Chapter 23
The Great
War
“impartial in
thought as
well as
deed”
Why neutral?
1. Use position as moral, neutral
country to bring a peace agreement
2. $ as neutral you can trade with
everybody
Why does Wilson ignore
British violation of neutral
rights?
*pro British
*Small trade with Germany
*Growing trade with GB &
France
United States Trade with Nations at War
(millions of dollars)
Nation
1914
1915
1916
Great Britain 594
912
1,527
France
160
369
629
Italy
74
185
269
Germany
345
29
less than 1
Lusitania
May 7, 1915
1198 killed
128
Americans
Sank in 18
minutes
National Defense Act 1916
*raise army 90,000 to 223,000
*National guard to 440,000
Naval Defense Act 1916
$500 million
Election of 1916
Charles Evans
Hughes
Woodrow
Wilson
Wilson:
“He kept us out of war”
January 1917
Wilson to Congress
“Peace without victory”
January 31,1917 – Germany
unrestricted submarine
warfare
February 25,1917 –
Zimmerman Telegram
March – Czar overthrown
April 2,1917 Wilson asks
for War declaration
373 to 50 House
82 to 6 Senate
Cost of War: $32 billion
How to pay:
“Liberty Bonds” $23 billion
New Taxes
$10 billion
Council of National
Defense
Sets up boards to organize
different areas of war effort
War Industry BoardBernard Baruch
Selective Service Act
May 1917
2.8 million men
drafted
General
John J.
Pershing
A.E.F.
leaves for
France
Lafayette we are here
Alvin
York
Meuse-Argonne
November 1918
*German Army at state of collapse
*German Navy mutinies
*Kaiser abdicates
*Socialist revolts in German cities
*November 11, 1918 war ends
Peace Movement & Government
*Espionage Act
*Sabotage Act
*Sedition Act
1500 arrested
Targets: Socialist, German-Amer.
Schenck v. United States
*Schenck sent circulars to
draftees
*Oliver Wendell Holmes:
“the most stringent protection of
free speech would not
a man in falsely shouting
fire in theater. . .”
14 POINTS
* 8 border adjustments
*5 general principles
free seas
no secret treaties
reduce arms
free trade
impartial mediator
League of
Nations
Problems:
*England/France must have
compensation
*Wilson makes 1918 elections a
vote on his leadership
*Wilson won’t take any
Republicans with him
Peace Conference at Versailles
Big Four
Treaty of Versailles
*no freedom of seas
*no self-determination
*Reparations $56 billion
*War guilt clause
*German colonies in trusteeship
*League of Nations
Senate problems with treaty:
*Want to modify so US not
required to jump into all
international problems
*make sure League not a
challenge to Monroe Doctrine
Senator
Henry Cabot
Lodge
Wilson goes on Tour
9/3/1919- Embarks on a 8,000
mile tour
35 speeches in 22 days
Wilson has a stroke in Pueblo,
Col 10/2/1919
Senate led by Republican Henry
Cabot Lodge defeat Treaty
Nov 19, 1919- 39 yea 55 nays
March 20, 1920 Final Rejection
35 yeas 49 nays
Signed separate Peace w/
Germany in 1921
Post-war Problems
*Economic:
boom to inflation to recession
strikes
Seattle ship workers
Steel workers
Boston Police Strike
“there is no right to
strike against the
public safety by
anyone, anywhere,
any time”
*Race –lynching increases
70 in 1919
*Race riots
Chicago 15 Whites
23 Blacks
Nationwide 120 deaths
Marcus
Garvey
United Negro
improvement
Association
Back to
Africa
Movement
*RED SCARE
American Communist Party
Sacco and Vanzetti
Election of 1920
Republicans:
Warren G.
Harding
Return to
Normalcy
Florence
Harding
Democrats
James
Cox
Franklin
D.
Roosevelt