Background
Shadows of War
The Persecution of all Things
German During World War I
Video: Ellis Island
•  German-Americans = large
immigrant population in United
States
•  1910 Census: roughly 10% people
living in the U.S. were of German
birth or parentage
•  Held on strongly to the German
language and traditions
German-American Attitude
German-American Attitude (cont.)
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•  German Catholics
and Lutherans,
believed that the
preservation of their
faith depended on
maintaining German
language and culture
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The "Great Rapprochement"
•  1895-1915
•  Convergence of diplomatic,
political, military and
economic objectives between
the United States and Great
Britain
•  Brought about a flourishing
of Anglo-Saxonism in
American culture
Especially proud of German culture
Literature
Music (Bach, Beethoven, & Mozart)
Philosophy
Sense of cultural pride had nothing to do with the
political goals of Kaiser Wilhelm II
Hostile toward the Kaiser
Wanted America to remain neutral toward Germany
Political allegiance belonged to the United States
Anglo-Saxon Culture
•  Trouble understanding why German-Americans would not
willingly give up their German culture
•  Had they not deserted Germany for a better land?
•  Numerous German-American festivals
•  Dancing and beer-drinking commonplace, even on the Sabbath
Away With the Hyphenated!
American Relationship with Germany
•  1890- Kaiser Wilhelm II
•  Referred to specific ethnic
identities in American
society
•  Now if you were a
hyphenated American, you
were not a true American
•  German-Americans later
referred to as “Huns”
War!
•  June 28, 1914: Archduke Franz
Ferdinand, heir to AustriaHungary's throne, and his wife,
Sophie, are assassinated in
Sarajevo
•  August 4: The United Kingdom
declares war
on Germany, after Germany
invades Belgium
•  August 19:U.S. President
Woodrow Wilson announces the
U.S. will remain neutral
•  Aggressive foreign policy
•  American and German
interests clashed in the Pacific
and in Venezuela
•  For many Americans the Kaiser
became a symbol of German
imperialism and dangerous
militarism
“He Kept Us Out Of War”
•  Woodrow Wilson’s reelection campaign of 1916
•  Promises continued neutrality in the Great War
•  Wins election of 1916
The Lusitania
•  May 7, 1915: The British ocean liner RMS Lusitania is
sunk by German U-boat
•  1,195 lives lost, including 128 Americans
•  German Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
Zimmerman Note
•  January 19, 1917 - Germany
sends the secret Zimmerman
Telegram to Mexico in effort to
entice Mexico to join war
•  Germany promises Mexico former
territory
•  British intercept and decipher the
coded message
War!
•  April 6, 1917: The United States declares war on
Germany
Loyalty of German-Americans
•  American Protective League formed
•  Untrained, volunteer, amateur
detectives
•  Spied on German immigrants
•  National Security League
•  Loyalty determined by patriotism:
•  Buy war bonds
•  Sing the national anthem
•  Declare their allegiance to the flag
Espionage Act
•  June 15, 1917
•  Made criminal:
•  Intent to interfere with the operation
or success of the armed forces of the
United States or to promote the success
of its enemies
VIDEO: “World War I: The Role of Propaganda”
Propaganda
Propaganda
Propaganda
Propaganda Video
Robert Prager
Video: Anti-German Propaganda in WWI
•  Born February 28, 1888 in
Dresden, Germany
•  Coal miner living in Collinsville,
Illinois
•  Accused of holding socialist
beliefs
•  “Stubborn, uncompromising
personality“
•  Accused of making "disloyal
utterances"
•  Hanged on April 5, 1918
Other Anti-German Actions
Vocabulary Change
•  Sauerkraut..............................................................“Liberty Cabbage”
•  German Measles.....................................................“Liberty Measles”
•  Hamburgers.......................................................“Liberty Sandwiches”
•  Dachshunds.............................................................“Liberty Hounds”
•  German Shepherds...................................................“Shepherd Dogs”
Other Anti-German Actions
•  Orchestras replaced music by
German composer Wagner
with French composer Berlioz
•  Berlin, Michigan, was changed
to Marne, Michigan
•  German street names were
changed
•  Businesses changed their
names
•  German Hospital became Grant Hospital
•  Germania Life Insurance Company became
Guardian
Other Anti-German Actions
•  Many schools stopped teaching
German
language classes
•  German Americans Americanize
names
•  Schmidt to Smith
•  Müller to Miller
•  Limit the use of the German
language in public places,
especially churches
More Anti-German Sentiment
More Anti-German Sentiment
Sources
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http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtID=2&psid=3478
http://library.sewanee.edu/content.php?pid=518030&sid=4262497
http://www15.uta.fi/FAST/US1/REF/germ-ww1.html
http://www.mrshea.com/germusa/
http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/
presentations/immigration/german8.html
•  http://www.authentichistory.com/1914-1920/2-homefront/4-hysteria/
index.html