Download ch24

The American Nation
Chapter 24
World War I, 1914–1919
Copyright © 2003 by Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
The American Nation
Chapter 24: World War I, 1914–1919
Section 1:
War in Europe
Section 2:
From Neutrality to War
Section 3:
Americans in Battle
Section 4:
The Failed Peace
Copyright © 2003 by Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
War in Europe
Chapter 24, Section 1
• What were the causes of World War I?
• How was war fought in the trenches?
• How did Germany’s use of submarine warfare
affect American neutrality?
Causes of World War I
Chapter 24, Section 1
Tensions had been building in Europe for years.
Nationalism
Imperialism
• Extreme feelings of nationalism, or pride in one’s nation, led to
tension.
• Nationalists demanded freedom and self-government. They thought
that people with a common language and culture should form their
own countries.
•• Extreme
nationalism
created
mistrust
and national
rivalries.
The scramble
for overseas
colonies
fueled
European
rivalries.
• Sometimes the European scramble for colonies led to wars in places
far from Europe.
Militarism
• Militarism is the policy of building up strong armed forces.
• European nations expanded their armies and navies.
Alliances
• To protect themselves, European powers formed alliances. Allies
agreed to support one another in case of attack.
• Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy formed the Triple Alliance.
• France, Russia, and Britain formed the Triple Entente.
Causes of World War I: Militarism
Chapter 24, Section 1
Causes of World War I
Chapter 24, Section 1
A local crisis in Bosnia exploded into World War I.
• In the Balkan peninsula, Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Montenegro, Romania,
and Serbia were rivals for territory. Balkan nationalists called on certain
ethnic groups in Austria-Hungary to throw off Austrian rule.
• Members of a Serbian terrorist group wanted Bosnia to break away from
Austria-Hungary and join Serbia. A terrorist uses threats and violence to
promote a cause. While Archduke Francis Ferdinand, heir to the throne of
Austria-Hungary, was visiting Bosnia, a young terrorist shot him and his
wife.
• Austria-Hungary accused the Serbian government of being responsible for
the archduke’s assassination. They declared war on Serbia.
• Russia ordered its forces to prepare for war.
• On August 1, Germany declared war on Russia.
• On August 3, Germany declared war on France.
• When German armies marched through neutral Belgium to get to France,
Britain declared war on Germany.
Trench Warfare
Chapter 24, Section 1
• Both sides thought the war would end soon. The kaiser, or
German emperor, promised that the war would be over
before winter. However, the conflict that people of the time
called the Great War, and people later called the First World
War or World War I, dragged on for four years.
• The Central Powers—Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria,
and the Ottoman, or Turkish, Empire—fought the Allied
Powers—France, Britain, and Russia. In time, 21 other
nations joined the Allies.
• By November 1914, the war reached a stalemate—a
deadlock in which neither side is strong enough to defeat
the other. The stalemate went on for three years.
Trench Warfare
Chapter 24, Section 1
Both sides created a maze of trenches protected by barbed wire.
• Some trenches were shallow ditches.
• Others were tunnels, with headquarters and first aid stations.
• Between the opposing front-line trenches was a “no man’s land”
of barbed wire.
• Day after day, soldiers shelled enemy trenches. Sometimes,
soldiers raced across “no man’s land” to attack the enemy.
• Both sides used a new weapon—gas—that choked and blinded
the soldiers.
Most offensives were long and deadly. The Battle of Verdun went on
for 10 months in 1916. The Germans lost 400,000 men. The French
lost even more.
The Allied Powers and the Central Powers
Chapter 24, Section 1
American Neutrality
Chapter 24, Section 1
• At first, the United States was determined to remain neutral.
Public opinion, however, was divided along ethnic lines..
The American economy boomed as farmers and
manufacturers rushed to fill orders for war goods for both
sides. Trade with the Allies was somewhat greater than
trade with the Central Powers.
Propaganda
• Both sides waged a propaganda war in the United States.
Propaganda is the spreading of ideas that help a cause or
hurt an opposing cause. In World War I, each side pictured
the other as savage beasts.
American Neutrality
Chapter 24, Section 1
Submarine warfare
• The United States claimed the right to trade with either side.
• Britain blockaded German ports, hoping to starve Germany into
surrender.
• Germany set up a blockade around Britain.
• Germany used a new weapon, a fleet of submarines known as Uboats. Germany torpedoed enemy and neutral ships suspected of
carrying war goods to Britain.
• President Wilson vowed to hold Germany responsible if its U-boats
caused loss of American life or property.
