Chapter 31 Notes
AP US History
Mrs. Marshall
3 incidents that led to U.S. entry into
WWI:
 January 1917 Germany announced it would sink
all ships in British waters. Nullified Sussex
Pledge
 February 1917 British agents intercepted a
message from German leader, Arthur
Zimmerman, proposing an alliance between
Germany and Mexico against the US
 Events in Russia-monarchy was replaced with a
representative government
 1st 2 weeks of March German u-boats
sank 4 unarmed American merchant
ships.
 April 6, 1917 Wilson asked Congress
to declare war on Germany.
 Wilson said it was “a war to end all
wars” and to make the world safe for
democracy.
 Wilson viewed America’s entry as an
opportunity for the US to shape a new
international order based on the ideals of
democracy.
 Selective Service Act- (conscription/draft)
required all men between ages of 18 and 45
to register with government for military
service.
 Put nearly 4 million men in uniform
 Called “doughboys”
 Women in military- were admitted
for the 1st time in the navy and
marines in non-combat positions.
 African Americans- served in
segregated units usually under the
command of white officers.
Committee of Public Information
 Headed by George Creel
 Established a successful system of
voluntary censorship by the press
and his massive propaganda
campaign effectively created support
for the allied cause.
War Industries Board
 Bernard Baruch
 Through he use of mass-production
and standardization industrial
production in the US increased by
about 20%
National War Labor Board
 William Howard Taft
 Primary purpose was to stop labor
disputes that may interfere with war
effort
 IWW- Industrial Workers of the
World- “Wobblies”
Grievances of labor:
 Inability to gain right to organize
 Inflation
 Violence against workers by
employers
 Use of African Americans as
strikebreakers
Food Administration
 Herbert Hoover
 To help produce and conserve food
supply and encouraged people to
grow their own food.
 US government financed war
through taxes and the sale of bond
(Liberty Loan or Victory Loan bonds)
Espionage and Sedition Acts
 Passed to punish people who did not
support the war effort. Could not interfere
with the draft or sale of war bonds, could
not speak against the war.
 Targeted socialists and labor leaders
 Violated the 1st amendment
 Schenck v US (1919) court affirmed their
legality. Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes
 German leader, Kaiser Wilhelm II
fled to the Netherlands
 November 11, 1918 Germany agreed to
a cease-fire. Armistice signed to end
war.
 Wilson’s Fourteen Points for Peace.
 Wilson said that when the war was
over the countries of the world
should work together to build a
lasting peace.
1st Five Points
suggested ways that wars could be avoided
 Countries should not make secret treaties
with each other
 Maintain freedom of the seas
 Tariffs should be lowered to promote free
trade
 Countries should reduce arms
 Interest of colonial people should be
considered
 Points 6-13
 Suggested new national boundaries.
 Fourteenth Point called for the
creation of a League of Nations-an
international peacekeeping
organization-would address
problems between countries before
they led to war.
 Leaders of the Allied Nations: (Big Four)
 US
 Great Britain
 France
 Italy
Woodrow Wilson
David Lloyd George
Georges Clemenceau
Vitorio Orlando
 1919 the Big Four and representatives
of the Central Powers met at the Hall
of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles
in France
Treaty of Versailles
Treaty created new national boundaries
 Established 9 new nations
 Shifted boundaries of other nations
 Carved out parts of the Ottoman Empire to
create colonies in the middle East for
Britain and France
 Germany was blamed for the war. They had
to disarm, forced to pay reparations and
contained a war-guilt clause
Henry Cabot Lodge
 Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee
 Led group of senators who refused to
approve the treaty unless changes were
made in the plans for the League of
Nations. Article X was the most
controversial aspect of the Treaty of
Versailles
 Wilson refused any changes, would not
compromise.
 Sept 1919 began a speaking tour to win
support for the treaty. Suffered a serious
stroke.
 Several more votes taken on treaty but was
never ratified by the Senate. US never
joined the League of Nations.
 1921 after Wilson left the Presidency the US
signed a separate peace treaty with
Germany
1920 election:
 Republican candidate was Ohio
Senator Warren G. Harding.
 Democratic candidate was Ohio
Governor James Cox.
 Eugene Debs was the Socialist
candidate
 Warren Harding won the election.