U.S. Involvement in World War I and Its Impact at Home

1. Chapter 22 Global Involvements and World War I 1902-1920

2. Introduction • We will focus on U.S. foreign policy from 1902 to 1920 • Concentrating on U.S. involvement in WWI • Why did the United States enter WWI in 1917? • How did U.S. participation in WWI affect Americans at home? • During the war, how did the role of govt. in the U.S. economy and in people’s lives generally change? • What part did President Wilson play in creating the League of Nations, and why did the U.S. Senate reject U.S. membership in the organization?

3. Wilson and Latin America • Wilson criticized Republican expansionism • But he proved just as interventionist in Latin America as Roosevelt and Taft • Wilson ordered marines to occupy the Dominican Republic and Haiti • To keep order and create a favorable climate for American investors • They stayed in D.R. until 1924 • And in Haiti until 1934 • Wilson repeatedly intervened in Mexico during its revolution • He tried to bring to power leaders who were liberal, democratic, and friendly to capitalistic enterprise

4. Causes of World War I Militarism: policy of building up strong military resources to prepare for war Alliances: agreements between nations to aid and protect each other Imperialism: Nationalism:

6. Spark that starts the War: • Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand • On June 28, 1914- Archduke Franz Ferdinand heir of the throne to Austria-Hungry was killed while visiting Sarajevo by a Serbian terrorist • Rulers of Austria-Hungary blamed the Serbian government and wanted to retaliate • Wouldn’t retaliate until they had the support of its ally, Germany • When Austria-Hungary attacks Serbia, the system of alliances drags all of Europe into the war • Ex. Germany agreed to help Austria-Hungary, Russia agreed to help Serbia, France was an ally of Russia, so Germany declared war on France and Russia, when Germany invaded Belgium, Germany violated a treaty Belgium had with England, so England declared war on Germany

7. War in Europe, 1914-1917 • The Coming of War • Causes of WWI in Europe: • System of rival military alliances • Imperialist expansion • Aggressive nationalism • June 1914 • Bosnian Serb nationalist assassinated Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand • Austria declared war on Serbia • Russia bound by a secret agreement to protect Serbia mobilized for war • By the fall of 1914, the web of alliances had pulled all of the major European powers, except Italy, into“The Great War” • Abandoning an earlier pact with Germany and Austria, Italy entered the war on the side of the Allies in 1915

8. The Perils of Neutrality • Pres. Wilson proclaimed U.S. neutrality as soon as the war began • He asked the American people to be neutral “in thought as well as in action” • Most Americans agreed with Wilson that the U.S. should not fight • But few had neutral feelings • Wilson and the majority of Americans had emotional bonds with England

9. The Perils of Neutrality • In 1917, Wilson asked Congress to declare war on Germany • Reasons for this change: 1.) Wilson became convinced that for the U.S. to shape the postwar settlement, it must participate in the fighting 2.) Wilson’s handling of the issue of neutral rights on the high seas pulled the country into a war with Germany

10. America Stays Neutral For 3 years America remained neutral, and a lot of Americans did not want to get involved in a European war Read the article provided and make a list of what led to America entering the war.

11. The Perils of Neutrality • The British violated America’s rights to trade by mining the North Sea and stopping ships and goods bound for Germany • Wilson’s protests were not vigorous enough to prevent the British from ending almost all German-American trade • Germany retaliated with unrestricted submarine warfare • This led to injuries and the deaths of civilians, including Americans, in the sinking of Allied ships (Lusitania and Sussex) • History Channel video

12. The Perils of Neutrality • In ever more threatening notes, Wilson warned Germany to stop unrestricted submarine warfare or the U.S. would break off diplomatic relations • Some believed Wilson’s policies would needlessly pull the U.S.A. into the War • American citizens between 1914 and 1917 developed a large economic stake in an Allied victory • Made neutrality much more difficult • U.S. trade with the Allies increased greatly • American investors lent them $2.3 billion to finance the items that the U.S. continued to depend on for prosperity • British propaganda in the U.S. charged that the Germans were committing atrocities

13. The Perils of Neutrality • The war was a major issue in the 1916 election • American public still had desires of peace • Wilson ran on reelection reminding voters he hadn’t gone to war • Republican candidate, Charles Evans Hughes, sometimes called for a tougher stand against Germany • Other times he criticized Wilson for having been too threatening • Wilson’s close victory seemed to indicate that the majority of Americans still hoped to avoid participation in the conflict

