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Forming Alliances
By 1914, 6 major powers of Europe were split into 2 alliances that would start World War 1. Britain, France, and Russia formed the Triple Entente. Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy formed in the Triple Alliance. Without the countries coming together to form alliances, World War 1 would have been a short and less violent war.
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Imperialism During World War 1
For centuries, European countries have been taking over colonies throughout the world. A competition formed to take over parts of the world they agreed was not worth colonizing. Italy hated France because they stopped setting up Italian colonies. Britain and Russia were both seeking control over Persia, but were too worried that Germany would take the land. Imperialism is one of the reasons why the Great War became a World War.
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Nationalism During World War 1
Due to Nationalism, it encouraged Givrilo Princip to shoot Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Tension blew up and Nationalism had influenced the start of World War 1. Nationalism is an extreme form of loyalty or patriotism to one's country. Nationalists placed their country before any other country. Their attitudes were influenced by press reports and provocative speeches. Nationalism sparked a significant cause.
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The Beginning of Militarism
Militarism brought a lot of fear to the Great Powers of Europe. Britain had the largest navy in the world. They also had the largest Empire. Germany grew envious of Britain's strong navy. Britain and Germany increased their navy by building better warships and increasing it. This created tension and competition between the nations. Europe then reached a state of 'armed peace' in 1914.
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The Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and His Wife
On June 28, 1914, a Serbian nationalist shot down Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie. His death set off multiple events that led up to World War 1. Ferdinand and his wife were killed in Bosnia where a group of teenage peasants including Gavrilo Princip plotted to assassinate him. The killing precipitated a rapid decent into WWI.
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Germany's Blank Check to Austria- Hungary
On July 15, 1914, in Berlin, Germany's Kaiser Wilhem II pledges their support for whatever decision Austria- Hungary chooses to make in their conflict with Serbia. The rivalry was thrown into crisis due to the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife. The incident happened June 28 during an official visit to Sarajevo, Bosnia. Wilhem was furious by Franz Ferdinand's death and felt personal loss. The "Blank Check" was one of the events that led up to the outbreak of WWI. -
World War I Begins
On July 28, 1914, Austria- Hungary Declares War on Serbia. During the conflict, Austria, Germany, Bulgaria, and the Ottoman Empire fought against France, Great Britain, Russia, Italy, Romania, Japan, and the United States. Due to new military technologies and trench warfare, WWI saw unprecedented levels of destruction. WWI claimed millions of lives, but also victory for the Allied powers.
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Sinking of the Lusitania
On May 7, 1915, the 32,000 ton ship was struck by an exploding torpedo on it's side. The ship sank off the South Coast of Ireland in less than 20 minutes. The ship carried thousands of war munitions for Britain. Germany later apologized to the United States for their actions and pledged to end unrestricted submarine warfare. In November, a U-boat sunk an Italian liner without warning killing 270 people including 25 Americans.
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Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
On January 31, 1917, Germany announces the renewal of unrestricted submarine warfare in the Atlantic. German armed submarines prepare to attack every ship, including passenger carriers. A few days later, the U.S. broke relations with Germany. Hours after the United States broke away from Germany, the Housatonic ship was sunk by a Germany U-boat. Luckily, the 25 Americans survived the accident and were saved by a British steamer.
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Zimmerman Telegram
A German Minister named Arthur Zimmerman sent a telegram to Mexico declaring war on the U.S. The telegram said if the U.S. declares war on Germany, then Mexico should declare war on the U.S. to gain territory lost in the Mexican-American War.
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United States Entry Into War
On April 2,1917, President Woodrow Wilson requested a declaration of war against Germany. Shortly after Wilson went before a joint session of congress, the U.S. Senate voted in support to declare war on Germany. The house agreed two days later. On December 7, 1917, the United States declared war on Germany's ally, Austria-Hungary.
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Effects of World War 1
World War 1 was one of the deadliest wars ever known. New weapons were used such as tanks, submarines, poison, gas, and a wide range of artillery. Over 7 million men were injured and over 9 million personnel were killed in action. WWI caused a major downfall for Germany, Turkey, Austria-Hungary, and Russia. There was a dramatic change in the economical balance of the world, which left the European countries in debt. Lastly, people became more nationalistic and sparked colonial revolts.
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The Rise of Hitler
Adolf Hitler first rose to power in Germany in September 1919. Due to the conditions of the Great Depression, it provided the chance for the rise of a new leader, Adolf Hitler, and his party. Hitler was a powerful speaker who promised a better life and a new Germany. His party, which was known as the Nazi party also rose to power. In January 1933, Hitler was appointed chancellor, the head of German Government. Germans believed that they have found their savior.
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Treaty of Versailles
WWI came to an end immediately after the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919. The treaty was negotiated among the allied powers with little cooperation from Germany. The treaty had 15 different parts and 440 articles. The German Government signed the treaty which helped create boundaries for Germany. German parties attacked and terrorists assassinated several politicians. The U.S. government took no responsibility for its provisions.
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Dawes Plan and Young Plan
After WWI came to an end, debt repayment and reparations piled on top of the Allies and Germany. Under Dawes Plan, Germany's reparation payments would be reduced, slowly increasing over time. The Young Plan reduced the total amount of reparations by billions of dollars. Dawes and Young's plan helped the Weimar Republic create some form of stability.
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The Great Depression
The Great Depression lasted 10 years and was the biggest economic downfall in history. After the stock market crash of October 1929, Wall Street grew worried and wiped out millions of investors. Employment began to fail as workers were being laid off. In 1933, the Great Depression hit rock bottom leaving 15 million Americans unemployed and the country's banks were beginning to fail.
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