World War I

“The Great War”

War to End All Wars

Origins of the War

• 1. Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand (Austria)

• Heir to Austrian throne– June 28, 1914 – Sarajevo– Gavrilo Princip (19 year old Serbian terrorist)

• “Black Hand” organization• Killing of Ferdinand and wife Sophie begin the war

Origins

• 2. Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany– Declares war on Serbia– (Austria-Hungary is Germany’s ally – friend)– July 28, 1914

3. Russia joins Serbia1. Declares war on Austria-Hungary

2. Vows to protect Slavic people

Origins

• 4. Germany declares war on Russia, France and Belgium– Formulates “Schlieffen” plan

• 2 side attack plan on France and Russia (same time)

– Aug. 4, Germany invades Belgium (to France)» Helmuth von Moltke + 700,000 Germans defeat

small Belgium army» Capture and kill soldiers and civilians alike

Origins

• 5. Great Britain declares war on Germany August 4, 1914

• 6. Turkey & Bulgaria join war on Germany and Austria-Hungary side

Alliance Structure

• Triple Alliance– Central Powers

• (bad side)– Germany– Austria-Hungary– Italy (temporary)

• Triple EntenteAllied Powers

– Britain– France– Russia– Serbia– Belgium– India– Canada– Australia– New Zealand

Warfare

• Methods– Traditional (mass

slaughter)– Trench

• STALEMATE (no one wins) Trench foot PP

– Machine guns– Artillery– Poison gases– U-Boats (unterseeboot)-

unrestricted submarine warfare

• American policy is ISOLATIONISM– NEUTRAL– Believed that Europe was

now the “grave of nations”– Most Americans favored

the side of allies due to common cultural ties

– Americans hated the USW Germany used

Russia Revolution

• 1917 Russia left war– Czar Nicholas overthrown (entire family

killed)-no survivors, no czar– Bolsheviks (political party)– Believed Communism

• They did not believe in the war• Left France at the mercy of Germany, with Russia

no longer a barrier

Lusitania

• May 1915• Germany sinks HMS

Lusitania (English)• 1,200 dead (128

Americans)• America condemns

Germany and Wilson demands Germany stop USW

• Germany refuses to stop

American Response

• Pres. Wilson re-elected president 1916

• Wilson repeats his goal of NEUTRALITY.

• Calls reps from all sides to Colonel House-no winners, no losers

• Made all mad at him

The Sussex Pledge

• April 1916 Germany sinks • French supply ship (4

Americans hurt on board)• Germany promises to

stop USW• Germany signed Sussex

Pledge (promise to stop all USW)

• Wilson demands Germany quit USW

• Threaten to cut off all diplomatic relations + apply sanctions against Germany if they refuse.

• Wilson pursues his “armed neutrality” program; sends help to allies. Used old Anti-Piracy Law.

War Hawks in America

• Congress want war– Expand armed forces– Establish universal military training programs– National Defense Act (+soldiers/equipment)– Naval Construction Act (ordered new ships)

– Germany goes back to USW

Zimmerman Note

• Sent to Mexico by Germany. It was intercepted by England. It proposed:– Mexico to invade America (keep us busy)– When Germany wins, they would give Mexico

back “lost lands”.• Texas• New Mexico• California• Arizona

WAR Declared

• April 2, 1916• Wilson went to

Congress; said “America can be neutral no longer”.

• US would join the war on the side of the allies.

• April 6, 1916• US officially enters

war• Began war machine

buildup– War economy– Centralize

management of resources

– Control public opinion– Suppress dissent

Stage I: Selective Service

• 21-31 year olds– Draft – Notices sent out across America

• Congress called up +3 million young men

• Trained within months

Stage 2: War Industries Board

• Bernard Baruch, Director

• July 1917– Had power over all US industry

• Set prices• Allocated natural resources• Standardized products

– Ex. Type ribbon colors (150/5)

• Boost plant efficiency– Suspend anti-trust laws & guarantee corporate profits

Stage 3: Food Administration

• Herbert Hoover, Director– Job: Convince

Americans to be patriotic (food saved for soldiers)

– “meatless Mondays”

• Accomplishments:– Victory gardens– Set high prices on

farm goods– Women’s Land Army

(grew crops)– Brought Mexicans into

the country to work fields

Stage 4: National War Labor

• Guaranteed rights of labor unions to organize; promotion of national interests; the right of collective bargaining.

