chapter introduction this chapter will focus on what caused the united states to become involved in...

Chapter Introduction

This chapter will focus on what caused the United States to become involved in World War I and how the United States changed as a result of this involvement.

• Section 1: From Neutrality to War

• Section 2: The Home Front

• Section 3: Wilson, War, and Peace

• Section 4: Effects of the War

World War I through 1917

• Identify the causes of World War I.

• Describe the course and character of the war.

• Explain why the United States entered the conflict on the side of the Allies.

Objectives

Terms and People

• Alsace-Lorraine – French region lost to German states in 1871

• militarism – glorification of the military

• Francis Ferdinand – archduke of Austria-Hungary who was assassinated in 1914

• William II – the German emperor

• Western Front − battle front between the Allies and Central Powers in western Europe during World War I

Terms and People (continued)

• casualty – killed, wounded, or missing soldier

• contraband – supplies captured from an enemy during wartime

• U-boat – German submarine

• Lusitania – British passenger ship sunk by a German U-boat during World War I

• Zimmermann note – a telegram in which the German foreign minister Zimmerman proposed an alliance with Mexico against the United States

What caused World War I, and why did the United States enter the war?

In 1914, nationalism, militarism, imperialism, and entangling alliances combined to drag Europe into a world war.

The United States attempted to remain neutral but abandoned its long tradition of staying out of European conflicts.

In 1914, five factors made Europe a powder keg ready to explode.

Nationalism

Militarism

Imperialist tension

Alliance System

Regional tensions

Aggressive Nationalism Aggressive Nationalism

Militarism & Arms Race Militarism & Arms Race

1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1914

94 130 154 268 289 398

Total Defense Expenditures for the Great Total Defense Expenditures for the Great Powers [Ger., A-H, It., Fr., Br., Rus.] Powers [Ger., A-H, It., Fr., Br., Rus.]

in millions of £s.in millions of £s.

1910-1914 Increase in Defense Expenditures

France 10%

Britain 13%

Russia 39%

Germany 73%

Economic & Imperial Rivalries Economic & Imperial Rivalries

The Alliance System The Alliance System

Triple EntenteTriple Entente::Triple EntenteTriple Entente:: Triple AllianceTriple Alliance::Triple AllianceTriple Alliance::

Two Armed Camps!Two Armed Camps!Allied PowersAllied Powers::Allied PowersAllied Powers:: Central PowersCentral Powers::Central PowersCentral Powers::

The Major Players: 1914-17The Major Players: 1914-17

Nicholas II Nicholas II [Rus][Rus]

Nicholas II Nicholas II [Rus][Rus]

George V [Br]George V [Br]George V [Br]George V [Br]

Pres. Poincare Pres. Poincare [Fr][Fr]

Pres. Poincare Pres. Poincare [Fr][Fr]

Allied PowersAllied Powers::Allied PowersAllied Powers::

Franz Josef [A-H]Franz Josef [A-H]Franz Josef [A-H]Franz Josef [A-H]

Wilhelm II [Ger]Wilhelm II [Ger]Wilhelm II [Ger]Wilhelm II [Ger]

Victor Emmanuel Victor Emmanuel II [It]II [It]

Victor Emmanuel Victor Emmanuel II [It]II [It]

Central PowersCentral Powers::Central PowersCentral Powers::

Enver PashaEnver Pasha[Turkey][Turkey]

Enver PashaEnver Pasha[Turkey][Turkey]

Europe in 1914Europe in 1914

Pan-Slavism: The Balkans, 1914Pan-Slavism: The Balkans, 1914

The“Powder

Keg”of Europe

The“Powder

Keg”of Europe

The

“Spark”

The

“Spark”

Archduke Franz Ferdinand & His Family

Archduke Franz Ferdinand & His Family

The Assassination: SarajevoThe Assassination: Sarajevo

The Assassin: The Assassin:

GavriloPrincipGavriloPrincip

Who’s To Blame?Who’s To Blame?

The Schlieffen PlanThe Schlieffen Plan

German Atrocities in Belgium

German Atrocities in Belgium

World War I was all about the place of Germany in EuropeWorld War I was all about the place of Germany in Europe

Alliances and the First World War:

Essential Background - Fact 2


Essential Background - Fact 2

France and Germany hated each other! When Germany became united country in 1870-1, France went to war to try to stop it … but got WHIPPED!

France and Germany hated each other! When Germany became united country in 1870-1, France went to war to try to stop it … but got WHIPPED!


Essential Background Fact 2 (cont.)


Essential Background Fact 2 (cont.)

France also lost Alsace-Lorraine in 1870-1. The French never forgave the Germans. They wanted REVENGE.France also lost Alsace-Lorraine in 1870-1. The French never forgave the Germans. They wanted REVENGE.


