Britain were to lose, America would have never gotten their money back and would be in a major financial crisis. Therefore, it is important to America to aid France and Great Britain in defeating the central powers.

user:FHSamC The battle of Verdun was a major turning point because the French were able to gain momentum because they held off Germany.

user:FHSKatieD German unrestricted naval warfare was another example of a turning point in the war, because it raised the stakes, now more people were threatened. The United States enters the war due to many reasons one being that their citizens were now threatened by the Germans. When the United States enters the war their troops are all in good condition, so this turns the war around. (notes)


 * VII. Treaty of Versailles and the Fourteen Points**


====user:FHSHistory10 The Treaty of Versailles was the treaty negotiated by the British, French and Americans with the Germans to end World War I. Woodrow Wilson led the discussions for the Americans, David Lloyd George led the discussions for the British, and Georges Clemenceau led the discussions for the French. The initial armistice, or agreement to stop the fighting, occured on November 11, 1918. (notes)====

user:Tlewris 3 Examples of Total War Total War- the total mobilization of all available resources to entirely destroy or render beyond use all of the opponents resources. -German unrestricted naval war- Germans could openly fire on passenger ships who were suspected of having war supplies -People began to grow their own food because all food supplies were being sent to the war -Battle of Verdun- Falkenhein was to "bleed to French white"

Evan Manning The United States of America joined the Great War because of three main reasons. The first reason was the fact that America believed it was their duty to protect democracy in the world. America wanted to make sure that while Austria-Hungary and Germany were attacking the free countries in Europe, America would be there to back them up and make sure that they would not have to give up their freedom and writes. A second reason that America joined the war was the money its banks loaned to France and Britain. France and Britain needed extra money so they could pay for supplies and munitions for their militaries. If the Allies were to lose the war, they would have no way to pay back the U.S. banks that they borrowed from. Thirdly, the United States entered the war because the Germans claimed Unrestricted Naval Warfare. They meant that Germany had the write to destroy any ships that they thought had supplies going to the Allies in Europe. Eventually, a ship was attacked and sunk which had over 150 U.S. citizens aboard.

user:fhsAnniet During the Treaty of Versailles, the British, French, and Americans brought up fourteen points in hopes of avoiding another world war. The fourteen points were pretty much guidelines for the Germans to follow. Some examples of the main points that were discussed are: German had to get out of nuetral Belguim, the abolishment of secret alliances, free trade, no more German unrestricted warfare, and the reduction of weapons (limit arms race) to only what is needed for a country to remain safe. (notes)

user:Tlewris World War I

Throughout the late 19th and early 20th there were many causes of World War I. A few deep seeds of World War I consist of militarism and nationalism. The spread of militarism in Great Britain, Germany, and Russia led to the invention of new military advancements and weapons such as the British battleship called the Dreadnought. The Arms Race between Germany, France, Great Britain, and Russia also played an important in the advancement of military technology. The spark of World War I was the assassination of the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand by the Serbian nationalist student, Gavrilo Princip. These were all long term and short term causes, which led our world into the Great War. Throughout Europe, particularly in Great Britain, Germany, and Russia, militarism played an important role in the cause of World War I. Militarism is when the government devotes all of its resources to the military instead of to things for the people such as health care. This is when the government believes that going to war is actually beneficial for their country and they try to make it seem to the people as a “cool” thing to do. An example of militarism in Great Britain was when they increased the power of their navy by creating the Dreadnought. The Dreadnought was an advanced battleship that deeply increased the power of the British navy. Following Great Britain’s advancement in the navy, Russia engaged in a massive training in their army. This was called conscription. This form of conscription was similar to a draft, however, it forced people to join the military. The Arms Race between Germany, France, Russia, and Great Britain was an important long term cause of World War I. In 1890 Germany developed chemical engineering. This type of engineering was supposed to be for the better of the people. However, once the German’s figured out that the chemicals they were using could potentially be fatal, they began to use them for military purposes. In addition to making technological advances in military, Germany, France, Russia, and Great Britain wanted to increase their standing armies. Another long term cause of World War I was the growing nationalism throughout the European countries. Nationalism is having an extreme pride for your country. An example of nationalism was Russia attempting to use the Pan Slav movement. The Pan Slav movement was an attempt by the Russians to unite all peoples of a Russian background. This included countries such as Serbia and Bosnia. Considering the extreme nationalism in Russia, Germany, in addition, tried to unite people of a Germanic culture. Russia and Germany did this to expand their culture, increase territory, and improve their military. The most important and extreme long term cause of World War I was the German alliances and the French alliances. In Germany, Bismarck created a complex system of alliances to isolate France. There are three types of alliances, which are neutrality alliances, defensive pacts, and ententes. A neutrality alliance was agreeing to be neutral, implying that you will neither attack nor defend. A defensive pact is agreeing that you will help someone only if they are attacked, not if they attack first. An entente is an informal agreement. Germany, in its attempt to isolate France, created the Triple Alliance, which included Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy. The Triple Alliance was a defensive pact. In order to protect itself, France made the Triple Entente. This entente was made up of France, Great Britain, and Russia. This series of alliances clearly showed the differences shared between France and Germany and foreshadowed the Great War, which was to come in the future. The spark that exploded all of these deep seeds into World War I was the assassination of the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The Austro-Hungarian Empire had annexed the Balkan states of Bosnia and Herzegovina from Turkey. This angered the nationalist group called The Black Hand, consisting of many Serbians and Croats. The Black Hand then supplied a group of Serbian students with weapons to assassinate the Austrian Archduke, Franz Ferdinand. Gavrilo Princip, who was one of the students, eventually assassinated the Archduke and his wife when they were in their car stopped at a corner after inspecting a group of Austro-Hungarian troops in Bosnia. This then created chaos between Austria and Serbia, which then escalated into European countries preparing their militaries for a war. It is apparent that through the long term causes of World War I, each European country followed one another in an attempt to be the best country or to have the greatest amount of troops. Whether it was the growing military powers competing to have the most advanced technology or the extreme patriotism in their country, Europe endured constant competition and separation between countries. Under all that chaos, the final act of certainty that there was going to be a war was when the Serbian, Gavrilo Princip, assassinated Franz Ferdinand. World War I was bound to occur based upon the state of Europe in the early 20th century and had many affects upon the world.