U.S. Involvement in
World War I
Through
Images
Going! Going! ——? The Barbarian Finds His "Place in the Sun" Too
Hot for Him. From The Tatler, London
Underlying causes of the War
Nationalism
 Imperialism
 Militarism
 International Anarchy
 System of Alliances

Assassination of Archduke
Francis Ferdinand
Wilson declares U.S. neutrality
Wilson and the War
Sympathy for France –goes back to
Revolutionary War
 England common language customs,
democratic heritage-cut the transatlantic
cable to Germany
 Germany-unrestricted submarine
warfare

Lusitania sunk by
Germans—1915—1200 died –
123 Americans—Lusitania
Notes—Bryan resigns—Arabic
Pledge—Sussex Pledge
Pressure for War
House sent to Europe to propose peace
conference—both Germany and
England reject idea
 In June of 1916 Wilson asks Congress
to pass 1. The National Defense Act –
increased size of army and provided for
military training in high schools and
colleges

More Measure
Naval Appropriation Bill –new warships
 United States Shipping Board Act—
50,000 to buy or build merchant shils
 Created Council of National Defense—
to mobilize industry if war should start

Election of 1916
Democrats nominated Wilson—tariff an
keeping peace
 Republicans nominated Charles Evans
Hughes who had been the New York
Supreme Court Justice
 Progressives tried to get TR to run
 Electoral Vote 277 to 254

Final Effort for Peace

In December of 1916, Wilson asked both
sides to state term and then announced that
both sides were making impossible demands
 Instead Wilson gives a list of his terms to
Congress-1. Peace without victory 2.right of
self determination-2. Military and naval limits
4. Freedom of the seas 5. No secret alliance
and 6. A league to enforce peace.
THE KAISER: "So, you see--you've lost everything."
THE KING OF THE BELGIANS: "Not my soul."
Unfriendly Acts by Germany





Germany invaded Belgium-against neutrality
Attempted to sabotage American industries—
Black Tom blew up-started strikes
Zimmerman Letter-plot to bring Mexico into
the war
All these acts cause an anti German feeling in
United States
Germany decides to starve out Great Britain
1.Arabic Pledge-protect lives of noncombatants
2.Sussex Pledge-March 1916-would not
sink merchant ships unless crew safe
3.Wilson wins 1916 presidential election
4.Wilson calls for “peace without victory
5.Germany resumes unlimited
submarines
6.Zimmermann note discoveredGermany’s plan to urge Mexico to
Attack U. S.
Czar Nicholas is deposed
Zimmerman Note
Germany resumes submarine
warfare
Wilson asks for a declaration of
war.
Lansing replaces Bryan as Sec of
State
U.S. PREPARES FOR WAR
Food Administration-Herbert Hoover
Creel Committee—George Creel
or Committee on Public Information
Selective Service Act-3 million drafted
The Committee of Public
Information (George Creel)
America’s “Propaganda
Minister?”
Anti-Germanism.
Selling American Culture.
U.S. Prepares for War
Increasing Presidential Power
Congress gives the president broad
emergency power
 War Industries Board was headed by
Bernard Baruch—organized industries
 Fuel Administration directed by Harry A
Garfield- daylight savings time

U. S. Food
Administration
U. S. Food Administration
Financing the war with sale of
bonds- 23 billion- raised taxes-10
billion
Punishing Espionage and Sedition

Espionage Act of 1917-to stop spying,
sabotage and obstructing the war effort
 Sedition Act 1918-forbade the use of
"disloyal, profane, , or abusive
language" about the United States
government, its flag, or its armed forces
Schenck v U.S. (1919) criticized conscription—
circulated flyers—Justice Holmes set out the
“clear and present danger” standard
 Abrams v United States—20 years sentence
for distributing pamphlets against war
 Debs sent to jail for ten years-Big Bill
Haywood
Big Bill Haywood and Espionage

April 1918, Haywood and 100 of the arrested
IWW members began their trial, presided
over by Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis.
The trial lasted five months, the longest
criminal trial up to that time; Haywood himself
testified for three days. All 101 defendants
were found guilty, and Haywood (along with
fourteen others) was sentenced to twenty
years in prison.
 Despite the efforts of his supporters,
Haywood was unable to overturn the
conviction. In 1921, Haywood skipped bail
while out on appeal and fled to Russia.
(wikipea)
Wilson’s 14 Points
America at War-American troops
2 million soldiers turn tide of war
in 1918
In the trenches: Infantry with gas masks, Ypres, 1917
AEF

