Chapter 27 Reviewing the Facts



The arms race that occurred in the years leading u to WWI was between Britain and Germany’s naval forces. To protect its vast overseas empire, Britain had built the most powerful navy in the world. As Germany grew larger, it built its own navy. Britain then increased spending on its navy.
Germany and Austria-Hungary made up the Central Powers. Britain, France Russia, and later the United States made up the Allies.
Austria declared war on Serbia because of Serbia’s partial refusal to Austria’s ultimatum. The ultimatum said Serbia must end all anti-Austrian agitation and punish any Serbia official involved in Francis Ferdinand’s murder. War was declared on July 28.
Germany’s invasion of France helped bring Britain into the war because Britain had earlier signed a treaty guaranteeing neutrality in Belgium. England was angry over the invasion, so they declared war on Germany.
Trench warfare is where warring armies burrow into a vast system of trenches. Soldiers would remain in these trenches for months at a time, waiting for their enemies to stumble upon no-man’s land.
Troops from European colonies became involved I the fighting in Europe when the Allies overran scattered German colonies in Africa and Asia. The Allies also required aide from their own colonies for troops, laborers, and supplies.
The main factor that led to the United States into war was the Germans controlling the seas with their u-boats and refusing to lie back after destroying the Lusitania. The US also had culture ties with the Allies.
In January 1918, Woodrow Wilson issued the Fourteen Points, a list of his terms for resolving current and future wars. The Fourteen Points called for an end to secret treaties, freedom of the seas, free trade, and large-scale reductions of arms.
The Treaty of Versailles forced Germany to take full blame for causing WWI> It also made Germany pay over #30 billion in reparations.
The League of Nations was Woodrow Wilson’s idea of a unity of countries to guarantee peace in the future.