Global Involvements and World War I 1902-1920 Chapter 22 Global Involvements and World War I 1902-1920

Introduction We will focus on U.S. foreign policy from 1902 to 1920 Concentrating on U.S. involvement in WWI 1.) What objectives underlay U.S. foreign policy in Asia and Latin America? 2.) Why did the United States enter WWI in 1917?

Introduction (cont.) 3.) How did U.S. participation in WWI affect Americans at home? 4.) During the war, how did the role of govt.in the U.S. economy and in people’s lives generally change? 5.) What part did President Wilson play in creating the League of Nations, and why did the U.S. Senate reject U.S. membership in the organization?

Defining America’s World Role, 1902-1914 The “Open Door”: Competing for the China Market American businessmen who dreamed of penetrating the Chinese market became alarmed at developments there European powers were forcing the weak Chinese govt. to lease that country’s ports to them Then they closed those ports to trade and investment by business of any country but their own

The “Open Door”: Competing for the China Market (cont.) U.S. Sec. of State John Hay attempted to aid American business by sending his 1899 Open Door notes to the European powers involved

The “Open Door”: Competing for the China Market (cont.) Hay asked them to keep their leased Chinese ports open to trade and investment from all countries on equal terms He received noncommittal replies Soon afterwards, the United States joined the European countries involved in China in putting down a Chinese uprising against foreign imperialists the Boxer Rebellion 1899-1901

The “Open Door”: Competing for the China Market (cont.) Some of the countries wanted to use the rebellion as an excuse for carving China into colonies for themselves Hay announced U.S. opposition to this plan in his 1900 Open Door notes He asked all countries to respect the territorial integrity of China Repeated the demand for equal trading and investment opportunities there

The “Open Door”: Competing for the China Market (cont.) The Open Door notes became a cornerstone of U.S. policy in Asia Helped shape the U.S.’s response to the Japanese drive to conquer China in the 1930’s

The Panama Canal: Hardball U.S. Diplomacy For commercial and strategic reasons, the U.S. wanted to build a canal across the Isthmus of Panama

The Panama Canal (cont.) In 1902, the U.S. negotiated a treaty leasing a canal zone from Colombia Colombia owned the isthmus at the time The Colombian senate rejected the treaty Hoped for more $$$$

The Panama Canal (cont.) Pres. Roosevelt then conspired with the directors of a bankrupt French company that had been trying earlier to build a canal The company hoped to profit from the U.S.’s taking over its land lease Philippe Bunau-Varilla, an official of the company, fomented revolution in Panama Roosevelt sent a U.S. warship in 1903 to see to it that the uprising succeeded

The Panama Canal (cont.) The U.S. then recognized Panama’s independence and negotiated a treaty leasing the land The U.S. Army was in charge of engineering the canal It opened in 1914 Historical pictures The imperialist methods Roosevelt used to seize the area created lasting ill toward the U.S. in Latin America

Canal Today

Roosevelt and Taft Assert U.S. Power in Latin America and Asia Roosevelt and Taft believed that the U.S. had to play an active role in world affairs Also they believed that they had to protect American interests in Latin America and Asia Dollar Diplomacy Taft concentrated particularly on promoting U.S. commercial interests abroad

Roosevelt and Taft Assert U.S. Power in Latin America and Asia (cont.) Roosevelt Corollary An addition to the Monroe Doctrine Was given in response to a threat that European nations might invade Dominican Republic to collect debts 1904 The Corollary warned European nations not to intervene in the Western Hemisphere The U.S. would act as policeman in Latin America Keeping order there and seeing that finances were handled properly and debts repaid

Roosevelt and Taft Assert U.S. Power in Latin America and Asia (cont.) Citing his corollary, Roosevelt had U.S. officials take over the Dominican Republic’s customs service and manage its foreign debt Taft, also using the corollary, sent marines into Nicaragua to protect U.S. investors there He also keep in power a govt. friendly to U.S. business interests The marines occupied Nicaragua from 1912-1933

Roosevelt and Taft Assert U.S. Power in Latin America and Asia (cont.) As part of his Asian policy, Roosevelt mediated an end to the Russo-Japanese War Roosevelt used his influence to obtain a peace settlement that maintained the balance of power in Asia Afterwards, he tried to improve U.S. relations with Japan by negotiating a gentlemen’s agreement He hoped Japan would limit emigration of its people to the U.S.