Germany in the Middle


Germany in the Middle

Germany’s BIG problem was that it was IN THE MIDDLE.

That made it VULNERABLE if it came to a war.

Germany’s BIG problem was that it was IN THE MIDDLE.

That made it VULNERABLE if it came to a war.


Three Emperors’ League, 1881


Three Emperors’ League, 1881

In the 19th century, Germany’s brilliant Chancellor, Bismarck, solved this problem by keeping friends with RUSSIA and AUSTRIA-HUNGARY (the Dreikaiserbund).

In the 19th century, Germany’s brilliant Chancellor, Bismarck, solved this problem by keeping friends with RUSSIA and AUSTRIA-HUNGARY (the Dreikaiserbund).


Triple Alliance, 1882


Triple Alliance, 1882

Then Bismarck allied with Italy and Austria-Hungary (the TRIPLE ALLIANCE, 1882). Together with his friendship with Russia, this kept Germany safe.


Germany encircled


Germany encircled

But when Kaiser Wilhelm became Emperor, he dumped the Russian alliance. He kept the Triple Alliance, but this did NOT solve the problem of Germany’s encirclement.


Franco-Russian Alliance, 1892


Franco-Russian Alliance, 1892

Instead, in 1892, Russia made an alliance with FRANCE. Although it was only a DEFENSIVE alliance, it was Germany’s worst nightmare!

Instead, in 1892, Russia made an alliance with FRANCE. Although it was only a DEFENSIVE alliance, it was Germany’s worst nightmare!


Webs of Alliances


Webs of Alliances

There also were many more alliances, further complicating pre-WWI Europe. There also were many more alliances, further complicating pre-WWI Europe.


Anglo-Japanese Naval Agreement, 1902


Anglo-Japanese Naval Agreement, 1902

A very important one was the 1902 Anglo-Japanese naval alliance, which freed up Great Britain from protecting its Empire in the far east…

A very important one was the 1902 Anglo-Japanese naval alliance, which freed up Great Britain from protecting its Empire in the far east…


Entente Cordiale, 1904


Entente Cordiale, 1904

… which allowed Britain to make the Entente Cordiale (‘friendly relationship’) with France in 1904.… which allowed Britain to make the Entente Cordiale (‘friendly relationship’) with France in 1904.


Triple Entente, 1907


Triple Entente, 1907

In 1907 Russia joined Britain and France to make the Triple Entente. So by 1914 Europe had divided into two massive superpower blocs. People thought this BALANCE OF POWER would keep the peace.

In 1907 Russia joined Britain and France to make the Triple Entente. So by 1914 Europe had divided into two massive superpower blocs. People thought this BALANCE OF POWER would keep the peace.


The Balkans


The Balkans

But Russia was also allied to Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria. When trouble erupted in the Balkans in 1914, the nations found their alliances dragged them into war…

But Russia was also allied to Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria. When trouble erupted in the Balkans in 1914, the nations found their alliances dragged them into war…


How the Alliances caused war


How the Alliances caused war

… like mountain climbers tied to the same rope.(i.e. it is arguable that THE SYSTEM OF ALLIANCES CAUSED WORLD WAR ONE.)

… like mountain climbers tied to the same rope.(i.e. it is arguable that THE SYSTEM OF ALLIANCES CAUSED WORLD WAR ONE.)

• Among the powers of Europe, nationalism caused a desire to avenge perceived insults and past losses.

• Some felt national identity centered around a single ethnic group and questioned the loyalty of ethnic minorities.

• Social Darwinists applied the idea of “survival of the fittest” to nations.

Nationalism, or devotion to one’s country, caused tensions to rise.

Economic competition caused a demand for colonies and military bases in Africa, the Pacific islands, and China.

Economic competition for trade and colonies increased nationalistic feelings.

Alliances provided a promise of assistance that made some leaders reckless or overly aggressive.

Militarism, combined with nationalism, led to an arms race.

Nations stockpiled new technology, including machine guns, mobile artillery, tanks, submarines, and airplanes.

The assassination triggered a chain of events that drew two sets of allies into a bloody conflict.

On June 28, 1914, Serb nationalists assassinated the heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, Archduke, Francis Ferdinand.

Europe’s alliance system caused the conflict to spread quickly, creating two main combatants.

The Central Powers included Germany and Austria-Hungary.

The Allied Powers included Britain, France, Russia, and Serbia.

Germany invaded Belgium, a neutral country, to attack France.

The German advance was stopped about 30 miles from Paris.

The war bogged down as both sides dug a long series of trenches, creating the Western Front.

