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Chapter 6:

World War I and Beyond 1914-1920


Section 1: From Neutrality to War
1. Nationalism, militarism, imperialism and entangling alliances brought forth the war 2. What Caused World War I? a. Nationalism and Competition Heightened Tension i. Nationalism- devotion to ones nation 1. Started international and domestic tension 2. Dropped the thought of different ethnicities; express the nationalism of one ethnic group a. Developed into international rivalries 3. Threatened minority groups within the nations ii. Theory of Social Darwinism 1. Social Darwinist believed that the best nation would come out ahead in the constant competition among countries iii. Nationalism established multinational empires 1. Austria-Hungry iv. Nationalism affected economic goals of countries 1. Industrial output, trade and the possession of and overseas empire were the yardsticks of wealth and greatness 2. Competed for raw materials rich lands and places to build military bases b. Militarism Produces and Arms Race i. Not if a world war would start but when 1. To prepare increased the size of their armies and stockpiles of weapons a. Germany was the most prepared i. Huge army and the largest, deadliest collection of guns b. Britain increased the size of its Navy 2. Militarism- glorification of the military ii. The tensions guaranteed one thing: 1. The nest major war would involve more troops and more technology advanced weapons a. Machine guns, mobile artillery, tanks, submarines, airplanes c. Alliances Make Nations Overconfident and Reckless i. Prepared for war by making alliances 1. Triple Alliance

a. Germany, Austria-Hungry, Italy i. Italy never fought with them 2. Triple Entente a. France, Russia, Great Britain ii. Leaders took alliances recklessly 1. Knew that if they would go to war, their allies would follow a. No country wanted to seem unreliable d. Assassination Hurtles Europe Toward World War i. Archduke Francis Ferdinand, heir to throne in Austria-Hungry, and wife Sophia visited Sarajevo, Bosnia- 6/28/1914 1. Peaceful trip ii. A group of ethnic Serbs believed that Bosnia belonged to Serbia not Austria-Hungry 1. Saw Ferdinand as a tyrant 2. Gavrilo Princip, group member, shot both Sophia and Francis as they took a wrong turn in their car a. Sophia died first, then Francis 3. People were shocked by the assassination a. No one thought it would lead to the Great War 3. The Fighting Begins a. Everything was in place i. Nationalist ambitions, large armies, stockpiles of weapons, alliances and military plans 1. Francis Ferdinands death was the trigger b. Alliances Cause a Chain Reaction i. Keiser William II, German emperor, said that they would stand by Austria-Hungry if they went to war 1. Austria-Hungry sent troops into Serbia demanding a full investigation in the assassination with Germanys support 2. Serbia did not agree to all demands a. Austria-Hungry declared war on July 28, 1914 ii. In August, Russia joined to help its ally Serbia 1. Caused Germany to declared war against Russia a. France, Russias ally, declared war on Germany i. Germany declared war the nest day on neutral Belgium so they could invade France through Belgium territory 1. Great Britain, ally of France and Belgium, declared war on Germany 2. In less than one week, Germany and Austria-Hungry (Central Powers) were at war against Britain, France, Russia and Serbia (Allied Powers) a. Ottoman Empire joined Central Powers later

iii. German soldiers fought through Belgium to Paris, France 1. In September, Germany was only 300 miles from Paris, French and British soldiers counterattacked and stopped the Germans at Marne River c. Deadly Technology Leads to Stalemate i. After Battle of the Marne, Germans settled into trenches to wait 1. When France and Britain attack, German troops used machine gun and artillery to kill thousands 2. French and British soldier then dug their own trenches and used to same tactic as the Germans 3. 450 miles trenches stretched across the coast of Belgium to Switzerland ii. War dragged on for years 1. Deadly 2. Length and violence was due to the defensive weapons were more deadly than the offensive ones 3. Generals threw in their men without considering the technology 4. Western Front- battle front between the Allies and Central Powers in western Europe a. Every battle here, the attacking force suffered terribly i. Ineffective offensives and effective defensives produced only a deadly stalemate d. The Reality of the Trench Warfare i. Soldiers had harsh conditions in trench fighting 1. Developed trench foot from standing for hours in wet trenches 2. Lice from the rats in the trenches 3. Lived in constant fear to pop their heads out of the holes ii. Quiet days stilled held a threat 1. Could be killed by a sniper or gas attack a. Source on Page 174 iii. No Mans Land 1. In-between enemy land 2. Artillery barrages 3. Had to pass their area to attack their enemy iv. Causalities- soldiers killed, wounded, and missing 1. At first in thousands a. Then to hundreds of thousands i. Finally in millions 2. One million of French soldiers killed or wounded in the first three months a. Germans lost only slightly fewer 3. Two Battle in 1919, Verdun and Somme, Britain, France and Germany suffered more than 2 million causalities

