Download America in WWI

America in WWI
1917-1919
The Wilson Years
-> The election of 1912 had three candidates
-> William Howard Taft was running for re-election as a
Republican
-> Teddy Roosevelt wanted to return to the white house.
He ran as an independent, representing the
Progressive Party (aka Bull Moose Party)
-> Woodrow Wilson ran as a Democrat.
• Wilson criticized the positions of Taft and Roosevelt. He
said Roosevelt had supported illegal monarchies during
his presidency.
-> Wilson believed that the federal government had too
much power, and should be more limited.
-> The Republican vote was split between Roosevelt and
Taft. Wilson won less than 42% of the popular vote, but still
became President!
The Wilson Years
• Wilson began a policy of reform.
-> During his 2 terms, Wilson
would craft reforms affecting
tariffs, the banking system,
trusts, and workers rights.
• Wilson would also have to
deal with the largest global
conflict anyone had ever seen
- World War I.
The Wilson Years - Reforms
• Only 5 weeks after taking office, Wilson proposed a new
bill to Congress.
• His bill proposed a new, lower tariff.
-> His point was that, with lower tariffs, and greater
international trade, there would always be pressure to
keep getting better and better.
-> In 1913, Congress passed the Underwood Tariff, and
Wilson signed it into law.
-> This law reduced tariffs to about 30% - half of what they
had been.
-> The Underwood Tariff Act also introduced an income tax.
This allowed the federal government to tax individuals
directly.
-> Why does America need taxes?
The Wilson Years - Reforms
• For the past 100 years, there had been a series of
recessions and depressions in the national economy.
• Many independently owned banks had collapsed.
• Wilson wanted to restore confidence in the banking
system, so that the economy could recover.
-> Wilson supported the Federal Reserve Act at the end of
1913.
-> This meant that the Board of Governors (people who
controlled interest rates that the federal reserve charged
the other banks) could fight inflation by changing interest
rates.
-> The Federal Reserve Act became one of the most
important pieces of legislation (law) in American history.
Why is the Federal Reserve Act so important?
The Wilson Years - Reforms
-> Wilson also wanted to restore competition to the economy by breaking
up big businesses and monopolies.
• Wilson believed that small businesses competing with one
another was better for the economy than large powerful
companies.
-> Wilson’s ideas were supported by the Progressive movement, which
believed that neither the federal government nor big business should
have too much power.
-> In 1914, Congress created the
Federal Trade Commission to
monitor American businesses.
• The FTC had the power to
investigate companies and order
those engaging in unfair trade
practices to “cease and desist”.
-> The goal of the FTC was to limit
businesses so that the economy
remained competitive.
The Wilson Years - Reforms
• Wilson’s approach to big
business did not satisfy
progressives in Congress.
-> These progressives passed
the Clayton Antitrust Act
-> This required businesses who
sold one product to not sell a
competing product.
-> The Clayton Antitrust Act
also stated that unions were
legal, and that workers’ rights
should be protected.
• Samuel Gompers, leader of
the American Federation of Labor called the Act the
“workers’ Magna Carta”.
The Wilson Years - Reforms
-> By the fall of 1914, Wilson believed that his reforms were
nearly complete.
-> However, he continued to support further reforms in order
to maintain support from the Democratic party.
-> In 1916, Wilson signed the first federal law regulating
child labor.
• The Keating-Owen Child Labor Act prohibited the
employment of children under the age of 14 in factories
producing goods for interstate commerce. The Act did not
pass.
• Wilson also supported the Adamson Act, which
established the eight-hour workday for railroad workers,
as well as many acts supporting factory workers.
The Wilson Years - Reforms
• There was one glaring issue with Wilson’s progressive reforms it did not address African American reform issues.
• In 1905, W.E.B. Dubois and 28 other African American leaders
met at Niagara Falls to demand full political rights and
responsibilities.
• The representatives were forced to use a Canadian hotel American hotels in the area would not have them.
-> This meeting started the Niagara Movement
- one of the first steps to the creation
of the NAACP.
-> The NAACP - National Association
for the Advancement of
Colored People
-> At the dawn of WWI, however,
Wilson had to turn away from
national reforms, in order to “make
the world safe for democracy”.
Wilson’s Foreign Policy
-> Wilson’s diplomacy was first tested
by a revolution in Mexico, where
Wilson sent American troops to
establish a Democratic government
in Mexico.
-> Many criticized Wilson’s actions
here, saying he attempted to
“shoot the Mexicans into selfgovernment”.
• Many in Latin America also said
it was no better than Roosevelt’s
“Big Stick” policy.
