Ch. 30 Notes
The War to End War
Causes of WWI
1. Long term causes of WWI included European
imperialism, militarism, nationalism and the
formation of secret alliances.
2. Short-term causes of WWI were the
assassination of Franz Ferdinand and the
Austria-Hungarian Empire’s declaration of
war against Serbia (secret alliances kicked in
and causes all the other nations of Europe to
pile on).
The U.S.’s Entry into WWI
1. The U.S. tried to remain neutral during WWI but the
sinking of civilian ships by the Germans, combined
with the Zimmerman telegram, slowly swung public
opinion towards support of the war.
2. The U.S. eventually entered the war after the
Germans resumed unrestricted submarine warfare
and sunk four unarmed U.S. merchant ships.
3. When asking Congress to declare war on Germany
(April 2, 1917 – war was declared April 6, 1917),
Wilson stated that the U.S. had to “make the world
safe for democracy” – this goes along with his idea of
moral or missionary diplomacy policy.
WWI
1. By this time, the war on the western front of
Europe had bogged down into a stalemate
because of the use of trench warfare.
2. The industrial age had also allowed the
various armies to develop new and improved
ways of killing each other, which made it
even more difficult to wage war (machine
guns, poison gas, tanks, planes, etc.).
America Prepares for War
1. The U.S. military was not prepared to enter the war
and was forced to institute a draft because there was
no other way to raise the number of troops that
would be necessary.
2. In May of 1917 Congress passed the Selective Service
Act to begin drafting men into the military – by the
end of 1918, almost 3 million men had been drafted
and around 2 million of them actually made it to
Europe.
3. Conscription during this time will be different than
during the Civil War because there were no provisions
favoring the wealthy – you couldn’t pay someone to
take your place or purchase an exemption.
The Russian Revolution
1. During the early years of the war, Germany was forced to
fight a two front war.
2. In February, 1917, the Russian Revolution begins – by
March Czar Nicholas will be forced to abdicate his throne
and a provisional government will be established.
3. The provisional government will keep Russia in the war,
leading to the October Revolution led by Vladimir Lenin
and the Bolsheviks (communists).
4. The Bolsheviks will pull Russia out of the war in March of
1918, allowing the Germans to move troops to the
western front.
5. This will increase the need for fresh troops from the U.s.
on the western front.
Vladimir Lenin
War on the Home Front
1. Wilson was hesitant to extend the power of the
federal government over the economy during
the war.
2. Instead, most wartime mobilization agencies
relied on voluntary compliance to prepare the
economy for war.
3. As the war progressed, though, Wilson will use
the federal government to manage the U.S.’s
wartime production – this will set the precedent
for the federal government to take a central role
in economic planning during times of crisis.
The Committee on Public Information
1. The Committee on
Public Information was
run by George Creel.
2. It’s job was to use
propaganda to get the
U.S. to support the war
effort.
3. He persuaded many of
the nation’s artists to
create thousands of
posters to promote the
war.
WWI Propaganda
WWI Propaganda
The War Industries Board
1. The War Industries Board will be create to
encourage companies to use massproduction techniques in producing war
materials – it had very limited powers.
2. Under the Board’s direction industrial
production will increase around 20%.
Unions and the War
1. At the start of the war, labor unions
struggled.
2. The war led to an increase in inflation but not
an increase in wages.
3. If workers went on strike, factory owners
brought in strikebreakers or used violence
against their own workers.
4. The federal government also still refused to
recognize labor’s right to organize.
The War Labor Board
1. The War Labor Board will be established to deal with
disputes between management and labor – the
government doesn’t want strikes to hamper the war
effort.
2. The Board will press employers to grant concessions
to labor including higher wages and an eight hour day.
3. The Industrial Workers of the World, or Wobblies,
which had been formed in 1905, consisted of radical
unionists, such as socialists, communists and
anarchists – actually carried out acts of industrial
sabotage during the war.
The Wobblies
The Espionage and Sedition Act
1. Congress passed the Espionage Act and Sedition Act
to combat any type of anti-war sentiment.
2. The Espionage Act was aimed primarily at GermanAmericans and the Sedition Act was aimed at anyone
who criticized the war effort – mainly social radicals,
many who were immigrants.
3. These laws were used restrict civil liberties and to
force loyalty and conformity upon the American
pubic.