4. Wilson Urges Neutrality a. Wilson did not want to see the war set Americans against one another i. Unless the nation was directly threatened, America wanted nothing to do with it 1. Traditional American isolation from European disputes b. Americans Have Divided Loyalties i. 1/3 of Americans were foreign-born 1. Many thought of themselves as their former homelands a. Supported the nation in which they were born ii. German Americans (Midwest) Irish Americans (East Coast) favored Central Powers 1. Many immigrants came from the Central Powers countries 2. Many Irish Americans had grudges over the past domination England had over their country a. Hoped Ireland would gain independence during the war 3. Jewish Americans who fled from Russia to escape prejudice hope for Russian defeat iii. Most Americans sided with France and Britain 1. Strong ties, heritage largely British, leading trading partner: Britain, France helping in Revolutionary War c. American Opinion Crystallizes i. The invasion Germany did to Belgium swayed the American opinion towards them ii. Three Distinct Positions 1. Isolationists- believed that the war was none of Americas business and that the nation should isolate itself from the hostilities 2. Interventionists- felt that the war did affect American interests and that the US should intervene in the conflict on the side of the Allies 3. Internationalists- believed that the US should play an active role in world affairs and work toward achieving a just peace but not enter the war 5. Neutrality Gives Way to War a. British Blockades Germany i. British uses their navy to blockade Germany to keep essential goods from reaching the country 1. Law allowed contraband goods- goods, usually defined as weapons and other articles used to fight a war- to be confiscated legally by any other nation a. Noncontraband goods- food, medical supplies, nonmilitary items- cannot be 2. Britain did not listen to the noncontraband rule a. By end of war, Britain blocked almost everything from coming into Germany, not listening to the law

b. German Submarines Violate Neutral Rights i. Germany responded by trying to block Britain- did not have a good enough navy 1. Germany began to sink Allied ships in February 1915 a. Used U-boats- submarines ii. America noticed the actions of Germany in 1915 when they sank the British passenger liner Lusitania of the coast of Ireland 1. German officials claimed that the ship was carrying ammunition and contraband 2. Americans protested the sinking of an unarmed ship without worrying about passengers a. Wilson was stunned but still wanted peace from war 3. Germany tried to keep America out of the war by promising to no longer sink passenger ships a. 1916- Violated promise and sank unarmed French passenger ship Sussex i. America got angry once again ii. Germany promised to not do it again 1. Called Sussex Pledge a. Did not last long c. Wilson Prepares for War i. Wilson wanted to keep the peace 1. New it was false hope ii. End of 1915, began to prepare for war 1. Many believed the preparedness would provoke war 2. Congress passed 2 pieces of legislation in 1916 a. The National Defense Act- expanded the size of the army b. Naval Construction Act- ordered the building of more weapons iii. Wilson won reelection with the slogan He kept us out of war d. America Enters the War i. In early 1917, two events pushed the US into the war 1. American trade with the Allies had sustained Britain and France in the war; while the British blockade on Germany had stopped the flow of American goods to the Central Powers ii. January 1917- German Foreign Minister Arthur Zimmermann sent a telegram to Mexico 1. The Zimmermann note proposed an alliance with Mexico a. Saying that if America declared war on Germany, Mexico had to declare war on America i. In return, Mexico would get back the land that made the states of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona after the German win

2. The telegram was intercepted by the British who gave it to America a. Shocked by the note i. Knew that Mexico would not agree 3. Wilson asked Congress for a declaration of war against Germany a. April 6, 1917- declared war against Germany

