The Emergence
of the United
States as a
World Power
1898-1920
Chapter 8
World War I and Its
Aftermath
WWI
An Overview
•1914-1918 (US- 1917-1918)
•30+ Nations
•New deadly technology
•30 Million Dead
•Cost $350 Billion
•Ended 4 Empires &
redrew the map of Europe
•First “Total War”
•Set stage for WWII 20 yrs later
I.
The Road to WWI
A. Woodrow Wilson’s Diplomacy:
MORAL DIPLOMACY
1. Encourage Democracy
a. Promotes stability & prosperity
b. Historically, democracies tend to
not engage in war with each other
2. US to lead by MORAL example
B. Mexican Revolution: 1911
1. Diaz the dictator– supported US, but…..
a. land in hands of few
b. majority are poor and landless
c. This situation leads to revolution
2. Madero
a. supported democracy, but failed to
implement it in Mexico
b. overthrown and murdered by
Huerta
3. Gen. Huerta
a. brutal leader. opposed by the US
b. US armed/supported his
opponents
4. Tampico Incident: US sailors arrested
briefly in Mex. US demands apology,
Mex. Refuses – opportunity to overthrow
Huerta! – send US Marines – seize port
of Vera Cruz
- Mexicans outraged!
5. Carranza became Mexico’s President
6. Pancho Villa
a. leader of Mex. guerilla group
b. raided Columbus, NM to draw US
intervention against Carranza
c. US sent 6000 troops under
Pershing to chase him – never got him
7. Wilson’s “Moral Imperialism”
a. Effect on US/Latin American relations:
damaged! Seen as no improvement
over TR’s “Big Stick”
b. Wilson sent US Marines to
Nicaragua, Haiti, Dominican Republic.
Why? To preserve order & set up gov’t
that he hoped would be more stable &
democratic
Outbreak of WWI – Europe
Causes of WWI
1. entangling Alliances:
Mutual Defense Alliance = agreement where
member nations are bound to come to each other’s
aid in the event of attack or threat
a. European leaders believed that
alliances provided nat’l security by
creating a balance of power in Europe.
* opposing alliances of relatively equal
strength = peace
b. The Main Alliances in Europe
1) Triple Alliance =
Germany
Austria-Hungary
Italy
2) Triple Entente =
France
Britain
Russia
Entangling Alliances
c. The danger of alliances: When a member of
an alliance was threatened, other members
are pledged to support it. So…. Localized
skirmishes could easily grow into full scale
war.
d. How alliances contributed to WWI
1) Austria-Hungary and Serbia
belonged to rival alliances
2) Austria blamed Serbia for the
assassination of Franz Ferdinand
3) The members of opposing
alliances became involved and
war spread throughout Europe
2. Militarism:
a policy of aggressively building up a
nation’s armed forces and the willingness to
use force to settle international problems
a. each European nation wanted stronger
armed forces than those of any
potential enemy
a. Many European nations had large
armies b/c of conscription
conscription: a draft requiring people to
enter military service, which
produced large permanent
(standing) armies
1) Germany’s army was the largest and
best equipped
2) To keep up, other nations increased
conscription to strengthen their
forces
b. Naval Race
1) British Navy was the strongest in
the world. As an island nation,
Britain relied on its navy for
protection and to protect shipping
routes to and from its colonies.
2) Germany hoped to become a major
naval power to compete with Britain
3) Naval Race is on - eventually France,
Italy, Japan and US join this naval
race
c. Arms Race: stockpiling of new weapons
and ammunition
mustard gas
U Boats
(Unterseeboot)
Flame Throwers
tanks
machine guns
airplanes
Zeppelins
new hand grenades & more!
3. Nationalism:
(2 definitions –
a. nationalism 1: a devotion to the culture and
interests of one’s homeland above other
countries (often with the belief that it is
better and more important than other countries)
- nations behaving in their own selfinterest led to conflict when such
actions went against the nat’l
interest of an opposing nation
Example: Germany conquered Alsace-Lorraine, a resource-rich region along
Germany-France border, in 1871. Germany valued this property because of its
resources and historic ties to Germany. The French however, considered a
return of this property a matter of national pride.
