Wilson, Mexico & US Foreign Policy
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Woodrow Wilson• Southern Democrat
• History professor & intellectual
• Mind for grand ideas- role of US in postwar world
• Believed American economic expansion + democratic principles = civilizing force
in the world
• Emphasized foreign investments and industrial exports
• Open Door principles of John Hay
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Strong diplomatic and military measure to achieve economic supremacy
1913 Wilson became president
Continued progressive activism of TR
• Greater federal role in economic and business regulation
• 16th Amendment- Federal income tax
• Federal Reserve Act- created 12 reserve banks regulated by Washington
• Clayton Antitrust Act- recognition of union legality, check big businesses
• Federal Trade Commission- regulatory control of corporations
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Wilson’s problems in Mexico foreshadowed
those in WWI
1911 Revolution in Mexico overthrows
corrupt dictator
Madero- new democratic government in
Mexico promised land reform
This made U.S. with $11 billion invested very
nervous
Wilson refused to except murderer of
Madero, Huerta, because he was unlawful
Wilson used a minor insult to attack
Veracruz attempting to oust Huerta
Carranza w/ US arms ousts Huerta, then
denounced Wilson
Poncho Villa tried to draw U.S. into war –
raided U.S. and killed Americans
Villa evaded US army of 15,000 for over a
year
Wilson’s involvement leads to Mexican
distrust of US
Wilson didn’t go to war with Mexico because
he didn’t want to weaken US position with
Germany
Wilson believed capitalist development,
democracy and free trade were wave of
future
Wilson believed in Moral Values  WWI
The Great War
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Europe:
Triple Alliance aka The Central Powers
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Triple Entente aka The Allies
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Could draw others into war that did erupt
1914 archduke of Austro-Hungary
assassinated in Bosnia by a Serbian
nationalist
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GB: long-standing dominant power
Germany: aspirations of empire
Alliances kept countries from going to war
over small conflicts from 19th-20th century
Inclusiveness was its weakness
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Great Britain, France, Russia
Competition of Great Britain and Germany
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Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy
He thought Bosnia should be annexed by
Serbia
Germany backed retaliation by AustroHungary
Serbia asked for Russian help
War declared by both sides
Stalemate in northern France
New weapons: machine guns, tanks, trench
warfare = 5 million killed in 2.5 years
Run-up to War
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Wilson urged Americans to be “impartial in thought and action”
Germany declares waters around British Isle a war zone
May 7, 1915 German U-boat sinks Lusitania killing 1200, 128 Americans
Americans demand strong stance against Germany but don’t want war
March 1916 German U-boat torpedoes French Sussex injuring 4 Americans
Wilson threatens to cut off diplomatic relations w/ Germany
June 1916 National Defense Act doubles the size of US army and increases
spending of new battleships, cruisers and destroyers
Anti-war feelings still very strong in US
Wilson’s “He kept us out of war” campaign 1916
Germany declares unlimited submarine warfare gambling to destroy Allies
before America can arrive
March 1, 1917 Zimmerman Note intercepted
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Germany encouraging Mexico to take back New Mexico, Texas and Arizona
US merchant ships are armed and allowed to shoot
Germans sink 7 US merchant ships killing many
April 2, 1917 Wilson asks congress for war
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Wilson’s case based on America’s special mission as mankind’s most enlightened
and advanced nation to make the world safe for democracy
Selling the War
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Committee on Public Information – CPI agency for
war promotion led by George Creel
Enlisted 150,000 people to work on CPI
committees
Produced more than 100 million pieces of
literature- pamphlets, articles, books- explaining
causes and meaning of war
Created posters, slides, newspaper ads and films
Used movie stars to help sell war bonds
75,000 “Four Minute Men” gave patriotic speeches
before stage and movie shows
Aggressively negative campaign against Germans
 Huns = bestial monsters/ uncivilized
 German music, language and books banned
War Propaganda
The Draft
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Lack of volunteers for service
Selective Service Act- registration of all men
ages 21-35
Different from Civil War draft- couldn’t buy your
way out of service by paying for a substitute
June 5, 1917 10 million register
Aug. 1918 extended age limits to 18-45
Illiteracy rates among troops as high as 25%
Low test scores of immigrants and African
Americans reflect biases of tests
African Americans in the Military
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Organized in segregated units
Barred from Marines and Coast Guard
Worked as cooks, laundrymen, stevedores
Endured humiliating and violent treatment form southern
white officers
Faced hostility from white civilians
200,000 served in France
1 in 5 saw combat compared to 1 in 3 white soldiers
Black combat units served with distinction in some French
divisions
The all black 369th US infantry served in trenches for 191
days, longest of any American regiment
French government awarded entire regiment the Croix de
Guerre
Enjoyed better treatment in military and by civilians in France
than in US
America’s Effect on the War
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AEF- American Expeditionary Forces=US troops
Led by General John J. Pershings, independent of
European command
70,000 AEF soldiers arrived in early 1918, helped the
French stop the Germans from reaching Paris in June
1918
September 1918 AEF troops took over southern part of
a 200 mile front in the Meuse-Argonne offensive 
German surrender
November 11, 1918 war ends
Massive influx of American troops hastened the end of
the war by ending the stalemate
52,000+ died in battle, 60,000 died from influenza and
pneumonia
Economy
Progressive reforms & the war agenda
 War Industries Board (WIB)- mobilized
national industry to support war effort
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Led by Wall Street speculator Baruch
Regulation of production & prices
Maximization of productivity & efficiency
= BIG government
“voluntary cooperation” enforced w/ threats of
military takeover (Ford, US Steel)
Economy cont.
