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The War to End All Wars

Chapter 30 Objective: Students should understand how World War I affected America on the home front and how the Treaty of Versailles was created and why the US wouldn’t support it.. . The War to End All Wars. War by Act of Germany.

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The War to End All Wars

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  1. Chapter 30 Objective: Students should understand how World War I affected America on the home front and how the Treaty of Versailles was created and why the US wouldn’t support it.. The War to End All Wars

  2. War by Act of Germany • January 31, 1917 Germany declared “unrestricted warfare” on all ships including Americas in the war zone • Wilson broke diplomatic relations but waited for a declaration of war until Germany took an overt act against the US • Wilson asked for a bill to arm merchant ships but was filibustered • Zimmerman Note March 1, 1917 • Germany wanted a Mexican-Germany alliance in which they offered to get back Texas, NM, and Arizona for Mexico • Germans sank four unarmed merchant ships in March • Russian Revolution also overthrew the Czars and threatened to pull out of the war • Wilson asked for a declaration of war on April 2, 1917 and got in on the 6th • Only six senators and 50 representatives voted against it

  3. Wilsonian Idealism Enthroned • Wilson was forced to idealize his goals to convince America to rid itself of its isolationist blanket • To make the world safe for democracy • The war to end all wars • Wilson awoke the sleeping bear and had a very hard time controlling its anger, prejudice, and destructive fury

  4. Wilson’s Fourteen Points • One of the main purposes was to keep Russia in the war • 1—Abolish secret treaties • 2—Freedom of the seas • 3—Removal of economic barriers among nations • 4—Reduction of armaments • 5—Adjustment of colonial claims in the interests of natives and colonizers • Others • Self Determination to oppressed minority groups • League of Nations • Allied leaders were hopeful of territorial booty taken from the Central powers weren’t as accepting of them • Republicans complained about Wilson’s 14 commandments while God himself only had 10

  5. Creel Manipulates Minds • Large need to mobilize people for war convinced them through propaganda • Committee on Public Information was created • Headed by George Creel • Job was to sell America on the war • Employed 150,000 workers at home and abroad • 75,000 4 minute men to give speeches • Posters, speeches, pamphlets, movies, songs, etc • Oversold the ideals of Wilson and got Americans to expect too much

  6. Enforcing Loyalty and Stifling Dissent • Extreme hatred of everything German banned, music, literature, speaking and learning the German language, sauerkraut (liberty cabbage), hamburger (liberty steak) frankfurters (hot dogs) etc. • Espionage Act 1917 Sedition Act 1918 • 1900 prosecutions under them, many were socialist and members of the IWW, Industrial Workers of the World • Eugene Debs was convicted and sentenced for 10 years • IWW leader Big Bill Haywood and 99 IWW members were also convicted • Any criticism of the government was apt to be censored • Schenck v. United States 1919 Supreme Court upheld the Acts

  7. The Nation’s Factories Go to War • The US was not ready to go to war economically, socially, or politically • Americans were afraid of big government which restricted what they could do • Wouldn’t let the government have very much control over the economy • War Industries Board • Bernard Baruch as its head • Very weak powers to control the economy

  8. Workers in Wartime • Work or fight rule 1918 threatened to draft any unemployed male—also helped discourage strikes • National War Labor Board • Headed by Taft • Helped stop labor disputes to keep the economy running smoothly, helped get the 8 hour work day but wouldn’t guarantee labor the right to unionize • AF of L and Samuel Gompers supported the war • Doubled its membership to 3 million after the war

  9. Workers in Wartime • Real wages in the most heavily unionized areas (coal mining, manufacturing, transportation, etc.) rose over 20%

  10. Suffering until Suffrage • Women took up jobs left by men that went to war • National American Women Suffrage Association • Supported the war in many ways • Fight for democracy abroad was women’s best bet to get it at home • Wilson backed the suffrage movement • Many states voted to allow women the right to vote starting in the East with New York in 1917 • 19th Amendment passed in 1920 • Granted women the right to vote • Most women gave up their war jobs when the war ended

  11. Forging a War Economy • Food Administration • Headed by Herbert Hoover • Relied on voluntary compliance rather than compulsion • Propaganda campaign to get Americans to voluntarily comply • Wheatless Wednesdays and meatless Tuesdays • Victory gardens • Restricted what could be used to make alcohol—helped lead to prohibition • Worked very well • Farm production increased 25%, food exports increased 3 fold • Also saved fuel with heatless Mondays and gasless Sundays • Liberty loan drives • 21 billion $ in bonds sold to the American people (2/3 of the cost of the war)

  12. Making Plowboys into Doughboys • Conscription • Allies in 1917 revealed that they were out of troops Wilson responded by issuing a draft which ran into strong opposition in Congress • All males between 18-45 had to register • No substitutions or purchase exemptions • Did exempt workers in key industries • Worked very effectively, no bloodshed but 337,000 escaped the draft • In a few short months the army rose to an astounding 4 million • Women and African-Americans were allowed in the army although segregated under white officers • Allowed a very short training time