• However, Wilson’s international
policies were truly tested following the outbreak of war in
Europe.
Roots of WWI in Europe
• Cause 1: SECRET ALLIANCES
• When Germany unified in 1871, it became enemies with
France.
-> In order to protect its interests, Germany allied with Italy
and Austria-Hungary. This became known as the Triple
Alliance.
• This alliance alarmed Russians, who were worried about
German expansion. Russia and France became allies
because of their common enemy in Germany.
-> Great Britain remained neutral for much of this, but in
1898, Germany expanded its navy. By 1900, there was a
naval arms race between Britain and Germany.
-> Britain joined the Franco-Russian alliance, and the group
became known as the Triple Entente.
Roots of WWI in Europe
• Cause 2: BALKAN CRISIS
• By the late 1800s, nationalism had spread throughout
Europe. This leads to a belief in self-determination.
-> Self-determination is the idea that people who belong to a
nation (ethnically, culturally etc) should have their own
country to live in.
-> The Ottoman empire was collapsing, leaving many ethnic
groups in the Balkans eager to create their own countries.
• Serbs, Bosnians, Coats, Slovenes… all wanted their own
countries.
-> However, Austria-Hungary also wanted to control the area,
and began annexing the new territories, taking over Bosnia.
-> This angered many people in the Balkans, including
Serbians, who saw the Austrians as a threat to their selfdetermination.
Roots of WWI in Europe
• Cause 3: THE SPARK Assassination of Franz
Ferdinand
-> In June of 1914, the heir
to the Austro-Hungarian
throne, Archduke Franz
Ferdinand, was touring
the Bosnian capital of
Sarajevo.
• A Serbian extremist
group known as the Black
Hand had sent six assassins to take out Franz Ferdinand.
• The Black Hand wanted to show that Austrian rule was not
welcome in the Balkans.
• Five of the assassins failed, but one succeeded.
Roots of WWI in Europe
• Cause 3: THE SPARK - Assassination of Franz Ferdinand
• Gavrilo Princip initially lost his nerve, and went to get a sandwich.
However, the Archduke’s car stalled in front of the café. Princip
took his chance, and killed the Archduke and his wife.
• This started a cascade effect that led to WWI…
• Austria wanted revenge against Serbia.
• Serbia was supported by Russia. Russia was supported by
France and Britain…
• Austria was a member of the Triple Alliance, and backed by
Germany and Italy.
• Suddenly, nearly the entire continent of Europe was at war.
Roots of WWI in Europe
•
.
WWI in Europe
-> The ALLIES: The Triple Entente expanded as more allies
joined the cause. By 1915, the group had been re-named
“The Allies”.
• France, Russia, Great Britain, Italy (which changed
sides), most Balkan states, including Serbia
-> The CENTRAL POWERS: Germany and Austria joined
what was left of the Ottoman empire and Bulgaria to form
the Central Powers. (What was once called the Triple
Alliance).
• As the war progressed, the Allies asked the United States
to interfere, to assist the Allies in preserving a democratic
government.
WWI in Europe
-> Writing Assignment…
Imagine that you are President Wilson. You have just received
a telegram from Britain, asking for help in the Great War.
How do you respond?
Will you join the war?
Will you stay neutral?
Will you send money? Troops? Weapons?
Explain your answer, and write at least three paragraphs
describing your reasons for your choice.
American Neutrality
• When the fighting in Europe
began, in 1914, President
Wilson declared the United
States to be neutral.
• He wanted to keep the
country from being drawn
into a foreign war.
• Said Wilson: “We must be
impartial in thought as well
as in action”.
American Neutrality
-> Despite Wilson’s point of view, many Americans took sides in the
war.
• There were 8 million German-Americans, many who were
immigrants, who wanted America to join the war on the side of
the Central Powers.
• Many also wanted the United States to join the Allies.
-> Many Americans were pro-British - the British shared a
heritage, language, and culture with the United States.
-> Further, many Americans wanted to re-pay a debt owed to
longtime allies, the
French. The French
had helped the
United States win
its independence,
and many Americans
wanted to help
France now.
The Lusitania
• Despite many Americans
pushing to go to war, the
United States remained
neutral.
• Meanwhile, in Europe…
• Britain had set up a
blockade to keep supplies
from getting in and out of
Germany.
• In response, German U-Boats patrolled the waters around
Britain.
-> The German government issued a warning - the U-Boats
would sink any ship found in British waters.
-> May 7, 1915- The British passenger ship the RMS Lusitania is
sunk by a German U-Boat.
-> 1,200 passengers are killed, including 128 Americans.
• This was something that Wilson had to respond to - he had to
address this issue.
