WORLD WAR I

It is hard to point out one specific incident that led to World

War I but rather it was a culmination of many different events that led to the most catastrophic war of its time. The United States pledged to stay neutral during the war but with great economic investments with the allies the United States found itself involved in exporting billions of dollars worth of provisions to England and France. President Wilson devised a foreign policy to protect America but he could not keep the United States out of the war. By the time the United States entered the war Wilson was already working on his Fourteen Points and League of Nations policies. The events that led to World War I are complex. The origins of the war are still controversial. Germans desire for greater power and influence led to an arms race with Britain. Britain responded by building a more powerful navy. Germany was looking for overseas colonies, which led to clashing with both Britain and France. The Austria-Hungarian Empire had problems with the Balkans especially Serbia. On June 28, 1914 the tensions between Austria-Hungary and Serbia came to a head when a Slavic terrorist group assassinated the heir to the Austria-Hungarian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The assassination triggered a chain of events that culminated in the world’s first global war. Europe had divided into two alliances: the Triple Alliance, which included the countries of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy and the Triple Entente, which consisted of France, Russia and Great Britain. After the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand, Austria-Hungary issued an ultimatum to Serbia. Serbia refused the “impossible demands” Austria-Hungary asked of them. On July 28, 1914 Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. Russia, bound by treaty to Serbia, announced its plans to mobilize its army in defense of Serbia. The mobilization of Russia’s troops would take six weeks.