1. THE LOST GENERATION: The US & WWI

2. US Problems After Declaration of War
No armed forces
Jan US forces = 200,000 (three million needed)
Selective Service Act (May 1917)
“Random” drawing of all men 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

3. 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

4. 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

9. 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
11:00 AM…armistice goes into affect

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. -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