WORLD WAR I 1914-1918. I. Background A. Extreme Nationalism 1. Unified Germany 2. Unified Italy B. Aggressive Militarism 1. Competition b/t Germany &

WORLD WAR I1914-1918

• I. Background• A. Extreme Nationalism• 1. Unified Germany• 2. Unified Italy • B. Aggressive Militarism• 1. Competition b/t Germany & Britain• C. System of Alliances• 1. Emperors League• 2. Dual Alliance--> Germany & Austria- Hungary• 3. Triple Alliance --> Germany, Austria- Hungary,

& Italy• 4. Triple Entente--> France, Russia, Britain

• II. War in Europe

• A. Beginning of the Great War

• 1. 6/1914 Princip killed Archduke Franz Ferdinand and wife in Sarajevo, an province of Austria-Hungary

• 2. Austria issued an ultimatum to Serbia- let Austria examine & litigate the investigation

• 3. Serbia refused to accept terms

• a. supported by Russia

• 4. 1/1914 Germany declared war on Russia

• 5. Germany launched massive invasion of France violating Belgium neutrality (Schlieffen Plan)

• a. knock out France & avoid 2-front war

• b. Britain sensing threat to coastline allied w/France; declared war on Germany 8/4/1914

• c. 1915 Italy

• d. trench warfare

• 6. Central Powers: Germany, Austria-Hungary (later Ottoman Empire)

• 7. Allies: France, Britain , Russia ( later Japan, Italy & the US)

• B. U.S. Neutrality

• 1. Wilson called for neutrality in thought and deed Isolationist foreign policy

• C. U.S. money flows to Europe

• 1. Initially negative impact on the economy

• a. European countries went off gold standard & wanted to exchange American securities for American gold

• b. U.S. plunged into recession

• 2. 1915 U.S. economy revived British & French war orders

• a. trade w/Allies 2.4 billion loans exceeded 3 billion

• b. Germany’s trade prevented by Br. Navy blockade

• 3. Br. forced American vessels into Br. Ports which effectively ended any US- German trade

• a. German announced a submarine war area around Br. Isles

• b. Germany would try to not sink neutral ships

• c. Wilson warned that “strict accountability” would apply( US vessels/citizens)

• D. Submarine warfare

• 1. 1st months German U-boats sank 90 ships

• 2. 5/7/1915 Lusitania sunk --1,198 dead (128)

• a. carrying 4,200 cases of ammunition & Germans refused to apologize

• b. American public opinion turned against Germany US entry into the war inevitable

• 3. Wilson warns Ger. SOS William Jennings Bryan resigned

• a. What did Wilson fail to do? ”contributory negligence”

• 4. 8/1915 Br. liner, the Arabic was sunk - Germany agreed not sink passenger ship w/o warning

• E. House-Grey Memorandum- peace w/o victory

• F. Sussex Ultimatum – response to Am casualties aboard the Sussex no shooting w/o warning

• 1. Wilson break diplomatic relations prelude to war

• 2. Germany US should persuade Allies to modify “illegal” blockade

• 3. Why is Wilson in a precarious situation?

• 4. Wilson mobilization

• a. Revenue Acts of 1916 & 1917

• b. Army Reorganization Bill200K

• G. 1/1917 Wilson suggested “peace without victory” only durable option Yes? No? Why

• III. German aggression pulls US into war

• A. 1/1917, Germany announced policy of unrestricted submarine warfare

• 1. All ships would be sunk including Am. Ships

• 2. US had not honored the Sussex pledge

• B. Wilson broke diplomatic relations w/Germany

• 1. Asked Congress for authority to arm US merchant ships; Midwestern Senators blocked the request

• C. Zimmerman Note- intercepted by Br. & published in US 3/1917

• 1. German foreign sec. Zimmerman proposed alliance w/ MX--> get back TX, NM, AZ

• 2. Japan would be invited into anti-US alliance

• 3. Americans outraged

• D. 3/1917 Germans U-boats sank 4 unarmed US merchant ships

• E. 4/2/1917, Wilson asked joint session of Congress for a declaration of war

• 1. 4/6/1917 America declared war on Germany

• a. unrestricted sub warfare

• b. Zimmerman note

• c. Russian Revolution

• d. US could end war quickly

• e. moral reason: German mass-killing of civilians

• IV. Wilson Idealism

• A. for over a century, US had proud tradition of isolationism from Europe

• B. Wilson needed to instill burning idealism to inspire Americans to fight

• 1. “Make the world safe for democracy”

