...America and the Great War World War I (WWI) or ‘The Great War’ began on 1914 and ended on 1918. The war turned into “prolonged global struggle” (Keene, Cornell & O'Donnel, 2012, p.594). It killed and wounded millions of men and cost billions of dollars. The war was between the Allies Powers and the Central Powers. It took Americans over two years to join the war. In the end of the war and under the peace settlement, Germany was required to pay reparations of war damages and give up many of its territories (Keene, Cornell & O'Donnel, 2012). Nationalism, imperialism, and militarism in Europe led to World War I. The increase in aggressive nationalism of one’s country led to the hatred of another country, which supported Europeans leaders’ aggressions towards each other. Germany wanted to become a world power like Britain and France. The rise of nationalism in German-speaking states called for unification of Germany as one nation-state. The force of nationalism led to the force of imperialism. Both France and Britain had large empires due to their imperialistic influence and their grip over trade on foreign markets. Germany was trying to become larger and stronger empire by colonizing overseas. Europeans powers were fighting for raw materials for trade, industry, and foreign markets. They began the race to acquire colonies in Africa, Asia, and the Pacific, which created more rivalry and hatred between European countries. The competition for industrial power and the need...
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...America and the Great War The Great War otherwise known as World War I was a war that began through a number of reasons. The assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand was said to be one of the primary causes of war. The European powers divided into two diplomatic blocks. Germany and Austria formed an alliance with Italy joining them in 1882 to form a “Triple Alliance” (Mulligan 2). Not wanting to become isolated France and Russia joined and formed an alliance in 1894. With common interests in Africa and Asia, Britain joined with France in 1904 and Russia in 1907. Tensions began to mount between France and Russia with regards to the Balkans, and St Petersburg and Berlin signing an agreement over their interests in Persia and the Ottoman Empire. The alliances of the nations during this time allowed for over 40 years of peace. For these European countries this was an unheard of feat. These countries had been at war for 1000’s of years with ever wanting to secure their nations security within the states. “States cooperated on issues of specific interest, irrespective of the membership of blocks.” “On the eve of war, Britain, France and Germany agreed on their spheres of influence in the declining Ottoman empire.” (Mulligan 2) These countries were instrumental in trying to resolve the increasing tensions between Austria and Russia. There are a vast array of theories that have been drawn together as to why the United States broke its neutrality and entered into the Great...
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...America and the Great War Abstract World War 1 was in the works for a long time in the European countries. Nationalism, Imperialism, and Militarism were the main factors that led to the Great War. There were so many alliances between 1879 and 1914 that there was no choice when an ally declared war. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife was a trigger for the declarations of war being set up for many years prior. America and the Great War World War One or “The Great War” was triggered by the assassination of Franz Ferdidnand on June 28th, 1914 by a Serbian Nationalist student Gavrilo Princip. Archduke Ferdidnand was to inspect the Austro-Hungarian troops in Bosnia. After the annexation of the Balkan States of Bosnia and Herzegovina from Turkey, they were taken into the Austro-Hungarian Empire. This was resented by a nationalist group that was formed by Serbians and Croatians known as the Black Hand. The group had sent students and weapons for the assassination of the Archduke to mark the national day in Bosnia. There were many causes prior to the assassination of Franz Ferdidnand. Imperialism, Nationalism, and Militarism were some of the main ones. Imperialism, or when a country takes over another country and makes it part of that country, was happening all over European countries in the Eighteen hundreds. According to Historyonthenet.com(2000-2014), by Nineteen hundred the British Empire extended over five continents and France controlled...
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...Running head: America and the Great War America and the Great War – The Back Story Don Folk DeVry University Abstract World War I began in central Europe in June 1914. A great many factors, over the course of forty years, contributed to the start of this War, including nationalism, imperialism, militarism, as well as territorial and economic conflicts amongst various European powers. The culminating factor was the assassination of the Archduke of Austria Hungary, Franz Ferdinand, and his wife Sophie, at the hands of Gavrilo Princip, a Serb. Princip became a member of Major Tankosic's Black Hand partisan academy in 1912, but health issues kept him off-duty until June 28, 1914, when he assassinated Archduke Ferdinand (Brigham, 2010). America and the Great War – The Back Story Introduction World War I, the largest war to that date, was fought all around the world and left consequences that are still felt today. Communism was born when Russia fell, Central Europe fractured into a group of disparate nations, the fall of the Ottoman Empire gave rise to the Arab nations, and Nazi Germany was born of the ashes of the defeat of Germany (Askeda, 2011). The Rise of Pan-Slavism in Eastern Europe There was great tension between Austria-Hungary and Serbia in the early twentieth century, due in large part to the Pan-Slavic movement in Eastern Europe, which would ultimately lead to World War I. Prior to acquiring national identities after World War I, most central European...
