Title: World War I
1World War I
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5Stagnation in Europe
- The war in Europe had quickly ground into a
stagnant mass slaughter on both sides. - Trenches
- Stagnant lines.
- Casualties on both sides were extraordinarily
high. Reasons. - By early 1917 both sides were running out of
steam. - Germans couldnt go on much longer simply
throwing new bodies into the war. - Britain was highly dependent on foreign shipping
for keeping its war effort going. - Germany needed to end the war soon or lose.
6WWI Western Front Trench Line
7Unlimited Sub Warfare
- Peace without Victory address.
- Germanys response
- January 1917 Germans announce unlimited sub
warfare - Is a repeal of the Sussex Pledge.
- What is the German gamble?
- What about the state of the US military seemed to
justify this gamble? - Wilson breaks off diplomatic relations, but
refuses to enter the war absent some overt act of
aggression against US. - What happens when he tries to arm merchant ships
for self-defense?
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9Wilson Asks for War
- March, 1917, Zimmerman Note is publicized.
- What is it?
- Germanys overt act.
- Revolution overthrows Czar in Russia and Russia
withdraws from war. Consequences? - Now all Allies democracies
- Allies are in even more desperate straits.
- April, 1917 Wilson asks congress for a
declaration of war.
10Wilsonian Idealism Enthroned
- Isolationism ran deeply in the American psyche.
- Washingtons farewell address
- While most favored the Allies, the fever to go to
war was relatively mild. - Fifty US reps, including Jeanette Rankin vote
against the war - Wilson has to glorify the war aims
11Wilsons 14 Points
- The Fourteen Points was a speech delivered by
United States President Woodrow Wilson to a joint
session of Congress on January 8, 1918. The
address was intended to assure the country that
the Great War was being fought for a moral cause
and for postwar peace in Europe. Fourteen points
include - Abolish secret treaties
- No territorial gains return to pre-war borders
- freedom of the seas
- removal of economic barriers among nations
- Arms reduction
- adjustment of colonial claims in the interest of
both natives and colonizers - self-determination for minority groups such as
Poles - international organization to provide for
collective security and dispute resolution.
12Creel Manipulates Minds
- Committee on Public Information. Purpose?
- George Creel.
- Creel is very successful.
- Super-Patriotism.
- Dehumanizing the enemy
- Problem Wilson and Creel convince the country
that the war will create a new international
utopia.
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13Enforcing Loyalty
- Anti-German hysteria and discrimination.
- German-American schools and newspapers by the
thousands were forced to permanently close. In
cities and towns across the nation, libraries
burned their German-language books in public
burnings. - City streets in Chicago with German names were
changed - Liberty Cabbage, and Dachshunds became "liberty
pups". - New Orleans, Berlin St. was renamed for General
Pershing - In June 1918 a bill was introduced in the with
the aim to wipe out German names from the map of
the United States.17
14Enforcing Loyalty
- Espionage Act of 1917 and Sedition Act of 1918
- It prohibited any attempt to interfere with
military operations, to support U.S. enemies
during wartime, to promote insubordination in the
military, or to interfere with military
recruitment. In 1919, the U.S. Supreme Court
unanimously ruled in Schenck v. United States
that the act did not violate the freedom of
speech of those convicted under its provisions. - In United States v. Motion Picture Film (1917), a
federal court upheld the government's seizure of
a film called "The Spirit of '76 - Eugene V. Debs, Socialist Party presidential
candidate in 1904, 1908, and 1912 was arrested
and sentenced to 10 years in prison for making a
speech that "obstructed recruiting." He ran for
president again in 1920 from prison.
15The Nations Factories Go To War
- Country unprepared when war started.
- Army ranked 15th in the world in size.
- Up-hill battle to mobilize the economy onto a war
footing - Government never had a very effective central
control over war production. Laissez-fare
economics wins out
16Labor
- Mostly, Feds were able to keep labor in line with
a combination of strategies. - Work or fight rule.
