The US and World War I

1. The US and World War I Chapter 21 Mrs. Hauber The Spark Helping to Win the War On The Home Front Losing the Peace

2. Underlying Causes of WWI • M—Militarism • A—Alliances • I—Imperialism • N—Nationalism ***All Cause Tension!!***

3. Who’s to Blame? • Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip murders Ferdinand • Austria-Hungary blames Serbia for not preventing the crime • Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia on July 28th, 1914.

4. Today’s Uniform WW1 USMC Lance Corporal: Private Class

5. Falling Dominos • Russia mobilizes to help Serbia • Germany declares War on Russia • 3 days later, Germany declares war on France to avoid a war on two fronts • Neutral Belgium is attacked • Great Britain declares war on Germany

6. Roots of War Video Clip

7. US Struggles for Neutrality • Wilson proclaimed neutrality on August 4, 1914 • US does not become involved until 1917

8. Section 1: A Spark Ignites Europe • War starts in Southeast Europe • Balkans—small warring groups located in the Balkan region • Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife were assassinated while visiting Sarajevo (the capital of Bosnia)

9. Ties that Bind • Some Americans sided with the Central Powers because of their heritage or dislike of the British • Others sided with the Allies because they did not like the way the Germans treated people (too militaristic) • Britain used propaganda to tell tales about German atrocities

10. International Law for Neutral Countries: “Freedom of the Seas” • Trade with both sides of warring nations • Ships can be inspected • Contraband can be seized • Commercial ships had to be warned before they were sunk • Germany felt international law no longer applied and they would not adhere to it.

11. Lusitania • British luxury liner sunk by a German submarine • 1198 people killed (128 Americans) • Carried contraband • Arabic and Sussex—two more Allied ships sunk without warning. • Germany made pledges not to sink unarmed liners again for fear of US involvement.

12. Trade with the Allies • Loaned Britain large sums of money in order to continue trading with them • US wanted to avoid a depression • Trade with Britain grew while trade with Germany plummeted (mostly due to blockades)

13. Election of 1916 • Preparedness Program--Arming and organizing for war • Campaign slogan “He kept us out of war” • Wilson wins over Charles Evans Hughes by a narrow victory

14. Zimmerman Note • German ambassador writes a letter to Mexico asking for their help. • Germany would then help Mexico recapture Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico from the US • Britain intercepted it and US published it.

15. US Goes to War • US declares war on Germany on April 2, 1917. • Wilson wanted to make the world “safe for democracy” • Historians say: • British navy had protected American economy and we could not afford to lose that.

16. Section 2: Helping to Win the War • The massive influx of American troops and supplies no doubt hastened the end of the war

17. 1. Trench Warfare • Dug trenches, lived underground and fired at each other in fixed positions • Battle lines hardly moved at all • Elaborate system (4 or 5 miles) • Goal was to break enemy trenches • Barbed wire and machine guns prevented this.

18. 2. Ailments • Trench fever • Trench foot • Trench mouth • Shell shock—mental disorder from heavy fire from artillery

19. 3. Early Losses in the War • Over 500,000 men died on each side by 1914 • Battle of Somme—lasted 5 months in 1916 • Germans lost more men than died in the Civil War • 20,000 died in one day alone • Overall, 10 million died in battle

20. American regiment that advanced against the Germans Led by General John Pershing 4. American Expeditionary Force (AEF)

21. AEF (continued) • Before the AEF, Germany almost won the war • US advanced 50 miles past the enemy trenches to Sedan and cut the railroad that gave supplies to the Germans

22. 5. Germany’s mistake • Did not expect US to turn the tide of the war. • US lost 50, 280 men but was little compared to other countries • Nov 11, 1918—armistice was signed.

23. Section 3: The Home Front • Life was much different now • Rationing hurt free enterprise • First Experience in total war

24. 1. Mobilization of Men and Women • Selective Service Act—required all men between 21 and 31 to register for the draft • Passed on May 28, 1917 • Used a lottery system • Men could no longer buy themselves out of the war • US factories provided US troops with ammo, but Britain and France provided the heavy equipment

25. 2. The War at Sea • All ships traveled in convoys • Convoy—organized group of merchant ships surrounded and protected by naval vessels • Used to ward off submarines • Not one member of the AEF was killed crossing the Atlantic

26. 3. Mobilizing Money • $23 billion---used for American war effort • $10 billion---used for loans to Allies • To pay for this, the government: • Used taxes • Sold war bonds

27. 4. Government Takes Control • Food Administration • Program to decrease consumption of food • Headed by Herbert Hoover who previously was in charge of the Belgium Relief Program • Wheatless Mondays • Meatless Tuesdays

28. 5. Farmers • Enjoyed wartime prosperity because of the increase in crop prices • Later suffer for this when the war is over.

29. 6. The War Industries Board • Decided which goods should be produced • Set prices for government purchases of goods and supplies • Bernard Baruch—economic dictator who headed the WIB • Eventually production went up and waste went down

30. 7. The Labor Force • Went down by 4 million • Women took many of the jobs • Women were asked to quit after WWI as an “act of patriotism” • African Americans moved north to fill the gap and find a better life • The shortage of labor sent wages up with private and government firms bidding against each other

31. 8. Strikes • Samuel Gompers—headed of the AFL pledged that unions would not strike if the government gave them direct support. • National War Labor Board—discouraged strikes and encouraged management to negotiate with unions

32. 9. Mobilizing Minds • Committee on Public Information—job was to “sell” the war to America • George Creel—journalist and Chairman who printed the “Official Bulletin” of war news • Germans were portrayed as hateful beasts. • Three main themes: • America is unified • Crusade for Peace • Image of the Despicable Enemy

33. Mobilizing Minds (continued) • Celebrities were used to help sell war bonds • “Four-minute men”—gave four minute speeches around the country in favor of the war • Huns—nickname for Germans which meant bestial monsters outside the civilized world

34. Section 4: An Uneasy Peace • Germans agreed to an armistice in November of 1918 • Although the fighting stopped on the battlefield, the war continued at the peace conference

35. 1. The Treaty of Versailles • “Big Four” • Great Britain (David Lloyd George) • France (Georges Clemenceau) • Italy (Vittorio Orlando) • United States (Woodrow Wilson) • Peace Conference was located in Paris • Wilson was the 1st President to travel to Europe while in office

36. 2. Provisions of the Treaty • Germany’s reparations bill (33 billion) • German colonies were parceled out among the allies • Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Poland, and Yugoslavia all became independent states. • League of Nations

37. 3. Wilson’s 14 Points • Blueprint for Peace • Right of all people to “national self-determination” • General principles for international conduct • League of Nations—Wilson’s alliance plan for permanent peace • would help implement these principles and resolve future disputes

38. 4. Fight over the Treaty • Senate has to approve the treaty • Article X—an attack on any country would be seen as an attack on the entire League of Nations • Members would protect each other from aggressor nations

39. 5. Borah and Lodge Lead Opposition • Both adamantly opposed joining the League of Nations • Wilson traveled across the country trying to gain support • Americans weren’t ready and elected Harding as the next President