Neither side could overcome the other’s defenses, and a stalemate quickly developed.

The era’s deadly defensive weapons made attacks difficult and dangerous.

Many Americans favored one side or the other.

As the war dragged on in Europe, President Wilson urged Americans to remain neutral.

• The United States had a long tradition of staying out of European conflicts.

• Yet one third of Americans had been born in a foreign country and still identified with their homelands.

Isolationists favored staying out of the war

Interventionists favored fighting on the Allies’ side

Internationalists wanted the United States to play a role for peace but not fight

U.S. public opinion fell into three main groups.

Early in the war, the British navy had set up a blockade of Germany.

• Britain’s goal was to intercept contraband goods.

• In defiance of international law, Britain also prevented noncontraband goods, such as food and gasoline, from reaching Germany.

Germany responded by trying to blockade Britain.

German U-boats torpedoed ships bound for Britain.

On May 7, 1915, a U-boat sank the British passenger ship Lusitania off the coast of Ireland, killing many Americans.

The German embassy published this notice in American newspapers:

Travelers intending to embark on the Atlantic voyage are reminded that a state of war exists between Germany and her allies and Great Britain and her allies…travelers sailing in the war zone on ships of Great Britain or her allies do so at their own risk.

Americans were angry about the Lusitania. Germany failed to keep its promise to not sink any more passenger ships.

• President Wilson still wanted peace, but he began to prepare for the possibility of war.

• In 1916, Congress expanded the army and authorized more warships.

• The Zimmermann note was intercepted. In this telegram, Germany tried to forge an alliance with Mexico against the United States.

• Germany returned to a policy of unrestricted submarine warfare, sinking any ship headed for Britain.

Two events in 1917 led President Wilson to ask Congress to declare war on the Central Powers.

POLITICAL CARTOON ON

THE ZIMMERMAN

NOTE

On April 2, 1917, Wilson asked Congress to declare war against Germany, saying, “The world must be made safe for democracy.”

Congress responded with a declaration of war on April 6, 1917, and the United States entered World War I.

Home Front in World War I

• Analyze how the American government mobilized the public to support the war effort.

• Describe opposition to World War I.

• Outline significant social changes that occurred during World War I.

Objectives

Terms and People

• Selective Service Act – law that established a military draft in 1917

• Bernard Baruch – head of the War Industries Board, which regulated businesses related to the war effort

• Committee on Public Information (CPI) – government agency created during World War I to encourage Americans to support the war

• George Creel – director of the CPI


• conscientious objector – person whose moral or religious views forbid participation in war

• Espionage Act – act passed in 1917 enacting severe penalties for anyone engaged in disloyal or treasonable activities

• Great Migration – movement of African Americans in the twentieth century from the rural South to the industrial North

How did World War I affect Americans at home?

The war permanently changed Americans’ relationship with their government. The federal government played a major role in Americans’ daily lives, taking on new powers to regulate industry, draft soldiers, and shape public opinion.

The war required sacrifice, but it also brought new opportunities.

In 1917, the United States needed to increase the size of its army.

• President Wilson called for volunteers.

• Congress passed the Selective Service Act.

• More than 4 million U.S. soldiers were sent to Europe.

•FROM 200,000 TO 4,791,172 IN ARMED FORCES •32 NEW CANTONMENTS AND CAMPS BUILT FOR 40,000 SOLDIERS EACH AT A COST OF $262M. (PANAMA CANAL COST $375M.) •2,800,000 DRAFTED - SELECTIVE SERVICE ACT MAY 19 •42 DIVISIONS SENT TO FRANCE - 2,084,000 MEN

CAMP KEARNEY FREMONT, CA

MAY 1, 1917 - ARMY EXPANSION ACT

http://history.acusd.edu/gen/WW1Pics/47068.jpg

REQUIRED ALL MALES BETWEEN THE AGES OF 21-30 (LATER CHANGED TO 18-45) TO REGISTER FOR THE

DRAFT

ABOUT 24 MILLION MEN REGISTERED, 23% OF TOTAL POPULATION

ABOUT 11,000 WOMEN VOLUNTEERED AS NURSES, CLERICAL WORKERS AND TELEPHONE OPERATORS

SELECTIVE SERVICE ACT MAY 18, 1917

SECRETARY OF WAR BAKER PULLED DRAFT NUMBERS IN THE LOTTERY

DRAFTED MEN REPORTED FOR SERVICE IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS

GENERAL JOHN J. PERSHING, COMMANDER OF THE AMERICAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCE IN WWI

"ALL A SOLDIER

NEEDS TO KNOW IS HOW TO SHOOT

AND SALUTE."

