World War I and Beyond1914-1920

Chapter 10

Section 1: From Neutrality to War

What Caused World War I: Nationalism and Competition Heighten Tension Nationalism, militarism, imperialism, and entangling alliances

combined with other factors to lead the nations of Europe into war

Alsace-Lorraine – French territory

lost to a collection of German states

Militarism Produces an Arms Race Militarism – glorification of the military, grew in the

competing countries and fueled the arms race

The contest between Germany and Britain at sea and Germany, France and Russia on land guaranteed a major war

Militarism Produces an arms race and European

leaders are sure a war would erupt in time.

Alliances Make Nations Overconfident and Reckless Leaders prepared for war by forming alliances. Germany,

Austria – Hungary, and Italy joined together in the Triple Alliance, though Italy never fought with it

Alliances emboldened leaders,

they knew if they went to war

their allies were obligated to fight

along with them

Assassination Hurtles Europe Toward World War

Archduke Francis Ferdinand – heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, was assassinated by Serbs who saw Ferdinand as a tyrant (video)

The Fighting Begins: Alliances Cause a Chain Reaction Kaiser William II – German

emperor, assured Austria Hungary Germany would stand by its ally if war came.

A-H declared war on Serbia July 28, 1914, because of their unwillingness to help in the investigation

Because of the alliance system, what should have been a localized quarrel spread

Deadly Technology Leads to Stalemate Western Front – 450 miles of trenches that became the

critical battle front.

The Reality of Trench Warfare Stalemate in the trenches led to horrid conditions; lice from

rats, “trench foot,” snipers, gas, and enemy attacks

Between the lines was “no man’s land”

Soldiers went “over the top” to launch an offensive and there were thousands, hundreds of thousands and millions of casualties

Casualties – soldiers killed, wounded, and missing

Wilson Urges NeutralityPresident Wilson urged Americans “to be impartial

in thought as well as action,” as war spread across Europe

We tried to adhere to the “melting pot,” ideals

Many businesses benefited from the increased demand by warring nations for American goods

Americans Have Divided LoyaltiesOne third of Americans were foreign-born in 1914,

many of them felt loyalty to their homelands

Most Americans sided with Britain and France, Britain because of cultural heritage and France because of their aid in the Revolution

American Opinion CrystallizesGerman invasion of neutral Belgium swayed

American opinion, fueled by British journalists and propagandists that showed and often exaggerated the brutality of the Germans

Neutrality Gives Way to War1914 the start of World War I

1917 U.S. entry into World War I

Britain Blockades GermanyBritish leaders decided to use their navy to

blockade Germany, and prevent most supplies from reaching Germany

Contraband – supplies captured from an enemy during wartime

German Sub marines Violate Neutral RightsGermany began to blockade Britain, sinking Allied

ships using its U-boats

On May 7, 1915 the British passenger liner Lusitania was sunk by a German U-boat, Wilson was stunned but still wanted peace “ There is such a thing as a nation being so right that it does not need to convince others by force that it is right” (Sussex Pledge)

Wilson Prepares for WarBy the end of 1915 Wilson began to prepare the

Nation for War

The National Defense Act expanded the size of the army

Naval Construction Act ordered the building of more warships

Wilson ran for his second

term on the slogan,

“ He kept us out of war”

America Enters the WarZimmerman Note – proposed an alliance with

German and Mexico

April 2, 1917 Wilson asked Congress for a declaration of war against Germany

Section 2: The Home Front

America Mobilizes for WarDuring World War I the U.S. government assumed

new powers regulating industrial and agricultural production while also establishing a draft

The war was among nations but touched the lives of their citizens

Building and ArmyWhen the U.S. entered into WWI the army was

small compared to those of European Nations

Selective Service Act – Congress passed it May 1917 which authorized the draft

24 million registered and 2.8 million served

Constructing a War EconomyBernard Baruch – head of the War Industries

Board (WIB), an investment banker that reported directly to the president /who, what, where, when, cost/

Future President Herbert Hoover did the same for food production / wheatless Mondays and Wednesday, meatless Tuesdays, porkless Thursdays and Saturdays

Shaping Public OpinionCommittee on Public Information (CPI) - to

educate the public about the causes and nature of the war

George Creel – director of the CPI, combined education and widespread advertising to “sell America”

Opposition and Its ConsequencesGerman Americans and Irish Americans, tended to

oppose the Allies for different reasons. Some people treated German Americans with prejudice, or intolerance. Some Americans opposed the war for many reasons and the government acted in ways that sometimes trespassed on individual liberties

Resistance to the DraftThe draft created controversy

Conscientious objectors – people whose moral or religious beliefs forbid them to fight in wars ( what if no one would fight?) (individual rights) (is freedom free?)

Women Work for PeaceSome American women also opposed the war.