- National War Labor Board chaired by Former
President Taft. Its purpose was to arbitrate
disputes between workers and employers in order
to ensure labor reliability and productivity. - Samuel Gompers (AfofL) supports the war
- Membership in mainstream labor booms
17Strikers get Squashed
- Smaller and more radical organizations,
especially the Wobblies (IWW), organized strikes
and industrial sabotage. These groups were
harassed unmercifully. - 1919 largest strike in American history hits the
Steel industry. - Industry reacted mercilessly to strikers demands
that union be recognized and that they be allowed
collective bargaining. - Strike collapses after black strike-breakers
brought in.
18Black Migration
- War was beginning of a mass migration of blacks
from the south to the industrial north. - Reasons
- Chicago Race Riot of 1919 was a major racial
conflict that began in Chicago, Illinois on July
27, 1919 and ended on August 3.1 During the
riot, dozens died and hundreds were injured.2
It is considered the worst of the approximately
25 riots during the Red Summer of 1919, so named
because of the violence and fatalities across the
nation. - Migration continues after the war.
- Beginning of the large black populations in
industrial northern cities.
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20Women Go to Work
- Women also entered the workforce
- Helped convince Wilson to support the 19th
Amendment, giving women the vote ratified in
1920. - Most women gave up their jobs after the war.
- Boost to womens activism
21Hoover Sets the Table
- Food production and availability was a key issue
- Herbert Hoover chosen to lead Food
Administration. - Volunteerism vs. enforced restrictions.
- Wheatless Wednesdays meatless Tuesdays
- Victory gardens.
22Hoover, Cont.
- Congress restricted use of crops for making
alcohol - Helped advance the cause of prohibition.
- Many brewers were of German extraction and were
subject to war-prejudices. - 18th Amendment prohibiting the sale of alcohol
passed in 1919 and began prohibition. - Hoovers voluntary approach worked. Farm
production increased by a quarter and food
exports to the allies tripled.
23Appeal to Conserve Food
24Bond Drives
- Hoovers methods were emulated in other agencies
- Great bond drives.
- Went overboard those who refused to purchase
bonds were branded unpatriotic - Intimidation and threats.
25Making Plowboys Into Doughboys
- At the beginning, most Americans assumed that US
contribution to war would be naval - Allies made it clear that they were running out
of men to throw into the war. - The war had been extraordinarily bloody.
- Allies need America to supply fresh troops.
26Draft
- Many volunteered for war, but not enough.
- conscription.
- Some in congress predicted that a draft would
cause riots. - Compared by some to Slave labor.
- Had not been a draft in US since the Civil War.
- Legislation starting draft was passed six weeks
after war declared. - Terms
- Workers in key industries exempted.
27Doughboys
- Within a few months, army grows to over 4 Mill.
- How to get these guys ready to fight?
- Training timetable had to be accelerated.
- Nearly a year after US declared war before US
troops in any force could fight in Europe.
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29Fighting In France
- The need to hurry US troops into action was
magnified by events in Russia. - With Russian out of war, Germany able the send
battle-tested troops from the Eastern front to
the Western front. - Germany suddenly has a dangerous manpower
advantage in that theater. - America is having shipping problems and is taking
a long time to get army together and trained. - American soldiers began to trickle into France in
1918, but were not a separate army. - Were used to reinforce the Allied armies on a
unit by unit basis. America is not a separate
fighting force.
30America Helps Hammer The Hun
- Spring 1918 the Germans unleash a massive
offensive that rolled the Allies back with
frightening momentum. - May 1918 Germans within 40 miles of Paris
- US troops see their first real action as an
independent unit at Chateau-Thierry. - Americans brought a fresh spirit of optimism
- July 1918 Allies begin to role back Germans.
- Black Jack Pershing.
- Muess-Argonne offensive, involving 1.2 Mill. US
troops. - 10 US casualties.
- Germany getting worn down. Reverses on the
battle field, and British blockade is taking its
toll.
31The Fourteen Points Disarm Germany
- October 1918 Germans turn to Wilson seeking a
peace based on his fourteen points. - Wilson says that no negotiations before the
Kaiser is out of power. - The Germans promptly send him packing.
