Imperial rivalries led to World War I between the Allied powers and Central powers from 1914-1918. Over 10 million soldiers were killed. In 1915, a German U-boat sank the British passenger ship Lusitania, killing over 1,000 people including 128 Americans and bringing the US closer to entering the war. At the 1919 Treaty of Versailles, Woodrow Wilson, David Lloyd George, Vittorio Orlando, and Georges Clemenceau negotiated the peace agreement to end World War I.

1. Presented
Qudrat ullah (ICUP) political science

2. Blueprint Skill
Explain the causes of the World War I.
15th Infantry Regiment New York National Guard
Here are African American soldiers from the 15th Infantry
Regiment of the New York National Guard in France during
World War I.

3. World War I (1914–1918)
Imperial, territorial, and economic rivalries led to the
“Great War” between the Central Powers (Austria-
Hungary, Germany, Bulgaria, and Turkey) and the
Allies (U.S., Britain, France, Russia, Belgium, Serbia,
Greece, Romania, Montenegro, Portugal, Italy, and
Japan). About 10 million combatants killed, 20 million
wounded.

4. The war Begins
Austrian Archduke Francis Ferdinand and wife
assassinated in Sarajevo by Serbian nationalist, Gavrilo
Princip (June 28). Austria declares war on Serbia (July
28). Germany declares war on Russia (Aug. 1), on France
(Aug. 3), invades Belgium (Aug. 4). Britain declares war
on Germany (Aug. 4). Germans defeat Russians in Battle
of Tannenberg on Eastern Front (Aug.). First Battle of the
Marne (Sept.). German drive stopped 25 miles from Paris.
By end of year, war on the Western Front is “positional” in
the trenches.

5. 1915
German submarine blockade of Great Britain begins
(Feb.). Dardanelles Campaign—British land in Turkey
(April), withdraw from Gallipoli (Dec.–Jan. 1916).
Germans use gas at second Battle of Ypres (April–May).
Lusitania sunk by German submarine—1,198 lost, including
128 Americans (May 7). On Eastern Front, German and
Austrian “great offensive” conquers all of Poland and
Lithuania; Russians lose 1 million men (by Sept. 6). “Great
Fall Offensive” by Allies results in little change from 1914
(Sept.–Oct.). Britain and France declare war on Bulgaria
(Oct. 14).

6. May 17, 1915
May 7, 1915 brought the United States into World War I. A
German submarine sank the British ocean liner Lusitania
off the coast of Ireland. More than 1,000 passengers were
killed, including 128 Americans. The people of the United
States were shocked! Wilson did not declare war, but
instead asked Germany for an apology, for damages to be
paid, and for a promise not to attack any more passenger
ships. Italy then entered the war for the Allies and
attacked Austria-Hungary from the south.

7. Sinking the Lusitania: 1915
In February, 1915, the German government
announced an unrestricted warfare campaign.
This meant that any ship taking goods to Allied
countries was in danger of being attacked. This
broke international agreements that stated
commanders who suspected that a non-military
vessel was carrying war materials, had to stop and
search it, rather than do anything that would
endanger the lives of the occupants.

8. Sinking the Lusitania: 1915 cont.
The Lusitania, was at 32,000 tons, the largest
passenger vessel on transatlantic service, left New
York harbour for Liverpool on 1st May, 1915. It was
750ft long, weighed 32,500 tons and was capable of 26
knots. On this journey the ship carried 1,257
passengers and 650 crew.

9. Sinking the Lusitania: 1915 cont.
At 1.20pm on 7th May 1915, the U-20, only ten miles from
the coast of Ireland, surfaced to recharge her batteries.
Soon afterwards Captain Schwieger, the commander of the
German U-Boat, observed the Lusitania in the distance.
Schwieger gave the order to advance on the liner. The U20
had been at sea for seven days and had already sunk two
liners and only had two torpedoes left. He fired the first
one from a distance of 700 metres. Watching through his
periscope it soon became clear that the Lusitania was
going down and so he decided against using his second
torpedo.

10. Sinking the Lusitania: 1915 cont.
After a second, larger
explosion, the
Lusitania rolled over
and sank in eighteen
minutes. A total of
1,198 people died (785
passengers and 413
crew). Those killed
included 128 US
citizens.

11. "The World In Shambles"
"It is a fearful thing to lead this great peaceful
people into war.... but the right is more precious
than peace, and we shall fight for the things which
we have always carried nearest our hearts."

Woodrow Wilson

12. Important Strategies of World War I
Alliances
Two powerful groups called alliances were created.
The Central Powers were led by Germany, Austria-
Hungary, and Turkey. Many Americans who had
come from Germany favored the Central Powers. The
Allied Powers were led by Great Britain, France and
Russia. Those who had come from Great Britain
rooted for the Allies.

13. Neutrality
Neutrality was the stance taken by the majority of
Americans towards the war. They felt that Europe was
too far away and that its conflicts were not
trustworthy. President Wilson also believed that all
Americans needed to "act and speak in a spirit of
neutrality."

14. Trench Warfare
The two armies dug trenches to protect themselves
from bullets and bombs. Then they put up mazes
of barbed wire around the trenches. The area
between the trenches was called "no man's land."
Soldiers ate and slept in the trenches. First one
side, and then the other would try to break
through at some point along the line. It was very
difficult for either side to win a battle this way, and
trench warfare claimed many lives.

15. The Big Four Leaders of World War I
 The Big Four
Leaders gathered at
Versailles in
January 1919 to write
a formal treaty for
peace.

16. Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson, the President of the United States
at the time of war, represented the United States in
Versailles himself. He had a difficult time convincing
the other three leaders to accept his idea of peace
without victory. Wilson was forced to agree that
Germany had caused the war.

17. David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George was the British Prime Minister
who represented the United Kingdom. During their
talks, George put the needs of his own nation first.

18. Vittorio
Orlando
Vittorio Orlando, the Italian Prime Minister, also put
the needs of his nation first during talks.

19. Georges Clemenceau
Georges
Clemenceau, the
French Premier,
wanted to make
Germany pay for the
entire cost of the war
since most of the
fighting took place
on French soil.

20. Peace Treaty Signed at Versailles, 1919
The Parisians had a
parade after the signing
of the Treaty at
Versailles marking the
end of World War I.
Notice the sign at the
top of this photograph
that reads: "Vive
Wilson."