Chapter 21 Notes

I “Big Stick”

a) Roosevelt and Civilization

Believed in the value and importance of using American power in the world

Believed that an important distinction existed between the “civilized” and

“uncivilized” nations of the world

b) Protecting the “open door” in Asia

1904 // Japanese staged a surprise attack on the Russian fleet at Port Arthur in

southern Manchuria

c) Panama Canal

Linked the Atlantic and the Pacific

Route was not at sea level but was shorter than the one in Nicaragua

Dispatched john hay to negotiate an agreement with Colombian diplomats in

Washington that would allow construction to begin without delay.

When Colombia refused to ratify agreement, US supported and

financed a revolution in Panama

II The Road to War

a) The Collapse of the European Peace

Europe divided into alliances

“Triple Entente” of Great Britain, France, and Russia

“Triple Alliance” of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy

After June 1914 assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand by Serbians,

Austria-Hungary invaded Serbia who called on Russian help

b) Wilson’s Neutrality

1914 // Wilson urged neutrality but many Americans sympathized with certain

nations (German and Irish immigrants – Central, but most people – GB

alliance)

Strong US-GB economic ties and blockade of Central powers led the US to

continue trade with BG, but shunned trade with Central nations

Germany began using submarine warfare in 1915 to combat GB naval

domnation

1915 // sinking Lusitania and 1916 Sussex sinking led Wilson to call on

Germans to recognize rights of neutrals

Germans relented and stopped attacking merchant ships to shop US

entrance into war

c) Preparedness vs. Pacifism

Wilson did not intervene for either side because of reelection and domestic

division

Economic and military reparations debated by pacifists and interventionists.

However, by 1916 military armament largely under way

Wilson won extremely close in 1916 because of association with ability to

keep the US independent, though Democrats barely held on to Congressional

majorities

d) A War for Democracy

After election, Wilson wanted country unified and justified if to enter war –

should fight to create a new progressive world order and not for material gains

January 1917 // Germany began offensive and continuation of unrestricted

submarine warfare to defeat Allies before the US entrance

February // Zimmerman Telegram urged Mexico to join with Germany

March // Russian Revolution toppled czar for a republican government

April // US officially declared war on side of Allies

III “War Without Stint”

