Effects of the War

1. Chapter 15, Section 4 Effects of the War

2. America Adjusts to Peace • The influenza outbreak began in September of 1918, shortly before the war ended. • It began in the U.S. and spread worldwide. This caused a great worldwide panic and sense of doom around the world. • The pandemic, coupled with rebuilding proved difficult for some countries.

3. America Adjusts to Peace • The women and African Americans who had taken over industrial jobs during the war were forced out at the number of jobs decreased after the war. • The slowing of the economy led to inflation, or a rise in prices. This, coupled with a competitive job market led workers to demand higher wages and shorter workdays. Workers went on strike to achieve these gains.

4. The Red Scare • In Russia, Vladamir Lenin had led a revolution to overthrow Czar Nicolas II. This was known as the Bolshevik Revolution. • When Lenin took over, he supported the spread of communism outside of Russia by encouraging revolutions in other countries.

5. The Red Scare • The growing number of the revolutions around the war sparked fear in the U.S. • This launched a series of raids, known as the Palmer Raids, to arrest and deport radicals. However, not everyone that was a victim of the Palmer Raids were radicals… some were just immigrants from southern and eastern Europe.

6. The Red Scare • Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were two immigrants who were caught up in the fear of communism. • They were accused of shooting two men in a robbery of a shoe factory. The eyewitnesses said the men ‘looked Italian.’ • They were tried and convicted, even though there was no decisive evidence to convict them. • Many believed the convictions were based solely on ethnicity rather than factual evidence.

7. Americans Embrace Normalcy • Wilson hoped to maintain support for the League of Nations with the election of a Democratic candidate. Sadly, the Republican candidate, Warren G. Harding, won instead. • When he took office, he pledged a “return to normalcy”, or a return to the simpler times, and policies that were in place before Wilson took office.

8. Americans Embrace Normalcy • After WWI, Britain and France had a lot to recover from. Instead of producing their own goods, they bought many goods from the U.S. • They subsequently had to borrow money from U.S. banks to pay for the goods. This led to the emergence of the U.S. as a creditor nation (meaning that other countries owed them money). • This solidified the economic power of the U.S.