America at War: World War I

I. What conditions led to war? A. Nationalism – the belief that the interests of a single country were more important than cooperation among countries. B. Imperialism – countries tired to increase the power and influence around the world. C. Militarism – building up armies, navies, and other armed forces D. Alliance System – some countries in Europe had made treaties promising to defend each other. 1) Allies: France, Great Britain, and Russia 2) Central Powers: Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire

II. What sparked the war? A. In 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated. 1) He had been the heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary. 2) His killer was a Serb who wanted to unite all Serbs under one government. B. The alliance system had pulled one nation after another into the conflict.

III. Where did the fighting begin? A. Germany began by invading Belgium. 1) They planned to overrun France and then to attack Russia. B. By the spring of 1915, two lines of deep trenches had developed in France. 1) Between the two lines lay “no man’s land.” C. This bloody trench warfare continued for more than three years. D. Neither side gained territory, but more than one million soldiers died.

IV. How did Americans feel? A. In the United States, public opinion about the war was strong but divided. 1) Socialists saw the war as an imperialist struggle between Germany and English businessmen. 2) Pacifists believed that all wars were bad. 3) Many other Americans simply did not want to send their sons to war. B. Many naturalized U.S. citizens sill had ties to the countries they came from. C. Americans tended to sympathize with Great Britain and France. 1) They shared a common language and heritage with Britain. 2) They had strong economic ties with the Allies.

V. How did the war affect Americans? A. The war affected American shipping. 1) Great Britain set up a blockade around Germany. B. A German U-boat sank the British ship Lusitania, killing more than a thousand people, including 128 Americans. VI. Why did the U.S. join the war? A. In January 1917, Germany announced it would sink all ships in British waters on sight whether they were hostile or neutral. B. British agents intercepted the Zimmerman note, a telegram that proposed an alliance between Germany and Mexico against the United States. C. The replacement of the Russian monarchy with a representative government allowed America to characterize the war as a struggle of democracies against brutal monarchies. D. On April 6, 1917, at President Wilson’s request, Congress declared war on Germany. I. How did the U.S. prepare for war? A. The United States first needed to build up its armed forces. B. Congress passed the Selective Service Act. 1) It required men to register with the government so that some of them could be selected for military service. 2) This process – called the draft – put about 3 million men in uniform. C. Many African Americans served in the military. 1) They were placed in separate units. D. Women were not drafted. The army would not let them join. 1) Women served as nurses, secretaries, and telephone operators. E. The U.S. built ships to transport men and supplies to Europe. 1) Shipyard workers were exempted from the draft and the importance of their work was publicized.

II. How did the United States help? A. To reduce the loss of ships to German submarines attacks, the United States and Britain began to use the convey system. 1) Merchant ships traveled in a large group guarded by naval vessels. B. American soldiers helped turn the tide of battle in Europe. 1) Thousands of fresh American soldiers were eager for battle.

III. What new weapons were used? A. American infantrymen were called doughboys because of the white belts they wore and cleaned with pipe clay, or “dough.” B. The most innovative weapons were the tank and the airplane. C. Air warfare developed rapidly during the war. 1) Pilots went from shooting at each other with pistols to using mounted machine guns. D. New weapons and tactics made World War I very destructive. 1) Soldiers faced miserable conditions including filth, trench foot, and trench mouth, “shell shock” from constant bombardment, vermin, poison gas, and disease.

IV. How did American troops help end the war? A. American soldiers arrived in Europe just in time to stop a German advance on Paris. B. Germany exhausted from the war, finally agreed to an armistice on November 11, 1918. C. The war took a bloody toll, killing more than 22 million and causing untold suffering. I. How did business and government work together? A. To fight the war, the United States needed the help of industry. B. The economy had to change from making consumer goods to making weapons and war supplies. C. Congress gave President Wilson direct control over much of the economy. 1) He had the power to fix prices and to regulate war-related industries. D. The War Industries Board helped boost industrial production by 20 percent. 1) The Railroad Administration controlled the nation’s railroad. 2) The Fuel Administration watched over the use of coal, gasoline, and heating oil. E. The National Labor Board worked to settle disputes between management and labor. 1) It also helped to improve working conditions. F. Food Administration was established to help produce and conserve food supplies. 1) It encouraged people to grow their own food. 2) It taught them to eat differently. 3) Americans were able to send more food to Allies.

