World War I – 1914 -1918
“Wilsonian” Foreign Policy
Progressives set out to “reform” the world.
“Like a troubled man angered
by his own uncertainty, the
country aggressively demanded
international conformity to
democratic goals it now
believed might be slipping out of
domestic reach.”
-Robert Dallek
“Old World” Tyranny
vs
“New World” Democracy
Neutrality:
Idealism or Naivete?
Why can’t we trade
with everyone?
Is trade with the
British and French a
good thing?
How do the Germans Respond?
“Sussex Pledge”
1916 Presidential Election
“He kept us out of war!”
U-boat blockading New York?
Very inopportune!
After staying out so long,
why are we getting in?
Zimmermann Telegram
Unrestricted Submarine
Warfare
American Expeditionary Force
“Doughboys”
How did the War Affect
the Home Front?
Campaign for National Unity
Progressivism gone bad?
Social control out of
control?
Civil liberties threatened?
Treaty of Versailles
Lives Lost:
Russians – 3.3 million
Germans – 2.6 million
French – 1.9 million
Austro-Hungarians – 1.5 million
British 1.2 million
USA – 117,000
The Fourteen Points
1-8
Recommendations for New
Boundaries in Europe
The Fourteen Points
9-13
Open Diplomacy
Freedom of Navigation
Removal of Trade Barriers
Arms Reductions
Self-Determination for
Colonies
The Fourteenth Point
A League of Nations
What’s Wrong With
The 14 points?
"God gave us the ten
commandments and we
broke them. Now Mr.
Wilson has given us the
Fourteen Points. We
shall see."
--Georges Clemenceau
“There are twenty
million Germans too
many!”
Reparations?
War Guilt?
Are Sovereignty and
Collective Security
Compatible?
Wilson Takes His
Case to the People
“If I am only half-efficient I
should turn the office over to
the vice president. If it is going
to take much time for me to
recover my health and
strength, the country cannot
afford to wait for me.”
Harding and Coolidge
“A Return to Normalcy”
Legacies of World War I
-- Disillusionment with
Progressivism
-- War provides glimpse of
th
20 Century State