World War I Essay, Research Paper

The first World War did non merely go on overnight, it had been constructing up for old ages. One long term cause was Nationalism. Strong competition had developed among France, Britain, Russia, Austria-Hungary, and Germany, particularly after the fusion of Germany, under Bismark, in 1871. There was besides uneasiness within states. For illustration, the Czechsand Slovaks wanted to be free from Austro-Hungarian control. Imperialism besides lead to WorldWar I. Many states were in heavy competition for settlements and markets through out the universe. For case, France and Germany fought over Morocco, and several other topographic points were the targetfor imperialism, the Balkans, Africa and the Middle East. An confederation system had developed andcause clash between the two groups. The system was made in an attempt to hold a balance ofpower. The two groups of states were organized of the states who had common enemies. Basically, an enemy of my enemy is my friend. One group was the Ternary Alliance, whichconsisted of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy. The other group was the Triple Entente, which was made up of France, Russia, and Great Britain. ( and would subsequently include the UnitedStates. ) Militarism had its consequence on the eruption of war besides. Militaries grew invariably in the1900s, which lead to a feeling of high quality and fright in other states. Germany, for illustration, tripled naval building in order to dispute Britain s control of the seas. With all this goingon in the universe, it was merely a affair of clip before something happened. All these long term causes needed was a flicker to direct them over the border and into war. That flicker happened on June 28, 1914. In Bosnia, Archduke Francis Ferdinand was assassinatedby a immature patriot. The immature adult male belonged to a group that wanted Bosnia to be joined withthe independent state of Serbia. Few thought this act could get down a universe war, but it was thestraw that broke the camels back. ( clich I know.. ) During this clip the United States stayed impersonal, following Wilson s Moral Diplomacy. Believing that international differences should be solved throug

h dialogue instead than force.

There were many grounds the United States entered the war, one of them was cultural links. Which meant that few Americans were genuinely impersonal. Since America is a runing pot, many feltbounds to the state of their beginning. Economic ties did non maintain us impersonal either. Americansfeared that if Germany won the war, loans that had been made to the Allies would ne’er berepaid. And, a British encirclement of the North Sea ended American exports to Germany, whichdropped in value from about $ 345 million in 1914 to $ 29 million in 1916. Propaganda wasinfluential besides, the Alliess portrayed the war as one of civilized, democratic states against thebarbaric monarchy of Germany. A major ground America entered the war was for freedom of the seas. German U-boatsinterfered with non-war related trade which violated neutrality rights and took many Americanlives. When a German pigboat sank the British rider line drive Lusitania in 1915, almost1200 people died, including 128 Americans. In 1916, the Germans sunk the Sussex, a Frenchvessel, which injured several Americans. Wilson threatened to interrupt diplomatic dealingss withGermany, which led to the Sussex Pledge. Which stated that Germany would no longer sinkpassenger or merchant ships without warning ; and would no longer go against international jurisprudence withtheir encirclement. Wilson accepted the first portion of the pledge but ignored the 2nd. By 1917, there was much ill will toward Germany. Germany supported absolutism, which the UnitedStates are against. they violated Belgium s neutrality, they pay unrestricted pigboat warfare, they attempted to undermine American industry and they attempted to set Mexico against theUnited States through the Zimmerman Note. The non was from German foreign secretary, Arthur Zimmerman, and sent to the German curate in Mexico, on March 1, 1917. The noteencouraged a German military confederation with the Mexicans, assuring them support in regainingtheir lost districts in the southwesterly United States. In April 1917, Wilson asked congressto declare war on Germany, and the United States became a portion of the Allies.