THE PRESIDENCY OF WOODROW
WILSON
STD: 12.1.9
ELECTION OF 1912
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CANDIDATES:
REPUBLICAN PARTY– WILLIAM H. TAFT
DEMOCRATIC PARTY– WOODROW WILSON
PROGRESSIVE PARTY (BULL MOOSE PARTY)– THEODORE ROOSEVELT
SOCIALIST PARTY– EUGENE V. DEBS
PLATFORMS AND ISSUES:
REPUBLICAN PARTY– CONTINUE FOLLOWING TAFT’S CAREFUL “PROGRESSIVISM”
DEMOCRATIC PARTY-- “NEW FREEDOM”
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PROGRESSIVE PARTY– “ NEW NATIONALISM”
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FED. GOVT. SHOULD RESTORE COMPETITION RATHER REGULATE MONOPOLIES.
LOWER TARIFFS
BREAK UP POWERFUL WALL STREET BANKS WITH BANKING REGULATIONS.
RETURN SOCIAL PROGRAMS TO THE STATES.
SOCIAL JUSTICE
GRADUATED INCOME TAXES
WORKMEN’S COMPENSATION
CHILD LABOR
WOMEN’S RIGHTS
ELECTION RESULTS:
WILSON’S FIRST TERM
• Inaugural Address
• Special Session of Congress:
• Progressive Actions
• 1913 Underwood-Simmons Tariff
• 1913 Federal Reserve Act
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Federal Reserve Board
12 Districts
Federal govt. in control of money supply—fiat money
Set reserve requirement at 6%
Set discount rate
• 1914 Federal Trade Act
• 1914 Clayton Anti-Trust Act
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1914
1915
1916
1916
1916
1917
Smith-Lever Act
Keating-Owen Child Labor Law
Federal Farm Loan Act
Adamson Act
Federal Highway Act
Smith-Hughes Act
• Wilson withdrew support for women’s suffrage.
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Ended “Dollar Diplomacy”– “Moral Diplomacy”
Declared US neutral in all European conflicts.
Mexican Crisis (1913-1917)
• Background Mexican Revolution:
• 1913 Mexico was under the control of a dictator named
Gen. Victoriano Huerta.
• Pres. Wilson refused to recognize his govt.
• Wilson worked to get rid of Huerta.
• US Battleship in Tampico. Wilson sends troops to Vera
Cruz.
• Latin America protested US intervention.
• 1914 “A,B,C” Powers offered to arbitrate.
• Aug. 1914 Huerta overthrown by a revolt led by
• Venustiano Carranza . Then in Sept. 1914, Pancho Villa led
another revolt.
• Wilson recognizes Carranza’s regime.
• Pancho Villa attacked the US.
• 1916 Wilson orders Gen Pershing into Mexico.
• 1917 Wilson negotiates with Carranza and withdraws American troops.
• 1916 Jones Act
• WORLD WAR I
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A. MAIN CAUSES:
1. Nationalism- ultra patriotic pride ethnic group/country
2. Imperialism- colonialism in Africa, “haves v. have nots”
3. Militarism- balance of power, alliances, arms race, military pride
B. THE “SPARK”--OUTBREAK OF THE ‘GREAT WAR’
1. June 28, 1914, Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.
2. Gavrillo Princips—”Black Hand”—Serbian Nationalist
3. Austria-Hungary’s reaction and ultimatum.
4. Domino Effect toward world war.
WW1
• CENTRAL (TRIPLE ALLIANCE) POWERS:
• ALLIED (TRIPLE ENTENTE) POWERS:
• Both sides tried to draw US in on their side.
– England more effective– cultural ties, economic ties, communication links,
and they did a better job of portraying the Germans as “beasts” –British
Propaganda
– The US was 15% German ancestry BUT the US tilted toward the Allied
Powers.
• 1914—US in mild recession, but Allied war ‘materiel’ orders brought the
US out of it.
– JP Morgan’s banks loaned Allies $2.3 billion.
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German reliance on submarine warfare (U-Boats)
– Reasons:
– Definitions:
• Restricted submarine warfare—merchant ships
• Unrestricted submarine warfare--warships
– English Q Boats—disguised Br. Merchant ships (really warships)
• 1915 Blockades proclaimed:
– Feb., Germany declared a “war zone” around island of British Isles.