Alsace-Lorraine
b. The second kind of nationalism
occurred in countries with diverse
ethnic populations. The quest for selfdetermination amongst some of these
ethnic groups led to conflict in Europe,
especially in Central and Eastern
Europe
Self Determination = the belief that
nations should have their own country
and gov’t
1) various ethnic groups resented
domination by others and longed
for their nations to be independent
- millions of Slavs were ruled by
Austria-Hungary (Hungarians and
German-speaking Austrians) and
they wanted independence
- Russia (in a competing alliance from
Austria-Hungary) was a Slavic
nation and wished to protect Slavs
living under Austria-Hungarian rule
2) also another competing movement
to unite the German-speaking
people in the region
4. Imperialism: the actions used by one nation to
exercise political or economic control over a
smaller or weaker nation.
a. competition to develop vast empires caused
tension and conflict
b. Europeans competed for new colonies.
Colonies supplied the European imperial
powers with raw materials, and
markets for manufactured goods
c. As Germany industrialized, it competed
with France and Britain in the contest for
colonies
Competition for
Samoan islands
B. The Spark that ignites WWI June 14, 1914
1. The assassination of Archduke Franz
Ferdinand
a. heir to? Austria-Hungary throne
b. by whom? Gabriel Principe
(Bosnian Serb, a member of Black Hand
– a group of Bosnians who wanted
freedom from Serbia)
Gavrilo Princip
– the assassin
The Archduke Franz
Ferdinand and his
family
2. The Guns of August- Who’s shootin’ who?
July 28,1914: Austria-H declares war on
Serbia - Russia begins mobilizing
Aug. 1,1914 – Germany declares war on
Russia - France begins mobilizing
Aug. 3,1914 – Germany declares war on
France
Aug 4,1914 – Germany invades Belgium
(rape of Belgium) - Britain declares war on
Germany
Aug 6, 1914 – Austria-H declares war on
Russia
Aug 12, 1914 – France and Britain declare
war on Austria-H Whew!...
Entangling Alliances in Action
This cartoon - 'A Chain of Friendship' - appeared in the American newspaper the Brooklyn
Eagle in July 1914. The caption read: “If Austria attacks Serbia, Russia will fall upon
Austria, Germany upon Russia, and France and England upon Germany.”
C. The War
1. Who’s fightin’ who?
a. Central Powers = Austria-Hungary +
Germany + Ottoman Empire + Bulgaria
b. Allies = France + Russia + Britain +
Italy + others (No US yet !)
WWI
• Allies
• Central
Powers
• Neutral
(remember,
Belgium started
out neutral.
Why’d they
switch?)
2. Germany’s strategy? The Schlieffen Plan
a. plan: to defeat France in the west 1st
then take on the Russians in the east.
problem: to get to France, must go through
neutral Belgium - international outrage!
The Schlieffen Plan
The Rape of
Belgium
Aug 4, 1914
b. Russia invades Germany
--forces Germany into 2 front war
4. First Battle of the Marne Sept 6-12,1914
c. German advance west stopped with
Battle of the Marne
(German forces are just 30 miles from Paris-- French and British
forces stop the German advance-- stalemate and trench warfare
ensue)
d. Germany successful on eastern front –
Russia suffers
The dotted line on the map shows how
far the Germans had advanced into
France before the First Battle of the
Marne. As a result of the battle the
Germans were pushed back to the
solid line marked in red.
5. Moving Toward War
a. British Strategy? Naval Blockade of Germany
+ mine the North Sea
1) To keep Germany from obtaining supplies
2) Expanded definition of contraband
contraband: goods whose importation,
exportation, or possession is illegal
b. German Strategy? Get around blockade with
Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
1) U-boats plan to sink without warning any ship
in water around Britain
2) violation of int’l treaty requiring military vessels
to reveal their intentions to merchant ships and
make provisions for safety of the targeted
ship’s crew and passengers before sinking it
- Germans claim that many merchant
ships were actually warships in disguise.