Section 2: The Home Front


1. The government assumes new powers a. Regulated industry and agriculture b. Shaped public opinion c. New military draft d. Gave minorities opportunities 2. America Mobilizes for War a. Wars great impact is on ordinary people b. Building an Army i. Selective Service Act 1. Passed May 1917 2. A draft of young men for military services in Europe 3. June 5, 1917, first day in act, 9.5 million registered and assigned a number a. great national lottery to decided which draftees would be called into service i. Sec. of War Newton D. Baker pulled 258, the first draftiest ii. 24 million Americans registered for the draft 1. 2.8 were actually drafted into armed forces 2. Total number of American soldiers in the war- 4.8 million a. 4 million were sent to Allies France c. Constructing a War Economy i. Shift national economy from peacetime to wartime 1. Council of National Defense a. Created an array of new federal administrative agencies to oversee phases of the war effort i. Regulated food production, coal and petroleum distribution, railway use ii. War Industries Board (WIB) 1. Headed by Bernard Baruch 2. Regulated all industries engaged in the war effort a. What product were made, where they went and how much they cost iii. Food Administration 1. Headed by Herbert Hoover

2. High prices for wheat to encourage farmers to increase production 3. Asked American to preserve food a. If they ate less, more could be shipped to Europe 4. Wheatless Mondays and Wednesdays, Meatless Tuesdays, and Porkless Thursdays and Saturdays d. Shaping Public Opinion i. Committee on Public Information (CPI) 1. To educated the public about the causes and nature of the war 2. Had to convince Americans that the war effort was just a cause 3. Director- George Creel a. Former journalist 4. Distributed 75 million pamphlets and 6,000 press releases a. Millions of posters that dramatized the needs i. Showed cruelty towards Germany 1. Angered German-Americans 3. Opposition and Its Consequences a. German-Americans and Irish-Americans opposed Allies i. Treated German-American with intolerance ii. Pacifists opposed war for no reason b. Resistance to the Draft i. Many believed it was an illegal intrusion to their personal lives ii. Some men refused to cooperate with the process 1. 12% of men that received draft notices never responded to them iii. Conscientious objectors- people whose moral or religious beliefs forbid them to fight in wars 1. Service policy let them be excused from Draft a. This policy was largely ignored 2. Objectors were treated bad and humiliated at training camps c. Women Work for Peace i. Some women opposed the war ii. Many supported American war efforts 1. NAWSA dropped its initial peace and supported American efforts d. The Government Cracks Down on Dissent i. Authorities tended to treat harshly individuals who worked against the goal of winning the war ii. Espionage Act 1. Passes June 1917 2. Allowed postal authorities to ban treasonable or seditious newspapers, magazines, or printed material from being mailed 3. Enacted serve penalties for anyone engaged in disloyal activities a. $10,000 fine or 20 year imprisonment iii. Sedition Act 1. Passes 1918

2. Limited freedom of speech 3. Made it unlawful for Americans to use disloyal language about the American government, Constitution or military forces a. Prosecute socialists, political radicals, and pacifists e. Prejudice Against German Americans i. German American treated harshly 1. America regarded Germany as the main problem in the Central Powers 2. Some Americans wrongly generalized that if Germany was cruel, then all German people were cruel ii. Stopped teaching German in American public schools 1. Stopped playing Beethoven and Brahms 2. Changed the names of German things a. German measles- liberty measles b. Hamburgers- liberty steaks c. Dachshunds- liberty pups iii. Germans gave up their culture to show their loyalty to America iv. Some German Americans were harassed, others were beaten, and a few were killed for no other reason than they were born in Germany or spoke with a German accent 4. The War Changes American Society a. New opportunities opened up for women, African Americans, and Mexican Americans b. Women Embrace New Opportunities i. The war gave women new chances and won them the right to vote ii. Men entered the war. Women entered the workforce 1. Filled jobs that were vacated by men a. Worked in munitions factories, on railroads, telegraph operators, trolley operators and other jibs previously done by men b. Some worked on farms 2. Some joined the Red Cross or the American Womens Hospital Service a. Worked as doctors, nurses, ambulance drivers, and clerks b. Enlisted in the Army Corps of Nurses 3. Wilson gave them the right to vote because they were vital to winning the war c. African Americans Follow Opportunity North i. Most African Americans supported the war 1. Excellent opportunity to show all Americans the loyalty of AA 2. Thousand enlisted for the draft and went overseas for the war ii. Great Migration 1. AA left their homes in the South to go North

