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Militarism
Countries, including the United States, became increasingly militarized as a result of imperialism and other wars, leading to an arms race. This guaranteed that a world war would be catastrophic. -
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Imperialism
In addition to increased militarism, imperialism helped to create very powerful countries. The colonies that countries captured provided them with vital resources, especially for war and industialization. Despite its condemnation of imperialism, the US participated in a somewhat low-key way. -
Alliances
Both the Central Powers (Originally Germany and Austria-Hungary (October 7, 1879), and later Bulgaria (September 6, 1915) and the Ottoman Empire (August 2, 1914)) and the Allied Powers (mainly Great Britain, France, and Russia) were formed to fight in World War I. The United States was not directly a part of an alliance until they officially entered the war in 1917. -
Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand
Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, were assassinated in Sarajevo, Bosnia, on June 28, 1914. This event led to World War I, exactly one month later. -
Germany's Blank Check
Kaiser Wilhelm II promised Count Leopold von Berchtold, the Austro-Hungarian Foreign Minister, that Germany would support whatever decision Austria-Hungary made with regard to Serbia after the assassination of the Archduke. This is a main reason why Germany was blamed for World War I. -
World War I Begins
World War I began on July 28, 1914, with Austria-Hungary declaring war on Serbia. One week later, the sides were lined up as thus: Russia, Belgium, France, Great Britain, and Serbia on one side and Austria-Hungary and Germany on the other. The war was devastating for many of the countries involved. -
Sinking of the Lusitania
The Lusitania, a passenger ship that was secretly carrying contraband for the British, was attacked by a German U-boat. Almost three-fifths of the passengers died, including 114 Americans. This was a major event that led to the United States entering World War I in 1917. -
Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
Unrestricted submarine warfare by Germany was first used in 1915 but ceased after the sinking of the Lusitania. The policy began again shortly before the US entered the war in April. -
Zimmerman Telegram
The Zimmerman Telegram was a telegram from Germany offering US territory to Mexico in return for joining Germany in the war. It was deciphered by the British in January, presented to President Wilson on February 24, and became public on March 1. It angered the American people and pushed the US further toward war. -
US Enters World War I
A policy of conscription was adopted by the US to provide troops to fight in France. The United States' entrance into the war kept Great Britain and the other Allies from bankruptcy from purchasing supplies. They were spending far too much on supplies and weapons from the US. -
Effects of World War I
Over the course of the war, there were +9 million military deaths, 5 million civilian casualties, and $3 billion in costs. The Treaty of Versailles created 9 new countries (Finland, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Poland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia) and created a sense of false security among the Allies. Overall, the US was not affected by the war as much as other countries were. -
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles blamed Germany for World War I, took away territory, demanded reparations, demilitarized Germany, and created a "Carthaginian peace". This discouraged and demoralized the German people. This led to the people relying on a charismatic leader, Hitler. -
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Dawes and Young Plans
The Dawes Plan and subsequent Young Plan was created to solve the issues surrounding German reparations. The Weimar Republic of Germany was incapable of paying what was required by the Treaty of Versailles. The Plans intentions were to restructure the Weimar economy. -
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Rise of Hitler
Because of the German people's desperation to no longer be the scapegoats, the listened to and often supported Hitler's idealistic political and economic plan for Germany. As with much of the other Allied countries, the United States pretty much ignored Hitler's rise in the German government because they didn't want to push toward war. -
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The Great Depression
Easy credit, uneven distribution of wealth, and the aftermath of the stock market crash on October 29th all led to the Great Depression. The event first began in the United States, but because of the newly interconnected economies of separate countries, the Depression quickly spread around the world.
