UNIT 2 NOTES - UNIT TWO NOTES World War I Drews Hist 2112...

UNIT TWO NOTES
World War I Drews – Hist 2112 –
1/30/2013
World War I
The Great War
– Great in regards to the great number of countries involved
The War to End All Wars
Woodrow Wilson and the World
• Wanted to focus domestically
– And he did focus domestically until 1916
– Isolationist foreign policy
– Wilson had a great distaste for war
• “America was too proud to fight”
• Foreign meant “The Americas”
– Monroe Doctrine/ Roosevelt Corollary
• Do not mess with the Americas
– Nicaragua, Haiti and Dominican Republic
– Mexico
• Victoriano Huerta seized power
• He was a dictator
• US didn’t like him  US forced him into exile
• Poor people felt the U. S. had betrayed the goals of the revolt
• Huerta was actually helping poor people
• Pancho Villa led rebel army attacking US interests
• Remember him!!!
• He attacked US businesses along the US border
• Wilson sent in 12,000 troops
• A big number of troops for that period in time
• Purpose  Find and stop Pancho Villa
• One of the most important triggers in involving US in WWI
• The European Crisis
– Wilson as not able to avoid the gathering storm in Europe
– Germany defeated France in 1871 war
• Long standing hostility between the Prussian Empire (Germany)
and France
– Annexed French provinces of Alsace and Lorraine
• Alsace and Lorraine  spoke French, but mostly German customs
– Created tensions between the two European powers
– Germany wanted respect for its boundaries and wanted colonies to fuel its
economy
• And also wanted the Alsace and Lorraine territory back!
• Prussia was greatly focused on Europe and saw their empire as
being in Europe
• Austria – Hungary greatly allied with Germany (Prussia)

• Nationalism Threatened Austria - Hungary
– Sarajevo
– Serbia
• Serbs were concerned that the growing empire would take over
them
– Faced Independence movements
– Serbian Assassinated Austrian Heir to Throne in Sarajevo
• Assassinated Archduke Ferdinand
• Austria – Hungary Declared War on Serbia
– Serbia Allied with Russia
– Russia Allied with France
– France Allied with Great Britain
– Austria-Hungary Allied with Germany
– Germans Allied with Ottoman Turks against Russia
– Chain Reaction as each ally starts to declare war on one another
– Secret Treaties between Allies Guaranteed Selfish Gaines in Expected
Wars with Neighbors
• In addition to known treaties, a lot of secret treaties came about
• Mobilization
– Great Powers had practiced Mobilization drills using Railways.
– Germany was Fastest in drills
– Russia was Slowest in drills
– Germany invaded neutral Belgium to attack France
• Belgium was a neutral country
• Took over Belgium
– Expected to take out France quickly and add it all to its empire
• Would then focus on Russia
– Did Not Expect Resulting Stalemate in Trench Warfare
• Trench warfare  not much movement, everyone just kept
shooting at each other
•