The German U-Boat
5. The Lusitania, a British passenger liner was
sunk by Germany May 7, 1915
a. Germany had declared the seas around
Britain to be a war-zone. The German
embassy in the US
published a newspaper ad
warning people not to sail
on ships traveling in the
war zone
b. Germany torpedoed the
Lusitania off the SE coast
of Ireland
c. 1200 passengers killed,
including 128 Americans
d. a wave of protests and complaints
against Germany erupts
e. US insists that German gov’t
safeguard the lives of noncombatants
f. The US does not declare war on
Germany until 1917, but this event
turned public opinion solidly against
Germany
c. Sussex Pledge – Germans promise to sink no
more merchant ships w/o warning
- scenario behind the pledge: U-boat sinks
French passenger ship Sussex, injuring
several Americans. Wilson threatens war if
Germany does not abandon its policy
of unrestricted submarine warfare!
•1916 – Wilson reelected as “peace”
candidate.
US declares War – why? (2 major causes of US
entry into WWI)
1. Zimmermann Telegram Jan. 1917
a. Brit gov’t intercepts message from German
ambassador Zimmermann to the Mexican gov’t
b. Telegram asks Mexico to attack the US if war
broke out between the US and Germany
c. in exchange, Mexico would regain its “lost
territory” in TX, AZ, NM after the war.
d. Americans outraged!
I.
2. Unrestricted Submarine Warfare Feb
1917
a. Feb-March 1917 – Germany sinks 6
US merchant ships w/o warning
b. April 1917 – Wilson asks Congress for
Declaration of War
3. April 6, 1917 US declaration of War
against Germany
Senate vote: 82 to 6
II. The American view of WWI in Europe
A. The US declares official neutrality Aug 4,
1914 but…
neutrality: the state of not supporting or helping either
side in a conflict
1. The American population picks sides
a. German immigrants support Central Powers
b. Irish immigrants also supported Central
Powers. Why? Irish resented centuries of
British Rule
c. most Americans, however, support Allies. Why?
1) British heritage
2) English language
3) British political ideals
4) historic links w/ France (Am.
Revolution)
2. Govt, Military very Pro-British
3. US business and banks favored Allies
a. already strong trade ties with Allied countries
b. banks invest in Allied victory – made loans to
Allies (up to $2B in 1917).
- so…if Allies won, $ would be paid back)
4. Role of Propaganda
propaganda: information designed to influence
opinion
a. used by both Allies & Central Powers
b. Brits = most skilled propaganda
1) painted Germans as aggressors in war,
as vicious and bloodthirsty
2) cut transatlantic telegraph cable from
Europe to US
- limited news to mainly British
reports
Terms to Know
Huns – Germans
Yanks – Americans
Thrift Stamps – stamps bought for 25 cents each,
when a card of 8 was filled, the card could be
traded in for $5.00 in 1923 (but it only cost $4.00)
Liberty Bonds – sold to raise money for the war
effort (like a loan to the government)
Munitions – weapons and ammunition
The Zimmermann Telegram
II. The Home Front
A. Building up the Military
1. Selective Service (conscription)
a. Progressives against conscription
b. Selective Service - ~ 2.8 M drafted
1) men 21-30 register for draft
2) LOTTERY randomly determined
order men called
3) Local draft boards run systems –
civilian
2. Volunteers for War
a. 2 M volunteered - why? Patriotism +
“push the Hun back from trench to trench”
What do you think
each of these
represents?
a. The Gorilla
(King Kong)
b. The woman
c. The club
d. The buildings in
the far
background
3. Black Americans at War
a. 400,000 drafted – 42,000 in combat
b. discrimination and prejudice and segregation
c. fought with distinction
World War I
Congressional
Medal of Honor
Recipient:
Corporal Freddie
Stowers, U.S.
Army
Some of the Colored men of the 369th (15th NY) who won the Croix de
Guerre for gallantry in action
4. Women in the Military
a. WWI: 1st time women served in armed forces
(non-combat)
b. Navy enlisted women for clerical needs.
c. Army didn’t enlist. Only women overseas =
nurses
B. Organizing Industry
1. Scientific Mgmt Approach – Congress
created special boards to EFFICIENTLY
manage biz and govt
a. War Industries Board : Goal?
organize industry to increase efficiency,
maximize production
- Led by Bernard Baruch
Did you know?........