II. How did the government win over public opinion? A. The government needed to raise money for the war. B. They increased several kinds of taxes and by sold war bonds. 1) Famous people spoke at rallies to promote the sales. 2) Newspapers and billboards carried advertisements. C. The government created the Committee on Public Information (CPI), to popularize the war. 1) It was the nation’s first propaganda agency. 2) Artists and advertising people created thousands of posters, paintings, and cartoons to promote the war.

III. How did the war affect civil liberties? A. The war brought out anti-immigrant feelings. 1) Immigrants from Germany were targeted for attack. 2) Americans with German-sounding names lost their jobs. 3) Some towns with German names changed their names. B. Congress passed the Espionage and Sedition Acts to punish people who did not support the war effort. 1) People could not interfere with the draft or obstruct the sale of war bonds. 2) They could not even speak against the war effort. C. Socialists and union leaders were the chief targets of the Espionage and Sedition Acts.

IV. How did the war affect women and African Americans? A. African-American leaders were divided over the war. 1) W.E.B. Du Bois believed that helping the war effort would help the fight for equality. 2) Others believed that blacks should not help a government that did not support equality for everyone. B. Great Migration – was a movement of thousands of African Americans from the South to cities of the North. 1) They wanted to escape racial discrimination. 2) They also wanted to find jobs in Northern industries. C. Women did jobs that had previously been done only by men. 1) Worked as truck drivers, cooks, dockworkers, and builders. 2) Women volunteered in the Red Cross and sold war bonds. D. Women’s activities made them more visible. 1) After the war, Congress finally passed an amendment giving them the right to vote. E. A worldwide flu epidemic killed 500,000 Americans and caused disruptions in the American economy.

The War at Home

What were some of the accomplishments of the following wartime agencies and laws?

1) War Industries Board - Encouraged companies to use mass production and standardized products - Set production quotas, allocated raw materials - Conducted psychological testing to help people find the right jobs - Increased industrial production by 20% 2) Railroad Administration - Controlled the nation’s railroads 3) Fuel Administration - Regulated coal supplies, rationed gasoline and heating oil - Introduced day-light savings time 4) National War Labor Board - Reduced labor disputes, pushed for improved working conditions 5) Food Administration - Encouraged Americans to reduce their consumption of food voluntarily - Tripled food shipments to the Allies - Set a high government price for wheat 6) Committee on Public Information - Mobilized the nation’s artists and advertising people to popularize the war - Recruited 75,000 “Four Minute Men” to deliver pro-war speeches - Increased support for the war 7) Espionage and Sedition Acts - The prosecution of 2,000 people and the convictions of more than 1,000 - Loss of mailing privileges for publications that criticized the war - Firing of people opposed to the war - Imprisonment of Eugene V. Debs, Emma Goldman, and Bill Haywood

What changes did the war bring about for the following groups of Americans?

8) Immigrants - Many lost their jobs - Some were attacked and killed 9) African Americans - Great Migration involved the massive movement of African Americans from Southern rural areas to Northern cities – caused problems but improved economic conditions - African American soldiers served under African American officers 10) Women - Many women moved into jobs traditionally held by men - Women’s wartime efforts encouraged passage of the Nineteenth Amendment, which recognized their right to vote I. What were Wilson’s peace plans? A. President Wilson’s plan for world peace was called the Fourteen Points. B. The first five points suggested ways that wars could be avoided. 1) Countries should not make secret treaties with one another. 2) Freedom of the seas should be maintained. 3) Tariffs should be lowered to promote free trade. 4) Countries should reduce their arms. 5) The interests of colonial people should be considered. C. The next eight points suggested new national boundaries. D. Wilson believed in self-determination: different ethnic groups should be able to decide for themselves what nation they would belong to. E. The fourteenth point called for a League of Nations. 1) The international organization would address problems between countries before they led to war. F. Wilson met with leaders of France and Great Britain, George Clemenceau and David Lloyd George, to discuss the terms of peace. 1) These leaders had won the war, and they wanted to punish Germany. G. Wilson had to give up most of his Fourteen Points. 1) The one he insisted on was the League of Nations.