SOLDIERS LEAVING FOR FRANCE

Goodbyes

To support the new army, the federal government took control of the economy.

• The Council of National Defense created federal agencies to oversee food production, fuel distribution, and railroads.

• Bernard Baruch headed the War Industries Board (WIB), which regulated war-related businesses.

• The Food Administration, led by Herbert Hoover, set prices for agricultural products.

The War Industries Board encouraged factories to increase output.

Similarly, the Food Administration encouraged farmers to produce more food to feed the soldiers.

Women entered the workforce to help the war effort.

WOMEN TOOK THE JOBS LEFT BEHIND BY THE MEN

NURSES CONTRIBUTED TO THE WAR

EFFORT

AFRICAN AMERICAN SOLDIERS SERVED IN SEGREGATED UNITS

HENRY JOHNSON, LEFT, AND NEADHAM

ROBERTS, RIGHT RECEIVED THE FRENCH CROIX DE GUERRE, AN AWARD CREATED TO RECOGNIZE BRAVERY IN THE FACE OF AN

ENEMY

ALTHOUGH AFRICAN AMERICAN SOLDIERS WERE USED MOSTLY FOR LABOR, THE FRENCH HIRED SOME

INFANTRY THAT FOUGHT ALONGSIDE FRENCH WHITE SOLDIERS. THESE EXPERIENCES CONTRIBUTED TO THE SENSE OF EMPOWERMENT EXPRESSED BY THE BLACK

COMMUNITY IN THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE IN THE 1920s.

BUILDING RAILROADS IN FRANCE

CUTTING DOWN TREES

NATIVE AMERICAN SHIPBUILDERS IN PENNSYLVANIA

EACH STAR REPRESENTED A SON FIGHTING IN THE WAR

The government also aimed to shape public opinion.

• The Committee on Public information (CPI) encouraged public support for the war.

• The CSI, headed by George Creel, distributed millions of pamphlets and sent out thousands of press releases and speakers.

• CPI materials outlined U.S. and Allied goals and stressed the enemy’s cruelty.

COMMITTEE FOR PUBLIC INFORMATION: CREATED BY PRESIDENT WILSON TO SPREAD

PRO-WAR PROPAGANDA

LED BY JOURNALIST

GEORGE CREEL

WAR PROPAGANDA POSTERS

EXAMPLES OF ANTI-GERMAN SENTIMENT DURING WWI

•MANY AMERICAN SCHOOLS STOPPED OFFERING INSTRUCTION IN THE GERMAN LANGUAGE. •CALIFORNIA'S STATE EDUCATION BOARD CALLED GERMAN A LANGUAGE OF "AUTOCRACY, BRUTALITY, AND HATRED”.•SAUERKRAUT BECAME "LIBERTY CABBAGE" •SALOONKEEPERS REMOVED PRETZELS FROM THE BAR •ORCHESTRAL WORKS BY BACH, BEETHOVEN, AND BRAHMS VANISHED FROM MUSIC PROGRAMS, INCLUDING THAT OF THE NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC •MANY GERMAN AMERICANS WERE BADGERED, BEATEN, AND SOMETIMES KILLED.

Conscientious objectors were supposed to be exempt from the draft.

In practice, however, this exemption was widely ignored by local draft boards.

Not all Americans supported the war.

The draft was

controversial,

and some men

refused to

register for it.

Jeannette Rankin, a pacifist and the only woman in Congress, voted against the war.

Jane Addams formed the Women’s Peace Party and the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom.

Some women also opposed the war.

The government passed laws to discourage dissent.

• The 1917 Espionage Act gave postal authorities power to ban newspapers or other printed materials that could incite treason.

• In 1918, the Sedition Act outlawed speech that went against the government or the military.

• Congress enacted laws that imposed heavy fines and prison terms on anyone who interfered with the war effort.

War enthusiasm created by the CPI sometimes caused a backlash against German Americans.

• Some schools stopped teaching the German language.

• People stopped listening to music by German composers.

• They called hamburgers “liberty steaks” and dachshunds “liberty pups.”

Occasionally, hatred of the German enemy boiled over into violence against German Americans.

The war effort presented new opportunities to individuals, including African Americans.

• Altogether, 367,000 African Americans served in the military.

• In the Great Migration, more than a million African Americans moved north, hoping to escape poverty and Jim Crow laws and find better jobs.

Women embraced the opportunities that became available during the war.

Women filled jobs that were vacated by men and participated in the war effort.

By proving that they could succeed in any type of job, women convinced President Wilson to support their demand to vote.

Examples of jobs filled by women:• doctors• nurses• ambulance drivers• clerks• telegraph operators• farm laborers

American Involvement in World War I

• Understand how the United States military contributed to the Allied victory in the war.

