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Warm up
Who is Jeanette Rankins, and how is she
related to WWI?
Warm up
What was the Woman’s Land Army?
America at War: Home and Abroad
Ch. 23B (745-767)
The student will understand how the U.S.
switched from peace time to war time,
the major battles of WWI, the economic
impact of war, and the end of the war.
AL COS 11th grade #5
I. Vote for war
A. Congressional numbers
B. Jeanette Rankins-- pacifist who voted
“no” on declaring war
II. Preparing for war—As the U.S. entered the
war, the army was very unprepared, with
little combat experience and an aging officer
corps.
A. Army
1. Selective Service Act—led to the draft
of U.S. males into the military
First act: by the U.S. in the war was to
send naval support, supplies, arms, and
$3 billion in loans.
Selective Service Act: or draft was met
with enthusiasm by young male
Americans.
All men from 21 to 30 years of age (later
extended 18 to 45), inclusive, had to register.
Exemptions from service were granted to men
who had dependent families, indispensable duties
at home, or physical disabilities. 2,800,000 men
would be inducted.
American Expeditionary Force: (AEF)
this collection of volunteers, draftees,
and National Guardsmen made up the
American troops, lead by General
Pershing, would eventually help defeat
the Central Powers.
http://www.emory.edu/ENGLISH/LostPoets/0011.QT for video
2. Women in the war
3. Amount of training
4. John J. Pershing—leader of the AEF
B. Economy
1. War Industries Board—created
cooperation among labor, businesses,
and govt.
a. Allocated raw materials
b. Established production priorities
c. Coordinated competing businesses
d. Led by Bernard Baruch
War Industries Board: had the task to
increase the nation’s war-related
production.
a. It oversaw all aspects of industrial production and distribution ,
established priorities for national industrial production and distribution
and provided incentives for manufacturers to retool for war-related
production.
b. Temporarily-suspended anti-trust laws encouraging cooperation among
industries.
c. Its director had almost dictatorial powers to allocate scarce materials,
standardize production, fix prices and coordinate purchasing, fostering a
new cooperation between military and civilian agencies
government regulations: of most
industries came about when Wilson won
the authority to set up government
agencies to regulate the U.S. economy.
1.Important precedents were set for expanding federal power in a crisis,
that later guided federal efforts in dealing with the international economic
crisis of the 1930s.
2.The shift from peacetime production to wartime production was hurried
and inefficient.
3. Unemployment virtually disappeared, as wages and the cost-of-living
rose.
4.Unprecedented opportunities for disadvantaged groups were found.
Lever Food and Fuel Control Act: gave
the President the power to manage the
production and distribution of foods and
fuels vital to the war effort.
a. It set the price of farm products and formed a corporation to
buy all US and Cuban sugar
b. It encouraged increased production in key areas and
coordinated domestic food consumption with the need to export
large quantities of food to the Allies.
c. To avoid rationing, it encouraged voluntary food conservation
for the war effort with such observances as "Wheatless
Wednesdays" and "Meatless Tuesdays"
d. Food exports rose from 12.3 million to 18.6 million tons,
increasing farm income by 30% between 1915-18.
2. Lever Food and Fuel Control Act (1917)
3. Fuel Administration
4. Food Administration—Hoover used
propaganda and voluntary efforts to ensure
adequate food supplies
Food Administration: managed by
Hoover who used voluntary restraint
and increased efficiency to increase
food available for the war effort.
5. Woman’s Land Army
6. 5000 government agencies—supervised
home-front activities
7. Railroads—nationalized the railroads
8. Demise of anti-trust activity
immigrants: were greatly limited at this
time for fear of spies, and a literacy test
was passed to exclude those who could
not read English or some other
languages.
9. Federal Trade Commission—attempt by
Wilson to control the economic influence
of big business
10. War profits
a. Example: US Steel profit rose from $76
million before war to $478 million in 1917
b. Total corporate profits jumped from
$4 billion in 1914 to $10 billion in 1917
11. 18th Amendment—prohibition
Intro 1
Click the Speaker button
to listen to the audio again.