When America entered World
War I in 1917, chairman of the
War Industries board Bernard
Baruch asked women to take off
their corsets to conserve steel.
Some 28,000 tons was diverted,
enough to build an entire
battleship.
b. Food – Food Administration: Goal? To
increase food production while reducing
civilian consumption
- run by Herbert Hoover. “Food will win war
– don’t waste it”
1) “hooverize” – “serve just enough”
“meatless Monday, wheatless Wednesday” etc
2) Victory Gardens – raise own vegetables
to leave more for the troops
c. Fuel Administration: Goal? To increase
production of coal & oil, maintain conservation
of fuel
- led by Harry Garfield
- Daylight Savings Time + shortened
workweek for factories not making war
materials
d. Paying for the War
1) increased income taxes
2) taxes on corporate profits
3) extra tax on profits of arms factories
4) ****** Most successful **** - LIBERTY
BOND sales - raised $20B
C. Mobilizing the Workforce
1. National War Labor Board – maintained
cooperation between industry mgmt and labor
unions; acted as mediators to prevent and
quickly settle disputes
- thus, labor leaders agreed not to disrupt
war production (no strikes)
2. Women support Industry
- More opportunities – not permanent
Kids do their part
Summary of Wartime
Mobilization Agencies
3. Great Migration Begins
a. immigration from Europe cut off & white
workers drafted
b. blacks moved from the RURAL SOUTH to
settle in NORTHERN CITIES why?
- higher pay, lots of work
c. changed racial makeup of Chicago, NY,
Cleveland, Detroit & other northern cities
The Great Migration
4. Mexican Americans Head North
a. Mexican Nationals migrated to TX, AZ, CA,
NM to provide farm labor for farm and
ranches of the SW.
b. MX-Ams move to cities for wartime factory
jobs
D. Ensuring Public Support
1. Selling the War
a. Committee on Public Info – led by journalist
George Creel. – “sell” the war to the public:”
- sway public opinion in favor of war
b. four-minute speeches” – urged audiences to
support war – buy bonds, report draft dodgers,
etc
America’s
Most
Famous
WWI
Poster
2. Civil Liberties Curtailed
a. Fight antiwar activities or enemies at home
b. Espionage Act of 1917 – penalties & prison
terms for giving aid to enemy. Also for
disloyalty, giving false reports, interfering
with war effort
c. **Sedition Act of 1918 – illegal to make
public expression of opposition to war –
prosecution of anyone who criticized
President or gov’t
3. Climate of Suspicion
a. fear of spies and emphasis on patriotism led
to: mistreatment and persecution of German
Americans
b. German language dropped from school
curricula, stopped playing German composers
c. mobs attacked labor activists, socialists, &
pacifists
d. newspapers urged Americans to monitor
activities of fellow citizens
e. organizations to spy on neighbors and
coworkers
4. Supreme Court Limits Free Speech
a. Schenck v. US (1919) – individuals’ freedom of
speech limited when words constitute a
“CLEAR & PRESENT DANGER”
- especially to the war effort
- upheld convictions under the Espionage
Act
III. A Bloody Conflict
A. Combat in WWI
1. Trench Warfare
a. Network of trenches stretching from
English Channel to Swiss border
b. Why? Old Strategies, New Technology:
Rapid Firing Machine Gun.
c. “no man’s land” = land between opposing
forces trenches
Major Fronts of WWI
d. The Process?
1) artillery barrages
2) bayonet charge
3) grenades in to enemy trenches
e. The Results?
