The outbreak of WWI

There were many events and circumstances that led to world war one. The events that led to the outbreak of World War I involves a complicated arrangement of allies and enemies, and to really know what happened we must understand the political system of Europe. The problem was that Germany had no ability to get ready for the dangers it was about to face. The plans they made called for a quick invasion of France and in order to defend itself against Russia, they had to use their plans to attack France.

"A sense of security before World War 1.They formed these alliances with eachother for protection and to guarente that other members of the alliance would come to the country's aid if attacked. Although alliances provided protection, the system also created certian dangers. If war came, the alliance system meant that a number of nations would fight, not only the two involved in a duspute. Alliances could force a counry to go to war against a nation it had no quarrel with. In addition, the terms of many alliances were kept secret. The secrecy also increased the chances that a county might guess wrong about the consequeneces of its actions. The Triple Alliance was made up of 3 countries, Germany, Italy, and Austria. They all agreed to go to war if attacked by Russia. Bismarck also brought Austria and Germany into alliance with Russia. The agreement was known as the "Three Emperor's League" and it was formed in 1881. They all agreed to remain neutral if any of them went to war with another country. In 1890 when Bismarck left office it gave a chance for Russia and France to form an alliance. In 1894, France and Russia agreed to call up troops if any naiton in the Triple Alliance mobilized. Russia and France also agreed to help eachother if either were attacked be Germany."

"World War I was the result of leaders' aggression towards other countries which was supported by the rising nationalism of the European nations. Economic and imperial competition and fear of war prompted military alliances and an arms race, which further escalated the tension contributing to the outbreak of war."

Panama Canal

The Panama Canal is considered one of the most greatest wonders of the world. The first plans for a canal to be built started in 1539 by King Charles V. The beginning of the construction started in 1880 by the French. However the people building it had to work under brutal working conditions. Yellow fever and malaria broke out during this time and about 22,000 people died and before the project was finished, it went bankrupt in 1889.

The Panama Canal is a ship canal that joins the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific ocean. The canal was one of the largest and most difficult projects ever taken on and it had an enormous impact between the two oceans. The Panama canal allowed ships to travel faster and it was a less dangerous route to travel between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. By the time the canal was finished, about 27,500 men had died in the French and American efforts. "The length of the Panama Canal is approximately 51 miles. A trip along the canal from its Atlantic entrance would take you through a 7 mile dredged channel in Limón Bay. The canal then proceeds for a distance of 11.5 miles to the Gatun Locks. This series of three locks raise ships 26 metres to Gatun Lake. It continues south through a channel in Gatun Lake for 32 miles to Gamboa, where the Culebra Cut begins. This channel through the cut is 8 miles long and 150 metres wide."

"Construction of the current Panama Canal began in 1904. Casualties among the workers were much lower due to extensive projects to control yellow fever and malaria, and the canal was completed in ten years, three years ahead of schedule. However, the cost was a phenomenal $350 million, the most expensive operation the US government had ever undertaken. In addition, Panama was paid ten million dollars, plus another quarter million each year, for use of the territory. This was a very large amount of money at the time, and the fees would be raised in 1936 and again in 1955. During construction, the US also established stores, schools, and military bases around the canal."

"The panama Canal is a waterway connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, cut through the narrow neck of land connecting the continents of North and South America. It is the solution of the problem of international commerce that became acute in 1452 when the Eastern Roman Empire fell before the assaults of the Turks." Book source The cargo ship Ancon was the first vessel to travel through the Panama Canal on August 15, 1914. A boat coming from New York to San Francisco was told to save about 7,872 miles by using it instead of going around Cape Horn. The canal was all in all a great turn out and it became a very well used path for ships.

"In the early years of oceanic commerce, ships carrying goods between Europe and the Far East had to travel a long, circuitous 12,000-mile (19,308 km) route around the continent of South America. As early as the 1500s, Spanish rulers first explored the idea of creating a canal through the Isthmus of Panama to drastically reduce travel time. In 1903, a treaty between Panama and the United States finally paved the way for the construction of the Panama Canal, a massive feat of engineering which not only united two oceans, the Atlantic and the Pacific, but opened an invaluable artery for international trade." Book source

Presidency of Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt was born on October 27, 1858. He was born into A Dutch family in New York. At the age eighteen he attended Harvard college and overall he ended up spending four years there. After Harvard he went to Germany and entered into politics. He was then shortly after elected to be the Assembly Of New York State. "Theodore was one of the few presidents whose life, or at least the pubic image of his life, is even more important historically than his accomplishments as our chief executive officer. He said that, "I believe that men and women stand on an equality of right, but I do not believe that equality of right means equality of function, and I am more and more concvinced that the great field, the indispensable" ( book source)

Theodore wanted to leave behind something that people would remember him by. He wanted and believed that expanding American power would change the world. In order for him to do this, he knew he had to built a strong navy. So President Roosevelt decided to build a waterway. The canal was originally going to be built in Nicaragua or Panama. When he finally got permission and the money to build the canal, he began to construct it and it was decided that it would be built in Panama. This was one of the many things that made his presidency so remarkable.

Theodore wasn't like most people he stood out and made a difference. He became president when he was 42 and it was said that he was the youngest president of the time. One of the remarkable things about his presidency was him being the first American president to go down in a submarine and up in a plane. (in class notes)

Theodore Roosevelt was the first president awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. He was given it in 1906 for his work in the negotiations that led to the Treaty of Portsmouth. It was the action that led to ending of the Russo-Japanese War. This made him the first American to win a Nobel Prize. This was also another thing that was remarkable during his presidency. "Theodore Roosevelt has been called the first modern president because of his willingness to use the power of the presidency to intervene in the economy to promote the general good. American history, with a few exceptions, was until Roosevelt dominated by Congress. Roosevelt's was an activist and his view of the presidency was that he could act as long as it was not probited by the Constitution or law. He saw his most powerful tool as what he called the "bully pulpit". He achieved a range of accomplishments, but is probably best known for trust busting and building the Panama Canal. Also important but often less noted is major expansion of the U.S. Navy."

During Theodore's presidency he showed characteristics of a strong leader. He wasn't just remarkable for what he did, but how he came across in doing it. Towards the end of his life, he was a major force for the military. What he did during his presidency had many affects on every American today and his name is still remembered to this day as one of the most remarkable presidents ever.

-thank you for letting me paste it back on here-