World War I Begins

1. What are the four main causes of World War I? Give an example for each as to why it was a cause.

a. Nationalism- Many ethnic groups had bitter rivalies with eachother and wanted their own independent nation.

b. Imperialism- With many countries competeing for colonies with eachother, tentions were running high in Europ.

c. Militarism- World Powers began to spend alot more money on the military in order to become stronger incase of war.

d. Alliance system- The Europien nations made alliances with eachother agreeing to back eachother if war broke out, and when Hungry declared war on Siberia, a chain reaction caused all of Europe to become involved.

2. How did the June 1914 assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand become the spark for WWI?

Hungery had wanted to go to war with Syberia because of their geographical location, a prime peninsula for shipping, and the assination by a Siberian was a perfect opprunity to declare war. Gremany eagerly backed the war effort as well, because they had intrests that a takeover of the peninsula would serve.

3. What happened within the first few months of fighting?

The Alliance System caused every major Europien power to become involved in the fighting.

4. Generally, why did the United States want to stay out of the war?

The war did not threaten US lives or property.

5. Specifically, Why did the following groups of Americans tend to oppose U.S. participation in the war? Naturalized citizens; socialists; pacifists; parents.


a. Naturalized citizens- They had divided loyalities depending on their land of desent.

b. socialists- They saw it as an imperialists war.

c. pacifists- they are against all types of war.

d. parents- they did not want their children to be killed.

6. How did Germany respond to the British naval blockade of Germany’s ports? What was the U.S. response?

Gremany Sunk any Allied boats it found, and in one instance killed innocent Americans. The US did nothing.

7. What forced the United States into the war?

Germany was gaining too much power and not allowing world peace.