• On May 7, 1915, a German submarine torpedoed the Lusitania, a
British passenger ship, off the coast of Ireland. Nearly 1,200 people
died, including 128 Americans. Wilson was furious. Germany agreed
that before it attacked any ship, U-boats would give warning. This
agreement—the Sussex Pledge—kept the United States out of the war
a little longer.
Section 1 Assessment
Chapter 24, Section 1
Before World War I, one condition that created tension among European
nations was a
a) major cutback in military forces.
b) refusal by major nations to participate in alliances.
c) scramble for overseas colonies.
d) stalemate over propaganda.
The incident that finally set off World War I was
a) the shooting of Austria-Hungary’s Archduke Francis Ferdinand by a
Serbian terrorist.
b) the sinking of the British ship Lusitania by a German submarine.
c) a British blockade of Germany.
d) Russia’s forming an alliance with France.
Want to connect to the American History link for this section? Click here.
Section 1 Assessment
Chapter 24, Section 1
Before World War I, one condition that created tension among European
nations was a
a) major cutback in military forces.
b) refusal by major nations to participate in alliances.
c) scramble for overseas colonies.
d) stalemate over propaganda.
The incident that finally set off World War I was
a) the shooting of Austria-Hungary’s Archduke Francis Ferdinand by a
Serbian terrorist.
b) the sinking of the British ship Lusitania by a German submarine.
c) a British blockade of Germany.
d) Russia’s forming an alliance with France.
Want to connect to the American History link for this section? Click here.
From Neutrality to War
Chapter 24, Section 2
• How did President Wilson try to bring about
peace?
• Why did the United States move toward war?
• How did the government prepare for and manage
the war effort?
• How did Americans on the home front respond to
the war?
Wilson’s Efforts to Bring About Peace
Chapter 24, Section 2
• President Wilson tried to bring both sides to peace talks. He
believed that the United States, as a neutral nation, could
lead warring nations to peace.
• At the same time, Wilson began to lobby for a stronger
army and navy in case of war.
• When Wilson ran for reelection in 1916, the Democrats
portrayed his opponent, Charles Evans Hughes, as a
warmonger, or person who tries to stir up war. Their slogan
was “He (Wilson) kept us out of war!”
• In January 1917, Wilson issued his final plea for peace.
The United States Moves Toward War
Chapter 24, Section 2
•
•
•
•
•
•
Germany warned neutral nations that after February 1, 1917, its U-boats would
sink any ship nearing Britain. German leaders were gambling that they could
defeat the Allies before American troops could reach Europe.
Wilson broke off diplomatic relations with Germany.
In February, Wilson learned that Arthur Zimmermann, Germany’s foreign
secretary, had sent a secret note to Mexico. The Zimmermann telegram told the
German minister to urge Mexico to attack the United States if the United States
declared war on Germany. Germany would help Mexico get back their lost
territory in the Southwest. The telegram stirred anti-German feelings in the
United States.
In early 1917, German submarines sank several American merchant ships.
A revolution in Russia drove Czar Nicholas II from power. The czars, or Russian
emperors, had absolute power. When Russia suffered heavy losses in the war
and severe hardships at home, riots over food shortages turned into revolution.
Wilson firmly believed in democracy. Now that the czar, an absolute ruler, was
gone, it was easier for Wilson to back the Allied cause.
On April 2, 1917, Wilson went before Congress to ask for a declaration of war.
“The world must be made safe for democracy,” he declared.
The United States Moves Toward War
Chapter 24, Section 2
•Public opinion was split on whether the United States should go to war.
Preparing for War
Chapter 24, Section 2
The United States had to prepare for war quickly.
Raising an army
• Congress passed the Selective Service Act, which
required all men from ages 21 to 30 to register for the
military draft. A draft is a law requiring people of a
certain age to serve in the military.
• Many people volunteered for the armed forces,
including many recent immigrants, Native Americans,
and African Americans.
Educating the
troops
• About 25 percent of the recruits were illiterate—unable
to read and write. The army taught millions of young
men how to read, as well as how to fight. It also taught
them about health needs.
• The shocking illiteracy rates fueled a drive to reform
public education. Measures included lengthening the
school day, requiring students to spend more years in
school, and raising teacher-training standards.
Managing the Fight
Chapter 24, Section 2
A huge bureaucracy emerged to manage the war effort. A bureaucracy is a
system of managing government through departments run by appointed
officials.
Managing the
food supply
• Wilson chose Herbert Hoover as head of the Food
Administration. Hoover’s job was to boost food production
in order to feed the troops and send food to the Allies.
