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Militarism
Militarism is a belief that a country’s military strength should be prioritized. This was the atmosphere that was built up in Europe before World War 1, and it influenced the attitudes of the countries heavily. This heavy air of militarism resulted in an arms race, and countries competed with new technologies used in weapons. Spending went through the roof. In 1913, Germany spent close to $600 million in military spending. -
Nationalism
Many countries believed in their nation’s supremacy. This is prevalent in their music, news, and culture. But, this can lead to an aggressive state. Being too proud can lead to conflicts, which is exactly what happened. Each country was convinced that they were invincible, and that they could beat anyone else in war. This was seen much in Great Britain and Germany. -
Alliances
The world war is called this because it pulled in many different countries. By 1914, the 6 main powers of Europe had already divided themselves into allied powers. There was the Triple Entente, and the Triple Alliance. Even before there was any war, Britain, France, and Russia separated into the Triple Entente, while Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy became the Triple Alliance. -
Imperialism
As one of the main powers of Europe had such a play in Imperialism, it is an important part of WW1 history. While Britain occupied about a quarter of the world, being heavily present in Africa, France also had colonies. Every country wanted to stretch out and cover as much as they could, including Russia and the United States. This fight for power and land led to rivalry, and strong competition. -
The Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and His wife, Sophie
This event is said to be the main one that sparked the beginning of the war. While on touring Sarajevo in 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie were killed by a Serbian. Austria-Hungary, as well as many other countries, blamed the Serbian government, and within a week of Austria-Hungary declaring war, the great powers of Europe split. -
Germany's Blank Check to Austria-Hungary
The “blank check” from Germany to Austria-Hungary was a promise that Germany would support Austria-Hungary in whatever action that was to make in dealing with Serbia. Many conflicts could have been avoided if this blank check was never put in place. However, the strong alliance that Germany shared with Austria-Hungary assured that that won’t happen. -
WWI Begins
World War 1 begins officially on August 4, 1914. This is the day that Britain signed up for the war, right after Germany invaded France. Even though Germany was already planning the war, and already starting it, Britain was more isolationist, and tried to convince themselves as well as others that there would be no war. Nevertheless, they could not ignore the obvious threat that was Germany. -
Sinking of the Lusitania
A little less than a year after the start of WW1, something happened that got the US thinking they should enter the war. In 1915, a German U-boat sank the Lusitania. It was a British boat, but of the 1,100 that died, more than 120 of those people were American. Even though it was not the defining moment that America would enter the war because of, it nevertheless was an important catalyst. -
Cause of US Entry into War
One of the main reasons why the United States decided to enter into World War 1 is that Germany declared unrestricted submarine warfare. For almost a year since Lusitania sank, more and more ships were destroyed, from Italy’s ships to U.S. merchant ships, and more claimed American lives. Finally, when the Senate agreed to enter, and the public were outraged, the United States entered into war on April 6, 1917. -
Zimmerman Telegram
The Zimmerman Telegram is a secret telegram from the German foreign secretary that was sent to Mexico. It proposed an alliance between them if Germany really did go to war against the U.S. If they won, Mexico was promised its lost territories. However, it was intercepted by the British, and this launched America into a state of anticipation of war. -
US Entry Into War
After the Senate and the House of Representatives voted in favor of entering WW1, the U.S. declared war on Germany. Then, it declared war on Austria-Hungary on December 7th. The effect of this decision was life-changing for the war and the world. The U.S. helped bring the 4-year war to an end. With new soldiers, American troops sent Germans back, so that they were on the defensive this time. The diplomatic part of ending the war was also heavily influenced by the U.S. -
Effects of WWI
There were many effects of World War 1: 1. The war brought change to the economy, and the U.S. triumphed, while other countries went into deep debt. 2. 16 million people died, 21 wounded, and 25 million died of an epidemic. 3. 9 new nations were formed, amongst which are Poland, Finland, and Austria. Also, many people felt the tragedy of the casualties of this war, and this allowed for evil dictators to take advantage of the people. -
Treaty of Versailles
Mainly only worked on by the Allied powers, without the signing of the U.S., it took care of all the reparations that had to be made, and pushed it onto Germany. With heavy payments to Britain and France, Germany was not able to repay the debt. The people were forced to live in poverty while their nation paid and paid and paid. This treaty created the perfect scenario for someone to come up and appeal to the people and promise freedom and glory, and that’s exactly what happened. -
Rise of Hitler Power
In the late 1910’s, Hitler rose to higher political positions in Munich. He appealed to the masses, the masses that were ashamed of their loss, masses that resented all other countries that forced peace treaty terms on them. This gave Hitler a platform on which to speak to the people. He was someone they could trust with their wishes of glory again. -
Dawes Plan and Young Plan
The Dawes and Young Plans were created to try to keep the peace between the Allies and Germany, which was tired of paying off debt. In 1922, Germany experienced hyperinflation, which launched things out of control. The rest of Europe couldn’t pay the U.S., and it was a closed circle, until a Chicago banker, Charles G. Dawes came up with a plan to reorganize payments, and also help get the Weimar Republic out of inflation. The Young Plan was also created to help with this. -
The Great Depression After the War
Many things contributed to the Great Depression. In the 1920’s, industry boomed, and the nation's wealth almost doubled. However, after reaching the stock market high in August, things went downhill quickly. Agriculture was severely struggling, and debt was widespread. Black Tuesday happened, when 16 million shares were traded, many left worthless. Half of the Banks in America failed, unemployment rates skyrocketed, and the depression reached the whole world.
