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America: Pathways to the Present
Chapter 12
The World War I Era
(1914–1920)
Copyright © 2005 by Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as
Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. All rights reserved.
America: Pathways to the Present
Chapter 12: The World War I Era (1914–1920)
Section 1: The Road to War
Section 2: The United States Declares War
Section 3: Americans on the European Front
Section 4: Americans on the Home Front
Section 5: Global Peacemaker
Copyright © 2005 by Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as
Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. All rights reserved.
Causes of World War I
Chapter 12, Section 1
• The immediate cause of the Great War
– assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand in
Sarajevo, Bosnia, on June 28, 1914.
– Francis Ferdinand, heir to the throne of the AustroHungarian Empire
– visiting Bosnia, a new Austro-Hungarian province
– shot by Gavrilo Princip, a 19-year-old Bosnian
nationalist who believed that Austria-Hungary had
no right to rule Bosnia.
Causes of World War I
Chapter 12, Section 1
Main Causes of World War I
Imperialism
Competition for colonial lands in Africa and elsewhere
led to conflict among the major European powers.
Militarism
By the early 1900s, powerful nations in Europe had
adopted policies of militarism, or aggressively building
up armed forces and giving the military more authority
over government and foreign policy.
Nationalism
One type of nationalism inspired the great powers of
Europe to act in their own interests. Another emerged
as ethnic minorities within larger nations sought selfgovernment.
Alliances
In a complicated system of alliances, different groups
of European nations had pledged to come to one
another’s aid in the event of attack.
The Conflict Expands
Chapter 12, Section 1
•
Convinced that Serbia was behind the Archduke’s assassination,
Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia on July 28, 1914.
•
Russia, as Serbia’s protector, began mobilization. France,
Russia’s ally, and Germany, Austria-Hungary’s ally, also began
mobilization.
•
To get to France, German forces had to pass through neutral
Belgium; the invasion of Belgium brought Britain into the conflict
as well.
•
One week after the war started, all the great powers of Europe had
been drawn into it. Germany and Austria-Hungary formed the
Central Powers, while Russia, France, Serbia, and Great Britain
were called the Allies.
The War in Europe, 1914–1918
Chapter 12, Section 1
When Austria-Hungary
declared war on Serbia,
the complex alliance
system in Europe drew
much of the continent
into the conflict.
Stalemate and Modern Warfare
Chapter 12, Section 1
Stalemate
Modern Warfare
•
•
Neither soldiers nor officers
were prepared for the new,
highly efficient killing
machines used in World War I.
•
Machine guns, hand grenades,
artillery shells, and poison gas
killed thousands of soldiers
who left their trenches to
attack the enemy.
•
As morale fell, the armies
began to burn fields, kill
livestock, and poison wells.
•
•
By September 1914, the war
had reached a stalemate.
When a French and British
force stopped a German
advance near Paris, both
sides holed up in trenches
separated by an empty “no
man’s land.”
Small gains in land resulted
in huge numbers of human
casualties.
The American Response
Chapter 12, Section 1
• Because many Americans were European immigrants or the
children of European immigrants, many felt personally
involved in the escalating war. Although some had
sympathies for the Central Powers, most Americans
supported the Allies.
• Support for the Allies was partially caused by Germany’s
rule by an autocrat, a ruler with unlimited power. In
addition, anti-German propaganda, or information intended
to sway public opinion, turned many Americans against the
Central Powers.
• To protect American investments overseas , President
Wilson officially proclaimed the United States a neutral
country on August 4, 1914.
The Preparedness and Peace Movements
Chapter 12, Section 1
The Preparedness Movement
• Americans with business ties
to Great Britain wanted their
country to be prepared to
come to Britain’s aid if
necessary.
• In an effort to promote
“preparedness,” the
movement’s leaders
persuaded the government to
set up military training camps
and increase funding for the
armed forces.
The Peace Movement
• Other Americans, including
women, former Populists,
Midwest progressives, and
social reformers, advocated
peace.
• Peace activists in Congress
insisted on paying for
preparedness by increasing
taxes. Although they had
hoped that a tax increase
would decrease support for
preparedness, the movement
remained strong.
German Submarine Warfare
Chapter 12, Section 2
• To break a stalemate at sea, Germany began to
employ U-boats.
• U-boats, traveling under water, could sink British
supply ships with no warning.
• The British cut the transatlantic cable, which
connected Germany and the United States.
• Only news with a pro-Allied bias was able to reach
America. American public opinion was therefore
swayed against Germany’s U-boat tactics.
The Lusitania and the Sussex Pledge
Chapter 12, Section 2
The Sinking of the Lusitania
• On May 7,1915, a German
U-boat sank the British
passenger liner Lusitania,
which had been carrying
both passengers and
weapons for the Allies.
