World War I In Europe 19141919 US involvement 19171919

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World War I In Europe 1914-1919 US
involvement 1917-1919
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Outcomes Unit 6 (WWI)

• 6.1 Why did the US get involved in WWI?
• 6.2 What impact does the war have on life in
  the US?
• 6.3 Why did the US revert to an isolationist
  foreign policy after WWI

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(No Transcript)
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Background questions

• 1. What countries formed the Allies? Name 3
• France, Russia, Great Britain,
• later the United States.
• 2. What countries formed the Central Powers?
  Name 2
• Germany, Austria-Hungary, The Ottoman Empire

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Background questions

• 3. What were the factors that led to the start of
  World War I in Europe (before the US got
  involved)?
• -The alliance system European countries had
  secret alliances with each other- if someone
  attacks you, well come and help defend you.
  This pulled many nations into the war
• -Imperialism competition among European
  countries for natural resources in other
  countries caused conflict
• -Nationalism the feeling that your countrys
  interests are more important than cooperation
  with other countries. Leads to conflict with
  other countries
• -Militarism The build up of each nations armies
  and new weapons technologies (tanks, chemical
  weapons like mustard gas, hand grenades, machine
  guns, etc.)
• The Trigger?????

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-The assassination of Archduke Ferdinand, heir to
the Austrian throne in Sarajevo, 1914
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Why did the US get involved in WWI?
(Outcome 6.1)
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1914-1917 America remains neutral
-At first, Americans see the conflict as a
European War, dont want to get directly
involved
-President Wilson keeps an isolationist policy
tries to remain neutral is re-elected in 1916
under the campaign slogan He Kept
Us Out Of War
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However... Are we really neutral?

• We have more cultural ties with Britain
• We have more economic ties with the Allies
• We loan lots of money and give supplies to the
  Allies

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And...

• The Germans were being belligerent and
  expansionist they killed many Belgian civilians
  and invaded France
• They also sank ships like the Lusitania and the
  Sussex with their
  U-boats

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The Last Straws

• Zimmerman telegram Germans try to make secret
  alliance with Mexico promise to get back lands
  lost in Mexican-American War
• Germans begin sinking more US
  ships bringing supplies and
  food to the British

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So, on April 6, 1917, the US declares war
against the Central Powers
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What impact does the war have on life in the US?
(Outcome 6.2)
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What impact does the war have on life in the US?

• 1. Draft was started (a.k.a conscription) The
  Selective Service Act of 1917. 3 million
  men drafted
• 2. Mobilization The nation has to change its
  economy to produce weapons, supplies, etc.
• 3. Propaganda The Committee on Public
  Information- government agency set up to sell
  the war to Americans (posters, speeches,
  pamphlets, etc.)
• 4. War bonds Americans encouraged to buy war
  bonds to help pay for the war
• 5. Dissent Many Americans protested the war,
  including Jeannette Rankin, the 1st congresswoman
  (from Montana)
• 6. New laws restricting civil liberties (rights)
  Espionage and Sedition Acts limited Americans
  freedom of speech, made it illegal to criticize
  the war
• 7. Red Scare Many Americans becoming afraid of
  communist revolution in the US. Government starts
  the Palmer Raids in which communists were
  arrested for their ideas
• 8. Women and African Americans take factory jobs,
  serve in military, gain status in society. Great
  Migration of blacks from the South to Northern
  factories

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What impact does the war have on life in the US?

• Minorities, especially African Americans
• Women

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What impact does the war have on life in the US?

• Draft
• Mobilization to a war economy
• Propaganda to influence Americans' opinions
• War bonds to finance war
• Dissent (protest)
• Freedoms limited (freedom of speech)
• The Red Scare / fear of Communism

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Also

• Rationing (limits on gasoline, metals, food)
• Discrimination against German-Americans,
  rejection of all things German.

Frankfurters Hot dogs Sauerkraut Liberty
Cabbage
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Propaganda to get people to support the US war
effort