World War I1914-1918

The Americans, Chapter 11

Staying out of it . . .

When the war broke out in Europe in 1914, our president urged the American people to be “neutral in fact as well as in name . . . . impartial in thought as well as in action.”

But even from the beginning, Americans tended to favor the Allies for many reasons.

Problems with Neutrality

The actions of Germany as they invaded Belgium were reported in brutal detail by the American Press and in propaganda.

The sinking of the Lusitania in 1915 cost American lives.

Wilson received assurances from Kaiser Wilhelm that this would not happen again, but . . .

Reasons for US Involvement in WWI

Over the next two years, German U-boats sunk other ships with Americans on board.

Early in 1917, Germany sent the intercepted Zimmerman telegram hoping to persuade our friend, Mexico to attack us.

But it was the German announcement that they were launching “unrestricted submarine warfare” that forced Wilson to take us to war.

America Mobilizes for War in 1917

Wilson told Americans that we would fight “to make the world safe for democracy.”

Congress passed a draft law and over 4 million Americans would serve in WWI.

The War Industries Board helped convert factories to wartime production.

On the Homefront . . . The Food and Fuel Administrations

and the Creel Committee inspired the public to sacrifice to preserve scarce resources.

“Liberty Bond” drives raised $23 billion dollars for the war effort.

Many Americans migrated to cities during World War I to work in defense factories.

In the “Great Migration,” 500,000 African Americans moved from the South to the North and Midwest

Over There . . . American “dough boys”

helped to swing the war in favor of the Allies

WWI is known for many advances in weaponry:

Machine guns Long-range artillery Flame throwers Poison gas Airplanes for surveillance

Armistice - 1918

Germany was so worn down by the length of the war and the strength of the Allies that they surrendered on November 11th (now Veteran’s Day).

Americans had contributed mightily to the victory, losing 60,000 lives and contributing 23 billion dollars (total war dead = 8 million).

Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points In a speech to Congress in January of 1918

Wilson had laid out his goals for the peace treaty to be written when the war ended.

Wilson considered the last item to be the most important – the creation of a general association of nations – because such an organization would provide a forum for addressing future international problems and maintaining world peace.

The Treaty of Versailles But when the Allies met to write the peace

treaty at the Palace of Versailles in France, the European Allies sought to gain territory for themselves and to punish Germany.

The treaty was quite disappointing although Wilson was pleased that it called for a League of Nations to be set up, as he had recommended in his Fourteen Points.

The Senate Fight over the Treaty The Senate would have to ratify the Treaty of

Versailles in order for the U.S. to sign it. They argued over many of its provisions, but the

most controversial one was the creation of the League of Nations. Many thought that U.S. membership would drag us into future wars.

Despite the president’s urgings, the Senate never ratified the treaty. We never joined the League of Nations. This is an example of the constitutional principle of ________ and ___________.

(checks and balances)

Other Issues Raised by WWI Internationally, the U.S. wanted to

return to a policy of isolationism. Domestically, post-war housing and job

shortages led to economic pressures. The Great Migration led to increased

racial tension in mid-western cities. Minorities hoped for greater equality

after the war, but were disappointed. The war is believed to have sped up

the passage of the 19th Amendment, giving women the right to vote.