ap chapter 30
TRANSCRIPT
The War to End War
American Pageant Chapter 30
1917-1918
Militarism In Europe
Kaiser Wilhem II
Militarism In Europe
German
Strategy—
•Conquer
France before
Russia could
mobilize
•Go through
neutral
Belgium
Major Players
Balkan Crisis
Sarajevo, Bosnia—province of Austria-Hungry
Slavic nationalists wanted to annex nearby Serbia
Francis Ferdinand & Wife Sophia
The Collapse of the European Peace– June 28, 1914--
Assassination of Francis Ferdinand while on a state visit to Sarajevo (capital of Bosnia) by Serbian nationalist. (The Black Hand)
Archduke Francis Ferdinand of Austria and
Family
Assassination
Assassination
Gavrilo Princip
Ethnic Tensions
Funeral of Arch Duke Franz-Ferdinand
World War I
The Zimmerman Telegram
Russian Revolution
Brutality of the War
New Technology
War by Act of Germany
Germans announce “unrestricted submarine warfare”--January 31, 1917
Wilson asks Congress to arm American Merchant ships– Western Congressmen—filibuster
Zimmerman telegram March, 1917– German-Mexican alliance (return of TX, NM, and AZ)
Germans sank to unarmed U.S. merchant ships in first 2 weeks of March
Russian Revolution—U.S. could be allies w/democratic countries.
April 6, 1917—Declaration of War
Wilson Idealism & 14 Points
Wilson appeals to Americans:
– “Make the world safe for democracy”
The Fourteen Points—Jan. 8. 1918
– Abolish secret treaties
– Freedom of the seas
– Reduction of armaments
– Adjustment of colonial claims
– Self-Determination
– League of Nations
Enforcing Loyalty & Stifling Dissent
Committee on Public Information—George Creel
– Propaganda to aid war effort„ “Four-minute men”
„ Bill boards, leaflets, songs, movies
German-Americans—8% of population
– Loyal, but…
– Hatred of German music, literature, food (hamburgers called “liberty steak”)
Enforcing Loyalty & Stifling Dissent
Espionage Act (1917) & Sedition Act (1918)
– Fear against Germans and anti-war Americans
– Prosecution of IWW
– Eugene Debs, William D. Haywood (10 year sentences)
– Schneck v. United States—Not violation of free speech if it posed a “clear and present danger.”
Factories and Workers
U.S. unready for war
Council of National Defense (1915)
Economic mobilization
– Still had laissez faire attitude
– War Industries Board—only feeble powers
„ Bernard Baruch—March 1918
Factories and Workers
“Work or fight” & “Labor will win the war”
– National War Labor Board—William H. Taft„ 8 hour day & other concessions—but no
guarantee to right to organize union
– Mainstream labor had some success„ Samuel Gompers & American Federation of Labor
– Supported the war; membership increased to over 3 million
Factories and Workers
– Still..6,000 strikes during war years„ Steel Strike (1919)—1/4 million strikers; owners
brought in 30,000 African American workers from the South
„ Steel strike collapsed—damaged union efforts
– Many other southern African Americans also came North for work
„ Led to race riots, i.e. St. Louis, MO 1917
Women and the War
National Women’s Party—antiwar progressives (Alice Paul)
National American Woman Suffrage Association—supported war– Wilson supported women suffrage
based on their efforts in the war– Nineteenth Amendment passed in
1920
Job growth temporary--most women gave up war jobs
Sheppard-Towner Maternity Act (1921)– Fed. Financed instruction in maternal
& infant health care
War Economy
Food Administration—Herbert Hoover– Volunteer-based (meatless Tuesdays,
wheatless Wednesdays)—very successful„ Victory gardens
„ Farm production increased ¼ & food exports to Allied tripled
Fuel Admin. copied Hoover’s methods
Treasury Department—Liberty Loan Drives– Made $21 billion
Social pressure to participate
Prohibition—18th Amendment (1919)– Suspicion of German beer, concern of grain
use, & self-denial