• Encouraged by rising food prices, farmers grew more
crops. Citizens planted “victory gardens” to raise their own
vegetables.
Managing
industry
• To meet the shortage of war supplies, President Wilson set
up the War Industries Board. The board told factories what
they had to produce.
• Wilson also created the War Labor Board. It settled
disputes over hours and wages and tried to prevent strikes.
During the war, union membership rose and labor unrest
declined.
On the Home Front
Chapter 24, Section 2
Liberty Bonds
Movie stars helped sell Liberty Bonds. By buying bonds,
American citizens were lending money to the government to
pay for the war.
Women workers As men joined the armed forces, women stepped into their
jobs. By performing in jobs once reserved for men, women
helped change the view that they were fit only for “women’s
work."
Anti-German
prejudice
German Americans endured suspicion and intolerance.
Such prejudice led some families to change their names.
Schools stopped teaching the German language.
Migrations
• As the draft drained cities of workers, nearly a half million
African Americans and thousands of Mexican Americans
migrated from the South and Southwest to find work in
war industries in cities in the North.
• Ranchers in the Southwest pressed the government to let
more Mexicans into the country to work on farms.
On the Home Front
Chapter 24, Section 2
Opposition to
the war
• Some Americans opposed the war. Many of these critics
were pacifists or people who refuse to fight in any war
because they believe that war is evil.
• Antiwar feeling was also strong among Socialists and
radical labor groups. A Socialist believes that the people
as a whole rather than private individuals should own all
property and share the profits from all businesses.
Socialists argued that the war benefited factory owners
but not workers.
• Congress passed laws making it a crime to criticize the
government or interfere with the war effort.
Section 2 Assessment
Chapter 24, Section 2
The United States broke off diplomatic relations with Germany after
a) Germany started the Russian Revolution.
b) Germany swore to invade Mexico.
c) Germany warned that it planned to sink any ship headed for Britain.
d) Wilson’s rival, Charles Evans Hughes, said he favored war with
Germany.
During the war, a great migration took place within the United States when
a) many German Americans headed to the Midwest to avoid the antiGerman prejudice of the East.
b) African Americans and Mexicans left jobs in the South and Southwest
for jobs in war industries in the North.
c) women moved from the suburbs to the city to take over factory jobs.
d) blacks embarked on a great migration from the North and Northeast to
take jobs in cities in the South.
Want to connect to the American History link for this section? Click here.
Section 2 Assessment
Chapter 24, Section 2
The United States broke off diplomatic relations with Germany after
a) Germany started the Russian Revolution.
b) Germany swore to invade Mexico.
c) Germany warned that it planned to sink any ship headed for Britain.
d) Wilson’s rival, Charles Evans Hughes, said he favored war with
Germany.
During the war, a great migration took place within the United States when
a) many German Americans headed to the Midwest to avoid the antiGerman prejudice of the East.
b) African Americans and Mexicans left jobs in the South and Southwest
for jobs in war industries in the North.
c) women moved from the suburbs to the city to take over factory jobs.
d) blacks embarked on a great migration from the North and Northeast to
take jobs in cities in the South.
Want to connect to the American History link for this section? Click here.
Americans in Battle
Chapter 24, Section 3
• What setbacks did the Allies suffer in 1917 and
early 1918?
• How did the American Expeditionary Force help
the Allies win the war?
• What were the costs of the war?
Allied Setbacks in 1917 and 1918
Chapter 24, Section 3
By the time American troops reached France in June 1917, the Allies had lost
millions of soldiers, the troops in the trenches were exhausted and ill, and
civilians in Britain and France were near starvation.
One of the Allies, Russia, withdrew from the war in November 1917.
• Bolsheviks wanted to stage a communist revolution in Russia. The
Bolsheviks were led by Vladimir I. Lenin.
• Lenin opposed the war. He argued that it benefited only the ruling class.
• Lenin opened peace talks with Germany. In March 1918, Russia and
Germany signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, ending Russia’s participation
in the war.
• The treaty called for Russia to give up large amounts of land to Germany,
but the communists welcomed peace. Now, they could concentrate on
their revolution.
• The Allies felt betrayed.
Allied Setbacks in 1917 and 1918
Chapter 24, Section 3
In early 1918, the Germans prepared a “peace
offensive.” They hoped this would be the final offensive
that would end the war.
• Germany mobilized for an all-out attack. Marching
toward Paris, dozens of German divisions lined up
against a small British force. The British forces held.