• Describe the aims of the Fourteen Points.

• Analyze the decisions made at the Paris Peace Conference.

• Explain why the United States Senate refused to ratify the treaty ending World War I.

Objectives

Terms and People

• convoy – group of ships that traveled together for protection against German U-boats

• Vladimir Lenin – radical communist leader who took over Russia in March 1917

• John J. Pershing – General who led American forces in Europe

• Fourteen Points – Wilson’s plan for lasting peace through international openness and cooperation

• self-determination – the right of people to choose their own form of government


• League of Nations – world organization to promote peaceful cooperation between countries

• Henry Cabot Lodge – Republican Senator who opposed ratification of the Treaty of Versailles

• reparations – payments for war damages

• “irreconcilables” – Senate isolationists who opposed any treaty that included a League of Nations

• “reservationists” – Senators who opposed the Treaty of Versailles as written but were open to compromise

How did Americans affect the end of World War I and its peace settlements?

When the United States entered World War I in the spring of 1917, the war was at a deadly, bloody stalemate along the Western Front.

The American entry into the war would play a key role in the Allied victory.

When the United States entered the war in 1917, Germany increased U-boat attacks, hoping to win the war before American troops could make a difference.

Convoys of British and American ships, protected by warships, provided better safety at sea.

Several factors gave the Central Powers an advantage on land.

• The Allies were exhausted from years of fighting.

• Russia was torn apart by revolutions at home.

• Communists gained control of Russia, and their leader Vladimir Lenin signed a treaty with Germany in 1918, ending Russian involvement in the war.

• The closing of the Eastern Front allowed Germany to send more troops to the Western Front.

In the spring of 1918, Germany began an all-out offensive on the Western Front.

The attacks threatened to break through Allied defenses and opena path to Paris.

More American soldiers began to arrive, and U.S. troops carried more of the burden of fighting.

General John J. Pershing turned millions of untrained American men into soldiers, and then led them in France.

• The arrival of American soldiers gave the Allies a military advantage.

• They fought bravely in many battles.

• By the end of the war, 1.3 million Americans had served at the front. More than 50,000 of them died.

By the fall of 1918, the German front was collapsing.

On November 11, 1918, Germany surrendered to the Allies in Compiegne, France.

Many German and Austro-Hungarian soldiers deserted, mutinied, or refused to fight.

The war took a huge toll on those involved.

• Nearly 5 million Allied soldiers and 8 million Central Powers soldiers were killed in the fighting.

• In addition, 6.5 million civilians died during the conflict.

Following two and a half years of pro-Allied "neutrality," the United States entered World War I because of economic and cultural factors, as well as German submarine warfare. The armies and civilians of Europe had already suffered mightily by the time the United States finally entered. American forces, initially at sea and then on land, provided the margin of victory for the Allies. To mount its total effort, the United States turned to an array of unprecedented measures: sharply graduated taxes, conscription for a foreign war, bureaucratic management of the economy, and a massive propaganda and anti-sedition campaign. Women entered the work force in record numbers, and the hopes of African Americans were raised by military service and war-related jobs in the North. President Woodrow Wilson formulated American war aims in his famous Fourteen Points, but he was unable to convince either Europe or the United States fully to accept his tenets as the basis for peace. By 1920, the American people, tired from nearly three decades of turmoil, had repudiated Wilson's precious League of Nations in favor of an illusion called "normalcy."

• In a speech to Congress before the war ended, President Wilson outlined a vision of a “just and lasting peace.”

• His plan was called the Fourteen Points, and among its ideas were—Open diplomacy, freedom of the seas, the removal of trade barriers, and

the reduction of military arms—A fair system to resolve disputes over colonies—Self-determination, or the right of people to decide their own political

status and form their own nations—Establishing a League of Nations, or an organization of countries working

together to settle disputes, protect democracy, and prevent future wars• The Fourteen Points expressed a new philosophy that applied progressivism to

U.S. foreign policy.• The Fourteen Points declared that foreign policy should be based on morality,

not just on what’s best for the nation.

The Fourteen Points

In early 1919, President Wilson traveled to Versailles, France for a peace conference.

• He met with European leaders and presented a plan for peace based on his Fourteen Points.

• Wilson’s vision of a postwar world was grounded in the idea of “peace without victory.”

The Paris Peace Conference

• President Wilson led American negotiators attending the peace conference in Paris in January 1919.– His attendance of the Paris Peace Conference made him the first U.S.

President to visit Europe while in office.– Republicans criticized Wilson for leaving the country when it was trying

to restore its economy.• Wilson’s dream of international peace, though, required him to attend the

conference as a fair and unbiased leader to prevent squabbling among European nations.