Preparing the Armed Forces
April-May 1917—Allies desperate for supplies and men
Conscription (draft)—necessity (but criticized)
– Registration of all men 18-45—patriotic duty
– Army grew to 4 million– Women admitted to armed forces—
1st time„ 11,000 Navy; 269 marines
– African Americans„ segregated units„ Hesitant to train to fight; construction
battalions
– Draftees didn’t have time for full training
Fighting in France
With Russian Revolution—experience German troops now fully face the west
Fear of U.S. #s more than actual fighting demoralized Germany
U.S. forces deployed in France, Belgium, Italy & Russia (capture military supplies from Communists at Archangel & Siberia)
Ending the War
Allied forces united under supreme commander French marshal Foch
U.S.—ill trained but just in time
Chateau-Thierry (40 miles from Paris)—30,000 fresh U.S. troops stop German advance
Second Battle of the Marne—July 1918– 243,000 U.S. join French forces to push
German forces out of St. Mihiel
– Begins German withdrawal
Ending the War
Meuse-Argonne Offensive (Sep-Nov. 1918)– General John J. Pershing—separate
U.S. army
– 85 miles—NW from Swiss border to French lines
– Battle lasted 47 days
– 1.2 million U.S. men fought
– 120,000 U.S. killed or wounded
– Alvin C. York—hero„ Killed 20 Germans & captured 132 more
– Germans ready to give up
14 Points Disarm Germany
Wilson’s 14 Points dropped all throughout Germany
Germany hope for Wilson’s fair, idealistic plans
November 11, 1918 at 11 A.M.—cease fire
U.S. contributions– Foodstuffs, munitions,
credits, oil, and manpower—not military victories
Cost of the War More than 50,000 U.S. soldiers died
in battle—many more died of disease– Would have been more but Red
Cross– Mental scars—shell shocked
8 million soldiers (total) died or 5,000 soldiers/day
Germany, Austria-Hungry, Russia & France—more than a million soldiers each
Just under 900,000 British troops died
Most battles in Europe—but some in Middle East & Africa
Millions of civilians died of starvation & disease or war-related injuries
Wilson’s Plans Fail
Wilson’s ideals—popular at home & abroad—parades, etc.– Some critics, i.e. Rep. Senator Henry
Cabot Lodge
Paris Peace Conference-Jan. 1919– Big Four: Vittorio Orlando (Italy); David
Lloyd George (Britain); Georges Clemenceau (France); and Wilson
– Wilson had to compromise 14 points with European imperialism and vengeance
– Wilson’s main goal: League of Nations
Treaty of Doom (a.k.a. Versailles)
Henry Cabot Lodge & other isolationists disliked League of Nations (Article X of treaty) idea, either:– It was too weak
– It was an all powerful “super-state”
– Worried U.S. morallyresponsible to help its allies
– 39 Republican senators did not want to ratify the Treaty of Versailles
Treaty of Doom (a.k.a. Versailles)
Unfair treaty—violates 14 points
– Italy, France, & Japan all have claim to new land
– Germany forced to take terms
– Wilson compromised to preserve the League—treaty fairer than if he hadn’t been there
Treaty of Doom (a.k.a. Versailles)
Treaty is not received well by Americans
– Isolations worried about “entangling alliances”
– Liberals thought it was too harsh, others too harsh
Wilson tours country in 1919 to promote treaty
– Midwest—lukewarm reception; West coast--positive
– Collapses on tour—leads to a stroke
Treaty of Doom (a.k.a. Versailles)
Cabot-Lodge tacks on revisions to treaty– Wilson (from sick-bed) has loyal
democrats not ratify treaty WITH the revisions
– 2 votes--ends up treaty never is ratified
1920 Election– Bull Moosers now back in G.O.P. (T.
Roosevelt had died)
– Republicans elect Warren G. Harding (“return to normalcy” with Calvin Coolidge as V.P.
„ “[Republicans] were willing to accept a second-rate president—and they got a third-rate one.” (p. 716)