• After two weeks, the Germans continued their
offensive elsewhere. By late May, they had smashed
through Allied lines along the Aisne River. On May 30,
they reached the Marne River. Paris was only 50 miles
away.
The American Expeditionary Force
Chapter 24, Section 3
By June 1918, large numbers of American troops were reaching France.
Commanding the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) was General John J.
Pershing. Pershing insisted that American troops operate as separate units,
not as reinforcements in European units.
Harlem Hell
Fighters
The 369th United States Infantry was an African American
unit also known as the Harlem Hell Fighters. It was among
the first American units to arrive in France. The unit spent
more time under fire than any other American unit.
The Battle at
Belleau Wood
In June 1918, as the Germans marched toward Paris,
Americans experienced their first major battle, the Battle of
Belleau Wood. The Americans met the Germans just outside
Paris. The Americans suffered great casualties, but at last,
on June 25, they were able to announce: “Wood now
exclusively U.S. Marine Corps.”
The American Expeditionary Force
Chapter 24, Section 3
The Battle of
the Argonne
Forest
In mid-July, the Germans again drove toward Paris. The
Allied commander, French Marshal Ferdinand Foch, ordered
counterattacks along a line from Verdun to the North Sea.
More than one million Americans pushed into the Argonne
Forest. After 47 days of battle, the Americans broke through
the German defenses.
Other battles
British, French, and Belgian forces also smashed through
the German lines. By November, German forces were in
retreat.
Armistice
• In September, German generals told the kaiser that the
war was lost. The German government scrambled to
arrange an armistice, or agreement to stop fighting.
• President Wilson set two conditions for an armistice:
Germany must accept his peace plan and the German
emperor must abdicate, or give up his power.
• On November 11, 1918, World War I came to an end.
The War in Western Europe
Chapter 24, Section 3
The Costs of War
Chapter 24, Section 3
•
•
•
•
•
A generation of young Europeans lost their lives. Between 8
million and 9 million people died in battle. Almost 4 million
Russian, French, and British soldiers were killed. Germany lost
close to 2 million men. The United States lost over 100,000.
No one knows how many civilians died of disease, starvation, and
other war-related causes. Civilian loss of life may have been as
great as military loss of life.
Much of Europe lay in ruins, especially in France and Germany.
Many children were left orphaned and homeless.
In 1918, a new disaster struck. A terrible influenza epidemic
spread around the globe. An epidemic is the rapid spread of a
contagious disease among large numbers of people. More than
half a million Americans died in the flu epidemic. In other
countries, the toll was higher. In all, more than 30 million people
died worldwide.
Section 3 Assessment
Chapter 24, Section 3
With the “Peace Offensive” and other drives, German forces aimed to take the
city of
a) Harlem.
b) Paris.
c) Belleau Wood.
d) Brest-Litovsk.
An armistice is
a) a supply of weapons.
b) the rapid spread of a contagious disease.
c) a communist revolution.
d) an agreement to stop fighting.
Want to connect to the American History link for this section? Click here.
Section 3 Assessment
Chapter 24, Section 3
With the “Peace Offensive” and other drives, German forces aimed to take the
city of
a) Harlem.
b) Paris.
c) Belleau Wood.
d) Brest-Litovsk.
An armistice is
a) a supply of weapons.
b) the rapid spread of a contagious disease.
c) a communist revolution.
d) an agreement to stop fighting.
Want to connect to the American History link for this section? Click here.
The Failed Peace
Chapter 24, Section 4
• What was Wilson’s fourteen-point peace plan?
• What did Wilson achieve at the Paris Peace
Conference?
• Why did the Versailles Treaty fail to win support
in the United States?
The Fourteen-Point Peace Plan
Chapter 24, Section 4
President Wilson was determined to achieve a just and lasting peace. His goal
was peace without victory—without punishing the defeated powers. However,
Europeans were determined to punish the Germans for the war. Wilson had
outlined a peace plan known as the Fourteen Points. It was meant to prevent
international problems from causing another war. The plan called for:
• An end to secret agreements
• Freedom of the seas, free trade, and a limit on arms
• Peaceful settlement of disputes over colonies
• The principle of national self-determination, that is, the right of national
groups to have their own territory and forms of government
• A League of Nations—a “general association of nations” to protect the
independence of all countries
Wilson persuaded the Allies to accept the Fourteen Points as the basis for
making peace. In Paris, however, Wilson faced a constant battle to save his
Fourteen Points. The Allies were more concerned with their own interests
than with a lasting peace.