Roosevelt and Taft Assert U.S. Power in Latin America and Asia (cont.) Roosevelt hoped this would cool American prejudice Discrimination against Japanese immigrants in the western states continued anyway

Wilson and Latin America Wilson criticized Republican expansionism But he proved just as interventionist in Latin America as Roosevelt and Taft Wilson ordered marines to occupy the Dominican Republic and Haiti To keep order and create a favorable climate for American investors They stayed in D.R. until 1924 And in Haiti until 1934

Wilson and Latin America (cont.) Wilson repeatedly intervened in Mexico during its revolution He tried to bring to power leaders who were liberal, democratic, and friendly to capitalistic enterprise

Part II Conclusion U.S. foreign policy in Asia and Latin America from 1900 to 1914 showed that the U.S. was willing to become involved in foreign affairs to: keep order Encourage the kinds of govts. the U.S. approved Protect U.S. economic interests These same tendencies would later pull the country into WWI

The Perils of Neutrality Pres. Wilson proclaimed U.S. neutrality as soon as the war began He asked the American people to be neutral “in thought as well as in action” Most Americans agreed with Wilson that the U.S. should not fight But few had neutral feelings Wilson and the majority of Americans had emotional bonds with England

The Perils of Neutrality (cont.) In 1917, Wilson asked Congress to declare war on Germany Reasons for this change: 1.) Wilson became convinced that for the U.S. to shape the postwar settlement, it must participate in the fighting 2.) Wilson’s handling of the issue of neutral rights on the high seas pulled the country into a war with Germany

The Perils of Neutrality (cont.) The British violated our rights to trade by mining the North Sea and stopping ships and goods bound for Germany Wilson’s protests were not vigorous enough to prevent the British from ending almost all German-American trade Germany retaliated with unrestricted submarine warfare This led to injuries and the deaths of civilians, including Americans, in the sinking of Allied ships (Lusitania and Sussex)

The Perils of Neutrality (cont.) This led to injuries and the deaths of civilians, including Americans, in the sinking of Allied ships (Lusitania and Sussex) History Channel video

The Perils of Neutrality (cont.) In ever more threatening notes, Wilson warned Germany to stop unrestricted submarine warfare or the U.S. would break off diplomatic relations Some believed Wilson’s policies would needlessly pull the U.S.A. into the War

The Perils of Neutrality (cont.) 3.) American citizens between 1914 and 1917 developed a large economic stake in an Allied victory Made neutrality much more difficult U.S. trade with the Allies increased greatly American investors lent them $2.3 billion to finance the items that the U.S. continued to depend on for prosperity

The Perils of Neutrality (cont.) Between 1914 and 1917, the war on the Western Front in Europe degenerated into a bloody stalemate British propaganda in the U.S. charged that the Germans were committing atrocities

The Perils of Neutrality (cont.) The war was a major issue in the 1916 election American public still had desires of peace Wilson ran on reelection reminding voters he hadn’t gone to war Republican candidate, Charles Evans Hughes, sometimes called for a tougher stand against Germany Other times he criticized Wilson for having been too threatening

The Perils of Neutrality (cont.) Wilson’s close victory seemed to indicate that the majority of Americans still hoped to avoid participation in the conflict

The United States Enters the War Jan. 1917, Germany fully unleashed its U-boats Germany decided that full use of its submarines would contribute more to its victory than keeping the U.S. out of the war Wilson responded by breaking off diplomatic relations

The United States Enters the War (cont.) During Feb. and March, Germany U-boats attacked 5 American ships And the U.S. learned of the Zimmermann Note On April 2, 1917, Wilson asked Congress to declare war on Germany It did so after a short, bitter debate

The United States Enters the War (cont.) 3 important factors produced the declaration of war: German attacks on American shipping U.S. economic investment in the Allied cause American cultural links to the Allies