• 2. “A war to end war”

• 3. Represented US as altruistic v. selfish aims of the Europeans

• a. international order w/democracy at its core

• V. Mobilizing for war

• A. Creel Committee

• 1. Committee of Public Information-created to sell America on the war and sell the world on Wilson’s aims

• a. headed by George Creel

• b. voluntary censorship of press

• c. propagandize American war effort

• 2. Set up volunteer Liberty Leagues - neighbors spied on each other & report to justice dept

• 3. Did the job too well & world expected too much

• B. Restrictions on Civil Liberties

• 1. Most serious attacks on freedoms since 1798

• 2. Anti-German hysteria swept US ( Creel Comm)

• 3. Espionage Act of 1917- fines & prison for aiding the enemy or obstructing the draft

• 4. Sedition Act of 1918- forbade criticism of govt, flag, uniform --> 1900 prosecutions

• a. anti-war Socialists & IWW targeted

• b. Eugene Debs sentenced to 10 years

• c. William D. “Big Bill” Hayward & 99 other IWWs convicted

• d. Schenck v. US ( 1919)- upheld the constitutionality of the Espionage Act

• i. Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. stated that Congress could limit free speech… “clear and present danger”

• ii. Mild press censorship; radical papers were denied mailing privileges

• 5. WWI constituted an ugly chapter in history of US civil liberty

• a. after the war presidential pardons freely granted

• b. Wilson vetoed bill to abolish espionage & sedition acts--> proved to be on of most nativist presidents

• C. Mobilizing factories

• 1. nation’s economy initially not geared for war

• a. Wilson reluctantly backed preparedness in 1915 ( our army ranked 15th )

• b. ignorance regarding war preparedness – fear of big gov’t hurt efforts to centralize economy

• 2. Bernard Baruch headed the War Industries Board in 3/1918

• a. formed by Wilson after battles w/Congress

• b. control raw material, production, prices & labor relations

• c.WIB never really had much power

• d. set precedent for future gov’t- industry cooperation ; 1920s & 1930s

• 3. Encouraging workers for the war effort

• a. slogan, “Labor Will Win the War”

• b. women encouraged to enter industry & agricultureWilson’s support of 19th amendment

• c. 1000s of African Americans in the South migrated North

• i. increase in race riots in northern cities

• ii. war effort supported by DuBois

• d. “Work or fight” rule issued by War Dept 1918

• 4. Grievances of labor• a. WWI inflation 2X since 1914• b. 6,000 strikes during the war; many by IWW

( Wobblies)• c. National War Labor Board (oversee disputes)• i. Headed by Taft• ii. no strikes but encouraged progressive reforms;

higher $, 8-hr day, recognized right to unionize• iii. Union membership up to 4 mil from 2.5mil • VI The War Economy• A. Herbert Hoover & the Food Administration• 1.. Preferred to rely on voluntary compliance

• a. used propaganda

• b. wheatless Wednesdays, meatless Tuesdays

• c. “victory gardens”

• d. fixed high prices to encourage wheat/pork

• 3. Congress restricted the use of foodstuffs for manufacturing alcoholic beverages

• a. accelerated prohibition fever 18th amendment

• 4. farm production incrsd by 25%, food exports to Allies 3x

• a. other war agencies imitated methods

• B. Bond Drives (“Liberty Loans”)

• 1. parades to promote liberty loan incrsd money supply inflation

• 2. German Americans coerced to buy LBs• C. combined efforts netted 2/3 of US cost of war • - remaining $10.5 billion raised by incrsd taxes• D. Government enforcement• 1. took over nation’s RR• 2. seized enemy merchant vessels • 3. US contribution was food, money and men• VII Mobilizing the army• A. 4-5/1917 allies were running out of manpower;

Western Front would collapse

• B. Wilson proposed universal male conscription• 1. Selective Service Act passed 5/1917 ( 18-45)• C. Conscriptions proved effective• 1. w/in mths army incrsd from 200K to > 4 million;

400,000 African Am in segregated units• 2. 1st time women admitted to armed forces • VIII. American “Doughboys” in WWI• A. War at sea • 1. 1917 German sank 6.5 tons of allied & US

shipping • 2. US began convoy system 7/1917; Br navy gave

protection U-boat sinking fell dramatically

• B. Communist Russia’s quick withdrawal from war eased Germany’s eastern front

• 1. Germany re-deployed divisions to the Western front

• C. America’s “Unknown War” against Russia• 1. 1917; Wilson secretly sent aid to White Russians

fighting Bolsheviks• 2. 6/1918 Wilson ordered naval blockade of Russia• 3. Archangel expedition- 5000 troops to northern