– May, England no neutral vessel would be allowed free entry or exit from
German ports.
• May 7, 1915, HMS Lusitania sunk.—1198 die, 128 Americans
• Aug., HMS Arabic sunk.
• **Wilson asked Congress to increase military
spending.—mostly for the Navy
• Mar. 1916, Sussex sunk.
• Germany proposed the Sussex Pledge.
• ELECTION OF 1916
• Candidates and platforms:
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DEM: WILSON
REP: C.E. HUGHES
SOC: A.L. BENSON
PROH: J. F. HANLY
• Jan. 22, 1917—Wilson calls for “Peace without Victory”
• Jan. 31, 1917—German resumes unrestricted submarine
warfare. Why??
• Feb. 3, 1917—US breaks diplomatic ties with Germany.
Why?
• Mar. 1, 1917– Zimmerman Note published. (M15)
• Mar. 3, 1917– Russian revolution begins.
– Russian struggles in WW1
– Oct. 1917 Bolshevik Revolution
– Nov. 1917 Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
• Mid-mar. 1917—German U-Boats launch widespread attacks
on US ships.
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April 2, 1917, Wilson asked Congress for a declaration of war.
Reasons:
Immediate causes:
1. unrestricted submarine warfare
2. violation of neutral rights.
Long-term goals:
1. to fight the war to end all wars.
2. to make the world safe for democracy.
• April 6, 1917, Congress voted for war. 475-56
AMERICA GOES TO WAR: THE HOME FRONT
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May, 1917—Selective Service Act
– Draft for all men 21-30
– No substitutes
– Exemptions—Conscientious objectors, “essential” industries
The Council of National Defense:
– Coordinated the economy: (Wartime rationing) Food Adm. (Herbert Hoover),
War Industries Board (Bernard Baruch),
– War Labor Board, Rail Adm., Fuel Adm.
The Committee of Public Information
– Led by George Creel.
– “propaganda”/ news of the war
Espionage Act
– Spying, aiding the enemy--$10,000/20 yrs—900 imprisoned
Sedition Act
– Forbid criticism of the war (govt. or military)—2000 convicted
Financing the war
• Bonds, Taxes
June 1917 1st US troops landed in France. US was an “Associated power”.
American Expeditionary Forces -AEF. Led by Gen. John J. Pershing. Typical
soldier= doughboy
• Spring 1918 German “Peace Offensive”
– All out attack along the Western Front.
Mid-summer 1918 the Allies go on the “offensive”
• WILSON PROPOSES “14 POINT PEACE PLAN”
– Meuse-Argonne Offensive
– Lawrence of Arabia
– Bulgaria surrenders Sept. 1918
– Germany asks US for an Armistice, Oct. 5, 1918
– (US demands Germany agree to 14 Point Plan)
– Turkey drops out of the war, Oct. 30, 1918
– A-H surrenders Nov. 3, 1918
– Nov. 10, 1918, Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicates
– Nov. 11, 1918—Armistice signed @11:00am
• Peace Conference at Paris Jan. 1919
– “Big 4” (Eng., Fr., USA, Italy)
• Treaty of Versailles June 28, 1919
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FIGHT FOR THE TREATY (USA)
A. Objections to the Treaty
B. Senate divided over the Treaty.
C. Wilson’s nationwide tour.
D. Senate votes against the Treaty.
E. Senate votes against the Treaty after it was changed.
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RESULTS OF THE WAR
A. death toll
B. Destruction to Europe
C. Effect on the USA.
D. Pacificism and Pessimism.
E. Addition of 2 Amendments.
F. Return to Isolationism.
• INNOVATIONS OF WW1
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Weapons:
Tanks
Long range Artillery
Planes
Machine guns
Flame Throwers
Poison Gas
Hand Grenade
• MEDICAL ADVANCEMENTS
Re-constructive surgery
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
Hygiene
Battlefield Hospitals—MASH units
• HEROES OF WW1
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ACES:
Eddie Rickenbacker
Frederick Gillet
Edward Mannock
Rene Fonck
Manfred Von Richthofen
SOLDIERS:
Sgt. Alvin York
TE Lawrence