Mobilizing at Home, Fighting in France, 1917-1918 Raising, Training, and Testing an Army After declaring war on Germany, Congress passed the Selective Service Act About 3 million men were drafted Both volunteers and draftees were sent to home-front training camps War Dept. monitored their behavior Warning them of the dangers of sex and alcohol

Raising, Training, and Testing an Army (cont.) Psychologists administered their newly developed IQ tests Measured educational attainment and not intelligence 12,000 Native Americans served in the army Integrated with white troops 260,000 African Americans in the army Assigned to all black units

Raising, Training, and Testing an Army (cont.) The navy used blacks only in menial positions The marines excluded blacks entirely Racist civilians provoked clashes with African-American soldiers stationed in Houston

Organizing the Economy for War To mobilize the economy behind the war effort, the federal govt. imposed an unprecedented amount of regulation on American business It did this by creating thousands of special wartime agencies War Industries Board, Food Administration, U.S. Railroad Administration, etc.

Organizing the Economy for War (cont.) War Industries Board Allocated scarce materials Established production priorities Introduced more efficient production practices Food Administration Encouraged farmers to increase output Exhorting civilians to conserve food and fiber U.S. Railroad Administration Consolidated all the privately owned rail lines into one Govt. ran them for the rest of the War

Organizing the Economy for War (cont.) These govt. regulations were mostly dismantled after the armistice The govt. regulations also did not prevent soaring wartime profits or corporate mergers

Promoting the War and Suppressing Dissent Advertising the War Wilson believed that the federal govt. must promote unanimous support for the war Sec. of the Treasury William G. McAdoo pioneered in using advertising techniques and propaganda to sell war bonds Posters Parades Movie stars War bonds covered about 2/3’s of the war’s costs The rest came from increased federal income tax and other taxes

Advertising the War (cont.) Committee on Public Information George Creel Main job was to popularize the war Posters Advertisements News releases Films 75,000 speakers around the nation

Advertising the War (cont.)

Advertising the War (cont.)

Advertising the War (cont.) Many Progressive reformers, muckrakers, teachers, and religious leaders supported the war The U.S. was in a struggle to spread liberalism, democracy, and other American values

Wartime Intolerance and Dissent Fear and intolerance mounted Anti-German hysteria German-Americans were victimized Hatred of anyone who questioned America’s participation in the war Antiwar radicals were verbally and physically attacked

Opponents of the War Despite all the “patriotic” pressure, some Americans continued to oppose the war Some German-Americans Religious pacifists A minority of women’s rights and progressive leaders pointed out that the war was killing reform and unleashing reaction and intolerance Jane Addams Randolph Bourne

Opponents of the War (cont.) Many socialists branded the war a crusade to protect capitalists’ profits They also saw no reason for workers to die to enrich their bosses There was also considerable resistance to the draft in the rural South

Suppressing Dissent by Law Espionage and Sedition Acts Govt. attempt to silence these dissenters Made it a crime to criticize the war, govt., Constitution, or armed forces About 1,500 people were convicted and jailed Eugene Debs was the most famous The Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the laws with the “clear and present danger” doctrine

Economic and Social Trends in Wartime America Boom Times in Industry and Agriculture Stimulated by war, the American economy boomed The real income of farmers and unskilled workers rose significantly Thousands of workers streamed into industrial centers to take jobs in war plants The influx created terrible housing, school, and other shortages in the cities

African-Americans Migrate Northward Reduced immigration and soaring war production created labor shortages in northern industries Southern African-Americans learned of these new job opportunities Labor recruiters African-American-owned newspapers Letters Word of mouth

African-Americans Migrate Northward (cont.) About 500,000 African-Americans migrated to the North Hoped to escape southern racism and find good jobs In northern cities whites resented the African-American newcomers Competed for jobs Competed for housing Race riots broke out East St. Louis, IL July 2, 1917

East St. Louis race riots Iba B. Wells account of East St. Louis riots

Women in Wartime Many women’s rights activists hoped that the war would lead to equality for women During the war, thousands of women served in the military and in volunteer organizations About 1 million took jobs in industry

Women in Wartime (cont.) 19th Amendment Passed in 1920 Women’s suffrage Those holding well-paying jobs in industry generally were replaced by men returning form wartime service

