A Bloody Conflict

Combat Trench Warfare – “No man’s land” – Major battles left several thousand men dead 1915 Poison Gas – Vomiting, blindness, suffocation 1916 British tanks – Slow, unreliable, easy to destroy Aerial Combat – Dogfights Convoys – Allowed American troops to arrive safely

Russia March 1917 – Riots broke out – Czar Nicholas II abdicated his throne – Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin establish a Communist government – Treaty of Brest-Litovsk Russia lost territory, but Germany removed themselves from remaining Russian land

Wilson’s Fourteen Points January of 1919 “the principle of justice to all peoples and nationalities” – First Five-Eliminate War Free trade Disarmament Freedom of seas Impartial adjustment of colonial claims Open diplomacy, not secret agreements – Next 8- Rights of self-determination Evacuate all countries invaded during war League of nations – Help preserve peace and prevent future wars

Treaty of Versailles U.S., G.B., France, Italy Wilson did not agree with other Allies – Stripped of armed forces – Made to pay 30 billion in repartitions – Acknowledge guilt for WWI – However, Wilson was pacified by the idea of his League of Nations being created U.S. Senate rejects the treaty – “entangling alliance” Worried that league could supersede Congress Went to the people (30 speeches in 3 weeks) By 1921 U.S. signed peace treaties with Central Powers and never ratified his plan.

The War’s Impact Canadian Soldiers in Germany British Fleet

The Economy Inflation  Cost of living increases  Unrest Union membership increased  Easier organization – National War Labor Board Grant concessions to workers By the end of 1919, more than 3,600 strikes involving more than 4 million workers had taken place. Seattle General Strike of shipyards – Actions worried many Americans Boston Police Strike – Workers fired Steel Strike – Immigrants targeted

Society Racial Unrest – Competition for jobs Red Scare – 1919 strikes led to strong communist fears – Soviet Union Created Communist International Organization for coordinating the activities of Communist parties in other countries Palmer Raids – U.S Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer – General Intelligence Division (FBI) – Detained & deported any one they suspected – Never supplied any hard evidence – Limited immigration 1920 campaign – Republican Warren G. Harding – A return to “normalcy”