1. America and World War I

2. The Great War in Europe Quickly spiraled out of control Total War
Spread and reach of conflict affected all aspects of society
Loss of civilians and infrastructure
All elements business, economy, agriculture, etc, used to support war effort
Trench Warfare
Made necessary by the accuracy of improved weapons
In northern France- 6,250 miles of trenches
Misery of the trenches
New Technologies
Airplanes, submarines (u-boats), and tanks as transport
Chemical warfare- chlorine and mustard gas
Improved Machine guns
Connected to America in WWI- start with

3. Neutrality
From the outbreak of war in Europe, President Woodrow Wilson called for Americans not to take sides
Called for Americans to be ‘neutral in thought as well as in deed’
In sentiment and allegiance not really neutral- heavily favored Britain and France
Wilson believed trade with warring countries was necessary
Most US trade of the time was with the Allied Powers
After a few years, fighting nations were in need of loans
US loaned $2.25 billion to the Allies, only $27 million to the Central Powers

4. The Lusitania
May 7, 1915
Civilian passenger ship torpedoed by a German U Boat off the coast of Ireland- sank in 20 mins.
Killed 1,198 people
128 Americans
Outrage, but did not enter the War

5. Towards War Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
1917- Germany resumes plan to target and attack ships providing aide to the Allied Powers
Germany was attempting the win the war quickly, despite the risk of antagonizing Wilson

6. The Zimmerman Note
March British intelligence sends Wilson an intercepted telegram between German foreign minister Alfred Zimmerman and German ambassador to Mexico
Telegram proposed an alliance between Germany and Mexico if the US joined the War
Promised to help Mexico recover lost territory- Texas, New Mexico, California, Arizona
Last straw- Wilson asks Congress for a declaration of war
Claiming our role would be to end German Militarism and “make the world safe for democracy”

7. Over There
1917- Russia had cut a deal with Germany- destabilized by the Bolshevik revolution, and Italy had been beaten
US assumed an active role in the conflict very quickly
US raised an army of 5 million- volunteer and draft
American troops assisted in pushing German army back at the Battle of the Somme
Influx of American troops forced the Central Powers to ask for peace

8. Over Here
In 1917, over 1/3 of the US was of foreign decent- close ties to warring countries in Europe
Over 10 million from Central Powers nations; Irish hated the English
To raise support for the war, Wilson created the Committee on Public Information (CPI) to distribute pro- war propaganda
Anti-German Sentiment
Immigrants from Germany and Ireland strongly supported neutrality and criticized US support of the Allies
Once we entered the war- hunting for spies in the German communities
German schools and newspapers were closed-

9. Over Here cont. Removing German elements from the culture-
Germans were called "Huns." In the name of patriotism, musicians no longer played Bach and Beethoven, and schools stopped teaching the German language. Americans renamed sauerkraut "liberty cabbage"; dachshunds "liberty hounds"; and German measles "liberty measles." Cincinnati, with its large German American population, even removed pretzels from the free lunch counters in saloons.
Vigilante actions against Germans in the community- often without consequence

10. Espionage and Sabotage Act
1917- Espionage Act allowed postal service to ban anti-war written work- and threatened those encouraged draft dodging with jail time
1918- Sabotage and Sedition Act- made it a federal offense to use "disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive language" against the US government
Bisbee deportation- Over 1100 striking mine workers were rounded up and shipped off into the New Mexico desert without food or water
Strikers seen as threatening the economy and therefore the war effort

11. Most Significant Battles
Battle of the Marne
Initial surprise invasion by Germany- ended in stalemate
Battle of Verdune
France in one of the most brutal encounters of the war- massive losses with very little advantage gained
Battle of Ypres
Multiple battles at this location first use of chemical warfare by Germany
Battle of the Somme
July-Nov. of massive losses- gained 3 miles
Total Casualties- 8.5 million
Allied Powers- 5.1 million
Central Powers- 3.3 million
The Lost Generation

12. Treaty of Versailles
Exhausted European powers agreed to an armistice on November 11, 1918
Treaty of Versailles signed on June 28, 1919
Dissolution of Austria Hungary and The Ottoman Empire
Germany forced to take responsibility of the war- forced to accept territorial losses and military restrictions

13. Wilson’s 14 points
When peace talks began- Woodrow Wilson put forth his plan, called his 14 points
In it, called for an association of nations to keep the peace and mediate problems- called the League of Nations- precursor to the UN
Believed League needed to include Germany to prevent further conflict from breaking out in Europe- not popular
Finally accepted, although he did not prevent the ‘War Guilt’ Clause
On his return, the US Congress refused to join the League- Wilson spent the rest of his life trying to convince them

14. Works Cited
Mintz, S., & McNeil, S. (2016). World War I. Digital History. Retrieved January 28, 2016, from raID=11&smtID=2