a) Entering the War

Immediately with US entrance, Allied navy able to dramatically reduce

sinking in troop and supply convoys

1819 withdrawal of Russian forces after the Bolshevik Revolution (Lenin) led

Germans to put resources on the Western Front – Allies needed US ground

troops

b) The American Expeditionary Force

US army too small to supply needed troops

April 1917 // Wilson urged passage of Selective Service Act to draft soldiers

into American Expeditionary Force

AEF was diverse – women served as auxiliaries in non-combat roles and

African American soldiers served in segregated units or had menial roles

c) The Military Struggle

US ground forces insignificant until Spring 1918

AEF under General John Pershing maintained command structure

independent from other Allies

US forced a tripped stalemate and balance of power to Allies

June 1918 // helped repel German offensive and Chateau-Thierry

September // US forced fighting into Argonne Forest and pushed Germans

back/cut off supply routes

11/11/1918 Great War ended with Allies on the German border

d) New Technology of Warfare

New military weapons and tactics more deadly

Ex. Tanks, machine guns, trenches, and chemical weapons

Logistics and materials transport gained increased importance – rise of planes,

dreadnought battleships, and submarines

Casualties extremely high for war and even victors were overwhelmed by the

sheer magnitude of deaths

British – 1 million

Germany – 2 million

IV The War and American Society

a) Organizing the Economy for war

US appropriated $32 billion for war and to raise money they sold “Liberty

Bonds” to public and put new graduated taxes on income/inheritance

To organize economy, Wilson created Council of National Defense, but

emphasis on Civilian Advisory Commission tasked with mobilizing at a local

level

CND members urged “scientific management” and centralization, proposed

dividing economy based on function and not geography

War Industries Board oversaw purchase of military supplies, organized

factories, set prices, and distributed needed materials

b) Labor and the War

National War Labor Board pressured industry for concession to works but

workers forced to forgo strikes

Right before war, Ludlow Massacre when striking miners were killed

c) Economic and Social Results of the War

Economic boom during period for European demand and later US need

Industrial production expanded, opportunities for female and minorities

because of men and war

War saw “Great Migration” of hundreds of thousands of African-Americans

from rural South to northern industrial cities

Southern poverty, racism, and appeal of Northern factory jobs/freedom

led to movement

Growing black communities near white neighborhoods sometimes

resulted in race riots

Women took higher-paying industrial jobs that were unavailable in peace time

V The Search for Social Unity

a) The Peace Movement

Public sentiment divided over US involvement in war – peace movement

supported by German Americans, Irish who opposed GB, religious pacifists,

intellectuals, and leftist groups

Peace support also from women’s movement – maternal pacifism

b) Selling the War and Suppressing Dissent

Once American intervened, most of the country became patriotic and

supportive of troops

Religious revivalism also became source of support for war

Government concerned about minority in opposition to war, believed

that victory was possible only through united public opnion

Committee on Public Information under George Creel distributed pro-

war propaganda – portrayals of savage Germans

Espionage Act of 1917 // gave government the power to punish spies

and obstructers of war effort – respond to reports of disloyalty

Sabotage Act and Sedition Act of 1918 made any public expression of

opposition illegal – targeted socialist groups

VI The Search for New World Order

a) The Fourteen Points

Wilson’s Fourteen Points addressed three areas

Self-determination and new boundaries

New international governance laws including freedom of the seas, end

to secret treaties, free trade, and determination of colonial claims

League of nations to implement points and resolve future

disagreements

b) Early Obstacles

Wilson hoped popular support would help garner Allies support for 14 points

Most Allies so decimated by war and so bitter against Germany that they did

not want to be generous

GB Prime Minister Lloyd George and French Premier Georges

Clemenceau determined to gain compensation

Wilson and Democrats lost control of Congress to Republican

majorities in 1918 election – domestic economic issues and

Republican opposition weakened his position

c) The Paris Peace Conference

Big Four nations to negotiate treaty

Great Britain

France

Italy

US

Wilson idealism met by effort by other nations to improve own – concerns

about eastern Europe and communism

Economic and strategic demands suffered from conflict with cultural

nationalism

Wilson originally rejected reparations from Central Powers, but Allies forced

him to accept idea in order to keep Germany weak and unable to threaten

Europe

Allies accepted “covenant” of League of Nations – to meet to resolve disputes

and protect peace

Wilson believed problems with treaty could be fixed by the League

d) The Ratification Battle

Americans used to isolation questioned international commitment – Wilson

refused to compromise or modify League too much

When Treaty of Versailles introduced by Wilson to Senate in 1919

Opposition led by Republican Irreconcilables who wanted isolation, but also

by personal hatred of Senator Henry Cabot Lodge for Wilson

Wanted to delay so public approval would subside, and make the

treaty issue for the 1920 election

e) Wilson’s Ordeal

Began traveling country to gain public support for the treaty

Traveling and speaking tour exacerbated his already bad health and he

suffered a stroke that rendered him incapable for weeks

Condition made his views of the world in moral terms and loathing for

compromise stronger

When Treaty was sent to Senator for approval with “reservations”

(amendments) attached, Wilson urged Democrats to vote against it –

both amended treaty and original failed with reach 2/3 majority to be

ratified

VII A Society in Turmoil

a) Industry and Labor

After war, government began cancelling contracts

War boom continued for short while because of foreign demands and

deficit spending

1920 // bubble burst – GDP decreased and inflation and unemployment rose

Postwar environment 1919 // management sought to rescind worker rights that

they had been forced to grant during the war – use of union strikes increased

to combat these moves

Boston Police Strike

Steel Worker’s Strike (failure)

b) The Demands of African-Americans

Returned blacks from war wanted social rewards and rights for service

Black factory workers from war wanted to retain economic gains they had

made

Racial tension increased as returned whites displaced black workers –

contributed to large 1919 Chicago race riots

Marcus Garvey’s ideas of Black Nationalism gained popularity among blacks

– advocated embracing heritage and return to Africa. – reject white

assimilation

c) The Red Scare

Industrial problems, racial violence, dissent, creation of Communist

International in 1919 by Soviets to spread revolution, and bombings in US by

radicals fueled middle class fears of instability and radicalism

Growing movement to fight radicalism and embrace “100 Percent

Americanism” – red scare

Antiradicals – saw any instability or protest as radical threat

Jan 1920 // Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer conducted

nationwide raids in radical crackdown

1920 // Sacco & Vanzetti murder trial showed American bias towards

perceived radicals (they had been immigrant anarchists) ; they were executed

in 1927

d) The Retreat from Idealism

Passage of 19th Amendment in 1920 (women suffrage) marked end of reform

era – due to economic problems, labor unrest, and antiradicalism that all led to

sense of disillusionment

1920 // Presidential election pitted idealists Democrat James Cox (VP

Franklin Roosevelt) against conservative Republican Warred Harding who

promised “return to normalcy” – Harding won by a large margin

Election a repudiation of League of Nation and postwar order of democratic

ideals