WORLD WAR ONE1914-1918

WHAT CAUSED WWI?

I. THE GREAT WAR IN EUROPE

A. Beginning of the war

- Alliance system, militarism, colonialism, nationalism

- Allies v. Axis

B. US neutrality tested for 3 years

- Wilson pro

- What attracted US citizens to the various sides?

C. US economic ties to Europe

- Initial disastrous eco. Impact

- 1915 US trade with Allied powers =2.4 bill.

- Britain controls the sea so Germany begins submarine warfare

WHAT YEAR IS THIS? AND WHEN DOES THE US DECLARE

WAR?

I. THE GREAT WAR IN EUROPE

D. Submarine warfare

- 1915 90 ships sunk, brit. Lusitania- 128 Americans, hurts German public opinion

E. Sussex ultimatum

-march 1916 French passenger ship Sussex, more diplomacy

F. Election of 1916

- Rep. Charles Evan Hughes, TR decides not to run ending progressive party, Dem.

Wilson, “He kept us out of the war”

- "Peace without victory" speech, January1917: Wilson declared only a negotiated

"peace without victory" would prove durable.

SO WHAT ACTUALLY CAUSES THE US TO ENTER THE WAR?

II. U.S. ENTRY INTO THE GREAT WAR

A. 1917 Germany announced Unrestricted submarine warefare

B. Wilson breaks diplomatic relations with Germany

C. Zimmerman note- Germany tries to get Mexico on their side

D. 4 US merchants sunk

E. April 2 1917 Wilson asks congress for war

A. Most important: unrestricted submarine warfare

B. Zimmerman Note

C. Russian Revolution in March 1917 created a more acceptable Russian democracy than a Czarist

regime as an ally.

D. U.S. could end the war quickly and ensure itself a major role in the ensuing peace.

E. Moral reason: German mass-killing of civilians

III. WILSONIAN IDEALISM

A. Wilson abandons isolationism

B. Wilsons idealism

a. "Make the world safe for democracy"

b. "A war to end war"

C. Wilson’s 14 points- Address to Congress in January 1918.

a. Abolish secret treaties

b. Freedom of the seas

c. Remove economic barriers (free trade)

d. Reduction of armament burdens

e. Adjustment of colonial claims in the interests of both native peoples and colonizers (pleased anti-

imperialists).

f. Promise of independence ("self-determination") to oppressed minority groups (e.g., Poles, Czechs),

millions who lived in Germany and Austria-Hungary.

g. 14th Point: creation of an international organization to provide collective security

IV. MOBILIZING FOR WAR

A. Creel Committee- Committee of public information

B. Restrictions on civil liberties

- anti-Germany hysteria, espionage act 1917, sedition act 1918,

- Schenck v. US 1919 “clear and present danger” “crowded theater”

C. Mobilizing factories

- Slow start, traditional fear of big gov.

- War industries board

- Encouraging worker “Work or Fight”

- Labor grievances

HOW ARE YOU GOING TO PAY FOR THE WAR?

V. THE WAR ECONOMY A. Herbert Hoover and the food administration

- Voluntary compliance, wheat less Wednesday, meatless Tuesday, victory garden

B. Bond drives “liberty loans”

C. Paid for 2/3 cost- remaining 10.5 billion raised through taxes

D. Government enforcement

- gov. control over railroads, seized ships and built them

VI. MOBILIZING THE ARMY

A. 1917 allies loosing man power

B. Selective service act

C. Results

A. Conscription proved effective.

a. Within months, the army increased from about 200,000 to over 4 million. 400,000 blacks

were drafted or enlisted (segregated units).

b. For the first time, women were admitted to the armed forces: 11,000 to the navy and 269 to

the marine corp.

c. No bloodshed occurred as a result of the draft.

d. Yet, 337,000 "slackers" escaped the draft and about 4,000 were excused (many were

“conscientious objectors”).

WWI

LONG TERM RESULTS?

VII. AMERICAN "DOUGHBOYS" IN WWI

A. War at sea- heavy looses followed by convoy system

B. Communist Russia withdraws

C. Western front France 1918

- American Expeditionary force, response to German advance, second battle of the Marne, General

John Pershing and the Muse-Argonne offensive

D. End of the war

E. Segregation in US army

F. Casualties

1. Americans lost 112,432 men total: 48,000 battle deaths; 62,000 dead of disease; 230,000 wounded

2. About 10 million soldiers died on all sides.

3. About 20 million civilian casualties resulted:

VIII. WILSON LOSES CONGRESS

A. Wilson post war popularity

B. Republicans win congressional elections

C. Will went to Paris with out any republicans

IX. PARIS PEACE CONFERENCE (BEGINNING JANUARY 18, 1919)

A. The big 4: Wilson (U.S.), David Lloyd George (Britain), Georges Clemenceau (France),

Vittorio Orlando (Italy)

B. Wilsons goal of the league of nations: Mandates, article X, collective security

C. Versailles treaty

-”war-guilt” clause: $31 billion , self-determination: eastern Europe

- Henry Cabot Lodge, “Irreconcilables”

D. Completion of the treaty- June 28, 1919.

X. DEFEAT OF THE VERSAILLES TREATY IN THE U.S. (1919-1920)

A. Majority initially favored

B. Republicans opposed

C. Wilsons speaking tour

D. Lodge reservations

E. Wilson rejects lodge

XI. WORLD WAR I LONG-TERM INTERNATIONAL RESULTS

A. The U.S became the world's economic and political leader (notwithstanding its

isolationism).

B. B. The Russian Revolution created the world’s first communist country which

henceforth exerted a tremendous impact on world politics until 1991.

C. Britain, France, Austria and Turkey went into various states of decline.

D. Germany was devastated by the Versailles Treaty. German anger led to the

eventual rise of Adolf Hitler and World War II.

XII. POLITICAL AFTERMATH OF WORLD WAR I IN THE U.S.

A. The War Industries Board was dismantled.

B. Esch-Cummins transportation act of 1920

- Return railroads, encouraged consolidation

C. Race riots “red summer” 1919 , (Tulsa race massacre 1921)

D. “red scare” 1919-1920

XIII. ELECTION OF 1920

A. Warren g. Harding Republican

B. James m cox Democrat

C. Results

- Harding wins 404-127, “normalcy”

- Progressives done return to isolationism (no league of nations)

- Failure of peace- The great depression, hatred still present in Europe

XIV. IMPACT OF WORLD WAR I ON AMERICAN SOCIETY

A. Women

B. Prohibition of Alcohol (18th Amendment in 1919)

C. “Great Migration” of African Americans to the North

D. Increased nativism (severe immigration laws were eventually passed in 1921 and 1924)

E. Civil liberties were suspended during the war (e.g. Espionage Act)

F. Red Scare in 1919: anti-communist crusade

G. Millions of men left home to fight the war in Europe

H. Volunteerism/patriotism during the war

I. The U.S. returned to isolationism after the war.

J. The election of 1920 ended 8 years of Democratic party rule and ended 20 years of progressive reform.

K. Economic growth