Becoming a World Power

The event that sparked World War I after years of increasing international tensions was the assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914. Austria blamed Serbia for the killing and mobilized troops to attack Serbia. Serbia’s alliance with Russia meant that Russia was bound to protect Serbia, so all of the Triple Entente and Central Powers mobilized to defend one another. By August 4, all of the major countries in Europe were at war.

The war soon became an intractable stalemate that was more violent than any previous war in European history. Part of this was due to the technology, which gave the advantage to the defenders and allowed them to inflict many casualties on the attacking forces. It was also because the two sides were relatively evenly matched in terms of strength, though in the long run Britain and its allies were in a better position because they controlled the seas and could starve Germany through naval blockades.

At the beginning of the war, the United States supplied goods and weapons to the Triple Entente. While neutral, the Entente was able to ship arms and supplies across the ocean, and American bankers offered enormous loans to the governments of the Entente. At the same time, Russia underwent two revolutions, the first of which removed the royal family from power in March 1917, and the second of which in November 1917 (November Revolution) brought the communists to power, who reformed the country into the Soviet Union.

Facing eventual defeat through starvation, Germany embarked on a campaign of unrestricted submarine warfare to attack enemy shipping, which put American lives at risk. This led President Woodrow Wilson to ask for a declaration of war, and in April 1917 the United States entered the war. It took time for the American army to be built up, but once troops began entering Europe in 1918, defeat was inevitable for Germany, and an armistice was signed on November 11, 1918. Wilson issued a document called the Fourteen Points that called for specific peace terms that would reduce militaries, lower trade barriers, and work to prevent future wars.

KEEP IN MIND . . .
Many Americans didn’t have strong feelings about either side in the war. Irish-Americans and German-Americans didn’t necessarily like the British Empire, but few of them wanted to fight for Germany.

Example

The United States fought against which of the following countries in World War I?

The correct answer is C. Germany was one of the countries the United States fought during World War I.