World War I: Alliances, Warfare, and US Entry

Alliances before World War I

• The Triple Alliance in 1882 consisted of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy, although Italy later switched sides.
• The Triple Entente in 1907 was made up of France, Russia, and Britain.

Trigger of World War I

• The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip on June 28, 1914, led to Austria-Hungary declaring war on Serbia.
• Russia backed Serbia, Germany supported Austria-Hungary, and subsequently, France and Britain joined, escalating the conflict into World War I.

Trench Warfare

• Trench warfare led to stalemates due to the creation of protective trenches on both sides.
• Machine guns, artillery, and poison gas led to massive casualties.
• Battles such as Verdun and the Somme resulted in significant losses with minimal territorial gains.

Reasons for U.S. Entry into WWI

• Unrestricted submarine warfare, such as the sinking of the Lusitania, played a role.
• The Zimmerman Telegram, in which Germany encouraged Mexico to attack the U.S., was a factor.
• The economic ties with Allied nations, particularly the loans from U.S. banks to Britain and France, influenced U.S. involvement.

Propaganda

• Propaganda encouraged enlistment through posters and films.
• It demonized Germany by portraying them as ruthless.
• It promoted war bonds and overall support for the war effort.

Lenin and the Bolshevik Revolution

• Vladimir Lenin and the Bolsheviks overthrew the Provisional Government in 1917.
• Russia withdrew from WWI after signing the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk.
• A one-party communist state was established, eventually leading to the Soviet Union.

Wilson’s Fourteen Points

• Self-determination for nations was a key objective.
• Freedom of the seas and trade was advocated.
• A League of Nations was proposed to prevent future wars.

Failure of the League of Nations

• The U.S. never joined because the Senate rejected the idea.
• There was no military force to enforce decisions.
• The organization responded ineffectively to aggressors such as Japan, Italy, and Germany.

Atatürk’s Reforms in Turkey

• The government was secularized through the abolishment of the caliphate.
• Laws and clothing were Westernized, with European laws replacing Islamic courts.
• Women were given rights, including the right to vote.

Sykes-Picot Agreement

• Britain and France secretly divided Ottoman lands into spheres of influence.
• Artificial borders were created, leading to future conflicts.

Balfour Declaration

• Britain supported a Jewish homeland in Palestine, leading to tensions between Jewish and Arab populations.

Good Neighbor Policy

• U.S. military interventions in Latin America ended.
• Instead of force, there was a focus on economic cooperation.

Fascism vs. Communism

• Fascism is nationalist, supports private business, and is authoritarian.
• Communism seeks a classless society with no private property and a state-run economy.

Mussolini and Hitler

• Mussolini promised to restore Roman glory to gain power.
• Hitler blamed Jews and the Treaty of Versailles for Germany’s issues.

The Great Depression and Totalitarian Regimes

• Economic instability made people desperate for strong leaders.
• Germany and Italy turned to fascists, while Russia strengthened communism.

Nazi Control

• Propaganda and censorship were used to control the media.
• The Gestapo (secret police) eliminated opposition.
• Youth indoctrination was carried out through the Hitler Youth program.

Nuremberg Laws

• Stripped Jews of citizenship and the right to marry non-Jews.

Spanish Civil War

• Served as a testing ground for Nazi and fascist tactics, such as bombing and Blitzkrieg.

Munich Conference

• Britain and France appeased Hitler by allowing him to take Sudetenland (Czechoslovakia) to avoid war.

The Holocaust

• The mass genocide of 6 million Jews.
• Concentration camps like Auschwitz and Treblinka were used for mass executions.

Pearl Harbor

• On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked the U.S. Pacific fleet.
• The U.S. declared war on Japan, entering WWII.

Women's Contributions

• Soviet women fought as snipers, pilots, and soldiers.
• U.S. women worked in factories (as symbolized by "Rosie the Riveter") and served as nurses, and in various military roles.

African-American Soldiers

• Served in segregated units, such as the Tuskegee Airmen.
• Often assigned to non-combat roles.

D-Day

• On June 6, 1944, Allied forces invaded Normandy, France.
• It marked a turning point against Germany in Western Europe.

Japanese-American Internment

• Japanese-Americans were forced into internment camps, including U.S. citizens (about 120,000 people).