Russia control Russian munitions• 4. 10,000 troops sent to Siberia• 5. US involvement prolonged Russian civil war

• 6. incrsd Russian resentment of capitalist intervention

• 7. Wilson believed spread of communism greatest threat to peace

• D. Western Front 1918• 1. spring 1918, Germany launched drive on

western front• 2. American Expeditionary Force enters the war• a. composed of soldiers & marines under Gen.

John J. Pershing 1st only deployed in quiet sectors

• 3. Late May, 1918 Germany came w/in 40 mile of Paris

• a. 30,000 US troops thrown into breach at Chateau-Thierry; the heart of German advance

• - Stopped advance counterattack at Belleau Wood

• - US exaggerated Americans saved Paris• b. 7/1918 French & US troops went on the

offensive in the 2nd Battle of the Marne• - beginning of German withdrawal• c. 9/1918; 9 US divisions & 4 French divisions

push Germans from St Mihiel• - set stage for Allied offensive; 15,000 Germans

captured

• 4. General John J. (Black Jack) Pershing headed a separate US army

• a. assigned 85 mile front along the Meuse river & through the Argonne Forest

• b. Pershing’s army undertook the Meuse-Argonne offensive from 9/1918-11/1918

• -last Allied assault, largest battle for US, 1.2 million American; 10% casualties

• E. End of War

• 1. German allies deserting; British blockade causing critical food shortages

• 2. German’s surrender spurred by Wilson’s 14 Point

• a. Wilson demanded Kaiser’s removal before an armistice negotiated

• b. 11/11/1918 Germany surrendered

• F. Segregation in American Army

• 1. Blacks divided over support for the war- DuBois issued editorial in The Crisis supporting the war

• 2. 400,000 US black troops not allowed in victory parade in Paris in 1919

• G. Casualties- ~10 mil soldiers on all sides

• 1. ~20 million civilian casualties -most from Russian Rev,

• 2. 112,432 American dead from battle & disease

• IX. Wilson loses Congress at home

• A. Wilson’s post-war popularity unprecedented

• B. Republicans regained a majority in Congress

• 1. Wilson’s prestige diminished b/c unable to pull off a Democratic victory

• C. Wilson infuriated Republican senator by excluding them from peace delegation

• D. Wilson’s 14 Points - made Wilson the moral leader of the Allied cause

• 1. Abolish secret treaties, freedom of the seas, remove economic barriers, reduction of armament

• 2. Adjust colonial claims, “self-determination”

• 14th point: International organization to supply collective security--> League of Nations

• X. Versailles Peace Conference 1/18/1919

• A. Big Four; Wilson-US, D. Lloyd George-Britain, Georges Clemenceau- France, V. Orlando-Italy

• 1. Europeans did not embrace Wilson’s idea; wanted punishment for Germany in the treaty

• B. Wilson’s primary goal was a League of Nations

• 1. Compromise on self-determination- Mandates

• 2. Europeans supported League Covenant (Art 10)

• 3. 5 permanent members; US, Fr, Br, It, Japan

• -Germany & Russia excluded

• C. Versailles Treaty

• 1. Art. 231 of the Treaty (“war guilt clause”)

• a. sole blame for WWI on Germany, reaprations to Allies = $31 billion in 30 years

• b. severe military restrictions & loss of territory

• 2. Self-determination to eastern Europe & Baltic states; failed in Africa & India

• 3. Treaty opposed by Congress

• a. Henry Cabot Lodge- safeguard MD, ?’d LON

• b. Irreconcilables opposed LON in any form

• c. allied adversaries now had more power to bargain

• D. Completion of treaty - delegates separated LON from the Treaty; 6/28/1919 signed in Hall of Mirrors

• 1. Germany felt betrayed- 4 of original 14 included

• XI. Defeat of Versailles Treaty

• A.Republican opposed treaty & wanted to amend it

• B. Wilson embarked on tour to gain public support--> stroke

• C. Lodge Reservations- 14 formal reservations focusing on Art 10- which committed US troops to aid member nations- rejected by Wilson

• D. Treaty rejected in 1919/1920

• E. Separate peace w/Germany 7/25/1921