• The Paris Peace Conference began on January 12, 1919, with leaders representing 32 nations, or about three-quarters of the world’s population.

• The leaders of the victorious Allies—President Wilson, British Prime Minister David Lloyd George, French premier Georges Clemenceau, and Italian prime minister Vittorio Orlando—became known as the Big Four.

• Germany and the Central Powers were not invited to attend.

Revenge• Many Allies

wanted to punish Germany for its role in the war.

• Georges Clemenceau accused Germany of tyrannical conduct, exemplified by the huge loss of life and the continued suffering of veterans.

Revenge• Many Allies

wanted to punish Germany for its role in the war.

• Georges Clemenceau accused Germany of tyrannical conduct, exemplified by the huge loss of life and the continued suffering of veterans.

Conflicting Needs at the Peace Conference

Independence• Leaders of

Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia wanted to build new nations.

• Poland, divided between Germany and Russia, wanted one nation.

• Ho Chi Minh worked at the Paris Ritz hotel and asked France to free Vietnam.

Independence• Leaders of

Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia wanted to build new nations.

• Poland, divided between Germany and Russia, wanted one nation.

• Ho Chi Minh worked at the Paris Ritz hotel and asked France to free Vietnam.

The delegates arrived at the Peace Conference with competing needs and desires.Better World

• President Wilson had a vision of a better world.

• He wanted nations to deal with each other openly and trade with each other fairly.

• Wanted countries to reduce their arsenal of weapons

Better World• President Wilson had

a vision of a better world.

• He wanted nations to deal with each other openly and trade with each other fairly.

• Wanted countries to reduce their arsenal of weapons

Wilson’s Fourteen Points made specific proposals to promote future peace.

• Practice open diplomacy.

• Allow freedom of the seas.

• Encourage free trade.• Reduce arms

stockpiles.

• Scale back colonialism.• Encourage

self-determination of nations.

• Establish a League of Nations.

However, Allied leaders at Versailles wanted reparations from Germany.

• European leaders did not share Wilson’s vision of peace without victory.

• They wanted Germany to pay for war damages.

• They also wanted to protect European colonialism

and expand their countries’ territories.

One by one, Wilson’s Fourteen Points were rejected, leaving only the League of Nations.

• The League of Nations was an organization where countries could come together to resolve disputes peacefully.

• Wilson’s proposal to create a League of Nations was added to the Treaty of Versailles.

The Treaty of Versailles redrew the map of Europe and broke up the Ottoman Empire.

• The Senate and the League of Nations– to pacify American opponents, Wilson

persuaded the Great Powers to exclude “domestic questions,” such as tariff and immigration policies and the Monroe Doctrine from the purview of the League; but this did not ensure its acceptance with Americans

– Senate Republicans split into three anti-League camps

– the “irreconcilables” rejected League membership on any terms

– “mild reservationists” backed membership, subject to minor revisions of League’s charter

– the majority Republican opposition, the “strong reservationists” led by Henry Cabot Lodge of Massachusetts, would accept the League only if American sovereignty were fully protected

– Wilson refused to yield any ground and undertook a nationwide speaking tour to rally support for the treaty

– at Pueblo, Colorado, Wilson collapsed and had to return to Washington

– Wilson rejected all compromise, and the Senate rejected the Treaty

• Demobilization– almost immediately after signing the

Armistice, the government removed its economic controls, blithely assuming that the economy could readjust itself without direction

– millions of men were demobilized rapidly

– these swift and unregulated changes in the

economy soon created problems

– inflation spiraled; by 1920 the cost of living stood at twice the level of 1913

– during 1919, one out of five employees

engaged in strike actions

– then came a precipitous economic decline;

between July 1920 and March 1922, prices

fell and unemployment surged

The Red Scare– labor unrest, fear of Bolshevism, failure to

distinguish between unions and

communism, economic flux, and the

xenophobic tenor of wartime propaganda

fostered near hysteria in postwar America

and led to the phenomenon known as the

Red Scare

– in January 1920, Attorney General A.

Mitchell Palmer organized a series of raids

against radicals

– of the more than 6,000 “radical” foreigners

seized, only 556 proved liable to deportation

– When the massive uprising that Palmer

predicted for May Day 1920 failed to

materialize, the Red Scare swiftly subsided

Political

• The war led to the overthrow of monarchies in Russia, Austria-Hungary, Germany, and Turkey.

• It contributed to the rise of the Bolsheviks to power in Russia in 1917.

• It fanned the flames of revolts against colonialism in the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

Economic

• WWI devastated European economies, giving the U.S. the economic lead.