• Accomplished:– Improved working conditions– Set higher wages– Shorter work day to 8 hours per

Stage 5: Women’s Movement

• Women took industrial jobs left by men “Rosie”

• +100,000 women entered workforce

• Womenall’s• Women farmed, built

planes, guns, ammo

• Opened up “women’s” jobs to blacks

• Led to women’s suffrage movement

• Led also to the prohibition movement (save grain to feed soldiers)

Step 6: Public Opinion

• George Creel, Director– Job: stop anti-war talk– Create war propaganda (make the war seem

right to Americans)– Created posters, wrote news stories– Brought in movie stars “spokesman”– Responsible for “Uncle Sam” image

Anti-German

• Stopped everything German in America

• Dachshunds, now called “liberty pups”

• German language not allowed taught in American schools

• 1918, Robert Prager (German) socialist coal miner lynched– German food renamed

• Hamburgers now called “liberty steaks”

Limiting Anti-War talk

• 1917 Espionage Act• illegal to aid the

enemy or to avoid military service

• DIRECT violation of the 1st amendment

• 1918 Sedition Act• Illegal to print, write,

or publish anything critical of the government, the flag, or the military

• +1,000 jailed• Eugene Debs

(socialist leader) sentenced to 10 years

Schenck v. U. S.

• Convicted of anti-war; anti-American speech

• Published +15,000 pamphlets/articles

• Filed appeal with Supreme Court– Supreme Court sided with US

• To ensure the safety of the country during wartime

Armistice Day

• Nov. 11, 1918– Guns of war fell silent– Over 8.5 million dead– Leaders (4)

• Woodrow Wilson (US)• David L. George (UK)• Georges Clemenceau

(France)• Vittorio Orlando (Italy)

– Peace Treaty Meeting• Jan. 12, 1918• Versailles, France

• Wilson proposed:– Open diplomacy– Freedom of the seas– Removal of trade

barriers– Reduction of arms– Self-determination– League of Nations (to

settle disputes before going to war)

Treaty of Versailles

• Germany must:– Disarm it’s military– Pay reparations to injured nations– Accept total responsibility for war– Give up colonies– If Germany protested, France threatened to

restart hostilities.– Germany’s allies must:

• Give up their colonies

Treaty of Versailles

• Signed June 28, 1919– 9 new nations created from ashes of German

empire

– League of Nations established• America did not join

Post-War Battles at Home

• Distrust of League of Nations– Americans did not favor L o N

• March 19, 1920 Senate cancelled the Treaty

• Influenza– Military camps “breeding grounds” – disease– Fighting men brought it home– Hospitals overwhelmed

• ¼ fell ill + 500,000 died from sickness

Battles (2)

• Economic problems– Jan 1, 1919

• Military demobilized• Government agencies cancelled• Gov’t contracts cancelled• Soldiers returned home

– Needed jobs– Forced women out of “war time” jobs

• Housing shortage

Battles (3)

• Unemployment– High inflation & low morale– Anti-foreigner sentiment

• 1921 (Quota law for immigrants)• 1924 National Origins Act

– Set quota at 2% of aliens already living in America» Clear attempt to limit Asian immigration

Battles (4)

• Labor Conditions– Organized labor

• 4 million workers in 3,000 strikes nationally• Labor lost most of time

– Unhappy workers replaced– Americans feared unionization

Battles (5)

• Red Scare (fear of Communism)– 1917 Bolsheviks overthrew Czar Nicholas II– Vladimir I Lenin– Believed all people should share all wealth,

social standing, and resources collectively• Established Soviet Union• No class system allowed• Established communism (no private ownership of

property) – Government owns everything

Justice System

• Stop communism here

• Groups protested socialism

• Held “dissenters” in jails/prisons until Red Scare ended as political prisoners

• Led to the birth of the Federal Bureau of Investigations– J. Edgar Hoover

FBI

• J. Edgar Hoover, Director• Mitchell Palmer (Attorney General)

– “Palmer” raids (stop “evil red thinking”)• Collected files on radicals

– 39 arrested at bakery (revolutionaries???)

• FBI arrested +4,000 (33 cities)• No warrants used, only arrested• People beaten into confession

– All immigrants arrested deported

• No lawyers allowed

Sacco & Vanzetti

• Italian immigrants May 1920

• Anarchists (no government needed)– Arrested for armed robbery– Tried for robbery + beliefs– Found guilty– Executed 1927

“Return to Normalcy”

• American angry at Wilson– War time taxes high– Economic troubles– Social problems high

– 1920 Election of Warren G. Harding (Rep.)• Return to Normalcy• Calvin Coolidge, V-Pres