Causes of WWI in Europe
It was originally known as the Great War and the war to end all wars. How did a war of this magnitude begin?
Causes of WWI Maps
“When the war (WWI) finally ended it was necessary for both sides to maintain, indeed even to inflate, the myth of sacrifice so that the whole affair would not be seen for what it was: a meaningless waste of millions of lives. Logically, if the flower of youth had been cut down in Flanders, the survivors were not the flower: the dead were superior to the traumatized living. In this way, the virtual destruction of a generation further increased the distance between the old and the young, between the official and the unofficial.” ― Robert Hughes, The Shock of the New
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US Neutrality
The war broke out in Europe in 1914, but the United States does not enter until 1917. Why did they stay out of this war for so long?
"The effect of the war upon the United States will depend upon what American citizens say and do." - Pres. Woodrow Wilson
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Trench Warfare
This was a major reason that the United States did not get involved in World War One initially. After reading about this style of warfare and seeing the images...would you?
Trench Warfare Images
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United States enters World War One
There were many factors that drew the United States into World War One. Do you, however, think that the United States was justified in entering the Great War? Use the resources below to help make your decision.
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WWI Propaganda
Wilson's 14 Points and the Treaty of Versailles
The United States involvement in World War One helped to break the stalemate in Europe. The overpowering numbers provided by the United States, as well as its booming economy proved to be the difference. The world now stood and watched as the terms for the treaty would be decided. This proved to be an exercise in failure. It showed the world how NOT to conclude a war of this magnitude.
“We are told that this treaty means peace. Even so, I would not pay the price. Would you purchase peace at the cost of your independence?”
- Senator William E. Borah, Idaho
- Senator William E. Borah, Idaho
Treaty of Versailles Cartoons
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“The question before us is whether the League that has been drafted by the Commission of the Peace Conference and laid before us is will it secure the peace of the world as it stands, and whether it is just and fair to the United States of America. That is the question and I want to bring it to the test. Wars between nations come from contacts. A nation with which we have no contact is a nation with which we should never fight... In this scheme for a League now before us we create a number of new contact, a number of new relations, which we have not undertaken before to create.”
- Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, Massachusetts
- Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, Massachusetts