THE LOST GENERATION: The US & WWI

US Problems After Declaration of War No armed forces Jan. 1917 US forces = 200,000 (three million needed) Selective Service Act (May 1917) “Random” drawing of all men 18-35 for drafting into service Local draft boards selected on favoritism 2 million troops served in Europe 400,000 African Americans in segregated units Women served as non-combat personnel at lower pay

Converting to a “wartime” economy How to create & ship war material to Europe when none existed Exempted shipyard workers for draft to keep them working US Govt. campaign to connect shipping w/ patriotism Ship building companies created “assembly line” system for building Govt. nationalized cargo ships Temporarily took over control of privately owned & operated ships for war use Convoy System Using navy destroyers to protect merchant ships from attack in “U” sailing shape

The War Abroad Gen. John Pershing commanded American Expeditionary Force (AEF) New Weapons changing war Machine gun (repeater rifle) Armored Tanks Airplanes All technology raised large casualty rates General used 19th century tactics to fight 20th century war Shellshock—nervous breakdown from continual gunfire Poison gas—mustard gas burned lungs causing suffocation Trench foot—standing in mud and on top of dead bodies

US Offensive End of war May 1917—Germans 50 miles from Paris US troops stop German attack at Chateau-Thierry (June 1918) Allies break German lines at 2nd Battle of Marne (Aug. 1918) Meuse Argonne leads to full German retreat End of war German military mutinies against Kaiser Nov. 3, 1918 Kaiser deposed to Holland—German govt. sues for peace 11/11/18 @ 11:00 AM…armistice goes into affect

The War At Home Shifting the US Economy to Win the War War Industries Board Govt. program to convince companies to streamline Set production goals and allocated raw materials to war industries Also rationed material stateside (“gasless Sundays” “lightless nights”) Food Administration Govt. program advocating conservation of food for soldiers Program to plant “victory gardens” in parks to aid in feeding soldiers

Committee on Public Information Funding the War $35 billion war bill paid through income tax revenue and “sin taxes” Liberty bonds Low interest investments to aid temporary govt. spending Committee on Public Information George Creel’s commission to use public awareness campaigns to bolster public support for war

Curtailing civil rights Immigrants German immigrants persecuted, forced to sign loyalty oaths Classical music by German composers banned Any reference to German heritage (ex. German Measles = liberty measles) eliminated Espionage & Seditions Acts (1918) Carried a $10,000 fine & 20 year prison term if convicted of saying any disloyal or abusive comments against the war effort Led to 2,000 prosecutions

The Great Migration Period of large movement of African Americans from south to northern cities Blacks seeking industrial jobs in urban areas Helped by lack of immigration from Europe during WWI

Women in the War Many work as volunteers and encouraged the sale of war bonds Work in factories until the men come home (small amount) Jane Adams and many others involved in the peace movement Helped get the passing of the 19th Amendment in 1920 granting women the right to vote

-Flu Epidemic of 1918 Many people dying (cities run out of coffins) seemed to strike the healthiest of people, and they would die in a matter of days +1/4 of soldiers caught the disease in the end +500,000 Americans died killed more than 30 million people world wide