World War I and Its Aftermath Chapter 14. Learning Targets Students will be able to explain the factors that caused World War I Students will be able.

World War I and Its AftermathChapter 14

Learning Targets

• Students will be able to explain the factors that caused World War I• Students will be able to explain the factors that caused the United

States to enter the war on the side of the Allies• Students will be able to describe how the American people and

society (Home Front) dealt with the war• Students will be able to describe the nature of war, new weapon

technology and its impact, and major battles/figures of the war• Students will be able to explain the impact of the war on the US and

the world including economic problems, the Red Scare, and the end of Progressivism

The US Enters World War I

• Woodrow Wilson’s Diplomacy Wilson opposed imperialism yet

imposed US will abroad 1911 Mexican Revolution

• President Diaz overthrown• Madero, a reformer, took over• Mexican officers overthrew Madero,

General Huerta took over• Wilson supported overthrow of Huerta• Wilson used minor incident to seize

Veracruz – support Carranza• Mexican guerrillas under Pancho Villa

attacked US town• Wilson sent US troops under General

Pershing into Mexico to capture Villa

The US Enters World War I

• WWI Causes Alliance systems

• Triple Alliance• Franco-Russian Alliance

Arms Race• Dreadnoughts• Increase in sizes of armies

Balkan Crisis• Nationalism v. Multi-national empires• Self-determination – people of one

nation should have their own country• Serbia + Pan-Slavism

The US Enters World War I

Mobilization – pulling reserve troops from their jobs in preparation of war = $

Schlieffen Plan – German war plan to defeat France before Russia could attack Germany

Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand – murder by Serbia terror group Black Hand

Austrian Demands – demands for justice intended to start war

War Begins, August 1914

The US Enters World War I

• Triple Alliance = Central Powers• Triple Entente = Allies• German Plan Fails

German attack on France had to go through neutral Belgium

Britain enters war on side of France

Germany narrowly fails to take Paris

War becomes locked in stalemate

The US Enters World War I

• American Neutrality Propaganda one-sided in favor of

Allies Business links mostly with Allies American population isolationist Many against Allies – German and

Irish Americans

The US Enters World War I

• Movement Towards War Britain stopped neutral ships from

sending contraband (prohibited) supplies to Germany

Germany responded through U-boat warfare

Restricted versus unrestricted submarine warfare

Sinking of Lusitania – 128 Americans killed

Sinking of Sussex – Sussex Pledge by Germany

The US Enters World War I

Zimmerman Telegram – telegram from Germany to Mexico promising US land if Mexico allies w/Germany

Germans resume unrestricted submarine warfare

US declares war April 6, 1917

The Home Front

• US unprepared for war• Progressives pushed for Conscription

(draft) – Selective Service established• All men 21-30 years required to

register• About 2 million men volunteered for

military• Almost 400,000 Blacks drafted• Blacks served in segregated units;

most units service as opposed to combat

The Home Front

• Women in the Military Served in non-combat positions Navy enlistees worked as radio

operators, clerks, etc. Army did NOT enlist women

except for Army Nursing Corps “Hello Girls” – women with French

language training sent overseas to man phone system for US military

Women served in Red Cross, YMCA, and Salvation Army in France

The Home Front

• Organizing Industry War Industries Board (WIB) –

coordinated production of war materiel

WIB organized by Bernard Baruch Food Administration run by Herbert

Hoover Encouraged people to cultivate

Victory Gardens – raise food for themselves so farm food could go to troops

Daylight Savings Time introduced to conserve energy

The Home Front

• Paying for the War Government raised taxes Borrowed money through selling

of Liberty Bonds and Victory Bonds

• Mobilizing the Workforce National War Labor Board – to

prevent strikes from disrupting war effort

Women taking men’s jobs in industry – not permanent change

The Home Front

• The Great Migration Massive migration of blacks from

South into Northern states Better jobs, pay, conditions Discrimination but mostly not as

severe

• Mexican Migration Large migration of Mexicans into US

for agricultural/ranching jobs in the West

Also took factory jobs in many major cities

Barrios – Mexican neighborhoods

The Home Front

• The Public Committee on Public Information (CPI) • George Creel• Four-Minute Speeches / Four-Minute Men – patriotic speeches

to raise money and patriotism• American propaganda

Civil Liberties• Espionage – spying / sabotage• Espionage Act and Sedition Act – made it illegal to criticize the

government

The Home Front

• Climate of SuspicionGerman food names changedSchools dropped German language coursesOrchestras dropped German composers / operaGerman-born citizens attackedAlso targeted were pacifists, labor activists, and socialists