a. Escape violent racism in the South b. Better jobs and economic advancement c. 2.2 AA went North from 1910-1920 iii. The Great Migration was one of the most important episodes in AA history d. Mexican Americans Move North i. Mexicans faced violence and wanted better lives 1. Many migrated to the American West ii. Some migration was seasonal 1. They went to American during the growing season then went back to Mexico for the rest of the year iii. Formed barrios- Hispanic neighborhoods in California

Section 3: Wilson, War, and Peace


1. American entry in the war would play a key role in the Allied victory 2. America Gives the Allies the Edge a. Allied Convoys Protect Shipping i. Convoy- groups of merchant ships sailed together, protected by warships 1. Shipping loses from U-boat attacks fell b. The Allies Struggle i. Situations on land went towards the Central Powers favor 1. Russia was torn by revolutions a. Democratic revolution overthrew Czar Nicolas II but kept Russia at war b. Radical communists led by Vladimir Lenin i. Was to gain control of Russia c. Russia stopped fighting mid-December 1917 d. Treaty of Brest-Litovsk ended the war between Russia and Germany c. American Troops Join the Fight i. John. J Pershing arrived in France in June 1917 with a small troop ii. By the end of March 1918, American troops stopped the great German offense iii. Each failed offensive weakened Germany a bit more and raised Allied hopes d. American Troops Distinguish Themselves i. Doughboys 1. Learned quickly and fought bravely 2. Worked with French at many battles ii. Alvin York of Tennessee (Pg. 190) 1. Fought in the Meuse-Argonne region of northeastern France

2. Fought incredibly against all odds 3. Earned a Congressional Medal of Honor iii. Many heroes died during battle and were never recognized for their actions iv. Many AA faced discrimination but they showed their patriotism 1. 369th Infantry Regiment a. Received the Criox de Guerre- French award for bravery e. The War Ends i. 1918, German forces collapsed 1. Some men deserted, others mutinied many refused to fight ii. November 11, 1918 Germany surrendered to the Allies in Compienge, France iii. Causalities 1. 5 million Allies dead, 8 million Central Powers dead 2. 6.5 million civilians dead iv. Peacemakers now had to justify the costs 3. Wilson Promotes Peace Without Victory a. Vladimir Lenin stated that the war was nothing but an imperialistic land-grab i. Exposed treaties Russia made with other Allies 1. They stated that they would divided the empire of the enemies amongst themselves b. Wilson stated the war was not about acquisitions and imperialism but about peace and freedom i. January 1917, introduced peace without victory to Congress 1. Quote on page 193 c. Fourteen Points i. Peace inspired by noble ideas, not greed and vengeance ii. Change the world by openness, independence, freedom 1. Most important- open diplomacy 2. Freedom of seas, free trade, end of colonialism iii. Self-determination- the right of people to choose their own form of government 1. Create new several independent iv. League of Nations 1. Secure mutual guarantees of political independence and territorial integrity to great and small states alike d. Peace conference in Versailles, Paris i. Wilson attended himself and alone 1. Too important to miss 4. Wilson at the Paris Peace Conference a. Many blamed Germany for the war and insisted they make reparations- payment for war damages i. They wanted to weaken Germany so they couldnt threatened again