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1917 Food and Fuel Act Gave President authority to regulate
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commodities needed for the war effort
Hoover, millionaire engineer, leads
Price controls on agri. commodities (pork,
sugar, wheat
Gov. buys products, distributes to licensed
dealers & sold to public at high prices
Urged conservation ie. Limit consumption,
grow your own veggies
Cost of War
$33 billion dollars
 Paid for with increased
income & profit taxes
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 Min. income for taxation
$1000
 Highest brackets rates up
to 70%
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Liberty Bonds- $23
billion
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government borrowed
money from American public
Federal debt jumps from
$1billion to $20 billion
Business & The War
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War = expansion & high profits
Huge workforce growth
Corporate profits triple, large business
doing the best
Investments in farm machinery & land ->
20-30% increase in production
Business/government cooperation
Labor &The War
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Economic expansion + army mobilization + decline in
immigration = labor shortage
Despite overcrowding & inflation workers enjoy
higher wages and standard of living
AFL saw sharp rise in membership (1mil) & increased
influence, power
National War Labor Board- Gompers- avoid strikes &
interruptions in production
NWLB: ensured right to organize, higher wages,
less hours, over-time pay, equal pay for women
IWW- denounced “capitalist war,” attacked by gov.
agents-> Espionage Act
The Great Migration
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Mass movement of African Americans from
rural south to urban north
Labor shortage = job opportunities & higher
wages
1914-1920, 300,000-500,000 migrated north
Work on railroads, meatpacking plants,
shipyards, steel mills…..lower paying jobs,
unskilled
Violence and rioting against blacks in Northern
cities
NAACP membership grows to 60,000- provide
legal defense, influence legislation
Suppressing the Antiwar Movement
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Espionage Act of 1917- vague prohibition of obstruction
war effort
 Used to crush dissent and criticism
 Severe penalties, up to 20yrs prison, $10,000 fine
 Aiding the enemy, obstruction recruitment, causing
insubordination in the armed forces
 Allowed postmaster gen. to censor mail
 Police & surveillance increase
 Leads to creation of FBI
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1918 Sedition Act
 Amendment of Espionage Act
 Outlawed “any disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive language
intended to cause contempt, scorn, contumely, or disrepute” to
the government
 Used to strike out against socialists, pacifists, labor radicals
 Eugene Debs (4 times presidential candidate) imprisoned for 2.5
yrs, defending antiwar protestors
Women & The War
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8 million women already working gained
higher pay and access to new jobs
Another million joined workforce
Manufacturing jobs, munitions plants, train
engineers, drill press operators, etc.
Women in Industry Service (WIS)- created
standards, not legally enforced
½ pay of men on average
End of war = end of women in “men’s”
positions
Women & The Vote
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Before WWI:
 State battle rather than nation
 Led by western states (UT & WY 1st)
 In east suffrage linked to prohibition
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During WWI:
 National campaign for constitutional amendment
 Linked to patriotism
 2 main tactics:
○ NAWSA- war effort, moderate lobbying & orderly
demonstrations
○ NWP- more aggressive, picketed White House, condemned
the Pres. & Congress
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19th Amendment: “war measure” passed Aug. 1920
after 2 years gaining states for ratification
Labor and Unions After the War
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Wartime wage gains wiped out by inflation, high
prices for food, fuel, housing
Government ended controls on industry, employers
withdrew membership/recognition
4 million Americans workers involved in 3,600
strikes in 1919 alone
Strikes receive nationwide attention
Seattle: citywide strike, 60,000 workers -> federal
troops occupy the city http://depts.washington.edu/labhist/strike/video.shtml
Boston police strike, entire force fired
Public opinion turns against organized labor, use of
propaganda, strikers=revolutionaries
Russian Revolution, fears it could happen here
Wilson’s Post-War Ambitions
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14 points in Versailles:
 Postwar European boundaries, division of
empires
 Principles for governing international
conduct
○ Freedom of the seas
○ Free trade
○ Open covenants instead of secret treaties
○ Reduce armaments
○ Mediation for competing colonial claims
League of Nations14th point: implement
1st 13 points, resolve future disputes
 Collective security to keep the peace
 Criticized as surrender of independence
and sovereignty
 Similarities to previous alliances?
 Germany & the Treaty:
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 Germans need to be made to hate war
 Wilson disagrees with Britain and France
over reparations
Defeat of the Treaty
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Allies resist the call for independence of
colonies
 French and British carve up former German and
Ottoman empires
French and British insist Germany pay $33
billion  resentment & rise of Nazis
 Signed by everyone except US
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 US congress Republican controlled
 Oppose collective security & restraints on F.P.
 Entire point for going to war wasted in Wilson’s
eyes
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US becomes economic power in the world