III. Major battles (video) and trench warfare
(see readings)
IV. Battle on several fronts
A. Battle of the Marne—French forces stop
German forces in 1914
B. Battle of the Somme—introduced the
“new weapon” artillery
C. Battle of Verdun—“heart of France”
D. Battle of Jutland—British suffered greater
losses but the Germans never
Again attempted to break out of their
ports battle-helmets-cut-death-toll -
The Battle of the Somme - July 1, 1916 (03:01)
Days That Shook the World: 1901–1954. BBC. 1999.
unitedstreaming. 3 March 2008
<http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/>
British Gas Casualties: 1914-18 Deaths Non-Fatal
Chlorine
1,976
164,457
Mustard Gas
4,086
16,526
American soldier dies during a German gas attack, May, 1918.
2 million troops eventually reached Europe but a large number arrived too
late to see any action. It has been calculated that 112,432 Americans died.
Of these, around 50 per cent died from disease (mainly influenza).
convoy: a group of unarmed ships
surrounded by military ships to protect
troops and supplies.
The number
of ships
lost to
German
submarine
attack
was cut
by more
than 50
percent
in late
1917.
Country
Battle Ships
Cruisers
Gunboats
Torpedo Boats
Submarines
Destroyers
Russia
4
2
1
0
14
22
France
4
5
2
8
12
11
Great Britain
13
25
7
11
54
64
Italy
3
3
1
6
8
8
United States
0
3
1
0
1
2
Japan
1
4
0
1
0
2
Germany
1
7
8
55
200
68
Austria-Hungary
3
2
0
4
7
4
Turkey
1
2
4
5
0
3
E. Air wars (see http://www.nasm.si.edu/exhibition
WWI FIrsts
F. Russian front collapses
Russian Revolution: of 1917 led to Lenin
making peace with Germany, thereby
increasing pressure on the Allies.
What was the treaty between Germany
and Russia and what were its provisions?
G. St. Mihiel—1st major U.S. success for the AEF
H. Argonne Forest—last major battle of war in
which even the AEF felt the horrors
of war with 26,000 dead
I. Influenza—killed more people than the war
with an estimate of 20 to 40 million
world-wide
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/influenza/
death toll: was an estimated eight
million, not including civilians who
died from the fighting, starvation, and
disease.
Although records and estimates vary on the figures of total dead and wounded during the First World War
it is still obvious that the figures were on a scale never
envisaged by any military strategists. In his History of the First World War A. J. P. Taylor gives the
following figures (loss of life):
USA 114,095
British Empire 251,900
Turkey 375,000
Italy 460,000
Great Britain 761,213
Austria-Hungary 1,100,000
France 1,358,000
Russia 1,700,000
Germany 2,000,000
Total Military Loss of Life 8,120,208
Total Civilian Loss of Life 8,742,296
In terms of losses (military) this amounted to 5,509 per day. In addition, in the final stages of the War and
in the ensuing peace, Europe was ravaged by an epidemic
of Spanish influenza which caused the deaths of over 6,000,000 people.
Heroes of World War I: U.S. Soldiers go to War (04:48)
Heroes of World War I. AIMS Multimedia. 1996.
unitedstreaming. 3 March 2008
V. African-Americans
A. Discriminations faced—segregated
regiments and divisions
B. Jobs—mainly not combatant roles except
those who fought for the French
C. Successfully fought for the French and
were highly decorated
African Americans: in Europe were kept
apart from white troops and were often
used for
manual
labor.
369th Infantry
VI. The war at home
A. Liberty bond drive—McAdoo—financing
for the war (“buy war bonds or you’re
pro-German.”)
Liberty Bonds: special war bonds sold to
support the Allied cause.
a. Five national campaigns sold war bonds to partially finance war costs.