b. Allied Leaders Reject Wilsons Ideas i. Lloyd-George (Britain) Clemenceau (France) knew their citizens wanted peace and victory 1. LG wanted to protect the current colonies and punish Germany 2. C wanted Germany to pay dearly for what they did a. He wanted back several colonies from Germany including Alsace-Lorraine c. Allies Create a League of Nations i. Many Allied leaders dismissed most of the Fourteen Points 1. Freedom of the seas, free trade, liberation of colonial empires, etc. ii. Wilson kept fighting for the League of Nations 1. A world organization where countries could gather and peacefully resolve 2. He refused to compromise a. Finally was voted as part of the treaty d. Problems With the Peace i. Treaties created almost as many problems as they resolved 1. Self-determination was violated a. Ottoman Empire was broken up and ethnic groups were thrown together b. Iraq was thrown together by Versailles peacemakers with completely 5. America Rejects the Treaty a. Wilson Faces Troubles at Home i. German Americans thought the treaty was too harsh on Germany 1. war guilt clause ii. Irish Americans did not like that it didnt give Ireland independence iii. The treat needed to be put through the Republican-run Congress who are still mad for not being taken to Paris iv. Many Congress members did not like the League of Nations 1. Article 10 a. Thought it would make America go to war without the Congress approval 2. Wilson gave many speech that almost caused him death to convince the people of the League of Nations b. The Senate Rejects the Versailles Treaty i. Many votes went for the Treaty but each one was defeated ii. Unable to maintain peace among nations

Section 4: Effects of the War


1. WWI produced an unstable international order a. America was doing okay 2. America Adjusts to Peace a. WWI produces significant economic, political, social and cultural changed throughout America and the world b. Flu Epidemic Grips the Nation i. September 1918 a deadly form of the flu surfaced 1. Originally a bird disease that mutated to spread to humans ii. Originated in the US then spread around the world 1. Pandemic iii. Killed millions worldwide 1. Gave the people a feeling of doom since it happened straight after the war c. Women and African Americans Confront New Realities i. Made advances during the war 1. Job opportunities ii. Postwar recession created a competitive job market 1. 1920, fewer women in the work force than 1910 iii. AA lose jobs and housing to the returning soldiers 1. Race riots erupted a. Worse in Chicago. Whites drowned a young black i. Riot went on for days b. Tulsa Riot i. AA veterans were protecting a young black man from lynching (death by a mob) 1. 10 whites died. 26 AA died. c. One AA neighborhood got 35 blocks burnt down by whites d. Inflation Leads to Labor Unrest i. Inflation-rising prices- was in check during the war 1. After the war, many people rushed to buy consumer goods rather than war bonds a. These goods werent in surplus b. Caused Inflation due to demand 2. During war, prices of corn, wheat, cotton, cattle, etc. raised a. After war, the prices fell making it difficult for farmers to pay their mortgages or buy what they needed for the next season i. Tough time for farmers ii. Industiral workers wages did not allow them to buy much 1. 1919, 4 million workers went on strike

a. Demanding rewards for their patriotism- they wanted higher wages and shorter workdays i. Police struck in Boston 3. The Red Scare a. The new Soviet Union made many Americans fear communists i. Lenin supported revolutions for communists b. Fear of Communism Starts the Red Scare i. Red Scare- a wave of widespread fear of suspected communists and radicals thought to be plotting revolution within the US 1. Bombs were discovered mailed to important people 2. Radical political movement set off bombs all across the US ii. Palmer Raids 1. Police arrested thousands of people some who were radicals and some who were simply from Southern or Eastern Europe 2. Most were never charged 3. Government deported hundreds of radicals iii. American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 1. Become involved in court cases to protect liberties c. Sacco and Vanzetti Are Executed i. Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo- Vanzetti Italian immigrants and anarchists 1. Charged for shooting and killing 2 men at a holdup 2. Eyewitnesses said the robbers looked Italian a. Arrested and charge with the crime b. ACLU provide help but they were convicted i. No real evidence was against them 1. More on their ethnicity and political beliefs ii. The aftermath of the crime characterized the Red Scare 1. Mobs attacked radicals, hurt immigrants and committed crimes for justice iii. Fear ended 1. Saw that democracy and capitalism is more powerful 4. Americans Embrace Normalcy a. Warren G, Harding elected President next after Wilson i. Final rejection to the League of Nations ii. Rejected Wilsonian idealism iii. Called for the return to normalcy b. A Quiet American Giant i. 1920, US was an economic giant 1. Richest, most industrialized country in the world 2. Europeans had to borrow money from American bankers and make a line of credit through America ii. Creditor nation 1. Other countries owed America more money than we owed them

2. Economic center went from London to NYC 3. Embraced its new role of power c. The World Adjusts to a New Order i. German and Russian monarchies toppled and new government took place ii. Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman Empire no longer existed iii. France and Britain came out of war economically and politically weak 1. America came out strong

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