Ch. 25: World War 1 Era

1
Ch. 25 World War 1 Era

• American History CHA3U1

2
Introduction

• WW 1 began August 1914 in Europe, but the USA
  remained neutral until April 1917 when it
  declared war against Germany
• American entry helped defeat Germany by November
  1918
• President Wilsons peace settlement was rejected
  by the Senate

3
Sec.1 Prelude to War (pgs. 684 - 688)

• Wilsons Moral Diplomacy ? hoped to lead the
  world by moral example (unselfishness vs.
  nationalistic self-interest)
• Political Unrest in Mexico ? General Victoriano
  Huerta seized power but Pres. Wilson refused to
  recognize his govt
• Wilson Intervenes ? Wilson sent marines to take
  the Mexican port city of Veracruz in 1914

4
President Wilson (1913 1921)
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Sec.1 Prelude to War

• Negative world reaction to Wilsons move forces
  him to allow Argentina, Brazil Chile to mediate
  the dispute
• Despite mediation tensions continue as Pancho
  Villa leads Mexican guerilla raids into New
  Mexico and Pres. Wilson sends 6000 troops into
  Mexico to capture him
• In the Caribbean ? purchased Virgin I. marines
  sent to Nicaragua, Haiti, Dom. Rep.

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Pancho Villa (Mexican Rebel)
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Sec.1 Prelude to War

• War in Europe ? after 50 years of peace war
• Setting the Stage for War ? nationalism
  militarism
• Alliances ? Triple Alliance (Germany,
  Austria-Hungary, Italy) vs. Triple Entente
  (France, Russia, Britain)
• War Begins ? June 1914 Austrian Archduke Franz
  Ferdinand assassinated by Serbian

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Sec.1 Prelude to War

• War Begins ? alliance system brings many European
  countries into conflict between Austria and
  Serbia
• Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman
  Empire) vs. Allies (France, Russia, Britain,
  Italy)
• United States Neutrality ? Atlantic Ocean
  separates USA from Europe

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Triple Entente vs. Triple Alliance
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Sec.1 Prelude to War

• Taking Sides ? 8 million German Americans and
  many Irish Americans supported Germans, but most
  Americans supported France Britain
• Both Sides Strain Neutrality ? British blockaded
  Central Powers Germans used U-boats
• Americans lend 4 billion to Allies

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Sec.1 Prelude to War

• Sussex Pledge ? in 1915 German U-boat sinks
  British passenger liner Lusitania with 128
  Americans dying and in March 1916 French ship
  Sussex sunk injuring Americans
• Germans agree to sink no more merchant ships
  without warning

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Sec. 2 America Enters the War (pgs. 690 - 695)

• Peace Without Victory ? Pres. Wilson tries to
  get warring nations to negotiate a peace
  settlement in Dec. 1916 that would not lead to
  future wars of vengeance
• Submarine Warfare Resumes ? 1917 Germany hurt by
  British naval blockade resume U-boat attacks on
  merchant ships

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Sec. 2 America Enters the War

• Drawn Into War ? German foreign minister
  Zimmermann cable to German ambassador in Mexico
  promises Texas, Arizona, New Mexico
• March 12 19, 1917 four American merchant ships
  sunk ? April 2 Wilson asks Congress to declare
  war on Germany
• Status of the Allies ? Germany (Central Powers)
  on the brink of victory after Russia defeated

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Sec. 2 America Enters the War

• Raising an Army ? spring 1917 American forces
  only 200,000 men, 1,500 machine guns, 55 obsolete
  planes
• The Draft ? 2,000,000 American soldiers reached
  France before the war ended
• African Americans ? 200,000 served overseas but
  segregated and not allowed to be Marines

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Sec. 2 America Enters the War

• Victory on Land Sea ? American troops stopped
  Germans June 1918 at Chateau-Thierry 50 miles
  from Paris
• September 1918 doughboys won at St. Mihiel and
  then Sedan
• American navy effectively neutralized U-boats
  with mines in the North Sea and depth charges
• November 11, 1918 armistice signed

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Trench Warfare
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Sec. 3 War on the Home Front (pgs. 696 700)

• Mobilizing the Economy ? efficiency, control, and
  conformity
• Organizing Industries ? most industries placed
  under the control of federal agencies
• Agencies headed by Americas business leaders ?
  United States a single factory
• Involvement of Women ? women filled jobs left
  vacant by men fighting overseas

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Sec. 3 War on the Home Front

• Involvement of African Americans ? 500,000 moved
  from South to North for good factory jobs and in
  Europe treated better than USA
• Impact of War on Civilians ? food will win the
  war, dont waste it ? victory gardens
• Cost of the War ? 33 billion ? raised taxes for
  10 billion and the rest from Liberty Bonds

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Propaganda
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Sec. 3 War on the Home Front

• Controlling Public Opinion ? needed to voluntary
  civilian population
• Selling the War to Americans ? propaganda led to
  intolerance
• Control of War Protesters ? Espionage and
  Sedition acts passed causing thousands to be
  imprisoned and media to be censored or banned

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Sec. 3 War on the Home Front

• Persecution of Germans ? German language banned
  at schools and music of Beethoven, Schubert and
  Wagner stopped
• Wilsons Fourteen Points ? based on the
  principle of justice to all peoples wanted to
  end militarism, secret agreements

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Sec. 4 After the War (pgs. 701 706)

• The Peace Plan Opposed ? Pres. Wilson a Democrat
  faced a hostile Republican Congress
• Peace Conference ? dominated by US, France,
  Britain
• Wilsons League of Nations accepted by Europeans
  but not by Republicans at home
• Treaty of Versailles ? a victors peace

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Sec. 4 After the War

• Difficulty at Home ? Pres. Wilson traveled 8000
  miles in less than a month across USA to gain
  support for Treaty of Versailles, but just as he
  was gaining support had a stroke
• Treaty of Versailles never ratified
• Americas Postwar Problems ? Demobilization
  caused a difficult economic adjustment for
  farmers, businesses and consumers

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Sec. 4 After the War

• Labour Unrest ? 3600 strikes in 1919 most meeting
  with little success ? inflation led many workers
  to demand higher wages ? govt frequently used
  force to put down strikes
• Red Scare ? 600 suspected Communists deported
  without trials
• Racial Tension ? between African white
  Americans ? Chicago 40 killed, 500 injured over
  jobs housing

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Sec. 4 After the War

• Prohibition ? 18th Amendment prohibited the
  manufacture, transportation sale of alcohol
• by January 1919 66 of states ratified 18th A.
• The Nineteenth Amendment ? 1920 women could vote
• A Warning ? Wilson warns of WW 2 before he dies
  in 1923

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Conclusion

• America would prosper after World War One, but
  the Great Depression and the Treaty of Versailles
  would allow World War Two