World War I

Race, ethnicity, and nationalism played central roles in the Great War of 1914. The belief in a racial hierarchy had motivated European colonial powers to establish vast empires across the world, often exploiting indigenous peoples. These colonial possessions prompted European societies to operate according to racial prejudices and stereotypes. Further tensions and conflicts were driven by the competition for colonial territories among European powers. For example, the assassination that triggered a chain of events which led to the war was racially motivated. Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb, assassinated the Archduke Franz Ferdinance motivated by ethnic tensions as seen in his confession: “I am a Yugoslave, aiming for the unification of all Yugoslavs, and I do not care what form of state, but it must be free from Austria.” [1]

 

The world powers engulfed in World War I were multi-ethic empires. For example, the Austria-Hungary, Russian, and Ottoman Empires were colonial powers which held colonial lands from a variety of ethnicities. Within these empires, various ethnic groups with distinct histories, identities, and aspirations, clashed with others. Such tensions and conflicts added to the instability of the empires and contributed to the outbreak of war. 

 

Additionally, nationalism played an impact factor leading up to the war. European nations were driven by a strong sense of national pride which motivated their imperial ambitions. The most industrialized nations including Britain and the U.S. believed their own nations had advanced far on the scale of civilization, that the “white man’s burden” obligated these nations to spread civilization elsewhere. Nationalism also contributed to the militarization of these nations as the dash to secure colonial possessions and global markets often created an atmosphere of tension and conflict. 

 

The U.S. proclaimed neutrality during the earliest stages of war for several reasons. Public anti-war sentiment was rooted in memories and the aftermath of the Civil war. Further, the U.S. had economic interests with both the Allied powers such as Britain and France as well as Central Powers such as Germany and Austria-Hungary. Maintaining neutrality had allowed the U.S. to continue trading with all parties involved. Further, since the U.S. was home to millions of European immigrants, Wilson recognized a need to navigate a delicate balance for the sake of maintaining domestic unity. Lastly, the U.S. was militarily unprepared for a large-scale conflict. 

 

Wilson’s War declaration and congressional support were in response to a number of events. On January 16th, 1917, German Foreign Minister Arthur Zimmermann sent a coded message to Ambassador Heinrich von Eckhardt in Mexico offering the proposal for Germany and Mexico to join forces in the event of U.S. entry into the War. In return, Mexico would acquire areas lost to the U.S., principally Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. British intelligence intercepted and sent the decoded message to the U.S. Embassy in London on February 28th of that year. Meanwhile, Germany resumed unrestricted submarine warfare after February 1, 1917,  despite the Sussex pledge, a promise to restrict the use of the U-boat. Together, the events prompted the U.S. to abandon its policy of neutrality [2]

 

For President Wilson, the entry into the war was to make the world “safe for democracy.” He highlighted that the goal of the U.S. was “the ultimate peace of the world and for the liberation of its peoples.” Together with the Allied forces, the US aimed for the “rights of the nation great and small and the privilege of men everywhere to choose their way of life and of obedience.” [3]