4. Even the 18th Amendment, which banned the
manufacture or sell or alcohol, was influenced by antiGerman sentiment because many of the leading
brewers were of German descent.
Schenck v. U.S.
1. In 1918 Charles Schenck
was arrested for
handing out fliers
protesting the draft.
2. The U.S. Supreme Court
upheld his conviction,
stating that during times
of war, some things
presented “a clear and
present danger” to the
country.
“There is no room in this country for hyphenated
Americanism.”
Woodrow Wilson, 1915
The Great Migration
1. During the war, as production increased in
northern factories, many African Americans
migrated north.
2. They went not only for the jobs, but to escape
the segregation of the south.
3. However, when they arrived in the north, they
faced racial violence as factory workers viewed
them as competition for jobs, especially because
African Americans were willing to work as
strikebreakers.
Women in the
War
1. The shortage of labor
will also necessitate
women joining the
labor force.
2. Their participation in
the war effort will
eventually lead to
Woodrow Wilson
supporting the 19th
Amendment, which
finally granted
women’s suffrage in
1919.
Paying for the War
1. Most of the money
raised to finance WWI
came from loans from
the American public
through the sell of war
bonds.
2. The U.S. spend around
$35.5 billion on the
war effort – about 1/3
was raised through
taxes, the rest came
from the sell of bonds.
War Bond Propaganda
America in the
War
1. American troops began
arriving in Europe in the
spring of 1918 under the
leadership of John J.
Pershing.
2. Their presence brought a
much needed lift to the
Allied forces on the
western front.
3. These fresh reserves will
eventually lead to the
surrender of the
Germans.
4. On November 11, 1918,
at 11:00, the fighting
finally ceased.
The Peace Talks
1. The peace talks will be held at the Palace of
Versailles in France.
2. It will be attended by the Big Four:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Woodrow Wilson of the U.S.
David Lloyd George of Great Britain
George Clemenceau of France
Vittorio Orlando of Italy
Germany will not even be allowed to attend.
The Big Four
1. Wilson arrives in France
with a plan already
prepared – his 14 Points.
2. He wanted to abolish
secret alliances, provide
for freedom of the seas,
provide for free trade,
reduce all national
armaments, prevent a
seizure of territory by the
victors and allow for selfdetermination for smaller
European nations.
3. His main goal though was
to create a League of
Nations – help prevent
future wars through
diplomacy.
Wilson’s 14 Points
The Treaty of Versailles
1. The other allies have other goals in mind.
2. They want to force Germany to pay for the
war, they want to acquire territory from the
Central Powers and they want to make sure
Germany isn’t able to wage war again.
3. In an effort to secure the League of Nations,
Wilson eventually capitulates on most of his
other points – this will be seen as a betrayal
by many people, both in the U.S. and Europe.
The Treaty of Versailles
1. Under the treaty, Germany will be forced to
agree to a blame clause, stating that it’s the sole
cause of the war.
2. Germany will be stripped of many of its valuable
territories.
3. The bulk of Germany’s military will be disbanded
and it will be forbidden to produce munitions.
4. The treaty is very harsh and is going to cause a
huge amount of resentment in Germany and
eventually help lead to WWII.
U.S. Opposition to the Treaty of
Versailles
1. When Wilson returns
home, a group of
Republican Senators led
by Henry Cabot Lodge
are going to oppose the
treaty.
2. Their main fear is that
our membership in the
League of Nations will
lead us into another
foreign war – and
Congress doesn’t want
to give up it’s authority
to declare war.
Wilson’s Refusal to Compromise
1. Wilson is appalled by the lack of support in the
Senate and decides to appeal to the U.S. public.
2. He goes on a speaking tour to gather public
support for the treaty.
3. Already ill, he collapses in Colorado – several
days later in Washington D.C., he suffers a
stroke.
4. When the Senate votes on a modified version of
the treaty, Wilson gets the Democrats to defeat
it (twice).
The Presidential Election of 1920
1. In the presidential election of 1920, the
Republicans will nominate Warren G. Harding
and Calvin Coolidge.
2. The Democrats will nominate James Cox.
3. The major issue is the League of Nations.
4. The Republicans win, largely on Harding’s
promise of a “Return to Normalcy” and the
League of Nations is now dead.
5. The U.S. will not ratify the Treaty of Versailles an
will later sign a separate treaty with Germany.