Trench warfare deadly for Allies
Airplanes brought added firepower
to the devastating "Great War"
War At Home-Red Cross
Women play Major role
Munitions Work
The Girls They Left Behind
Do Their Bit!
Even Grandma Buys
Liberty
Bonds
Opportunities for
African-Americans in
WW1
“Great Migration.”
1916 – 1919  70,000
War industries work.
Enlistment in segregated
units.
For “Colored” Men in
Service
African-Americans on a
Troop Ship Headed for
France
Sec. Of Navy -Daniel Josephus
use the convoy system to get men
and goods over to Europe
Newton D. Baker-Sec of War
drew up plans for compulsory military conscription of up to
four million men
Mothers of soldiers from McLennan send love
and hope to their sons in France in 1918
Battle of Chateau-Thierry
French and American troops block German advanceSecond Battle of the Marne under Foch is next-poet
Joyce Kilmer died at this battle

I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the sweet earth's flowing breast;
A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree that may in summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.
Joyce Kilmer
Argonnes Forest
September 26,1918

Combined offensive of French and
American troops—Germans will ask for
Armistice
Battle of St. Mihiel

was the first major American offensive
led by Gen. John J. Pershing
Colored band Unit in France
Great Migration in the United States
Ruins of War--Verdun
Chow Line
Hemingway
Aerial Bombing
Casualties of War
Army Hospital in France
Hospital Room
Aftermath of War
Lenin and Trotsky


The agreement signed in March exacted even
greater demands on Russia than those proposed
earlier. Soviet territorial losses included the following
areas to be controlled by Germany and AustriaHungary: Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Kurland, Livonia
and Bessarabia. Russia recognized the
independence of Georgia, Ukraine and Finland. The
Armenian districts of Ardahan, Kars and Batumi were
ceded to the Ottoman Empire. Five months later,
Russia agreed to pay hefty reparations for its part in
opposing the Central Powers.
The Russians lost more than 300,000 square miles.
Treaty of Versailles




David Lloyd George-expand empire maintain
superiority
George Clemenceau-safe from future invasion
Vitoria Orlando—enlarge territory
Wilson- a better World
Before
After
More Treaty
Germany surrendered-Alsace Lorraine
and Saar Valley—minor border region
to Denmark and Belgium
 Colonial Losses
 Disarmament
 War Guilt and Reparations

Results





Social-10 million soldiers killed—legacy of
hatred and extreme nationalism
Economic-total cost over 350 billion-will help
bring on the Great Depression
Political-three major dynasties disappear—
new nations—three nations turned to
dictatorships
League of Nations established
U.S. will emerge as a leading world power
League of Nations
Opposing Views
Isolation was the predominant
sentiment after WWI
 International Cooperation
Many prominent Americans including
Taft-Lodge supported a type of
international league
It will become a problem of politics

The League of Nations
Part of the Treaty of Versailles
 Purpose-to provide a world organization
and eliminate international anarchy
 To prevent war
 To solve economic and social problems
through international cooperation
 To settle disputes—League could
advise but not enforce

Treaty and League
Senate Defeats the Treaty
Republican Opposition-Wilson did not
take major Republicans with him
I have always loved one flag and
I cannot share that devotion [with]
a mongrel banner created for a League
Quote from Henry Cabot Lodge

Arguments against the Treaty

Irreconsibles led by Robert Lafollette and
Hiram Johnson—extreme isolations—do not
want the treaty under any circumstances
 Lodge and his supporters argued that
a. league could involve U.S. in a war
b. League could interfere in domestic matters
such as tariffs
c. League would involve U.S. in world problems
More Treaty
Lodge started a Round Robin resolution
to add amendments—37 Republicans
signed it
 Wilson denounced Lodge an decided to
go to the people
 In Colorado, Wilson suffered a physical
collapse—hope for treaty dies here

Wilson trip to save the Treaty
Who defeated the League?
Lodge by his insistence on reservations
 Wilson because he refused to
compromise
 American people-didn’t make
themselves heard except by election of
1920

Nov. 2 - Warren Harding elected in a
"great and solemn referendum."