II. What did the treaty say? A. On June 28, 1919, the leaders of the Allies and the Central Powers signed the Treaty of Versailles. B. The treaty created new national boundaries. 1) Established nine new nations, including Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia 2) Shifted the boundaries of other nations 3) Carved out parts of the Ottoman Empire to create colonies in the Middle East for Great Britain and France C. The treaty took away Germany’s army and navy 1) It forced Germany to pay reparations, or war damages, to the winners. 2) The treaty contained a war-guilt clause; Germany had to admit it was responsible for causing the war. D. The Treaty of Versailles had three basic weaknesses. 1) Its harsh treatment of Germany. 2) The Soviet Union lost more territory than Germany did and suffered more causalities than any other country. 3) The treaty did not recognize the claims of colonies for self- determination in Southeast Asia. E. Wilson brought the treaty back to the United States for approval. 1) He found several groups opposed it. F. The main opposition to the treaty was over the League of Nations. 1) Conservative senators did not like the idea of working with other countries to take economic and military action against aggression. 2) Wilson refused to compromise. G. The Senate failed to ratify the treaty. 1) The United States never entered the League of Nations. 2) The United States signed a separate treaty with Germany in 1921.

III. What was the legacy of the war? A. The war had transformed the United States and the world. B. World War I had strengthened both U.S. military power and the power of the government. C. It accelerated change for African Americans and women. D. The propaganda campaign left a legacy of mistrust and fear. E. In Europe, the war left a legacy of massive destruction, loss of life, political instability, and violence. 1) Communists ruled in Russia and soon after the war fascist organizations seized power in Italy. F. Americans hoped that the war had convinced the world to never fight again. 1) In Germany, Adolf Hitler exploited Germans’ discontent with the Treaty of Versailles and threatened to fight again. The Home Front

I. Organizing Industry A. President Wilson and Congress wanted to establish a cooperative relationship between big business and government 1) They wanted to ensure efficient use of resources during the mobilization of the American economy for war B. War Industries Board – created to coordinate the production of war materials 1) The WIB worked with business leaders, telling industries what they could and could not make C. The Food Administration, under the direction of Herbert Hoover, was responsible for increasing food production while reducing consumption 1) Hoover asked people to raise their own vegetables in order to leave more food for the troops 2) The Fuel Administration encourage people to conserve coal and oil 3) Daylight savings time was introduced to conserve energy D. To raise money to pay for the war, the government raised income taxes and created new taxes 1) It also borrowed money from the American people through Liberty Bonds and Victory Bonds 2) By buying bonds, Americans were loaning the government money that would be repaid with interest in a specified number of years

II. Mobilizing the Workforce A. To prevent workers from striking during the war, the government established the National War Labor Board in 1918 1) In exchange for wage increases, an eight-hour workday, and the right to organize unions and bargain collectively, labor leaders agreed not to disrupt war production with a strike B. The war increased the need for women in the workforce 1) The took factory and manufacturing jobs and positions in shipping and railroad industries 2) After the war, women returned to their previous jobs or left the workforce C. With the flow of European immigrants cut off and large numbers of white workers being drafted, the war opened new doors for African Americans 1) Between 300,000 and 500,000 Africans Americans left the South to settle in the North 2) This “Great Migration” changed the racial makeup of many northern cities

III. Ensuring Public Support A. The government wanted to make sure that the public supported the war B. Committee of Public Information (CPI) – agency to “sell” the idea of war to the American people 1) Pamphlets and speeches helped deliver patriotic messages C. Espionage Act of 1917 – set up consequences for people who aided the enemy D. Sedition Act of 1918 – went a step further by making it illegal to criticize the president or the government E. Suspicions of disloyalty led to the mistreatment of German Americans 1) Anti-German feelings sometimes led to violence 2) Radical labor activists, socialists, pacifists, and anyone appearing disloyal also came under attack F. The Supreme Court limits freedom of speech 1) In 1917, two people were convicted of violating the Espionage Act 2) The defendants in the case had distributed leaflets promoting draft resistance 3) They argued that their First Amendment right to free speech was violated by their conviction 4) In Schenck v. United States, the Supreme Court ruled that an individual’s freedom of speech could be curtailed if the words created a “clear and present danger” 5) According to the Court, many things that could be said in peacetime might be dangerous during wartime