America and the Great War Chapter 23

I. The Road to War The Collapse of the European Peace –Imperialism, Nationalism and Militarism –Alliances –Archduke Franz Ferdinand: Sarajevo, Bosnia, June 28, 1914 –The Dominos fall…

Wilson’s Neutrality 1914 “Maintain impartial thought as well as deed” = Impossible Social – Economic – Submarines –

Preparedness Versus Pacifism 1916 Election year Divided factions in the US: TR v. Bryan and LaFollette

The War for Democracy –Wilson in need for support of war –Germans become desperate

The War for Democracy Continued –Two events to get the United States involved –April 2, 1917 Wilson asks Congress for a declaration of war… would not receive it until April 6… dissent was strong.

II. “War Without Stint” Entering the War –Most immediate affect seen at sea –V.I. Lenin negotiates treaty with Germany –Eastern front troops would soon be available on the Western Front

The American Expeditionary Force –Army shortcomings –Selective Service Act = Draft –New Army referred to themselves as The American Expeditionary Force (AEF) –Trench life = horrible

The American Expeditionary Force Again –1/10 soldiers gets VD –Diverse fighting force – –The introduction of the IQ test and “morons”

The Military Struggle –intense, brief fighting: European forces exhausted –Eight months after US entry into the war in Spring 1918, the war was over –

III. The War and American Society Organizing the Economy for War –$32 Billion in expenses spent in war by USA… this was in a time when the entire federal budget seldom exceeded $1 billion before 1915 and GNP was only $35 billion in 1910 –“Liberty Bonds” –New taxes brining in $10 billion –Council of National Defense organized economy into different sectors based on function rather than geographic…(transportation, food, fuel supplies)

Organizing the Economy for War –War Industries Board: wielded powers greater than any other government agency before it –appeared to be in line with Progressive ideals, but actually enhanced the private sector through a mutually beneficial alliance –prevailing belief that a close relationship between gov’t and business should continue after the war

Labor and the War –National War Labor Board est –Union membership increased by more than 1.5 million between 1917 and 1919 –1914 Ludlow Massacre (Colorado)

Economic and Social Results of the War –War caused a boom in the economy –Employment opportunity for women and minorities –“Great Migration” of blacks from rural South to urban centers in the North – Huge increases in Northern black population regardless (see p. 785) July 2, 1917 white mob attacked a black neighborhood in St. Louis –

Economic and Social Results of the War Continued –1 million women worked in jobs that were previously thought of as male preserves: steel, munitions, trucking, public transportation –After war was over, almost all of the women working in previously male industrial jobs quit or were fired, the result: the percentage of women working for wages actually declined between 1910 and 1920

IV. The Search for Social Unity Progressive ideal: that war would lead America to unite behind a great common cause and create a lasting sense of collective purpose

The Peace Movement –German Americans: opposed American intervention –Irish Americans: opposed any support of British –

Women and The Peace Movement Opposition – Support –

Selling the War and Suppressing Dissent Many Americans opposed to the war prior to declaration, but make a “spontaneous decision” to support the president, the government and the “boys” overseas – Religious revivalism connected to war effort: Billy Sunday Government leaders concerned about significant minorities who continued to oppose the war even after the United States entered it

Selling the War and Suppressing Dissent Continued –Committee on Public Information (CPI) started with theory of only distributing the “facts”… but tactics grew crude – began to make efforts to suppress dissent –

Selling the War and Suppressing Dissent Continued Again –Espionage Act of 1917 –Sabotage and Sedition Acts of 1918

Selling the War and Suppressing Dissent Still Continued –Biggest target was Socialist Party and IWW members –Vigilante Mobs assembled to “discipline” war opponents –American Protective League

Selling the War and Suppressing Dissent Concluded –Most frequent targets of repression were Irish: expressed hopes of a German victory prior to 1917 Jews: expressed opposition to the anti-Semitic policies of the Russian gov’t German American Community: public opinion turns bitterly hostile, even though many Germans supported American war effort after 1917 –

The Search For A New World Order The Fourteen Points –January 8, 1918 Wilson appeared before Congress to present the principles for which he claimed the nation was fighting… became known as The Fourteen Points –First: eight specific recommendations for adjusting postwar boundaries and for establishing new nations to replace defunct Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman Empires… reflected his belief in the right of all peoples to self-determination

The Fourteen Points Continued –Second: five general principles to govern international conduct in the future –Third: a proposal for a league of nations that would help implement these new principles and territorial adjustments and resolve future controversies

The Fourteen Points Continued Again –Flaws –Reflected belief that the world was capable of just and efficient government as were individual nations, human race was capable of living in peace… reflection of Progressive Ideals –Fourteen Points was also a response to Bolshevik government in Russia

Early Obstacles –Abroad –Leaders of Allied powers were preparing to reject Wilson’s plan even before the armistice was signed » –Enormous amount of bitterness towards Germans from France and Britain –At Home – –Wilson believed the world would follow his lead

The Paris Peace Conference –Wilson looked upon as a savior in Europe… greeted by the largest crowd in Paris’s history –GB, France, Italy and US all represented at Peace conference –

The Paris Peace Conference Continued –Many of Wilson’s plans shot down: freedom of the seas, free trade –Reparations –Wilson Victories –

The Ratification Battle –many Americans were comfortable with their country’s isolationism… now in a new major commitment to internationalism –

Wilson’s Ordeal –exhausting cross country speaking tour –Final 18 months of Presidency: paralyzed and unstable –Senate adds amendments and reservations… Wilson orders original document to be accepted or no document at all –League of Nations never passes the United States Congress

VI. A Society in Turmoil Aftermath of war did not usher in an age of liberal reform that progressives had predicted, but a period of repression and reaction

Industry and Labor –fighting ended sooner than anyone could have anticipated… gov’t contracts to businesses cut off –raging inflation in response to poor abandonment of wartime price controls –

Industry and Labor Continued –1919: over 3,600 strikes in response to employees rescinding war time benefits – –“Where is that Democracy for which we fought?”

The Demands of African Americans –AA veterans marched in the main streets of industrial cities with other returning troops, but then again through the streets of black neighborhoods, –

The Demands of African Americans Chicago, segregated beach on Lake Michigan, young black boy stoned to death by whites – New characteristic: Blacks fighting back – Marcus Garvey –

The Red Scare –white middle class fearing of instability and radicalism –Communist International: “Comintern” purpose to spread communist revolution around the world –Terror in the US

The Red Scare Continued –Results

The Red Scare Continued Again –Palmer Raids –Sacco and Vanzetti

The Retreat from Idealism –passage of 19th Amendment did not mark the beginning of an era of reform, but rather the ending of one –Social problems combine to create a general sense of disillusionment –WW hoped the 1920 election would be a referendum on the League of Nations… Ohio Governor James M. Cox was the Democratic Candidate / FDR was VP –Harding has no ideals, but promises a “return to normalcy”