Peace Without Victory
When the U.S. entered the war in 1917, President Wilson called on everyone to join the war effort. To
help pay for the war, he launched drives to sell Liberty bonds. The bonds, like today’s savings bonds,
were a form of loan to the government. In all the bond drives brought in almost $17 billion.
To make sure troops would have plenty of food and supplies, Congress passed the Lever Food and Fuel
Control Act. The law gave the government the power to set prices and establish production controls for
food and for the fuels needed to run military machines.
Herbert Hoover led the Food Administration which increased the
production of crops and conserved existing food supplies for the
military and for American allies.
Peace Without Victory
Massive industrial production was essential to the war effort. Leaders feared that industrial protests
such as strikes would disrupt the war effort so President Wilson created the National War Labor Board
in 1918. This board judged disputes between workers and management.
Limiting antiwar speech - Schenck v. United States
During World War I, Schenck mailed circulars to draftees suggesting that the draft was a monstrous
wrong motivated by the capitalist system. The circulars urged "Do not submit to intimidation.” Schenck
was charged with conspiracy to violate the Espionage Act.
A unanimous Court, concluded that Schenck was not protected
in this situation. During wartime, utterances, tolerable in peacetime
can be punished.
Peace Without Victory
As World War I (WWI) drew to a close, the scale of destruction and massive loss of life was shocking.
President Wilson wanted a “just and lasting peace” to make sure another war of this kind would never
happen again.
In January 1918, Wilson outlined his vision of world peace in a speech called the Fourteen Points:
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open diplomacy
freedom of the seas
removal of trade barriers
reduction of military arms
a fair system to resolve disputes
The next 8 points dealt with self-determination, or the right of people to decide their own political
status. The fourteenth point called for the establishment of the League of Nations, an organization of
nations that would work together to settle disputes, protect democracy, and prevent future wars.
Peace Without Victory
President Wilson exhausted himself traveling the U.S.
to win support for the League of Nations. There was
much opposition from the American public.
The man who most strongly voiced opposition to the
League was Senator Henry Cabot Lodge. He had the
role of first Senate Majority Leader. As Chairman of the
Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Lodge led the
successful fight against American participation in
League of Nations.
Peace Without Victory
President Wilson led the group of American negotiators who attended a peace conference in Paris in
January 1919. He was criticized by Republicans and others back home for choosing to leave the country.
Wilson had a dream of international peace that he wanted to make a reality.
Leaders from 32 nations attended the Paris Peace Conference. Leaders of the victorious Allies known as
the Big Four dominated the negotiations:
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Woodrow Wilson
David Lloyd George (British prime minister)
George Clemenceau (French premier)
Vittorio Orlando (Italian prime minister)
Peace Without Victory
The Allies eventually reached an agreement and presented their peace treaty to Germany. The treaty
forced Germany to disarm its military forces and pay the Allies reparations - payments for damages and
expenses caused by the war.
Germany protested the terms of the treaty, but when threatened with French military action, German
officials signed the Treaty of Versailles on June 28, 1919.