[June 1917 - $2 billion/ Nov 1917 - $3.8 billion/ May 1918 - $4.2 billion/
Oct 1918 - $6 billion/ Victory Loan April 1919 - $4.5 billion]
b. The total war cost was 33.5 billion with pensions and post-war expenses
B. Creel Committee on Public Information—
propaganda used to spread the U.S.
government’s official version of the war
a. Buy war bonds
b. War for freedom and democracy
c. U.S. fighting a barbarous nation
d. German invasion of U.S. a possibility
C. Intellectuals and the war
1. Favored the war as a way to defend culture
2. Favored the war as a way to increase govt.
activism (reforms)
D. Anti-German feelings—German-Americans
were harassed and abused, and accused
by the American government of being
anti-American (“liberty cabbage instead of
sauerkraut”)
anti-war protesters: were offended by
Wilson’s call for the U.S. to fight for
liberty and freedom
Sedition Act (1918): It became a crime
to speak against the purchase of war bonds,
or "willfully utter, print, write or publish any
disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive
language" about the US form of government,
the US constitution or the US armed forces
or to "willfully urge, incite, or advocate any
curtailment of production" of things
"necessary or essential to the prosecution of
the war . . . with intent of such curtailment
to cripple or hinder the United States in the
prosecution of the war."
E. Anti-war activist
1. Preparedness movement—despite
neutrality stances, this group advocated
rearmament and universal military training
2. Key players: Randolph Bourne, Jeannette
Rankins, Eugene V. Debs
Eugene V. Debs: given a ten year jail
sentence for criticizing the U.S.
government and the war.
Abrams vs US - Supreme Court by a 7-2 vote upheld
the right of the govt. to imprison protesters.
3. Govt. reaction
a. Wilson’s attitude was that they were
stupid.
b. Espionage Act-- designed to suppress
anti-war criticism
c. Schenck v. United States—upheld
convictions under the Espionage Act
under the idea of “clear and present
danger.”
VII. Economic impact of war
A. Union membership nearly doubles
B. Factory production increases by 1/3
C. Inflation of 60%
D. Voluntary decrease in certain foods
but increase in cigarette smoking
E. Movement of African Americans to cities
for economic opportunities
F. Women served in the military, industries,
and were given the right to vote (19th).
minorities and women: benefited from
the war with better and higher paying
jobs due to the shortage of manpower
during the war.
G. Prohibition boosted by German beer
names, need to preserve food, and beer
is viewed as a vice undermine the U.S.
th
18
Amendment: calling for prohibition
came about in part because of the greate
need for grains to make bread for those
fighting overseas.
VIII. End of the war coming-home-from-worldwar-i
A. Wilson’s 14 points or war aims (listen
to report)
Fourteen Points: Wilson’s program for
“peace without victory.”
Self-determination: the power to make
decisions about one’s own future.
1. Purpose—to secure the peace and
address the general causes of WWI
2. Why it failed
a. War losses were so great that neither
side could forgive and forget; there
could be no “peace without victory.”
b. Wilson wanted League so badly that
he sacrificed almost everything else
. Treaty of Versailles (listen to report)
1. Big 4—David Lloyd George (GB);
Georges Clemenceau (Fr), Vittorio
Orlando (It), and Woodrow Wilson (U.S.);
defeated powers, including Germany and
Russia, were not invited. Provisions—
harshly punitive in that it disarmed and
stripped Germany of territory and charged
them with reparations; also see how Europe
map changed; “war guilt” clause forced
Germany to take total blame for war; League
of Nations formed to prevent future wars
Versailles Peace Conference: meeting to
end the war but did not include Russia
or Germany.
Compromise: Wilson is forced to give
in or modify many of his fourteen
points in order to get the cooperation of
the Big Four and the U.S. Senate.
League of Nations: or Article 10 of the
Versailles treaty was Wilson’s idea for
global security in which members
pledged to regard an attack on one as an
attack on all.
“The Members of the League undertake to respect and
preserve as against external aggression the territorial
integrity and existing political independence of all
Members of the League. In case of any such aggression
or in case of any threat or danger of such aggression
the Council shall advise upon the means by which this
obligation shall be fulfilled.”
Palaise Wilson Geneva, Switzerland
League of Nations
Building in
Geneva 1937-1946
`
Court of Honor and Steps of the League of Nations Assembly
Building in Geneva
Wilson would be surprised by the opposition of the
Senate to the treaty. So he took it to the people of
the U.S. He exhausted himself and collapsed in
September 1919 from a stroke.
3 groups of Senators
1. Internationalists (Wilsonians including FDR) who
supported the treaty without reservations.