The Lusitania
-> Wilson demanded that the
Germans abandon their use of
unrestricted submarine warfare
or risk going to war with the
United States.
• Germany knew that the United
States was powerful, and did
not want to draw them into
the war.
->Germany signed the Sussex Pledge.
-> This Pledge promised that German submarines would no longer
sink passenger and merchant ships without warning - but warships
were fair game.
• This was acceptable to Wilson, and the United States remained
out of the war.
-> In the election of 1916, Wilson ran as “the peace candidate”, with
his slogan stating, “He kept us out of the war”.
-> Wilson won the election in 1916. By April of 1917, the United
States had joined the war.
Propaganda
-> Another major factor in swaying American sentiment
toward joining the war was propaganda.
• Propaganda was created by all sides during the war every country created posters and publications that
supported their cause in the war.
-> Propaganda created by the British helped pressure the
Americans into joining the war.
• Further, Britain had cut the telegraph lines running
from Europe to the United States. The only news the
USA was getting about the war was through Britain.
Early propaganda posters designed by Britain “guilted” America into joining the war.
Some propaganda posters also drew on patriotism. The image on the left is of Lord Kitchener the British secretary of War. The image was later created into an “Uncle Sam” poster to
get Americans to join the army as well.
If calling on patriotism didn’t
work, some posters also
emasculated men - shaming
them into joining the army or
navy.
Many posters also
showed the
“villain” of the
war - Germany.
These showed
Germany as a
brute, or animal.
Posters also focused on women asking them to either serve “on the
front” as nurses and telegraph
workers, or “at home” by saving
money on food and creating socks
or shirts to send to the troops.
War Bonds were also a target of propaganda
posters. By buying war bonds or war stamps,
Americans could donate money to help the
troops.
Declaring War
• Following Wilson’s re-election, America still planned to
remain out of the war.
• In January 1917, British intelligence agents showed the
United States a telegram.
• The telegram was from Arthur Zimmerman – a German
official.
-> The Zimmerman Telegram was written from Germany to
the German ambassador to Mexico.
-> The telegram proposed that Mexico ally itself with Germany
and, following the war, would be given land in the United
States that used to belong to Mexico.
• When the telegram was brought to the attention of the
United States, people were furious.
• It seemed like there was no way the United States could
stay out of the war now.
Zimmerman Controversy
• Today, many believe that the Zimmerman telegram may not be
all that it seemed to be, and might not have been legitimate…
• The British wanted the United States to join the war, to be allied on
their side.
• Germany, in contrast, had shown (through the Sussex Pledge) that
it did not want to draw the United States into the war.
• If Mexico declared war on the United States, then there would be no
way the United States could NOT join the war.
• HOWEVER…
• Germany may have intended to go to war with the United States as
well, and Mexico would have been a valuable ally for that reason.
• The next month, Germany broke the Sussex Pledge and resumed
unrestricted submarine warfare.
• Germany may have thought that there was no way to keep the
United States out of the war, and that Germany (through Mexico)
should strike first.
Do Now: What do you think? Was the Zimmerman telegram real or not?
What would be the reason behind this? Respond in your notebooks.
USA Joins the War
-> February 1, 1917 – Germany resumes unrestricted
submarine warfare.
-> German military leaders believed they could starve Britain
into submission within 6 months.
-> The Germans knew this would draw the United States into
the war, but they did not think the USA could raise an army
and transport it to Europe before Germany won.
• Between February 3 and March 21 – German U-Boats sank
six American ships without warning.
-> In response,
America joined
the war April 6,
1917.
USA Joins the War
• In April, 1917, the combined forces of the National guard
and the U.S. army was only about 300,000 troops.
• Many more men volunteered once war was declared.
• However, it was not enough…
• Some countries practiced conscription: forced military
service.
• However, Americans believed this was a violation of
democratic principles.
-> Instead, Congress created a new system called selective
service. (Aka the draft)
-> The Selective Service Act of 1917 required all men
between the ages of 21 and 30 to register for the draft.
• A lottery randomly selected which men would be put into
military service.
-> 2.8 million Americans were drafted. These were added to
the 2 million who volunteered.
Women in the Military
-> WWI was the first war in which
women actually served in the military
though in non-combatant positions.
• In earlier conflicts, women could
volunteer, but did not have ranks or
soldier’s pay.
-> Early in 1917, the navy authorized
the enlistment of women to meet its
clerical needs (doing office-based
jobs). These women were assigned
the rank of yeoman.
• By the end of the war, there were over 11,000 women serving in
the U.S. Navy.
-> Most performed clerical duties, but some were radio operators,
electricians, pharmacists, photographers, and torpedo assemblers.