1) artillery rarely destroyed enemy
defense
2) charging troops stopped by
machine gun/rifle fire
3) high casualties on both sides
4) stalemate
Trench Warfare
2. More new technology
a. German: poison gas; gas masks
b. British: Tanks – slow, unreliable
c. Airplanes: 1st used to observe enemy
activities. Then, bricks dropped, then small
bombs dropped, then machine guns, =
dogfights
WWI Military Aircraft
WWI Flying Ace
German WWI flying ace
Manfred von Richthofen (1882 - 1918)
The “Red Baron” downed 80 Australian,
British, French and Canadian planes
before being shot down himself
Weapons of Mass
Destruction
Weapons of Mass
Destruction
B. The Americans and Victory
Americans = “doughboys”
1.Winning War at Sea
a. No American troop ships sunk on their way
to Europe. Why?
b. Convoys: US merchant/troop ships travel
in groups, escorted by warships
2. Russia leaves the War
a. Russia war weary, short on food & fuel
b. Czar Nicholas II abdicates March 1917
c. Bolsheviks (group of Communists) led by
Vladimir Lenin - took over Russian gov’t in
Nov. 1917
“Peace, Land, Bread”
d. Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, March 3, 1918 –
Russia pulls out of war – gives to
Germany: Ukraine, Polish Baltic Territory.
Germany removes army from other
Russian land – can now concentrate on
their Western Front
3. German Offensive Falters
a. Germans push within 40 mi. of Paris
March 1918
b. Americans launch major attack in late May
1918
c. American/French troops block Germans
advance to Paris
4. Battle of Argonne Forest
a. Americans led by Gen. Pershing attack
German forces Sept 1918
b. Heavy casualties on American sides, but
Americans open hole in German lines.
General Pershing
Spotlight on..
•1860-1948
•West Point 1886
•Led black Army 9th & 10th Cavalry
against Plains Indians (1896)
• Spanish American War (1898)
• Philippine Insurrection (1903)
•Led Mexican Punitive expedition
against Pancho Villa (1915)
General
John J.
“Black Jack”
Pershing
• Commander-in-Chief of
American Expeditionary Forces
( AEF) WWI
Click the Speaker button
to listen to the audio again.
You don’t say…….
• General Pershing landed in France on June 14,
1917.
• Pershing insisted on a separate American army
rather than having his men become “cannon
fodder” in the Allies’ units. He said, “We came
American. We shall remain American and go
into battle with Old Glory over our heads. I will
not parcel out American boys.”
• Pershing led the AEF. AEF offensive at MeuseArgonne helped end the war and made
Pershing a hero
• Pershing was promoted to General of the
Armies of the US, outranked only by George
Washington
5. The War Ends
a. Revolution in Austria-Hungary
b. Ottoman Turks surrendered
c. Germans rebel forcing emperor Kaiser
Wilhelm to step down
d. Cease-fire: 11th hour of 11th day of 11th
month, armistice ends war
Armistice Day - France
C. Flawed Peace
1. The Big Four – the victors
a. **Germans not invited to negotiations
b. Who were the Big Four?
1)
2)
3)
4)
US: Pres. Wilson
Great Britain: PM David Lloyd George
France: Premier Georges Clemenceau
Italy: PM Vittorio Orlando
George, Orlando, Clemenceau, Wilson
2. Wilson’s Fourteen Points
a. 1st 5 pts: eliminate causes of war thru free
trade, disarmament, freedom of the seas,
impartial adjustment to colonial claims, open
diplomacy
- not secret agreements
b. Next 8 pts: Right of Self-Determination
- Also, Central Powers must evacuate
France, Belgium, Russia
c. Fourteenth Point: *** The most important to
Wilson**- the creation of the League of
Nations
- to preserve peace & prevent future wars
by pledging to respect and protect e/o
territory and political independence
14 Points
Open Diplomacy - There should be no secret treaties between powers
Freedom of Navigation - Seas should be free in both peace and war
Free Trade - The barriers to trade between countries such as custom duties should be
removed
Multilateral Disarmament - All countries should reduce their armed forces to the lowest
possible levels
Colonies - People in European colonies should have a say in their future
Russia - Russia should be allowed to operate whatever government it wanted and that
government should be accepted, supported and welcomed.
Belgium - Belgium should be evacuated and restored to the situation before the war.
France - should have Alsace-Lorraine and any lands taken away during the war restored.
