Ch.19 -World War I - WWI
As World War I intensified, the U.S. was forced to abandon its policy of
neutrality- remaining neutral in European affairs.
The involvement of the U.S. army and navy helped the allies achieve victory.
WWI spurred social, political and economic change in the U.S.
Why is this important today?
As a result of WWI the U.S. became more of a world power and remains in
European and world affairs today.
As well, the military grew into the powerful fighting force that it remains today.
The involvement of the U.S. increased government powers and expanded
economic opportunities world wide that remain today.
What are the causes of WWI?
1. nationalism- a devotion to the interests and culture of one's nation.
-led to competition between nations
and antagonistic rivalries
-feared Germany's growing power throughout Europe
2. imperialism- the extension of economic and political power over weaker
nations. (colonies)
-as Germany industrialized it competed with Britain and
France
3. militarism-the building of a strong armed forces to use as a "diplomatic" tool
-militarism was a result of growing nationalism and imperialism and a
nations desire to have a stronger armed forces than their enemies
-Germany was the strongest nation in Europe by 1890 except in the
area of the navy.
-Britain became alarmed when Germany competed with their naval
dominance
4. alliance system-a system in which nations agree to defend one another in case
aggression by another nation
-3 alliances in Europe at this time1. Triple Alliance- Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy
2. Central Powers- Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire
3. Triple Entente (Allies)- France, Britain, Russia
-many other alliances between nations as well
-Russia and Serbia
5. assassination of Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand (heir to Austrian throne)
-assassinated by a Serbian nationalist (Gavrilo Princip)
-as a result Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia
-Serbia was a Russian ally
-Austria-Hungary was a Germany ally
-Russia and their Triple Entente allies were drawn into war against
Austria-Hungary and their Triple Alliance and Central Powers
allies
6. Germany invades Belgium
-Schlieffen Plan- a plan that put off attacking Russia until they took
Belgium and marched into Paris causing the fall of
France
What were the views of Americans on the war?
Socialist view- criticized the war as a capitalist and imperialist war between
Germany and Britain
Pacifist view- "...the war was evil and the U.S. should set an example of
peace to the world."
-Wm. Jennings Bryant
Parent view- didn't want their sons to experience the horrors of war
Immigrant view- Germans- sympathized with Germany
Irish- saw the war as chance to be free of British oppression
British- felt an alliance with Britain was important
-generally felt sympathetic to the Allies because of Germany's
atrocities in Belgium
-attacked civilians
-destroyed villages, cathedrals, libraries, and hospitals
Economic view- ties to the allies were far stronger than to Germany
-twice as much trade between the British and
the French than Germans
-became a larger trade gap after war began
Why did the U.S. get involved?
The U.S. became involved for two basic reasons:
1. Allied repayment of debts needed to be guaranteed
2. to prevent German threats against U.S. shipping
-they had a policy that said,
"any ship found in British waters would be sunk."
-this included American ships
-128 Americans killed when the Lusitania was sunk on
May 7, 1915
-3 Americans killed when the Arabic was sunk
July, 1915
-80 passengers including Americans killed when the Sussex was
sunk in March, 1916
-American public opinion changed as a result
What were other factors that led to the U.S. becoming involved?
1. the election of Woodrow Wilson as President
-campaigned on the slogan "He Kept Us Out Of War."
2. the Zimmerman Note-a German attempt to get Mexico to be their ally
-promised that they would protect them against the U.S. and
get back Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico in the process
3. the sinking of four unarmed merchant ships
4. the Russian monarchy was replaced with a democratic government
-Americans felt they would be helping the spread of democracy
- felt they were putting down brutal monarchies
Who were the important people involved in WWI?
1.Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand- heir to the Austrian throne who was
assassinated
2.Kaiser Wilhelm II- German Emperor whose policy of nationalism, militarism,
and imperialism upset Europe's balance of power
3.Woodrow Wilson- American President who entered the war
What impact did the Americans have on WWI?
1. greatly increased the size and energized the force in Europe to fight
Germany
-2 million troops including 400,000 African Americans and 13,000
women took part in the war
-the demoralized and exhausted allies got re-energized by the freshness
and energy of the American forces
-Aces such as Eddie Rickenbacher
2. introduced the convoy system
-destroyers would escort ships across the Atlantic
-cut merchant shipping losses in half
3. new technology was introduced into the war
-much of the technology was American
-the tank and airplane were the greatest advances
-mounted machine guns on planes
-anti-aircraft guns
-poison gas
4. a new scale of death, horrific injuries, and hazards
-soldiers were surrounded by filth, lice, rats, polluted water, and disease
-they suffered from lack of sleep, "shell shock", trench foot and mouth
-there were, all tolled, 22 million deaths
What were the results of war on the U.S.?
1. indebtedness was the high.
-$35.5 billion
-1/3 of this amount raised through taxes
- progressive income tax-higher incomes get taxed at a
higher rate
-war-profits tax-taxed on profits that were a result of war
-higher taxes on luxury items, tobacco, and liquor
-2/3 of this amount raised through public borrowing
-"Liberty bonds" and "Victory Bonds"
2. economy shifts from producing consumer goods to war supplies
-wages increased
-stock holders and large corporations associated with the war saw
enormous profits
-War Relations Labor Board established better working conditions in
factories (8-hour days, safety inspections, child labor laws)
3. the power of the President was greatly expanded
-President Wilson was given direct control over much of the economy
-power to fix prices
-power to regulate or even nationalize industries
-Food Administration established to increase food production and
decrease waste ("victory gardens" result)
4. Propaganda is used on the citizens to increase support for the war
-Committee on Public Information (CPI) is the 1st government agency
for this purpose
-George Creel heads propaganda effort
-political cartoons, paintings, sculptures, posters
-pamphlets, booklets, leaflets
5. Patriotism increases
- inflamed hatred and violations of civil liberties- those rights and
freedoms guaranteed in the Constitution.
-certain ethnic groups had liberties violated
-anti-immigrant hysteria - acts against anything from
Germany or Austria-Hungary
-people and towns changed their names to less German
-refused to play music by Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart
-books by German authors removed from the shelves
-many German-Americans had violent acts against them
-German measles changed to "Liberty" measles
-Espionage and Seditions Act- law passed to end interference and
negativity concerning the war
6. Social change
-African-Americans and women feel change
-Great Migration-move of southern blacks to the north to escape
racism
-racism still part of American northern culture
-women begin jobs once exclusively male
-new jobs didn't mean equal pay however
-19th Amendment - granted women the right to vote