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...The Second War for Independence The War of 1812 was ultimately the second war to decide the fate of the issue of American Independence from the country of Great Britain. The President of the United States James Madison had it printed in newspaper articles saying the war was a fight to stay independent ("Image 1 of By the President of the United States of America, a proclamation. Whereas the Congress of the United States, by virtue of the constituted authority vested in them, have declared by their act ... that war exists between the United Kingdom ... and"). Also the way the treaty negotiations went after the years of war show what each side had in the front of their minds during the war ("Second War of American Independence"). The British...
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...colonies of Great Britain were rising increasingly higher as time went on in the near mid-eighteenth century. Taxes on legal documents were placed directly on the colonists without representation in the Stamp Act, which resulted almost immediately in an outcry of protest and rebellion. The Stamp Act Congress was created to express the colonists grievances and Sons and Daughters of Liberty rose up in protests, continually pushing harder for independence from Great Britain. Protests grew rampant in many places throughout the colonies and one protest even led to the killing of five protesters after shots were fired into the crowd. These events led to the Boston Tea Party and the resulting Coercive Acts as punishment, further leading to the colonial alliance and the American colonies creating a separate and new identity in independence. While many colonial-American traditions and cultures stayed intact,...
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...Enter the First World War? There are a wide variety of theories as to why the United States entered the so-called Great War, and many have intriguing background information, making them believable. Take an example, such as sea warfare. One cause that may have triggered America's entrance into World War I was that they were being attacked, despite their attempted neutrality in the ordeal. Another possibility could have been America's Anti-German sentiment, or even their historical ties to Britain. Nonetheless, whether it was any of the subsequent reasons or not, the U.S. was enticed to join and fight out the war. 1. Pre-War Long before the mere idea of large-scale wars spanning throughout the world, George Washington said this: "...'Tis our true policy to steer clear of permanent Alliances, with any portion of the foreign World..." With this, Washington was declaring that America might have wanted to run on a policy of isolationism, because it would stop them from ending up fighting in a war such as the First World War. Americans managed to keep this mindset for around one hundred years. However, nearing the end of this century of isolationism, a feeling of Jingoism came out in some Americans. At this point in time, Americans had expanded "from sea to shining sea" and even a little more. For many, this vast amount of land was enough. On the other hand, Jingoists wanted more. They may have even been willing to fight for more land, and the current war that was taking place...
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...The French and Indian War, the American Revolution, and the War of 1812 Cesar Zapata United States History I (HIS101) Fiona Mani September 19, 2014 The French and Indian War, the American Revolution, and the War of 1812 The foundation and formation of the United States as we know it today is in great part due to three wars, the French and Indian War, the American Revolution, and the War of 1812. Each war involved Great Britain as one of the major combatants against English Colonists, French Colonies, and the United States from the beginning of the French and Indian War in 1754 to the end of the War of 1812 in 1815. Military strategies and involvement greatly contributed to the victory of some and the loss of others through the wars that changed the nation. The French and Indian War (1756)...
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...How the French and Indian War Helped Cause the American Revolutionary War The French and Indian war was one of the biggest contributing factors to the American Revolutionary War. How, one might ask? It provided us with the needed moral and spirit to have feelings of resentment against the British. It gave us the needed circumstances to take action against Great Britain, and gave us our greatest ally in the Revolutionary War against what was considered the most powerful empire at the time. Without these factors, among others, it is very possible that America could have lost the war against the British. The first reason is that, The British’s debt from the French and Indian War caused the British to start paying closer attention to the American Colonies, or more accurately they started to pay attention to the American colonies’ taxable resources. Before the war Great Britain hardly payed any attention to the American colonies, but with the debt of the war greatly...
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...War of 1812 A war that defined North America The war of 1812, a war between the United States and Great Britain allies(United Kingdom and The Canadas ), lasted for two and a half years(1812-1815). It was a story similar to rags to riches, how the developing young nation United states had proved that its not an underdog any more opposing the then super power Great Britain, the greatest naval power of the world. It was a story that tells us why the ‘Father of U.S constitution’ James Madison is remembered for something else as well. It was a story that tells how a country earned respect and why winning is not everything and loosing is not the end. It tells us a story of how the not-so-popular Canada has fought for its independence. After all, it is not a story at all. The U.S army suffered many terrible loses in the war which includes the capture and burning of their nation’s capital Washington D.C, but not before giving up a tough fight and repulsing the British forces in New York, Baltimore and New Orleans. Though the war ended with many unsolved questions even after signing Treaty of Ghent, it is celebrated as a “second war of Independence” in United States. Cause of the war: The reasons behind a war can never be known to anyone accurately except the one who started it. Historians tried to find the complex reasons and multiple factors behind the decision of war. Out of the few immediate...
