World War I

The Great War
The forces of nationalism, imperialism and militarism all played a role in the events that led to the Great War. As Gilbert (1994) notes, the Germans had industrialized and were now a threat to the British Empire in terms of becoming an economic and military powerhouse. Germany had, after all, just won the Franco-Prussian War and reclaimed the all-important Alsace and Lorraine regions. The Germans had also allied themselves with the Ottomans, which meant that Germany now oversaw the Bosporous Straights—and that meant Germany was a threat to Russia as well. Thus, France, the UK and Russia all had a reason to ally with one another against Germany, and Germany did not help itself by backing Austria-Hungary against the Serbs and Pan-Slavic movement in Eastern Europe. Germany’s fear was that if it did not back Austria-Hungary, the Pan-Slavic movement could lead to Germany’s borders being threatened in the east. German nationalism in German-speaking states prompted the German leaders to stick together, even though they were essentially playing right into the trap that the Triple Entente had designed. The imperialistic and militaristic ambitions of the Triple Entente were up against the nationalism of the German-speaking states. This was the essence of the Great War.
The U.S. had had no intention of getting involved in the Great War. Wilson had won re-election by running a campaign based on a platform of isolationism. The American people had had enough warring, what with the Spanish American War still fresh in everyone’s memories. However, without the assistance of the U.S., the Germans might not have been defeated—and an important population that had both influence in the UK as well as in the U.S. was the Zionist population. The Zionists were interested in building a nation for themselves in Palestine. The area was at the time under the control of the Ottomans, who were allied with the Germans. The Zionists secured a note—the Balfour Declaration—from the British that essentially stated that the UK would hand over Palestine to the Zionists if the English won the war so that there would be “a national home for the Jewish people” (Balfour Declaration, 1917). Zionists in the U.S. then influenced Wilson to renege on his campaign promises and throw his weight behind the British (Weir, 2014) to help turn the tide of the War. The sinking of the Lusitania was just the excuse that Wilson needed so as to save face among the public.
Ethnicity had played a major role in America’s initial neutrality. Many German immigrants had come to America in the 19th century, and in fact there were many English, French and Eastern European immigrants as well. America was a melting pot of ethnicities—and for the Wilson Administration to choose sides in the Great War was akin to dividing the nation. This was the basis of his decision to campaign for re-election on the promise of staying out of the war. Wilson had stated in 1914: “such divisions among us would be fatal to our peace of mind and might seriously stand in the way of the proper performance of our duty as the one great nation at peace, the one people holding itself ready to play a part of impartial mediation and speak the counsels of peace and accommodation, not as a partisan, but as a friend” (Wilson, 1914). America’s Anti-Imperialist League, with many noted voices—such as Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain), was popular and had a great deal of influence: they all supported the idea of promoting peace by staying out of the war. Rabbi Wise, however, was a major political supporter of the Zionist movement, and he had significant political clout in the first half of the 20th century. The Zionist influence was what helped sway Wilson’s mind and the Lusitania served as a way to publicly justify his about-face (Weir, 2014).
Wilson also wanted to have a say in the post-war order: he had the idea for the League of Nations—and if the U.S. stayed out of the war, he would not have a role in shaping the new order of nations that would be developed. Therefore, by entering into the Great War, Wilson could obtain the moral authority to promote the League of Nations to the rest of the world. The contribution of the U.S. to the war was significant. In the East, the Russians had backed off so Germany could focus on the Western front. The British were being depleted—but America’s entry put a fresh supply of boots on the ground that exasperated German morale.
The Germans signed the Treaty of Versailles—not because they wanted to but because their country was blockaded and it was either sign or starve to death (Bradberry, 2012). The Germans surrendered their territories and agreed to pay war reparations that it simply could not afford. Hyper-inflation hit the Weimar Republic following the Kaiser’s abdication. Germany between the wars was an economic mess. Its military was not allowed to be developed and the country was without leadership—that is until Hitler and the Third Reich came to power in the 1930s. Wilson, meanwhile, had been effective in founding the League of Nations: “I spoke on behalf of humanity and of the rights of all neutral nations like our own, many of whose vital interests the war puts in constant jeopardy,” (Wilson, 1917) he had stated in 1917. Germany had even been included in the League in 1929—but it did little to actually help everyday Germans. The Treaty of Versailles inevitably failed because the German character and German pride was revived by the National Socialist German Worker’s Party, led by Hitler. German nationalism was revived, the Treaty was rejected and Germany began militarizing once again. It also began working with the Zionists and made the Transfer Agreement with them in order to move Jews to Palestine.
Wilson had hoped that the League of Nations would allow for a “concert of power” to exist that would be balanced and therefore prevent the outbreak of future wars. What Wilson failed to consider was that various nations still had their own characters and ambitions. Germans had felt wronged by the Treaty of Versailles—and that feeling was not abated by their admission into the League of Nations. Germans were still paying war reparations and a seat at the big table did not appease Hitler or the National Socialists. Wilson had somewhat myopically considered that the League of Nations would be the solution to the problems of the world: “In every discussion of the peace that must end this war it is taken for granted that that peace must be followed by some definite concert of power which will make it virtually impossible that any such catastrophe should ever overwhelm us again. Every lover of mankind, every sane and thoughtful man must take that for granted” (Wilson, 1917). The concert of power, however, was one in which Germany was essentially left twisting in the wind—and that did not sit well with many Germans.
In conclusion, the Great War was a conflict among world powers, brought on by ambitions rooted in nationalism, militarism and imperialism. Some people wanted a new home for themselves, others wanted to defeat the up-and-coming economic powerhouse that was Germany. Others wanted their territories back; everyone in short had a reason for going to war. The Treaty and the League that followed did not, however, bring about a permanent and lasting peace—for the Germans were not about to go quietly into the night.

References
Balfour Declaration. (1917). Knesset. Retrieved from
https://www.knesset.gov.il/lexicon/eng/BalfourDeclaration_eng.htm
Bradberry, B. (2012). The Myth of German Villainy. IN: AuthorHouse.
Gilbert, M. (1994). The First World War. NY: Henry Holt and Company.
Weir, A. (2014). Against Our Better Judgment. IN: CreateSpace.
Wilson, W. (1914). Message on neutrality. Retrieved from
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=65382
Wilson, W. (1917). A world league for peace. Retrieved from
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=65396