President Wilson's Foreign Policy and World War I

President Wilson’s Foreign Policy • President Wilson was opposed to imperialism. He wanted a world free from revolution and war. • In 1911 a revolution in Mexico forced its leader, Porfirio Diaz, to flee the country. The new leader, Fransico Madero, was a poor administrator. General Victoriano Huerta took over Mexico and had presumably had Madero murdered. • Wilson refused to recognize the new government and prevented weapons from reaching Huerta.

President Wilson’s Foreign Policy • In 1914 Wilson sent marines to seize the Mexican port of Veracruz to overthrow Huerta. • Anti-American riots broke out in Mexico. • Mexican forces would lead raids into the United States hoping that President Wilson would intervene. • Pancho Villa led a group of guerillas, an armed group that carries out surprise attacks, into New Mexico, and a number of Americans were killed. • Wilson sent General John J. Pershing and his troops into Mexico to capture Villa. Pershing was unsuccessful. • Wilson’s Mexican policy damaged U.S. foreign relations.

Outbreak of World War I • The roots of WW I can be traced back to the 1860s, when Prussia began a new series of wars in order to unite German states. By 1871 Germany was united. • The new German nation changed European politics. France and Germany were enemies. • Germany formed the Triple Alliance with Austria-Hungary and Italy.

The Triple Alliance was formed by the following: Germany Austria-Hungary Italy The Triple Entente was formed in response: France Russia Great Britain Outbreak of World War I

Outbreak of World War I • Nationalism, intense pride for one’s homeland, was a powerful idea in Europe in the late 1800s. • Self-determination motivated many of the people. This is the idea that people should have their own country and government. • This led to a crisis in the Balkans where different national groups within the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian Empires began to seek independence.

Nationalism • Nationalism was important to the many people of Europe. • This was the major factor in starting the alliances that would lead to the war.

Outbreak of World War I • On June 28, 1914, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, was killed by a Bosnian revolutionary. • This act set off a chain of events that led to World War I. • On July 28, Austria declared war on Serbia. • On August 1, Germany declared war on Russia. Two days later Germany declared war on France.

The Allies: fought for the Triple Entente France Russia Great Britain And later Italy Central Powers Germany Austria-Hungary Ottoman Empire Bulgaria The Central Powers had greater success on the Eastern Front, capturing hundreds of miles of territory. Outbreak of World War I

American Neutrality • Wilson declared the United States to be neutral. He did not want his country pulled into a foreign war. • Many Americans began showing their support for one side or the other with many immigrants supporting their homelands. Most favored the Allied cause. • Companies in the United States had strong ties to the Allied countries. Many American banks gave loans to the Allies. As a result American prosperity was tied to the war.

Moving Toward War • The British blockaded Germany to keep it from getting supplies. • The British redefined contraband, or prohibited materials, to stop neutral parties from shipping food to Germany. • Germany deployed U-boats or submarines to get around the blockade. • Germany threatened to sink any ship that entered the waters around Britain. • Attacking civilians ships without warning was a violation of an international treaty and outraged the United States. • The Lusitania, a British passenger ship, was hit by a torpedo killing almost 1,200 passengers, including 128 Americans.

Moving Toward War • Americans instructed Germany to stop U-boat strikes. • Germany did not want the U.S. to join the war and strengthen the Allies. • The Sussex Pledge, a promise by Germany to stop sinking merchant ships, kept the U.S. out of the war for a bit longer.

Moving Toward War • The Zimmerman telegram promoted the cause for the U.S. to enter the war. • It was intercepted by British intelligence and leaked to U.S. newspapers. • German official, Arthur Zimmerman, cabled the German ambassador in Mexico, proposing that Mexico ally itself with Germany. • Germany went back to unrestricted submarine warfare in February 1917, and soon after, sank six American merchant ships. On April 6, 1917, the United States declared war on Germany.

Military Buildup • More soldiers were needed • Conscription was forced military service that was debated upon • Selective service would be used instead, this was a new system of conscription, resulting in 2.8 million soldiers being drafted • African American soldiers faced discrimination in the military, where they served in segregated units. • WW I was the first time women would officially serve.

Organizing Industry • President Wilson and Congress agreed that the government should not control the economy. • They wanted a cooperative relationship between big business and government. • In 1917 the WIB was created in order to help coordinate the production of war materials. • The Food Administration was also added. It was added to increase food production while reducing consumption. • Daylight Savings Time was added to conserve coal and oil. • Liberty Bonds and Victory Bonds were sold to pay for the war.

Ensuring Public Support • The Committee on Public Information was formed to “sell” the idea of war to the American people. • Espionage, or spying to acquire secret government information, was addressed in the Espionage Act of 1917. • The Alien and Sedition Act made it illegal to criticize the President or the government. • In Schenck v. the United States, the Supreme Court ruling limited an individual’s freedom of speech if the words spoken presented a “clear and present danger.”

Combat • By 1917 the war had claimed millions of lives. • Soldiers used trench warfare due to new inventions. • No man’s land – was the area between the trenches • New technology was used • Poison gas • Tanks • planes • Machine gun • Submarine (u-boat) • “Doughboys” was a nickname for American soldiers. • American Admiral William S. Sims proposed the use of a convoy to get troops and supplies across the Atlantic

Russia • Russians supported the war effort. • In 1917 V.I. Lenin, leader of the Bolshevik Party, overthrew the government and replaced it with a Communist one. • Lenin pulled out of the war and signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, removing German armies from Russian lands in exchange for territory. • This act allowed Germany to launch a major assault on the Western Front.

A Flawed Peace • General John J. Pershing put together the most massive attack in American history. • On November 11, 1918, Germany finally signed an armistice, or cease-fire, that ended the war. • In January 1919, leaders of the victorious Allied nations met to resolve the issues caused by the war.

A Flawed Peace • Wilson’s plan was called the Fourteen Points: • Eliminating the causes of the war through trade and disarmament • Open diplomacy instead of secret agreements • The right of self-determination • The points required the evacuation of the Central Powers from all countries invaded during the war. • The fourteenth point, known as the League of Nations, called for member nations to help preserve peace and prevent future wars.

Economy • The economy after the war saw a period of rapid inflation. • Government agencies removed their controls from the economy • This increased the cost of living – the cost of food, clothing, shelter, and other essential needs. • General strikes took place often.

Racial Unrest • In the summer of 1919, race riots took place in many Northern cities. • They were caused by the thousands of soldiers returning home that needed jobs. • African Americans, who moved North to work, were now competing for the same jobs as the soldiers. • The worst violence took place in Chicago.

The Red Scare • Some Americans, associated with Communism, began to show disloyalty and unpatriotic behavior. • The numerous strikes in the U.S. in 1919 made Americans fear that Communist or “reds” might take over. • This led to a nationwide panic known as the Red Scare. • This led to the creation of the General Intelligence Division, headed by J. Edgar Hoover. (FBI)

The Soviet Union • Switching from a tsarist Russia to a Communist nation

President Wilson's Foreign Policy and World War I