• Since 128 American
passengers had been on
board, the sinking of the
Lusitania brought the
United States closer to
involvement in the war.
The Sussex Pledge
• More Americans were
killed when Germany sank
the Sussex, a French
passenger steamship, on
March 24,1916.
• In what came to be known
as the Sussex pledge, the
German government
promised that U-boats
would warn ships before
attacking, a promise it had
made and broken before.
Moving Toward War
Chapter 12, Section 2
Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
The Zimmermann Note
•
•
•
•
On January 31, 1917,
Germany announced its
intent to end the Sussex
pledge and return to
unrestricted submarine
warfare.
This action caused the United
States to break off diplomatic
relations with Germany.
The German navy did not
attack any American ships in
February, causing the United
States to continue to hope for
peace.
•
•
Britain revealed an
intercepted telegram to the
government of Mexico from
Germany’s foreign minister,
Arthur Zimmermann.
In this telegram, known as the
Zimmermann note, Germany
offered to return American
lands to Mexico if Mexico
declared war on the United
States.
Neither Mexico nor President
Wilson took the Zimmermann
note seriously, but it brought
America closer to entering
the war.
The War Resolution
Chapter 12, Section 2
• When the Russian Revolution replaced Russia’s
autocratic czar with a republican government in
March 1917, the United States no longer needed to be
concerned about allying itself with an autocratic
nation. This removed one more stumbling block to an
American declaration of war.
• As Germany continued to sink American ships in
March, President Wilson’s patience for neutrality wore
out. On April 6, 1917, the President signed
Congress’s war resolution, officially bringing the
United States into the war.
Moving Toward War
Chapter 12, Section 3
Building an Army
• The United States lacked a
large and available military
force.
• Congress passed a Selective
Service Act in May 1917,
drafting many young men into
the military.
• Draftees, volunteers, and
National Guardsmen made up
what was called the American
Expeditionary Force (AEF),
led by General John J.
Pershing.
Training for War
• New recruits were trained in
the weapons and tactics of
the war by American and
British lecturers at new and
expanded training camps
around the country.
• The military planned to give
new soldiers several months
of training. However, the need
to send forces to Europe
quickly sometimes cut
training time short.
The Convoy System and Americans in Europe
Chapter 12, Section 3
The Convoy System
• To transport troops across
the Atlantic, the United States
employed convoys, or groups
of unarmed ships surrounded
by armed naval vessels
equipped to track and destroy
submarines.
• German submarines did not
sink a single ship carrying
American troops.
American Soldiers in Europe
• By 1918, European nations
had begun to run out of men
to recruit. American soldiers,
nicknamed doughboys,
helped replace the tired
fighters of Europe.
• Many African Americans
volunteered or were drafted
for service. These men served
in segregated units and were
often relegated to noncombat
roles.
Turning the Tide of War
Chapter 12, Section 3
•
•
•
•
New methods of military transportation, including tanks,
airplanes, and German zeppelins, or floating airships, influenced
the manner in which the war was fought.
In the spring of 1918, Germany provided safe passage for Vladimir
Lenin, leader of the Russian Bolsheviks. The Bolsheviks
successfully overthrew the Russian republican government and
made peace with Germany.
The resulting truce meant that the German military could
concentrate exclusively on the Western front. Before the arrival of
American troops, Germany was able to gain ground in France,
coming within 50 miles of Paris.
General Pershing’s troops, however, pushed back the Germans in
a series of attacks. The German army was driven to full retreat.
Ending the War
Chapter 12, Section 3
• In the face of Allied attacks and domestic revolutions,
the Central Powers collapsed one by one. AustriaHungary splintered into smaller nations of ethnic
groups, and German soldiers mutinied.
• When the Kaiser of Germany fled to Holland, a civilian
representative of the new German republic signed an
armistice in a French railroad car at 5am on November
11, 1918.
• Although guns fell silent six hours later, many more
deaths were to follow. The influenza epidemic of 1918
killed more people, both in the United States and
Europe, than all of the wartime battles.
Results of the War
Chapter 12, Section 3
Some Results of World War I
Dead and
Wounded
The estimated death toll of World War I was 8 million
soldiers and civilians, including tens of thousands of
Americans. Many more had lost limbs or been blinded by
poison gas. However, the efforts of the Red Cross and
other agencies had helped save many lives.
Loss of
Young
Men
Many sensed that the war had destroyed an entire
generation of young men and grieved for the loss of their
talents and abilities.
Genocide
In an act of genocide, or organized killing of an entire
people, the Ottoman Empire had murdered hundreds of
thousands of Armenians suspected of disloyalty to the
government.