Jane Addams formed the Women’s Peace Party

Jeannette Rankin was the first women to serve in he U.S. House of Representatives

The Government Cracks Down on DissentAs in previous and future wars, the government

navigated a difficult path between respecting and restring individual rights

Espionage Act – allowed postal authorities to ban treasonable or seditious newspapers, magazines, or printed materials from the mail

Cont.1918 Congress passed the Sedition Act, which

made it unlawful to use “disloyal, profane, scurrilous, and abusive language”

Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the Sedition Act, stating there are times when the need for public order is so pressing that the First Amendment protections of speech do not apply

Prejudice Against German AmericansThe CPI intensified the anti-German feelings by

portraying Germany as a cruel enemy

Americans stopped teaching German in public schools and stopped playing Beethoven and Brahms, renamed German measles “liberty measles”

Some German Americans were harassed,

beaten, and even a few were killed

The War Changes American SocietyThe war changed the lives for women, African

Americans, and Mexican Americans

Women Embrace New OpportunitiesAs men entered the armed forces, many women

moved into the workforce for the first time Munitions factories Railroads Telegraph operators Trolley conductors Farms Red Cross as drivers and clerks

African Americans Follow Opportunity NorthW.E.B. Du Boies viewed the war as an excellent

opportunity to show all Americans the loyalty and patriotism of African Americans

Great Migration – blacks left the south for economic advancement in the North’s wartime industries (Primary Source pg. 299)

Mexican Americans Move NorthMany Mexican migrants crossed the border to

harvest fruits or grains or pick cotton, they filled a demand for labor as blacks migrated north

Section 3: Wilson, War, and Peace

Why It MattersBy the spring of 1917 when the U.S. entered into

WWI the Western Front in France had become a deadly, bloody stalemate. The U.S. would play a key role in the Allied victory.

America Gives the Allies the EdgeMany European leaders cast doubt the U.S. could

raise, train, equip, and transport an army fast enough to influence the outcome of the war

Allied Convoys Protect ShippingGermany U-boats were sinking merchant ships

faster than they could be replaced

The problems solution came in the form of an old naval tactic called “convoy”

Convoy – groups of merchant ships sailed together protected by warships (pg. 303)

The Allies StruggleCentral Powers were gaining ground after years of

fighting

In March 1917 a revolution overthrew Czar Nicholas II though they remained committed to the war

Radical communists led by Vladimir Lenin staged a revolution and gained control of Russia

The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk ended the war between the Soviet Union and Germany

American Troops Join the FightJohn J. Pershing – the commander of American

forces in Europe

As weeks followed American troops began to assume more of the wars burden, at the same time German offensive began to stall

American Troops Distinguish ThemselvesAmerican troops called “doughboys”, began to

break German lines

U.S. war hero Alvin York distinguish himself by silencing German machinegun nest, and dodged other attacks using only a pistol. He would later earn the Congressional Medal of Honor

The War EndsBy the end of 1918 the German front was

collapsing, the armies of Germany and Austria-Hungary had had enough

On November 11th 1918 Germany surrendered to the Allies

5 million Allied, 8 million Central Power, and 6.5 million civilians were dead

Wilson Promotes Peace Without VictoryVladimir Lenin, leader of the communist revolution

said the entire war was an imperialistic land-grab

President Wilson pushed the idea “peace without victory” (Primary Source pg. 305)

Fourteen Points – Wilson’s outline for what America wants, peace by noble ideals, not greed and vengeance

Cont…Wilson’s Fourteen Points sought to fundamentally

change the world, openness, independence, and freedom

No secrets, diplomacy, free trade, open seasSelf –Determination – the right of people to

choose their own form of government

Cont…League of Nations – to secure “mutual guarantees

of political independence and territorial integrity to great and small states alike

1919 Allied peace conference in Versailles, Wilson went, something no other U.S. President had done

Cont…Henry Cabot Lodge – a Republican foreign policy

expert was left behind because Wilson disliked him

Many in American politics were angered but Wilson was greeted in Europe with much fanfare

Wilson at the Paris Peace ConferenceWilson’s idealism did not inspire other Allied

leaders

They blamed Germany for starting the war and wanted to weaken them so to never have the ability to start another war

Reparations – payment for war damages

Allied Leaders Reject Wilson’s IdeasThe leaders of both France and Britain wanted

Germany to pay for the war not only through reparations but also with the return of Alsace Lorraine and other key German colonies

Allies Create a League of NationsLeaders of Italy, France and Britain began to scrap

many aspects of Wilson’s Fourteen Points plan, freedom of the seas, free trade, and liberation of colonial empires, and general disarmament

Wilson lost many ideas but continued to fight for the League of Nations were countries could gather and peacefully resolve their quarrels

Problems With the PeaceThe various peace treaties crated almost as many

problems as they solved (read pg. 307)

America Rejects the TreatyWilson left Versailles knowing the treaty was not

perfect but believed over time the League of Nations could fix the problems and peace would emerge

Wilson Faces Troubles at HomeGerman Americans thought the “war guilt clause”

saying Germany started the war was to harsh

Irish Americans criticized the failure to create an independent Ireland

Some senators though the U.S. should not get entangled in world politics / organizations they were called “irreconcilables”

Cont…Reservationists – opposed the treaty some

Senators wanted minor changes while others wanted many

Article 10 – war without Congress / unconstitutional

Unable to sway Congress Wilson went to the people working himself to the brink of death

The Senate Rejects the Versailles TreatyThe treaty was voted on three times and three

times it was defeated

The tragedy was that without full American support the League of Nations would be ineffective