The Home Front

• Supreme CourtSchenck v. United States – ruled freedom of speech

could be curtailed if words were a “clear and present danger”

The “Fire” example set

A Bloody Conflict

• Trench Warfare Troops dug in for protection – stalemate

• Machine-guns• High-explosive artillery shells• Airplanes

New weapon technology changed warfare – tried to break stalemate• Chemical warfare (gas)• Tanks• Flamethrowers

Series of trenches stretched from Switzerland to Atlantic Ocean

No-Man’s Land – area between the opposing trenches

A Bloody Conflict

• US soldiers slow to get to Europe• Doughboys – nickname for US

soldiers• US transported troops and material

to Europe with few losses to U-Boats using Convoy System• Allies wanted US troops to fill holes

in their lines but US refused – wanted to fight as an American army• Black troops sent to Allies – fought

very well

A Bloody Conflict

• Russian Revolution 1917 Russian Czar forced to

abdicate to Socialists Socialists continued war – caused

second revolution led by Bolsheviks (Communists)

Bolshevik leader, Lenin, became head of Russia

Russia ended war with Germany – signed Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

Germany could now concentrate on the Western Front

A Bloody Conflict

• March 1918 – Germany launched great offensive hoping to defeat Allies before America could change the war• American troops deployed against

Germans – battled at Chateau-Thierry and Saint-Mihiel• Americans attacked Argonne Forest –

US suffered heavy casualties but took position• Hero Alvin York – won medals from

US, Britain, and France

A Bloody Conflict

• End of War Armistice (ceasefire) 11-11-11-

1918 President Wilson wanted fair

peace between both sides based on his Fourteen Points

Allies wanted to punish Germany Wilson buckled on all points

except League of Nations

A Bloody Conflict

• 1919 Treaty of Versailles Germany treated harshly by Allies Had to admit war guilt Had to pay huge reparations (war

damages) Had to give up most of its military

materiel France occupied the Rhineland (area of

Germany between French border and Rhine River)

German territory taken to make new Poland and Czechoslovakia

Yugoslavia created out of lands taken from dismantled Austro-Hungarian Empire

A Bloody Conflict

• US Senate not keen on treaty• Believed treaty gave away too much

American sovereignty• Senate, led by Senator Henry Cabot

Lodge, would not ratify unless changes made

• Wilson refused – went on American tour to get support for treaty

• Strain of trip led to stroke• Senate refused to ratify treaty • US signed separate peace treaties with

the Central Powers in 1921

The War’s Impact

• Post-war economy in turmoil• Pent-up demand caused rise in

prices• Inflation increased cost-of-living• Rising prices led to labor strikes

– workers wanted wages to keep up w/prices• First major strike in Seattle –

turned into general strike (all workers regardless of industry)

The War’s Impact

• Boston Police Strike Caused riots and looting Governor Calvin Coolidge called in

National Guard Returning strikers fired – new

officers hired Hard line made Coolidge popular

and became nominee for Vice-President in the 1920 Election

The War’s Impact

• The Steel Strike One of US’ biggest strikes ~350,000 steelworkers went on

strike Elbert Gary, head of US Steel,

refused to yield – tried to break union using anti-immigrant feelings

US Steel hired blacks and Mexicans as strike-breakers

Riots left 18 dead Strike collapsed / union broke

The War’s Impact

• Race Riots Broke out in north as soldiers

returned looking for jobs now held by blacks

Competition for housing as well

Blacks bitter over treatment of veterans

Worst riots in Chicago – battles raged for days as whites and blacks attacked each other

38 people dead (15 white / 23 black)

The War’s Impact

• The Red Scare Russian Revolution caused fear of

radicalism in US Soviet Union sought to spread

Communism through Communist International

Radicals in unions / strikes stoked fears

Bombs set by radicals exploded across 8 US cities – one damaged house of US Attorney General, A. Mitchell Palmer

The War’s Impact

Palmer and J. Edgar Hoover (founder of FBI) went after radicals

Justice Department deported (expelled) hundreds of suspected radicals

Agents increasingly used unconstitutional methods

Palmer seen as hero initially but soon lost his luster as many of his investigations turned up nothing

Belief that immigrants brought in radical ideas caused Congress to pass laws restricting immigration