The US
and WWI
ACOA Chapter
10
Review
Part I- The War Begins
Europe on the Eve of World War I, 1914
The Causes
• Competing Alliances
– Europe Tension- most Euro-nations were hooked
up in an alliance of some sort
• Nationalism
– Your nation must compete/keep up or be better
than the other nations caused competition and
tension
Triple Alliance v. Triple Entente
The Causes
• Imperialism
– Competition for more territory, resources, markets
adds to the tension between nations
• Militarism
– Military Spending increased 300% from 1870 -1914
Machine Guns
Industrialization
applied to killing
Tanks
One way to deal
with the trenches
…well sort of
Big Guns can only mean one thing...
Big Holes
Ahh... technology
Chemical
Warfare
...it’s a gas
Solve for X: Science +Technology + Military= X?
20 Million+ will
die in WWI
The Match Up
• Allied Powers
• Central Powers
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Russia
France
Great Britain
Serbia
Others
Austria-Hungary
Germany
Ottoman Turks
Others
•What about the United States?
Part IIThe
US Gets
Involved
Early American Reaction
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Stay out it’s a European Affair, however...
1 out 7 Americans are European immigrants
2 out 5 Americans have family in Europe
Americans were related to and also doing
business with both sides in the conflict
American Factories
Provide the munitions
US Attitude-Neutrality (sort of…)
• America tries to stay neutral
• Europeans conflict damaged US business and
farms
• President Wilson tried to keep US out
What if…
• If European markets go down than so will US
economy
• Wilson allows US banks to loan money to
European nations
• US business manufactures munitions
• US Banks and Wall Street loan Billions to Allies
and only millions to Central Powers
British Naval Superiority
American Involvement: U-boats
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German U-boats- attack US ships
Lusitania- carried war supplies May 1915
Sussex Pledge- Germany will try to stop
Germany resumes U-boat attacks
German U-boats: Used to prevent Allies from getting supplies
Zimmerman
Telegram
A bit suspicious
Was it real or not?
Hmm…
American Involvement:
Zimmerman Telegram
• Asked Mexico to join Germany and Central
powers, if the US gets involved in WWI
• Germany and Mexico would split up US after
WWI
• Was it real?
– Germany denied it.
– Mexico said they never got it.
– It was discovered by a British Spy, hmmm?
Bolsheviks
take over
Russia end
Monarchy
and
immediately
pull out of
WWI
American Involvement:
Russian Revolution 1917
• Russian monarchy this was against (US) ideals of
Democracy
• Bolsheviks take over and pull out of the war
• Now the US has no issues joining the Allies
American Involvement:
The Financial Issue
• US banks and business have loaned billions to
the Allied Nations
• US banks and business have loaned millions to
the Central Power Nations
• Do the Math
– Do you want to lose Millions…
– Or Billions?
US Enters the War
• Wilson declares war on Germany in April 1917
• “The United States would fight to make the
world safe for democracy.”
• Many American business see it as an opportunity
• Some say that that the war is going on at the
command of Gold.’
• Anti war attitudes are quickly silenced
Woodrow Wilson shown with a young FDR
But in the US…
not everyone had a
voice in their
government…
even in America
US and WWI : The War
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The US enters in1917
First action not until April 1918
War ends Nov. 11, 1918 (11/11 @ 11:00 AM)
US Casualties = 116,516
WWI Casualties
• US - 116,516
• GB- 908,000;
• France- 1,375,000
• Germany-1,800,000
• Austria-Hungary 1,200,000
• Russia- 1,700,000
Impact of WWI- Military
Military
• Selective Service Act- the Draft, army wanted 3
million men
• Segregated Army still the case- Harlem Hell
Fighters; most AA did grunt work
• Volunteers Women- nurses, drivers, etc.
Impact of WWI- $$$
Bonds
• Billions $$ raised to support war
• Most came in bonds, Liberty Bonds
• Mass movement to sell bonds- Boy Scouts,
celebrities, etc pushed them.
Impact of WWI- $$$
Agencies
• War Industries Board- oversaw production; told
companies what to make and also said who
could have what resources
• “Metal for bullets not refrigerators”
Impact of WWI- $$$
Agencies
• National Labor Relations Board- settled disputes
between business and workers (unions)
• Most strikes occurred during this time- gave
unions power
• Women and AA entered work force
• IWW & other socialists were persecuted- seen as
anti-America
Impact of WWI- $$$
Agencies
• Food Administration
• Issued price controls and rationing
• Made sure army had supplies
• Propaganda to increase production and
conservation
Impact of WWI- $$$
Agencies
• Committee of Public Information
• Issued propaganda in support of the war
• Films, songs, campaigns, etc.
• Promoted fear of foreigners- sedition and
espionage
• Anti-war = Anti-American?
Anti-War = Anti- America
• Violence against anti-war people
• Union (IWW) members arrested beaten
• Vigilantes & Lynching- Robert Prager
– German Measles = Liberty measles
– Hamburger = Liberty sandwich
– French Fries = Freedom fries?
• No Mozart or German Music
• Literacy test for immigrants
The End of the War
This will come into play again and
again and again
Wilson’s 14 Points
• Presidents Wilson’s idea to end the war, bring
peace for the long term
• Based on self-determination and little retribution
• England & France- more interested in revenge
• Most of 14 points thrown out, except League of
Nations
• Wilson leaves peace talks before Treaty signed
Treaty of Versailles 1919
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Ends war
England and France make Germany pay
Germany must:
Pay reparations $33 Billion
Give Up Colonies
Give Up Military
Gove up land between Germany & France
Must take the blame for starting the war
US Isolationism
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Europe was constantly fighting
US lost soldiers
Leads to no involvement w/Europe
US denies League of Nations
Wilson dies
America stays our of European affairs
US Isolationism  $$
• Europe messed up after the war
• US farms & industries take advantage
• US becomes economic powerhouse
– Europe owes US mass $$ (+$11.5
billion)
• US established as a world power
End of the War at Home
• Soldiers return home need jobs
• Causes unrest- women and minorities were
pushed out of jobs
• Europeans were messed up and buying less
• US industries sell less and less, workers
start to get fired, the cycle…