Public Health Crisis: The 1918 Influenza Pandemic Towards the end of the war, a worldwide outbreak of influenza occurred Killed about 30 million people 6 times as many Americans died of the flu as were slaughtered in battle in France 555,000 Army camps and cities were hit the hardest

The War and Progressivism The war strengthened the prohibition movement Antiliquor forces argued that the “unpatriotic” German-American brewers should be put out of business The grain used to manufacture whiskey and gin would be better used to feed the armed forces

The War and Progressivism (cont.) 18th Amendment 1919 Banning the manufacture, transportation, or sale of alcoholic beverages The war also boosted the Progressive Era antiprostitution campaign Produced a brief flurry of protective labor laws But in most areas the intolerant, repressive war atmosphere stifled progressivism

Joyous Armistice, Bitter Aftermath, 1918-1920 Wilson’s Fourteen Points; the Armistice Wilson presented his fourteen-point peace plan in a speech to Congress in Jan. 1918 It included self-determination, impartial adjustment of colonial claims, freedom of the seas, reduced armaments, a world association of nations Wilson's Fourteen Points speech

Wilson’s Fourteen Points; the Armistice (cont.) Whether Wilson could get those ideas incorporated in the treaties signed at the end of the war remained to be seen Oct. 1918, revolutionaries in Germany overthrew the Kaiser and proclaimed a republic Nov. 11, 1918, the armistice was signed History Channel video

The Versailles Peace Conference, 1919

Palace of Versailles

The Versailles Peace Conference, 1919 (cont.) Wilson personally headed the American delegation to Versailles He appointed no prominent Republicans to the delegation This was a political mistake since a Republican-controlled Senate would have to ratify any treaty signed David Lloyd George Georges Clemenceau Vittorio Orlando

The Versailles Peace Conference, 1919 (cont.) The other members of the “Big 4” had no faith in the Fourteen Points They all wanted to punish Germany The Treaty of Versailles that was produced contained some of Wilson’s points Independence for Poland and the Baltic states Overall the Treaty was harsh and punitive

The Versailles Peace Conference, 1919 (cont.) The Treaty aroused resentment and desire for revenge in Germany History Channel video Wilson and the Allied leaders also attempted to overthrow the Bolsheviks in Russia They wanted to isolate and weaken the Communist-controlled Russia

The Fight over the League of Nations Dismayed at the treaty’s punitive features, Wilson concentrated his hopes on the League of Nations part of it In July 1919, Wilson submitted the Treaty of Versailles to the Senate for ratification The Senate twice failed to ratify by Treaty and the League of Nations by the necessary 2/3’s support Nov. 1919 March. 1920

The Fight over the League of Nations (cont.) Republican isolationists would not ratify the Treaty They believed the U.S. should stay out of European affairs Republican reservationists demanded changes in the treaty Led by Henry Cabot Lodge Wilson refused to accept any changes to the Treaty

Racism and Red Scare, 1919-1920 The war-generated intolerance and antiradical hysteria reached a peak in 1919-1920 Lynch mobs killed 76 blacks Race riots broke out in more than 25 cities The bloodies occurred in Chicago A rash of postwar strikes and a series of bombing incidents convinced many Americans that the country was on the verge of a communist uprising

Racism and Red Scare, 1919-1920 (cont.) To protect against this supposed danger, the Justice Department raided the homes and meeting places of suspected radicals and arrested more than 4,000 Led by A. Mitchell Palmer Most times, there was no evidence that they had committed any crime Aliens suspected of radicalism were deported

The Election of 1920 Democrats nominated James Cox Republicans nominated Warren G. Harding Appealed to the public with his promise of a return to “normalcy” Harding easily won Harding’s victory ended any chance for U.S. membership and participation in the League

Conclusion WWI brought death to 10 million people worldwide 112,000 Americans The War transformed American society Helped to pass the 18th and 19th Amendments Gave the country its first taste of active govt. regulation of the economy

Conclusion (cont.) Although Washington retreated from activism in the 1920’s and Progressive reform seemed dead, during the Great Depression of the 1930’s some of these WWI regulatory agencies and social programs would serve as models for the New Deal In the short run, the intolerance and repression that grew during the war arrested further Progressive reform