- Armistace11/11/1918. America rejoices.
32US Contribution to Victory
- Americas primary contribution.
- The potential numbers US could throw into battle
made it clear to the Germans that they could not
win. - US was forced to rely heavily on European
equipment - Battlefield casualties compared
33Losses in World War I
34Wilson Steps Down From Olympus
- At the end of the war Wilson was extraordinarily
popular both at home and in Europe. - Moral leader of the world with most powerful
economy behind him. - That popularity was not destined to last.
- Impossible to satisfy expectations
- Wilsons mistakes
- Biggest and most fatal mistake was mid-term
election - Republicans upset by his delegation to peace
negotiations. Why?
35An Idealist Battles The Imperialists
- People of Europe welcome Wilson with thundering
acclaim - Leaders of the Allied countries were wary. Why?
- Peace conference was dominated by the Big Four,
leaders of US, France, England and Italy. Wilson
in the drivers seat.
The Big Four
36Wilsons Goal
- Europe was a mess.
- Wilsons ultimate goal was League of Nations
- First priority to keep the winners from dividing
up the colonies of the beaten countries. - Wilson had to compromise.
- What did the treaty say regarding Colonies?
"The Rabbit. 'My offensive equipment being
practically nil, it remains for me to fascinate
him with the power of my eye.'"
37Republicans Carve up the Treaty
- Henry Cabot Lodge and other isolationist
Republicans raise objections to the LON treaty
and insisted on modifications. - Enough Senators said would not pass without the
changes to defeat the treaty.
38Treaty That Bred A New War
- Wilson forced into a series of compromises
- Treaty presented to Germans in June, 1919. They
cried foul. - Why?
- Planted seeds of resentment.
- Wilson was forced to compromise many of his
ideals - Wilsons popularity is tarnished
- Treaty did, though, liberate a number of people.
39New Nations
40The Domestic Parade Of Prejudice
- Wilson returned to political storm.
- Isolationists hated the LON.
- Rabid anti-Germans
- Liberals.
- Recent immigrants from Axis countries
- Irish
41Wilsons Tour And Collapse
- Majority of Americans favored the treaty and
senate Republicans had no real hope of defeating
it. - What is Republican strategy? Is it successful?
- Delay causing Americans to become increasingly
apathetic and confused - Wilson decided to go over the heads of congress
to the people. - Went on a barnstorming speaking tour.
- Collapses and suffers a stroke. One side
paralyzed. - With Wilson incapacitated, Republicans in
congress have control of the debate.
Wilson on his whirl-wind tour tosell the nation
on a League of Nations
42Wilson Rejects The Lodge Reservations
- Senator Lodge able to tack on 14 reservations so
that LON would not bind the US to act. - Wilson, who hated Lodge, flatly rejected the
reservations. - What does Wilson order Democrats to do? Why?
What is the result?
43Defeat Through Deadlock
- Public pressure forced another vote.
- 4/5 of senators favored the treaty in some form,
but the necessary 2/3 majority could not agree on
a version of it. - In 1920 comes up again for a vote with the Lodge
amendments tacked on again. - What does Wilson do? What happens to the treaty?
44Election of 1920
- Wilsons plan make the election of 1920 a
referendum on the League - Theodore Roosevelt had been the frontrunner for
the Republican nomination, but his health
collapsed in 1918 and he died in January 1919,
leaving no obvious heir to his Progressive
legacy.
45Election of 1920
- Both major parties turned to dark horse
candidates from the electoral vote-rich state of
Ohio. The Democrats nominated newspaper publisher
and Governor James M. Cox, in turn the
Republicans chose Senator Warren G. Harding, - Republicans win overwhelmingly. Big business,
laize faire Republicans back in power. - Women voting for the first time.
- Debs gets nearly a million votes despite being in
prison.
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47Consequences of US Rejection of LON
- LON left without the vital American international
support - America retreated behind isolationism and let
Europe find its own way. - France feels compelled to rearm, so Germany does,
too. Without America, the LON was toothless.