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Several alliances were signed in the years leading up to World War I. In 1882, Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy signed an alliance, forming the Triple Alliance. Later, in 1907, Russia, France, and Britain signed an alliance, forming the Triple Entente. These alliances are what caused many countries to be involved in the war. Before joining the war, the United States was not part of any alliance.
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Because of the increased tension caused by alliances, nationalism, and imperialism, countries started to arm themselves. France and Germany doubled the sizes of their armies. Britain and Germany made battleships. All these new weapons would cause World War I to be deadly. The United States mostly started arming itself after the war had started.
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In the early 20th century, the British Empire controlled many parts of the world, while France controlled many parts of Africa. Germany wanted colonies too, so it, Britain, and France competed. The competition caused tension and rivalries between the nations. The United States also had imperialism, but it focused most of its efforts on countries in the West.
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Nationalism is the belief that one's country is superior to all others. It led to World War I because every country believed in their own supremacy. Britain and Germany both had extreme nationalism. Nationalism also inspired Slavic Serbs, who wanted independence from Austria-Hungary. The United States experienced a surge of nationalism during this period too.
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Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary and his wife were assassinated by Serbian nationalists on July 6th, 1914. The murder sparked outrage in Austria-Hungary and Germany. The assassination helped cause World War I.
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Germany pledged support for Austria-Hungary after the assassination of Franz Ferdinand because they were allies. Russia, which supported Serbia, brought its allies, Britain and France, into the war. Germany's support of Austria-Hungary is what made the war a war involving many countries.
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World War I began when Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. On July 30, 1914, Austrian warships attacked Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. Russia, France, and Belgium then started gathering their troops. In response, Germany declared war on Russia and France and invaded Belgium. Britain ordered Germany to withdraw. When Germany did not, Britain declared war on Germany. Meanwhile, the United States declared its neutrality.
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The Lusitania, a passenger ship carrying contraband, was attacked by Germany. Despite the fact that there was contraband on board, the United States was outraged. It demanded that Germany stop attacking passenger ships. The sinking of the Lusitania was one of the factors that would eventually lead to America entering the war.
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In spite of past promises, Germany resumed unrestricted submarine warfare. This angered Americans, making it one of the reasons the United States joined the war.
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The Zimmermann Telegram was a telegram from Germany to Mexico. It asked Mexico to join the war on Germany's side in exchange for American land. The telegram was the final straw for Americans, who had been preparing for war.
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On April 2, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson appeared before Congress and asked it to declare war. Four days later, the United States declared war on Germany. America impacted the war greatly by entering it because America's troops and supplies were much needed. Also, the Allies morale was low, so America joining the war provided the boost needed to keep fighting.
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On November 11, 1918, World War I was over, but its effects were devastating. Much of Europe was destroyed, and the casualties were great. More than 41 million people, civilians and soldiers, were injured or killed. The end of the war caused disillusionment for many. Americans wondered if the United States should have gotten involved. Another effect of the war was the formation of nine new countries, including Finland, Austria, Poland, Hungary, and Estonia.
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The Treaty of Versailles formally ended the war. It placed most of the blame on Germany. Germany's territory was taken away, and reparations were demanded. German people were unhappy with the treaty, and many held protests. The treaty made Germans perceive themselves as victims of harsh, humiliating "peace" terms.
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The Dawes Plan of 1924, and later the Young Plan of 1929, intended to help Germany pay its reparations. In the Dawes Plan, the United States would lend Germany money, which Germany would pay to Britain and France as reparations. Then, Britain and France could pay their debts to the United States. The plan impacted the Weimar Republic greatly. Before the republic was failing, but America's help saved it.
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During the Great Depression, millions of Americans were unemployed. Those who could find jobs were paid little. The Great Depression was caused by easy credit, bank failures, uneven distribution of wealth, and the stock market crash of 1929. On "Black Thursday", millions of stocks were sold suddenly, causing a stock market crash. The Great Depression was not just in the United States; it quickly spread around the world. It impacted politics, society, trade, and more.
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On January 30, 1933, Hitler became chancellor of Germany. His rise to power began long before that in 1919, when he joined the Nazi Party. Hitler won the support of the German people by promising to bring Germany back to prosperity and power. The United States ignored much of what was happening in Germany, hoping to avoid conflict.