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...The War of 1812 causes and consequences were Britain arming the Native Americans with weapons but the reason for this is because America was in the process of developing so they kept pushing the Native towards West. Native Americans resistance started to weaken from joining British war which conflicted with the Americans. The British imprisoned American sailors to work for them in their navy by kidnapping them from Americans ship. Also, Britain placed a blockade on France because America and France needed to get through Britain in order to trade amongst each other. But for their actions there is always a reaction, the USS Constitution defeated British ship on the 19th of August in 1812. America's Commodore, Oliver Hazard Perry, lead the...
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...The United States went through a major transformation between the period starting with World War II and ending in the 1970’s. Two major turning points that changed America as well as the entire world forever were the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the moon landing of Apollo II in 1969. On August 6th, 1945, the first atomic bomb was dropped on the Japanese industrial city of Hiroshima. The intent of President Harry Truman was simple: He wanted to end the war, end it decisively and end it without a large amount of American casualties. It was determined by the President and his military commanders that a full-blown ground invasion of Japan could risk the loss of up to one million American lives. The atomic bomb, however, could bring the war to a swift end with minimal loss of American life. After the first bomb, nicknamed “Little Boy” was dropped, Japan refused to surrender. Three days later, America dropped the second atomic bomb, “Fat Man” on the city of Nagasaki. The following day, Japan offered its surrender to the Unites States. These bombings had both positive and negative effects within the United States and abroad. On one hand, the American allies saved many lives by avoiding a full blown ground invasion of Japan. They also sent a message to the international community that they had the firepower necessary to defend or destroy. They also had the scientific knowledge to create a weapon of mass destruction. Internationally, the killings...
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...Jamie Johnson War through the 1970’s History 105 Professor Nowak Strayer University June 2, 2013, 2013 The United States went through a major transformation between the period starting with World War II and ending in the 1970’s. Two major turning points that changed America as well as the entire world forever were the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the moon landing of Apollo II in 1969. On August 6th, 1945, the first atomic bomb was dropped on the Japanese industrial city of Hiroshima. The intent of President Harry Truman was simple: He wanted to end the war, end it decisively and end it without a large amount of American casualties. It was determined by the President and his military commanders that a full blown ground invasion of Japan could risk the loss of up to one million American lives. The atomic bomb, however, could bring the war to a swift end with minimal loss of American life. After the first bomb, nicknamed “Little Boy” was dropped, Japan refused to surrender. Three days later, America dropped the second atomic bomb, “Fat Man” on the city of Nagasaki. The following day, Japan offered its surrender to the Unites States. These bombings had both positive and negative effects within the United States and abroad. On one hand, the American allies saved many lives by avoiding a full blown ground invasion of Japan. They also sent a message to the international...
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...States and Great Britain to get very close to war during the first year of the American civil war. Even though war seemed very possible America and Britain avoided it and through that gained more confidence with each other and in each other. The confederate President, Jefferson Davis, sent James Mason of Virginia as minister to Britain and John Slidell of Louisiana to minister to France, seeking support against the north. Trying to avoid the union blockade, the southerners reached Cuba, where they boarded a british mail steamer, the Trent for passage across the Atlantic ocean. On November 8, 1861, captain James of the USS San Jacinto halted the Trent 300 miles east of Havana with two shots across...
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...World War I The Crisis That Shaped The 20th Century Stephanie Deprey US History Week 7 World War I was one of the biggest events that shaped the 20th century. Also known as the Great War raged from the summer of 1914 to November 1918. It was a very complicated time and occurred due to many different reasons and spanned over many different nations. There were also some very big effects on the world during and after the war that not only stunned America, but the whole global economy. This was only the start however of many huge conflicts to follow and still continue with world fighting to this day. One factor leading to World War I was fear. Everyone was afraid of everyone else in regards to power and what each would do with that power. Another interesting factor was cultural malaise leading to a feeling that there was something wrong with society and that war would be the way to purge society of its poisons. Perhaps, per this cultural malaise, war was inevitable. Decisions were made with great speed, without proper time for reflection. Perhaps some of the most fateful errors were caused by nothing more complex than lack of sleep. Although these are some interesting points and a good start to look at, there are still some more complex causes leading to war. By the beginning of the 20th century, nationalism had become the dominant emotional bond providing Europeans with a sense of community, tradition, a set of moral standards, and a motivation for political activity...
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