The Paris Peace Conference
Chapter 24, Section 4
Diplomats from more than 30 nations met in Paris and Versailles to negotiate
five separate peace treaties known together as the Peace of Paris.
Key issues were decided by the leaders of the Allied nations known as the Big
Four: Woodrow Wilson of the United States, David Lloyd George of Britain,
Georges Clemenceau of France, and Vittorio Orlando of Italy.
Wilson opposed punishing the defeated powers. The other Allies, however,
wanted revenge.
• They insisted on large reparations, or cash payments, for the losses they
had suffered. Further, they wanted to force Germany to accept
responsibility for the war.
• The Allies also wanted to prevent Germany from rebuilding its military
strength.
• Wilson had to compromise on his Fourteen Points in order to save his key
goals, especially the League of Nations.
The Paris Peace Conference
Chapter 24, Section 4
By June 1919, the Treaty of Versailles, the most important
treaty of the Peace of Paris, was ready.
• Germany was not even allowed to send delegates to the
peace talks.
• Under the treaty, Germany had to take full blame for the war.
• Germany had to pay huge reparations, including the cost of
pensions for Allied soldiers or their widows and children—
over $300 billion.
• The treaty returned the piece of land known as AlsaceLorraine to France.
• Germany had to give all of its overseas colonies to Britain
and France.
Boundary Changes After World War I
Chapter 24, Section 4
German Reparations
Chapter 24, Section 4
What Wilson Achieved at the Peace Conference
Chapter 24, Section 4
Wilson gained a few of his Fourteen Points.
• In Eastern Europe, the Allies provided for several new
nations to be formed on the principle of national selfdetermination, including Poland, Czechoslovakia, and
Yugoslavia. Many Germans had settled in Poland and
Czechoslovakia. It wouldn’t be long before Germany
would seek to regain control of German-speaking
peoples in Eastern Europe.
• Wilson persuaded the Allies to include the League of
Nations in the treaty. Wilson was certain that the
League would prevent future wars by allowing nations
to talk over their problems.
The Fight to Win Support for the Versailles Treaty
Chapter 24, Section 4
Most Americans favored the treaty. A loud minority opposed it.
• Some said it was too soft on the defeated powers.
• Many German Americans felt it was too harsh on Germany.
• Some Republicans hoped to embarrass President Wilson by defeating the
treaty in the United States.
• Isolationists, people who wanted the United States to stay out of world
affairs, opposed the League of Nations.
• Other people felt that the League did not have enough authority to solve
any pressing economic problems.
• Senator Henry Cabot Lodge of Massachusetts accepted the idea of a
League, but he wanted changes. He objected to an article that called for
the League to protect any member whose independence or territory was
threatened. He feared this measure could involve the United States in
future European wars. He also wanted Congress to have the power to
decide whether the United States would follow League policy. Wilson
refused to compromise with Lodge.
The Fight to Win Support for the Versailles Treaty
Chapter 24, Section 4
President Wilson set out across the country to convince
the American people to accept the treaty. Part way
through his planned trip, he suffered a stroke. In
November 1919, the Senate rejected the Versailles
Treaty.
• The United States did not sign a peace treaty with
Germany until 1921.
• Many nations joined the League of Nations, but the
United States never did.
Section 4 Assessment
Chapter 24, Section 4
President Wilson felt that his greatest achievement at the peace conference
was persuading the Allies to
a) accept the idea of a League of Nations.
b) allow the Big Four to redraw the boundaries of Eastern Europe.
c) punish Germany by demanding reparations.
d) promote new secret agreements between nations.
Some Americans criticized the peace treaty because they feared it would
mean
a) the nation could no longer take part in world affairs.
b) Germany would not be punished enough for the war.
c) new Eastern European nations would not be formed on the principle of
self-determination.
d) Americans would be asked to subject their will to the will of other
countries.
Want to connect to the American History link for this section? Click here.
Section 4 Assessment
Chapter 24, Section 4
President Wilson felt that his greatest achievement at the peace conference
was persuading the Allies to
a) accept the idea of a League of Nations.
b) allow the Big Four to redraw the boundaries of Eastern Europe.
c) punish Germany by demanding reparations.
d) promote new secret agreements between nations.
Some Americans criticized the peace treaty because they feared it would
mean
a) the nation could no longer take part in world affairs.
b) Germany would not be punished enough for the war.
c) new Eastern European nations would not be formed on the principle of
self-determination.
d) Americans would be asked to subject their will to the will of other
countries.
Want to connect to the American History link for this section? Click here.