• The Army, in contrast, did not allow women to enlist. The only
women to serve in the army were in the Army Nursing Corps.
Over 20,000 women served as nurses during WWI.
Schenck v. the U.S.
• Although many Americans were
in favor of going to war, some did
not agree, and published writing
against it.
-> There was a lot of mistrust of
German-Americans as well, to
the point where even Germansounding things were re-named.
(Example, hamburgers were
called ‘Salisbury steak’ and
sauerkraut ‘liberty cabbage’).
-> This limitation on free speech,
and this fear of foreign
influence, led to a landmark Supreme Court case
called Schenck v. the United States.
Combat in WWI
• The combat in WWI was unique - there had never
been a war like this before.
-> Trench warfare - troops dug themselves in and relied
on rifles and machine guns to hold off the attacking
armies.
-> On the Western front (in France), the trench line
moved very little.
-> The space between the trenches was called no man’s
land.
Combat in WWI
-> To break through enemy lines…
-> Both sides would begin with massive artillery
barges.
-> Then bayonet-wielding soldiers would scramble
out of the trenches, race across the no-man’s-land
and throw grenades into the enemy trench.
-> Usually this was unsuccessful - the enemy
machine guns and rifles easily eliminated the
advancing troops.
• These battles were horrific, and many troops on
both sides lacked supplies - food, clothes etc.
• Both sides looked for a way to break the stalemate.
New Technologies
-> Poison gas was first used by
the Germans. The Allies soon
used it too.
• Mustard and chlorine gas were
the worst. Soon, gas masks
became standard equipment.
-> In 1916, the British brought the
tank into battle.
• The first tanks were slow, but
could roll over barbed wire
and trenches.
-> Airplanes were also used in
combat for the first time - used
first for surveillance, then to
drop small bombs, then armed with machineguns.
New Technologies
-> American “doughboys” marched into this stalemate in 1917.
-> Most were inexperienced, however, they were fresh and
boosted morale for the Allies.
• The “doughboys” were sent right into the trenches.
-> Americans also helped at sea - establishing convoys - to
protect merchant vessels with military ones.
Russia Leaves the War
• In March, 1917, riots broke out throughout Russia.
• The Russian people were sick of war, and starving, and they
were sick of a government that wasn’t acting in the best interest
of its people.
• March 15th - Tsar Nicholas II abdicates the throne.
-> The Bolshevik Party led by Vladimir Lenin, overthrew the
Russian government and established a Communist state.
• Russia would remain Communist until 1991.
-> Lenin’s first act after seizing power was to
end the Eastern Front, and take Russia
out of the war.
-> The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was signed
March 3, 1918.
-> This treaty gave huge amounts of Russian
territory to Germany, including what is now
Ukraine, Poland and Finland.
• Russia had officially “quit”.
Americans on the Front
• Germany was now only fighting a war on one front,
and it had gained the land in the East that it wanted to
begin with.
• American troops played an important role on the
Western Front.
-> March 21, 1918 - Germany launched one last massive
attack along the Front.
-> American and French troops blocked the Germans
getting to Paris, and held their ground.
-> September 26, 1918 at the Battle of the Argonne
Forest, American troops advanced through German
lines.
-> By early November, the Americans had shattered the
German defenses and opened a hole in German lines.
Americans on the Front
• By November, 1918, the war was collapsing.
• A revolution engulfed Austria, and Austria left the
war.
• The Ottoman Turks surrendered.
• Now Germany was alone.
• November 9, 1918 - revolution breaks out in Berlin,
Germany, and the Kaiser is forced to step down.
• All countries along the Western Front agreed to a
cease fire - at 11:00 AM, November 11th, 1918.
• The war was officially over.
Americans on the Front
• Representatives from the Allied countries met to
decide the outcome of the war.
• President Woodrow Wilson was asked for his
insight. He came up with his Fourteen Points…
• These points were goals that, according to Wilson,
would make things peaceful for the nations
involved in the war, and prevent another war from
breaking out.
• In groups of 2-3, re-write Wilson’s points in your
own words
Wilson’s 14 Points
• In groups of 2-3, re-write Wilson’s points in your own
words. Then, on a separate piece of paper, answer the
following questions:
1. What is the most important point?
2. Why is this most important?
3. Points X - XII talk about sovereignty and self determinism.
Why do you think Wilson wanted to make sure these
ethnic groups got their own countries?
4. How do you think the allied nations responded to these
points?
5. What issues do you think the other countries may have
had?
6. If you were the British Prime Minister, would you accept
these points, and make a treaty based on them? Why or
why not?