• The U.S. still faced problems such as inflation, which left people struggling to afford ordinary items.

• Farmers, whose goods were less in demand than during the war, were hit hard.

Economic

• WWI devastated European economies, giving the U.S. the economic lead.

• The U.S. still faced problems such as inflation, which left people struggling to afford ordinary items.

• Farmers, whose goods were less in demand than during the war, were hit hard.

The Impact of World War I Social

• The war killed 14 million people and left 7 million men disabled.

• The war drew more than a million women into the U.S. workforce, which helped them pass the Nineteenth Amendment to get the vote.

• It also encouraged African Americans to move to northern cities for factory work.

Social

• The war killed 14 million people and left 7 million men disabled.

• The war drew more than a million women into the U.S. workforce, which helped them pass the Nineteenth Amendment to get the vote.

• It also encouraged African Americans to move to northern cities for factory work.

Impact in Europe

• The effects of World War I in Europe were devastating.– European nations lost almost an entire generation of young men.– France, where most of the fighting took place, was in ruins.– Great Britain was deeply in debt to the U.S. and lost its place as the

world’s financial center.– The reparations forced on Germany by the Treaty of Versailles were

crippling to its economy.• World War I would not be the “war to end all wars,” as some called it.

– Too many issues were left unresolved.– Too much anger and hostility remained among nations.

• Within a generation, conflict would again break out in Europe, bringing the United States and the world back into war.

THE FLU EPIDEMIC In the fall of 1918, the United States suffered a home-front crises when a flu epidemic affected 25% of the population

Mines shut down, telephone service was cut in half, factory work was delayed

Cities ran short on coffins while corpses lay unburied for as long as a week

The epidemic killed as many as 500,000 in the U.S. before it disappeared in 1919

Worldwide the epidemic killed 30 million people

Seattle, like many other places, became a masked city. All police

wore them, as shown in this photo from "The Great

Influenza"

Despite the hero’s welcome he received in Europe, Wilson’s plan for peace would be rejected by the Allies Wilson’s plan was called the “Fourteen points”

Included in his “points” were: No secret treaties

Freedom of the Seas

More free trade

Reduction of arms

Less colonialism

League of Nations to promote peace

WILSON FIGHTS FOR PEACE

Wilson’s 14 points in his own

short hand

ALLIES REJECT WILSON”S PLAN, SIGN TREATY

The Big Four leaders, Wilson (U.S.), Clemenceau (France), Lloyd George (England), and Orlando (Italy), worked out the Treaty’s details

Wilson conceded on most of his 14 points in return for the establishment of the League of Nations

On June 28, 1919, the Big Four and the leaders of the defeated nations gathered in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles and signed the Treaty of Versailles

Hall of Mirrors

TREATY OF VERSAILLES The Treaty established nine new nations including;

Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia

The Treaty broke up the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Ottoman Empire empires

The Treaty barred Germany from maintaining an army, required them to give Alsace-Lorraine back to France, and forced them to pay $33 billion in reparations to the Allies

The Big Four met at Versailles

THE WEAKNESS OF THE TREATY

The harsh treatment of Germany prevented the Treaty from creating a lasting peace in Europe

The Treaty humiliated the Germans by forcing them to admit sole responsibility for the war (War-Guilt Clause)

Furthermore, Germany would never be able to pay $33 billion in reparations

Germans felt the Versailles Treaty was unfair

In the United States, the Treaty was hotly debated especially the League of Nations Conservative senators, headed by Henry Cabot Lodge, were suspicious of the Leagues’ joint economic and military commitments Many wanted the U.S. Congress to maintain the right to declare war Ultimately, Congress rejected U.S. involvement in the very League the U.S. President had created

DEBATE OVER TREATY AT HOME

The U.S. never did join the league

THE LEGACY OF WWI

At home, the war strengthened both the military and the power of the government

The propaganda campaign provoked powerful fears in society

For many countries the war created political instability and violence that lasted for years

Russia established the first Communist state during the war

Americans called World War I, “The War to end all Wars” --- however unresolved issues would eventually drag the U.S. into an even deadlier conflict

WWI 1914-1918

22 million dead, more than half civilians. An additional 20 million wounded.

Wilson returned to face a hostile isolationist Senate, where two groups opposed the treaty.

• The “irreconcilables” were isolationists who opposed the League of Nations and any treaty that entangled the United States in world politics.

• The “reservationists,” led by Henry Cabot Lodge, opposed the treaty as written. They thought parts were vague and may lead the U.S. to war without consent of Congress. However, they were willing to negotiate changes.

Wilson was unwilling to compromise on the treaty.

• On a speaking tour to promote the League of Nations in September 1919, Wilson became ill and suffered a stroke.

