The Great War

America’s involvement
Unit Topic: 1900-1950’s
Class World History
Grade 10
Ms. Jarnagin
Objectives
• Objectives of this lecture is for students to
understand and analyze why the United States got
involved in World War I.
• This aligns with California Content Standard 10.5 by
having students analyze the content and course of
the first world war by Analyzing the arguments for
entering into war presented by leaders from all sides
of the Great War and the role of political and
economic rivalries, ethnic and ideological conflicts,
domestic discontent and disorder, and propaganda
and nationalism in mobilizing the civilian
population in support of “total war.”
Educational hook
• What If the united states never got involved in
the first world war?
• What does a world war entail?
• When was Word War I?
Hint*get those interactive worksheets out and
start filling them out*
 How did WWI begin?
M.A.N.I.A.
• Long term causes:
• 1. Militarism
• 2. Alliance system
• 3. Imperialism
• 4. Nationalism
Short Term
• 5. Assassination
Summary
• 1914-1918
• The first war of its kind, 32 countries involved
War is declared
Austria Serbia

The alliances get involved

Russia, France
Germany
Britain, and Belgium

Later declarations
Later allies Japan, Italy, and United States
 Isolationism
 America was isolationist
 “Why should I get
involved in someone
else’s problems?”

“The Great Wall” (1914)

• The Monroe Doctrine (1823) sought to isolate “the

American continents” from European influences and
problems.
 What would you do?
• Is isolationism really an option for a country as
powerful as the United States?
• What are the advantages & disadvantages of
isolationism?
• Weigh the options with....MONEY!
US exports to both sides
Nations 1914 1915 1916
Britain $594,271,863 $911,794,954 $1,526,685,102
France $159,818,924 $364,397,170 $628,851,988
Germany $344,794,276 $28,863,354 $288,899
Persuasion
Blockades
• Germany threatened American involvement
• Britain stopped all German ships

Unrestricted Submarine Warfare

• Germany declared in war zones
• Resulted in innocent lives lost

Zimmerman Letter
• Germany conspiring to get Mexico involved
• intercepted
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Blockades
•Germany told Americans to stay off British ships, and they could and
would sink them.
• Germany torpedoed the Lusitania, sinking it with 1200 passengers and
crew (including 128 Americans).

The New York Times

reports on the Lusitania’s
sinking.

America criticized Germany, led to an agreement to never sink passenger ships.

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Unlimited Submarine Warfare

•In 1917, Germany

announced
“unlimited
submarine
warfare” in
the war zone.
•Resulted in the
sinking of four
unarmed American
ships
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Zimmerman Note
• The U.S. intercepted a note from Germany to Mexico.

•It promised to give Texas,

New Mexico, Arizona back
to Mexico in return for an
alliance and attacking
the United States in order
to keep them out of
Europe.

The decoded Zimmerman Telegram

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What did it take to get the U.S. involved?

Unrestricted sub
warfare

1917 U.S.
blockades
declares Zimmerman
letter

war

Strong
cultural and
economic ties
to Britain &
France
 Convincing the
American People via
Propaganda

13
 Thinking Time!
Recalling the recent events, your country just declared war on the central powers.
•Are you for it or against it?
•how are the propaganda posters influencing you?
 Convincing the American People
via Idealism
1. Wilson had to convince
America that this would be
the “War to End All Wars”
and that beating the Germans
and its allies would make the
world safe for democracy.

15
How was the war looking for
the allies?
• Russia left the war after its communist revolution in
1917
• Russia’s withdrawal allowed Germany to fight a one-
front war with all its troops concentrated on France
•Overall the Alias were in pretty bad shape when the
United States got involved.
•Troops, supplies, and moral was low ( remember the
war had been raging for 3 years already, when it was
believed to be short)

16
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The U.S. involvement in Europe

• The U.S.
provided the
food,
funding, and
fresh troops
needed to
win the war.
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U.S. involvement in America

•Women and African Americans
filled factory jobs as men left to the
battle fronts
•Women’s war effort helped bring
about passage of the 19th
Amendment after the war giving
women the right to vote.
•Black soldiers still served in
segregated units.

•Hatred of all things German spread across the U.S. For example “Hamburgers” &
“sauerkraut” were renamed “Freedom Sandwiches” &“Liberty Cabbage.”
•The Espionage Act 1917 and the Sedition Act of 1918 punished those against the war,
many of whom were labor leaders.
Cumulating activity
• Fill in your visual organizer!