2. Reservationists (Henry Cabot Lodge; Herbert
Hoover) who were willing to accept the League in
some form as long American freedom of action was
preserved.
3. Irreconcilables (smallest group—2 dozen out of 96)
Wilson opposed the treaty with reservations and
called on his supporters to oppose it in the
November 1919 vote. It failed 39-55. In the same
month, the treaty without reservations failed 38-55.
But the only group to vote “No” in both cases was
the few Irreconcilables. Finally, after months of
negotiations, the Senate voted again on the treaty
with reservations. Despite Wilson’s continued
opposition to the the treaty with reservations, 22
Democrats broke rank and voted in favor of the
treaty. It failed on a 49-35 vote. Twelve do not vote
for a variety of reasons.
SEE NEXT SLIDE.
Overall, the U.S. Senate:feared to ratify the Versailles treaty
and Article 10 because they feared it would draw the U.S. into
unpopular foreign wars. But a compromise to fix this problem
could not be found.
The President “shall have power, by and with the
advice and consent of the Senate, to make
treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators
present concur;” Article 2, Section 2
By how short was the vote? It failed on a 49-35
vote. See notes
2. Why U.S. Senate failed to ratify?
a. Wilson went personally and damaged his
health (stroke in Sept. 1919)
b. Democrats lost control of the Senate
c. No prominent Republicans brought to the
peace commission
d. U.S. returns to isolationism
e. Conservative Republicans argued that the
League of Nations would limit U.S.
sovereignty
f. Henry Cabot Lodge’s position—approve
but only with significant modifications
g. Woodrow Wilson made it less likely to pass
by his refusal to compromise on the issue of
the League of Nations
OTHER PROBLEMS WITH TREATY
Reparations: payment from an enemy
for economic injury; Germany was
billed
33
billion.
“will make compensation for all damage
done to the civilian population of the
Allied and Associated Powers and to
their property during the period of the
belligerency” Article 232. Ultimate
would only pay $4.5 billion.
OTHER PROBLEMS WITH TREATY
War Guilt clause: specifically blamed
the Germans for World War I and would
lead to Germany paying heavy
reparations. ARTICLE 231.
The Allied and Associated Governments affirm and
Germany accepts the responsibility of Germany and her
allies for causing all the loss and damage to which the
Allied and Associated Governments and their nationals
have been subjected as a consequence of the war
imposed upon them by the aggression of Germany and
her allies.
Versailles Peace treaty: officially ended
the war, but the U.S. Senate never
ratified it.
"Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United
States of America in Congress assembled, That the state of war declared to
exist between the Imperial German Government and the United States of
America by the joint resolution of Congress approved April 6, 1917, is
hereby declared at an end.” Treaty of Peace with Germany, 1921
casualties video
Election of 1920: Wilson failed to
convince the Senate, so he went to a
grass roots efforts with the American
people. He hoped that the election of
1920 would send a message, but the
American people voted for the
Republican party, not Wilson’s
Democratic party.
3. 1920 election—demonstrated that the nation
wanted to return to “normalcy” in that they
rejected Wilson and the Democrats call for
joining the League of Nation and elected a
Republican president
4. Future results: reparations would ruin Germany
economy setting stage for Hitler; U.S. signs
separate treaty with Germany and does not
join League; U.S. banks and businesses never
get paid back on war debts; guilt over
treatment of Germany will leave GB and
France more forgiving to Hitler’s aggression
When the German economy could
not maintain the payments, the Dawes
Plan (1924) reduced the payments.
When it became clear that the payments
were still too high, the Young Plan
(1929) reduced it 26 billion over 58
years (1988). The Depression hits, and
Hitler comes to power. No more
payments until after WWII.
Postwar difficulties: thousands of men
came back needing jobs, but there was
no plan in place to help them to readjust
to civilian life. Jobs became very scarce
frank-w-buckles-the-last-surviving-us-ve
America at War: Home and Abroad
Ch. 23B (745-767)
The student will understand how the U.S.
switched from peace time to war time,
the major battles of WWI, the economic
impact of war, and the end of the war.
AL COS 11th grade #5