• As he lay near death, the Senate voted, refusing to ratify the Treaty of Versailles.

Without full American support the League of Nations was unable to maintain peace among nations.

Effects of World War I in the United States

• Describe the problems Americans faced immediately after the war.

• Analyze how these problems contributed to the Red Scare.

• Understand how the war changed America’s role in world affairs.

Objectives

Terms and People

• influenza – the flu virus

• inflation – rising prices

• Red Scare – widespread fear of radicals and communists

• Palmer Raids – a series of raids, arrests, and deportations of suspected radicals, most of whom never received a trial


• Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti – Italian anarchists convicted and executed for murder despite scarce evidence against them

• Warren G. Harding – elected president in 1920 by promising Americans a “return to normalcy”

• creditor nation – a nation that lends more money than it borrows

What political, economic, and social effects did World War I have on the United States?

The Treaty of Versailles produced an unstable peace. Its harsh terms left Germany with a strong desire for revenge, while Soviet Russia threatened revolution throughout the industrial world.

In the United States, the horrors of the war and the fear of radicals led people to question the nation’s role in the world.

The transition to peace was made more difficult by a deadly influenza pandemic that began in 1918.

The flu killed 550,000 Americans and more than 50 million people around the world.

Economic troubles also caused problems in the United States.

• A recession, or economic slowdown, occurred after the war.

• Many women and African Americans lost their jobs to returning soldiers.

• Tension over jobs and housing led to race riots in some cities.

• Scarcity of consumer goods and high demand caused inflation, or rising prices.

Because rising prices made it harder to make ends meet, inflation caused labor unrest.

• Many unions went on strike for higher pay and shorter workdays.

• In 1919, more than 4 million workers went on strike.

• The workers succeeded in some strikes, but lost far more. Some strikes turned violent.

Several events combined to create the first Red Scare in the United States.

• Violent strikes

• The emergence of the Soviet Union as a communist country

• A series of mail bombs targeting industrialists and government officials

One mail bomb was sent to Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer, who launched the Palmer Raids in 1920.

• Police arrested thousands of people.

• Some were radicals; others were simply immigrants.

• Hundreds of people were deported without a trial.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) formed in 1920 to protect people’s rights and liberties.

Another example of the Red Scare was the trail of Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti. They were Italian anarchists charged with committing murder during a robbery in Massachusetts.

• Witnesses claimed the robbers “looked Italian.”

• Despite little real evidence against them, Sacco and Vanzetti were convicted and executed.

Many scholars and politicians believed that the men died because of their nationality and political beliefs.

• The Presidential Election of 1920– the Democrats nominated James A. Cox of Ohio,

who favored membership in the League– the Republican nominee, Warren G. Harding, also

of Ohio, equivocated on the issue, despite his Senate record as a strong reservationist

– Harding’s smashing victory over Cox signaled more than America’s rejection of the League

– The voters’ response to Harding’s call for a return to “normalcy” suggested that Americans sought an end to the period of agitation and reform that had begun with Theodore Roosevelt

In the 1920 presidential election, Republican Warren G. Harding based his campaign on a call for “normalcy,” a return to a simpler time before President Wilson.

• Voters rejected President Wilson’s idealism and view of America’s role in the world.

• Harding won the election in a landslide.

• Republicans also won control of Congress.

Despite Harding’s desire to go back to earlier times, it became clear that a new world order had emerged.

• The Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman empires no longer existed. Germany and Russia had new forms of government. Other nations were weakened.

• Meanwhile, the United States was strong, confident, and prosperous. It became the world’s economic center and largest creditor nation.

America would wrestle with its relationship with the world in years to come.

Chapter Summary

Section 1: From Neutrality to War

Section 2: The Home Front

• In 1914, war erupted in Europe. The conflict became a bloody stalemate fought along mud-filled trenches. The United States initially tried to remain neutral but eventually joined the war on the side of Britain and France.

• For the first time, the American economy was managed by the government. The war created opportunities for women and minorities. African Americans migrated to northern cities and women finally got the vote.

Chapter Summary (continued)

Section 3: Wilson, War, and Peace• President Wilson proposed a 14-point peace plan, but his

Allied counterparts sought revenge and reparations. Wilson compromised on every point except his plan for a League of Nations. In the end, the U.S. Senate rejected the Treaty of Versailles.

Section 4: Effects of the War• The war was followed by a terrible influenza epidemic, an

economic recession, and inflation that led to labor strikes and a Red Scare. By 1920, Americans were ready for a “return to normalcy” and elected Warren G. Harding president.

chapter introduction this chapter will focus on what caused the united states to become involved in...

Documents

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aggressive nationalism

causes of world war