14. The United States Enters the War • Jan. 1917, Germany fully unleashed its U-boats • Germany decided that full use of its submarines would contribute more to its victory than keeping the U.S. out of the war • Wilson responded by breaking off diplomatic relations • During Feb. and March, Germany U-boats attacked 5 American ships • And the U.S. learned of the Zimmermann Note • On April 2, 1917, Wilson asked Congress to declare war on Germany • It did so after a short, bitter debate

15. The United States Enters the War • 3 important factors produced the declaration of war: • German attacks on American shipping • U.S. economic investment in the Allied cause • American cultural links to the Allies

17. America Stays Neutral America remained neutral, but many sided with joining the war British navy blockaded Germany, so they stopped US ships looking for anything that might be going to Germany In 1915 Germany established a “war zone” around England. Any ships entering were subject to attack by German U-boats On March 28, 1915 a German U-boat sank a British ship, 1 American died On May 7, 1915, a U-boat off the coast of Ireland torpedoed the Lusitania, another British passenger boat. 128 Americans died, outraging Americans. America still hoped to remain neutral, until February 1, 1917, when Germany resumed full-scale U-boat warfare. German torpedoes sank 5 American ships March 1, 1917 American newspapers published the Zimmerman Note, proposing a Mexican-Germany alliance- to help Mexico get back the land they lost in New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona April 2, 1917 Wilson asked Congress to declare war on Germany- to make the world safe for democracy

18. Mobilizing at Home, Fighting in France, 1917-1918 • Raising, Training, and Testing an Army • After declaring war on Germany, Congress passed the Selective Service Act • About 3 million men were drafted • Both volunteers and draftees were sent to home-front training camps • War Dept. monitored their behavior • Warning them of the dangers of sex and alcohol

19. Raising, Training, and Testing an Army • Psychologists administered their newly developed IQ tests • Measured educational attainment and not intelligence • 12,000 Native Americans served in the army • Integrated with white troops • 260,000 African Americans in the army • Assigned to all black units • The navy used blacks only in menial positions • The marines excluded blacks entirely • Racist civilians provoked clashes with African-American soldiers stationed in Houston

20. Organizing the Economy for War • To mobilize the economy behind the war effort, the federal govt. imposed an unprecedented amount of regulation on American business • It did this by creating thousands of special wartime agencies • War Industries Board, Food Administration, U.S. Railroad Administration, etc.

21. Organizing the Economy for War • War Industries Board • Allocated scarce materials • Established production priorities • Introduced more efficient production practices • Food Administration • Encouraged farmers to increase output • Exhorting civilians to conserve food and fiber • U.S. Railroad Administration • Consolidated all the privately owned rail lines into one • Govt. ran them for the rest of the War

22. Organizing the Economy for War • These govt. regulations were mostly dismantled after the armistice • The govt. regulations also did not prevent soaring wartime profits or corporate mergers

23. Fighting of the War America’s military resources of soldiers and war materials tipped the balance of the war and led to Germany’s defeat Brainstorm what you remember about the fighting of WWI

24. With the American Expeditionary Force in France • The American Expeditionary Force (AEF) sent some 2 million soldiers to France in 1917 and 1918 • Led by General John Pershing • They arrived at a critical time for the Allies

25. With the American Expeditionary Force in France • Russia dropped out of the War • After the Bolsheviks came in power in 1917 • This freed the German armies on the Eastern Front to fight in the west • With these reinforcements, Germany launched an offensive in the spring of 1918 that brought its troops within 50 miles of Paris

26. With the American Expeditionary Force in France • American soldiers were rushed to the front • They helped to stop the German advance • About 16,500 women also served with the AEF • Noncombat positions • Nurses, telephone operators, clerical workers

27. Turning the Tide • By July 1918, U.S. troops were participating in the Allied counteroffensive that drove the Germans out of much of France • Among the troops were several African-American regiments that served with distinction • One received the French Croix de Guerre • “to recognize acts of bravery in the face of the enemy”

28. Turning the Tide • In the often brutal fighting, soldiers lost their illusions about war being a great adventure • An influenza epidemic that swept Europe and the U.S.A. in 1918 added to the suffering and death • PBS WWI maps

29. Promoting the War and Suppressing Dissent • Advertising the War • Wilson believed that the federal govt. must promote unanimous support for the war • Sec. of the Treasury William G. McAdoo pioneered in using advertising techniques and propaganda to sell war bonds • Posters • Parades • Movie stars • War bonds covered about 2/3’s of the war’s costs • The rest came from increased federal income tax and other taxes

30. Advertising the War • Committee on Public Information • George Creel • Main job was to popularize the war • Posters • Advertisements • News releases • Films • 75,000 speakers around the nation