  13. Fighting in France—Belatedly • Early in 1918 Russia pulled out of the war forcing US into it on the ground • Allowed Germany to move its troops from the Eastern front to the West dangerously throwing off the balance of power • Germany was right that US would take its time entering the war and have a hard time transporting its army to Europe • US troops were used to fight on all fronts especially in Russia to keep them from falling to Germany where they ended up fighting the Bolsheviks that just took over

  14. America Helps Hammer the Hun • Germany made a massive advance in the spring of 1918 • Led to a new organization with a supreme commander—French marshal Foch • Germany made it to within 40 miles of Paris • American Doughboys showed up to save the day replacing the Russian bear in the East with the American giant in the West • German advance was over in July 1918 and the Second Battle of the Marne marked the beginning of the German withdrawal • General John J. Pershing was given his own command of an American army and overtook the Meuse-Argonne offense from September 26-November 11, 1918 • Lasted 47 days and engaged 1.2 million Americans • 120,000 killed or wounded, 10% casualty rate • Alvin C. York • Single-handedly captured 132 Germans and killed 20

  15. The Fourteen Points Disarm Germany • Germany turned to Wilson to end the war in October 1918 • Wilson made them dethrone the Kaiser first • Surrendered at eleven o’clock of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918 • America’s main contributions • Foodstuffs, munitions, credit, oil, and manpower not battlefield victories—fought only two major battles • It was the idea that the US had unlimited troops that caused Germany to quit • US was still reliant on the allies once in the field for artillery, planes, etc.

  16. Wilson Steps Down From Olympus • The world revered Wilson, he was head of the most powerful country on earth and he was seen as the world’s moral leader—expectations ran too high • Republicans won a majority in Congress in 1918 elections • This diminished Wilson’s capacity at Paris • Wilson also traveled to Europe himself • Big mistake, made Republicans mad and he left his high moral position to fight with the other politicians • Didn’t put one Republican in his peace delegation

  17. An Idealist Battles the Imperialists in Paris • Wilson’s ultimate goal was a League of Nations but he also wanted to stop the victors from parceling out the conquered territories of the enemies • Instead he gave them to the Europeans as protectorates under the League of Nations • Example: Saar Basin

  18. Hammering Out the Treaty • Wilson had to go home to fight for the League in the Senate, Republicans were against it and ready to kill it • 39 Republican Senators said they wouldn’t approve the League of Nations • This made the Anti Wilson faction in Paris happy, it weakened his position dramatically • Clemenceau pressed French demands for the Rhineland and Saar Valley • Compromised—Saar Valley went under control of League for 15 years and then got to vote which country it went back to (Germany) • France got the Security Treaty • Britain and US pledged to help France if Germany invaded again • Not approved by US Senate • Japan over China’s Shandong Peninsula and German islands in the Pacific • Japan got the German Pacific islands • Fight over China’s Shandong because of Wilson’s belief in Self-determination Japan got economic control because it pledged to give control of the region back later (and it threatened to leave Paris)

  19. The Peace Treaty that Bred a New War • Treaty of Versailles • Given to Germany in June 1919 • Only honored 2 of Wilson’s original 23 points • Germany had no choice they were forced to sign it • It was very vengeful • It did free millions of minority people to rule themselves • Wilson was the fallen idol • Neither side was happy with the compromises he made to save the League of Nations • America wanted no part in the new treaty • Isolationists didn’t want to be entangled with Europe • It was seen as both not harsh enough and too harsh

  20. Wilson’s Tour and Collapse • Senator Henry Cabot Lodge stalled the treaty in the Senate by reading the entire 264 page treaty out loud in committee • Wilson again appealed to the people and went on a speaking tour across the US • Wilson’s health was never good and he took a gambleSeptember25, 1919 Wilson collapsed after a speech in which he broke down crying • Wilson suffered a stroke in September 1919 that paralyzed half his body

  21. Defeat Through Deadlock • Lodge came up with his 14 reservations to the treaty • They reserved the rights of the US under the Constitution, Monroe Doctrine, and others • Especially against article 10 which morally bound US to help victims of aggression • Lodge’s reservations were voted down because Wilson told the Democrats to vote against it, he wanted his or none and got none • The Lodge-Wilson feud killed the treaty • Wilson’s refusal to compromise on the treaty killed it

  22. The Solid Referendum of 1920 • Wilson was waiting until the election of 1920 to settle the treaty issue by giving the people a referendum • Republicans put up Warren G. Harding from Ohio, on a fence straddling platform over the League of Nations, as Vice President the put up Silent Calvin Coolidge • Democrats nominated James Cox also of Ohio • He strongly supported the league • Harding won with the help of the ladies who could now vote • 16.1 to 9.1 million votes • 404 to 127 electoral college votes • Debs got 919,000 for the Socialist party from jail (most ever)

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