Italy - The Italian border should be readjusted according to nationality
National Self -Determination - The national groups in Europe should, wherever possible, be
given their independence.
Romania, Montenegro and Serbia - Should be evacuated and Serbia should have an outlet
to the sea
Turkey - The people of Turkey should have a say in their future
Poland - Poland should become an independent state with an outlet to the sea.
League of Nations - An assembly of all nations should be formed to protect world peace in
the future
3. Treaty of Versailles - signed by Germany
6/28/1919…some provisions:
a. Germany stripped of armed forces
b. Germany had to pay reparations ($33B)
c. Germany had to acknowledge guilt for WWI
d. Germany gives up colonies
4. Results of the Treaty of Versailles
a. Dissolution of 4 Empires: Russian,
Ottoman, German, Austria-Hungary
b. New countries created: Yugoslavia,
Poland, Czechoslovakia
5. US Senate rejects Treaty of Versailles
a. Senators led by Henry Cabot Lodge felt
League of Nations was an “entangling
alliance”
- feared the League might supercede the
power of Congress to declare war & might
force US to fight in foreign conflicts
b. Senators (reservationists) supported League,
but wanted amendment that would preserve
US freedom to act independently
- Wilson wanted to ratify treaty w/o changes
c. Senate never ratified treaty – after Wilson out
of office, made separate treaties w/ each
Central Power nation
d. League of Nations formed – but w/o US
IV. The Wars Impact
A. An Economy in Turmoil
1. War Over
a. govt removes controls from US
economy
b. people now race to buy goods that had
been rationed
c. biz raised prices that they had been
forced to keep low during war
2. The Result? Inflation
3. Inflation leads to strikes
a. workers want higher wages to keep up w/
inflation
b. biz wants to hold down wages as inflation
driving their operating costs up
c. By end of 1919, more than 3,600 strikes
d. Boston Police Strike - MA Gov, Calvin
Coolidge - proclaims no right to strike at
expense of public safety. He gains
widespread public support
e. Steel Strike - set back for union cause steel
industry
B. Racial Unrest
1. US soldiers return from Europe
a. look for work, but now competing w/ black
Americans who moved north during war
b. leads to race riots – Chicago 1919
A white gang looking for blacks during the Chicago race riots of 1919.
Many houses in the predominantly white stockyards district were set ablaze
during the 1919 race riots. The five days of violence were sparked when a
black teenager crossed an invisible boundary between the waters of the
29th Street beach, known to be reserved for whites, and the 25th Street
beach, known to be reserved for blacks. (Tribune archive photo)
C. The Red Scare
1. 1919 strikes + Bolshevik Rev. = growth of
antiCommunism
- fear that Communists were conspiring to start a
revolution in US too.
2. Immigrants blamed for importing radical
socialist, communist ideas to US
3. USSR formed Communist Int'l to coordinate
activities of Communist parties in other
countries
4. Red Scare begins
a. strikes lead to fear that Communists trying
to seize power
b. April 1919: USPS intercepts bomb-laden
parcels.
c. June 1919: 8 bombs in 8 cities.
Nationwide conspiracy???
- must be work of communists trying to
destroy US way of life
5. The Palmer Raids
a. General Intelligence Division (later FBI) led
by J. Edger Hoover. - special div. w/in
Justice Dept to deal w/ issue
b. Atty Gen. A. Mitchell Palmer organized raids
hdqtrs of radical orgs.
- raids focus on foreign residents &
immigrants
- detain thousands, deport appx 500
- civil liberties denied ( no search warrant,
jailed indefinitely)
c. Raids fail to turn up any real evidence of
conspiracy
d. Red Scare leads to limits on immigration
Palmer Raids
By early 1920, more than five thousand people were
arrested in what became known as the "Palmer
Raids." Goldman's Mother Earth office was among
the first to be ransacked in 1917
Immigration Restrictions
D. End of Progressivism
1. Call for return of simple days before
Progressive Reform & WWI - "normalcy"
2. Warren G. Harding (R) elected in 1920
- US tired of crusades to reform society &
the world