Chapter 24, Section 2:
From Neutrality to War
Main Idea: The United States
tried to remain neutral, but
German submarine warfare
finally brought the country
into the war.
A. “He Kept Us Out of War”
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President Wilson
wanted peace, but also
wanted the U.S. to be
prepared for war
He won reelection in
1916 on the slogan,
“He kept us out of
war.”
Wilson pushed for
“peace without
victory” (both sides
stop fighting; no
winner), but was
ignored by Europe
B. Moving Toward War
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Germany resumed submarine
warfare, causing Wilson to end
diplomatic relations
The Zimmermann Telegram- the
U.S. learned of a secret letter sent
from Germany to Mexico urging
them to attack the U.S. if the U.S.
declared war on Germany. In return,
Germany would help Mexico get
back the land lost in the Mexican
Cession. This telegram caused antiGerman feelings to soar in the U.S
Wilson asked Congress to declare
war on Germany. Congress voted
455 to 56 in favor of war. War is
declared on 4/6/17.
Germans
Torpedo
Lusitania
German UBoats Sink US
Ships Trading
with GB
Zimmerman
Telegram
US Enters World War I
Over there, over there, Send the word, send the word over there
That the Yanks are coming, The Yanks are coming,
The drums rum-tumming everywhere.
So prepare, say a prayer, Send the word, send the word to beware.
We'll be over, we're coming over,
And we won't come back till it's over Over there.
C. Calling Up
the Troops
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Selective Service Actrequired all men 21 to 30
to register for the draft
Over 4 million join in next
18 months
Men trained w/ broom
sticks (not enough guns);
spirit was high (adventure
“over there”)
Blacks were not allowed
to join at first; when they
finally did, they had to
fight in segregated units
led by white officers
1917 – Selective Service
Act
24,000,000 men registered for
the draft by the end of 1918.
4,800,000 men served in WW1
(2,000,000 saw active combat).
400,000 African-Americans
served in segregated units.
15,000 Native-Americans
served
as scouts, messengers, and
snipers in non-segregated units.
D. Organizing the War Effort
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Food- “victory gardens,” “wheatless
Mondays,” “meatless Tuesdays”
Labor- War Industries Board told
factories what to make; War Labor Board
prevented strikes and settled labor
problems
Public Support- Liberty Bonds raised $
for the war($21 billion); “Four-Minute
Men” gave speeches urging Americans to
make sacrifices during the war
Women- took over “mens” jobs
(factories)
· “Four-Minute Men” made speeches
urging Americans to make sacrifices for
the goals of freedom and democracy.
Speech by a Four Minute Man
Ladies and Gentlemen:
I have just received the information that there is a German spy among us— a
German spy watching us.
He is around, here somewhere, reporting upon you and me—sending reports about
us to Berlin and telling the Germans just what we are doing with the Liberty Loan.
From every section of the country these spies have been getting reports over to
Potsdam—not general reports but details—where the loan is going well and where
its success seems weak, and what people are saying in each community.
For the German Government is worried about our great loan. Those Junkers fear
its effect upon the German morale. They’re raising a loan this month, too.
If the American people lend their billions now, one and all with a hip-hip-hurrah, it
means that America is united and strong. While, if we lend our money halfheartedly, America seems weak and autocracy remains strong.
Money means everything now; it means quicker victory and therefore less
bloodshed. We are in the war, and now Americans can have but one opinion, only
one wish in the Liberty Loan.
Well, I hope these spies are getting their messages straight, letting Potsdam know
that America is hurling back to the autocrats these answers:
For treachery here, treachery in Mexico, treachery everywhere—one billion.
For murder of American women and children—one billion more.
For broken faith & promise to murder more Americans—billions & billions more.
In the world fight for Liberty, our share—billions and billions and billions and
endless billions.
Do not let the German spy hear and report that you are a slacker.
E. Tensions & Protest
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Racial Violence- competition for
housing & jobs led to race riots (“The
Great Migration” – see map)
German Americans- many were
suspicious of them and questioned their
loyalty; many were attacked; German
words were changed (sauerkraut,
hamburger, etc)
Critics- pacifists were anti-war;
Congress made it illegal to criticize the
govt or the war with the Sedition Act
(1600 arrested); Is this a violation of the
First Amendment?
· German Americans faced
discrimination and their loyalty
to the U.S. was questioned.
“Nobody Would Eat Kraut”:
Lola Gamble Clyde speaks about Anti-German
Sentiment in Idaho During World War I
"Where he can be kept
out of mischief?”
Lola Gamble Clyde (audio): There were some boys that got
draft deferments for this and other reason, and they rode 'em
on a rail and they took off their clothes and tarred and
feathered some of them. Some of them as old men dying still
resented and remembered those violent episodes. I remember
when they smashed out store windows at Uniontown that said
Kraut on it. And Kraut on the window. Nobody would eat
Kraut. Throw the Kraut out, they were Germans. You know.
And all that was pretty vile, you know. I remember even the
great Williamson store, he went in and gathered up everything
that was made in Germany, and had a big bonfire out in the
middle of the street, you know. Although he had many good
German friends all over the county that had helped make him
rich. And there was all that went on, you know. And some
people changed their name. And if it was a German name—
we’ll just change our name. We don’t want anything to do
with it. And there was lots of that kind of hysteria going on.
Patriotic Murder
"Among the more regrettable and bloody episodes of this kind of
wartime hysteria took place in the Midwest when a mob seized a GermanAmerican man named Robert Prager.
They stripped him of his clothes, bound him with cloth made
from an American flag and lynched him in front of a crowd of some 500
or more people – all of whom cheered the effort on. The perpetrators of
the lynching were arrested and brought to trial. A jury acquitted them in
20 minutes saying that what they had done was patriotic murder.
Robert Prager, in fact, was a young man who had tried to enlist in
the American navy and was then rejected for medical reasons. He had
been known to say publicly political opinions of a socialist sort. He was
thought to be (mistakenly, I believe) some kind of a pacifist. And his worst
crime was that he was German-American.“ – Prof. David Kennedy,
Stanford University
· Many Progressives opposed the war. In
response, the U.S. made it illegal to
criticize the government or to interfere
with the war.
- Nearly 1,600 people were arrested for
breaking these laws.
- Eugene Debs, Socialist candidate for
President, was arrested for protesting the
draft.
Eugene V. Debs
The Espionage Act of 1917 was passed shortly
after the U.S. entered World War I. It made it a
crime for a person to interfere with the
operation or success of the armed forces of the
United States or to promote the success of its
enemies. It was punishable by a maximum
$10,000 fine (almost $170,000 in today's
dollars) and 20 years in prison.
Debs in the Atlanta Penitentiary