31. Advertising the War

32. Advertising the War

33. Advertising the War • Many Progressive reformers, muckrakers, teachers, and religious leaders supported the war • The U.S. was in a struggle to spread liberalism, democracy, and other American values

34. Wartime Intolerance and Dissent • Fear and intolerance mounted • Anti-German hysteria • German-Americans were victimized • Hatred of anyone who questioned America’s participation in the war • Antiwar radicals were verbally and physically attacked

35. Opponents of the War • Despite all the “patriotic” pressure, some Americans continued to oppose the war • Some German-Americans • Religious pacifists • A minority of women’s rights and progressive leaders pointed out that the war was killing reform and unleashing reaction and intolerance • Jane Addams • Randolph Bourne

36. Opponents of the War • Many socialists branded the war a crusade to protect capitalists’profits • They also saw no reason for workers to die to enrich their bosses • There was also considerable resistance to the draft in the rural South

37. Suppressing Dissent by Law • Espionage and Sedition Acts • Govt. attempt to silence these dissenters • Made it a crime to criticize the war, govt., Constitution, or armed forces • About 1,500 people were convicted and jailed • Eugene Debs was the most famous • The Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the laws with the “clear and present danger” doctrine

38. Economic and Social Trends in Wartime America • Boom Times in Industry and Agriculture • Stimulated by war, the American economy boomed • The real income of farmers and unskilled workers rose significantly • Thousands of workers streamed into industrial centers to take jobs in war plants • The influx created terrible housing, school, and other shortages in the cities

39. African-Americans Migrate Northward • Reduced immigration and soaring war production created labor shortages in northern industries • Southern African-Americans learned of these new job opportunities • Labor recruiters • African-American-owned newspapers • Letters • Word of mouth

40. African-Americans Migrate Northward • About 500,000 African-Americans migrated to the North • Hoped to escape southern racism and find good jobs • In northern cities whites resented the African-American newcomers • Competed for jobs • Competed for housing • Race riots broke out • East St. Louis, IL • July 2, 1917

41. East St. Louis race riots • Iba B. Wells account of East St. Louis riots

42. Women in Wartime • Many women’s rights activists hoped that the war would lead to equality for women • During the war, thousands of women served in the military and in volunteer organizations • About 1 million took jobs in industry

43. Women in Wartime • 19th Amendment • Passed in 1920 • Women’s suffrage • Those holding well-paying jobs in industry generally were replaced by men returning form wartime service

44. Public Health Crisis: The 1918 Influenza Pandemic • Towards the end of the war, a worldwide outbreak of influenza occurred • Killed about 30 million people • 6 times as many Americans died of the flu as were slaughtered in battle in France • 555,000 • Army camps and cities were hit the hardest

45. The War and Progressivism • The war strengthened the prohibition movement • Antiliquor forces argued that the “unpatriotic” German-American brewers should be put out of business • The grain used to manufacture whiskey and gin would be better used to feed the armed forces

46. The War and Progressivism • 18th Amendment • 1919 • Banning the manufacture, transportation, or sale of alcoholic beverages • The war also boosted the Progressive Era antiprostitution campaign • Produced a brief flurry of protective labor laws • But in most areas the intolerant, repressive war atmosphere stifled progressivism

47. Wilson’s Fourteen Points • Read the information about Wilson’s Fourteen Points and summarize what their purpose was and what the key points of the plan were. • This was Wilson’s plan to eliminate the causes of war • Main points were self-determination, freedom of the seas, League of Nations and a Mandate System • How were these causes of WWI?

48. Joyous Armistice, Bitter Aftermath, 1918-1920 • Wilson’s Fourteen Points; the Armistice • Wilson presented his fourteen-point peace plan in a speech to Congress in Jan. 1918 • It included self-determination, impartial adjustment of colonial claims, freedom of the seas, reduced armaments, a world association of nations • Wilson's Fourteen Points speech

49. Wilson’s Fourteen Points; the Armistice • Whether Wilson could get those ideas incorporated in the treaties signed at the end of the war remained to be seen • Oct. 1918, revolutionaries in Germany overthrew the Kaiser and proclaimed a republic • Nov. 11, 1918, the armistice was signed • History Channel video

50. The Versailles Peace Conference, 1919 • Wilson personally headed the American delegation to Versailles • He appointed no prominent Republicans to the delegation • This was a political mistake since a Republican-controlled Senate would have to ratify any treaty signed • David Lloyd George • Georges Clemenceau • Vittorio Orlando