Financing the War
Chapter 12, Section 4
• Modern warfare required huge amounts of money and
personnel.
• The government raised money for the war in part by
selling Liberty Bonds.
• Like all bonds, these could be redeemed later for their
original value plus interest.
• Many patriotic Americans bought liberty bonds,
raising more than $20 billion for the war effort.
Managing the Economy
Chapter 12, Section 4
•
•
•
•
United States entry into the war caused many industries to switch from
commercial to military production. A newly created War Industries Board
oversaw this production. New labor-related agencies helped ensure that
labor disputes did not disrupt the war effort.
Using the slogan, “Food will win the war,” Herbert Hoover, head of the
Food Administration and future President, began to manage how much
food people bought.
Although he had the power to impose price controls, a system of pricing
determined by the government, and rationing, or distributing goods to
customers in a fixed amount, Hoover preferred to rely on voluntary
restraint and increased efficiency.
Daylight savings time was created to save on fuel use and increase the
number of daylight hours available for work. This involved turning clocks
back one hour for the summer, creating one more hour of daylight.
Enforcing Loyalty
Chapter 12, Section 4
Enforcing American Loyalty During World War I
Fear of
Foreigners
Fear of espionage, or spying, was widespread; restrictions on
immigration were called for and achieved.
“Hate the Hun”
The war spurred a general hostility toward Germans, often
referred to as Huns in reference to European invaders of the
fourth and fifth centuries. German music, literature, language,
and cuisine became banned or unpopular.
Repression of
Civil Liberties
Despite Wilson’s claim that the United States fought for liberty
and democracy, freedom of speech was reduced during the
war. Sedition, or any speech or action that encourages
rebellion, became a crime.
Political
Radicals
Socialists, who argued that workers had no stake in the war,
won popular support in some states.
The radical labor organization Industrial Workers of the World
(IWW) tried to interfere with war production; vigilantes took the
law into their own hands.
Changing People’s Lives
Chapter 12, Section 4
African Americans and Other
Minorities
• With much of the work
force in the military,
factory owners and
managers who had once
discriminated against
minorities began actively
recruiting them.
• The flood of African
Americans leaving the
South to work in northern
factories became known
as the Great Migration.
New Roles for Women
• The diminished male work
force also created new
opportunities for women.
• Many women joined the
work force for the first time
during the war. Some
found work on farms with
the Woman’s Land Army;
others took jobs
traditionally reserved for
men.
President Wilson’s Proposals
Chapter 12, Section 5
• President Wilson developed a program for peace around
the world known as the Fourteen Points
• One of Wilson’s Fourteen Points called for an end to
entangling alliances; another involved a reduction of
military forces. Another dealt with the right of AustriaHungary’s ethnic groups to self-determination.
• Wilson and the German government assumed that the
Fourteen Points would form the basis of peace
negotiations, the Allies disagreed.
• During peace negotiations, Wilson’s Fourteen Points were
discarded one by one.
The Paris Peace Conference
Chapter 12, Section 5
The League of Nations
•
One of Wilson’s ideas, the formation of a League of Nations, was
agreed upon at the Paris Peace Conference.
•
The League of Nations was designed to bring the nations of the
world together to ensure peace and security.
•
Republicans in Congress were concerned about Article 10 of the
League’s charter.
•
Contained a provision that they claimed might draw the United States
into unpopular foreign wars.
The Peace Treaty
Chapter 12, Section 5
• The treaty which was negotiated at the Paris Peace
Conference redrew the map of Europe to the Allies’
advantage.
• Nine new nations were created from territory taken from
Austria-Hungary, Russia, and Germany. The redivisions
created new ethnic minorities in several countries.
• France insisted that Germany be humiliated and financially
crippled. The peace treaty required Germany to pay billions
of dollars in reparations.
• Wilson opposed this plan, claiming that these demands
would lead to future wars.
• On June 28, 1919, the peace treaty was signed at Versailles.
Redrawing the Map of Europe
Chapter 12, Section 5
• At the Paris Peace
Conference, Britain,
France, and the
United States redrew
the map of Europe.
Reactions at Home
Chapter 12, Section 5
Congress and the Treaty of Versailles
Difficult Postwar Adjustments
•
•
•
•
•
Congress voted against
ratifying the Versailles Treaty
it in November 1919.
The United States declared
the war officially over on May
20, 1920.
It ratified separate peace
treaties with Germany,
Austria, and Hungary.
The United States did not join
the newly formed League of
Nations.
•
•
The war had given a large
boost to the American
economy, making the United
States the world’s largest
creditor nation.
Soldiers returned home to a
hero’s welcome but found
that jobs were scarce.
African American soldiers
returned to find continued
discrimination.