Global power and WWI lecture notes
Growing U.S. internationalism
Spanish-American War
Teddy Roosevelt more engaged in foreign affairs than predecessors
Believed in alliance with Britain; British agreed
Feared world war, thought it would be worst thing
Believed powerful nations had right to dominate weaker uncivilized ones
Speak softly and carry a big stick
Need for modern navy
Panama Canal – got rights to build it by fomenting Panama independence movement;
why we gave it back in 1978
Policeman of Caribbean: Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Haiti, Cuba
Open Door policy in Asia – other Euro. Countries had spheres of influence in China,
wanted to keep up fiction of Chinese territorial integrity to keep things as they were;
Boxer Rebellion of Chinese nationalists; U.S. contributed troops to put it down to keep
China open to foreign powers, then including U.S.
Roosevelt respected Japanese; mediated settlement of Russo-Japanese War in 1905
Gentleman’s Agreement in 1907 cut off Japanese immigration, but continue strain with
Japan over treatment of immigrants in U.S.
Agreement with Japan over free trade in Pacific, Japan’s spheres of influence in region
Taft came to office in 1908, believed U.S. had been shortchanged, supported Chinese
nationalist revolution in 1911, caused strain with Japan that lasted until WWII
Taft also supported dollar diplomacy, diplomacy based on melding of economic interests
with foreign affairs policy
Wilson’s foreign policy: against material economic interests as driving force in policy;
favored policy based on American ideals, freedom, self-determination, spreading
opportunity
WWI
Alliance system in Europe: Triple Alliance and Triple Entente
Divided up Africa and Asia, colonial system
T.R. got involved in 1907, administered peace conference between France and Germany
over Morocco
Theme: growing power of American state during wartime
Theme: need for unity during war, incluse and exclusive
Wilson’s foreign policy: make world “safe for democracy”
U.S. sentiments against involvement in war: no entangling alliances, particularly in
European affairs, isolationism, peace movements, against colonialism/imperialism,
against corrupting influences of foreign affairs, American exceptionalist ideals and
institutions should keep us separate
1914 Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian terrorist, assassinated Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the
Austro-Hungarian throne, in Sarajevo – wanted independence of Slavic peoples from AH
Caused all of the alliances to come into effect
Increased technology from U.S.: machine-gun, long-range rifles created advantage for
defensive positions (unable to take land)
Western front: fight over swath of land across Belgium and northern France
Eastern front, Germany attacked Russia (led to Russian Revolution)
Attempts to break stalemate: German attack at Ypes in 1915 used poison gas; Verdun in
1915, huge casualties of near 500,000 on both sides
U.S. foreign policy and attitudes towards war
Opposition to U.S. entry into the war: socialists and the Left, African American leaders
and public not interested in war among white nations, Carnegie and Ford, LaFollette and
other politicians, Women’s Peace Party
Divided loyalties of other Americans: pro-British, anti-British Irish, pro-German,
immigrants from various parts of A-H empire
Growing ties with Allies; imbalance of trade favored Allies, not Germany
Official neutrality, but trade on seas not allowed with either side, dragged U.S. into war
German U-boat attacks to prevent shipments to Allies, sinking of Lusitania in 1915
Wilson ran on Progressive and antiwar planks, narrowly won 1916 election
Supported buildup of U.S. military after Lusitania and failures to broker peace
Jan. 31st, Germany declared unlimited submarine warfare
Zimmerman telegram from Germany to Mexico promised M that they could recover lost
territories if M joined Triple Alliance
Growing bellicose attitude b/c of German telegram, Mexican incursions in SW, and Uboat sinkings
U.S. entry and actions in war
April 2, 1917 Wilson requested declaration of war, make world “safe or democracy,” not
material gain
Four days later, Congress declared war; Europe requested troops
To Build an Army, U.S. had never fielded large army that quickly
Selective Service Act of May 1917
First military action was to escort troop and merchant ships to Europe, cutting losses by
more than half
Pershing waited to use AEF ground forces until fully trained
Russian Revolution, end of Eastern Front, Germany made push for Paris; U.S. committed
first 60k troops at Chateau-Thierry and Belleau Wood in May and June 1918
Put in 1million men to push Germans back, helped end war by Nov. 1918
Diversity of AEF: 49 diff. language readers for censoring U.S. servicemen’s mail
Segregated armed forces; much higher rate of conscription for black soldiers
Home front
¼ of gdp went to war at height
Voluntarism was watchword as govt. power grew, successful
U.S. became creditor nation
Used income tax to pay for war, on wealthy and excess profits of corporations
Liberty Loans
War Industries Board under Bernard Baruch – gathered data, allotted scarce resources,
ordered factories to convert to war production, set prices
Drastic measures, Fuel Administration closed all eastern factories for 3 days and raised
price of coal to deal with coal shortage; seized control of railroads
Food Administration very successful, Herbert Hoover, increase production, decrease
consumption
Government controls dismantled by Wilson in 1918, despite some calls to keep them to
deal with postwar problems
Labor’s position improved during war, although got less than owners
Gompers participated in National Defense Advisory Commission
National War Labor Board dictated 8-hour day, pay for overtime, equal pay for women
One million growth of AFL during war, growth in stature and respect
Black, Mexican, and women workers gained industrial positions, but lost them when war
ended
Great Migration of black workers to the north and industry
Women used war to gain suffrage: National American Woman Suffrage Association put
2 million members behind Wilson’s war effort
Alice Paul and National Womens Party picketed White House to push for vote
Wilson started suffrage vote as a “war measure” – start worldwide democracy movement
at home
Aug. 26, 1920, TN was last vote in favor of amendment
Shaping national unity
George Creel and wartime propaganda: 1917 Wilson formed Committee on Public
Information to mold public opinion on war, promote nationalizing ideology
Patriotic literature, 4-minute men to give speeches
Forced consensus
American Protective League, vigilante group, attacks, 250,000 self-appointed agents to
weed out draft evaders and traitors
Urged immigrants and others to become 100% American
Anti-German campaigns, changed names
Espionage Act of 1917, Sedition Act of 1918: disloyal speech, writing, and behavior
Crackdown on antiwar, socialists, leftists, Debs
Conviction of over one thousand people
Sept. 1917 arrest of 113 IWW leaders