Chapter 19 Review World War I I.
Causes of World War I: a. Nationalism and territorial rivalries i. A strong sense of pride and loyalty to a nation ii. Nationalism was very intense in Europe 1. Particularly in northern, central and eastern Europe iii. The Pan‐German movement sought to unite all German‐speaking people under one flag iv. The Pan‐Slavic movement sought to bring all Slavic people of central and Eastern Europe together. 1. These movements were destine to cause conflict since a large population of Slavs liven in Austria‐Hungary b. Imperialism was another tension in Europe i. European nations coveted land held by their neighbors 1. Austria‐Hungary annexed Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1908 a. This angered Siberia 2. Russia wanted ice‐free harbors in the Baltic Sea and access from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean for their warships a. Germany opposed Russia having this access 3. France wanted to get Alsace‐Lorraine back from Germany a. Germany had conquered it in 1871 4. Italy wanted territories near them that belonged to Austria‐
Hungary c. Militarism and allies i. Militarism is a glorification of armed strength 1. All European nations built strong armies and navy’s to protect themselves from military threats from neighbors a. This turned into an arms race ii. Alliances were another method of strengthening their military positions 1. Germany, Austria‐Hungary, and Italy formed the Triple Alliance (Allied Powers) a. Italy leaves the alliance in 1914 b. Ottoman Empire joined the alliance in 1915 2. Great Britain, France, Serbia and Russia joined the Triple Entente (Central Powers) a. Britain joined after Germany moved on Belgium b. Italy joined in 1915 iii. Treaties cemented alliances 1. Generally promised to aid to any other member who came under attack from an outside power 2. alliances helped maintain a balance of power a. Minor incidents could provoke a war iv. Observers believed that the Balkans, being an unstable region, was the most likely spot for fighting to begin 1. Incident would mostly be between someone and Germany d. Sparks that lead to World War I i. The attack on Archduke Ferdinand of Austria‐Hungary while visiting Sarajevo, Bosnia for a good will mission occurred in June of 1914 1. The Archduke and his wife Sofia were assassinated by a Serbian nationalist named Gavrilo Pricip a. A minor member of the Serbian Society called the “Black Hand.” 2. Serbian government knew of Princip’s plan ii. Austria‐Hungary declared war on Serbia 1. The declaration drew each set of allies into the conflict a. Russia sided with Serbia b. Germany sided with Austria‐Hungary iii. France and Britain declared war on Austria‐Hungary and Germany within a week 1. Italy remained neutral despite the alliance until 1915 iv. A total of thirty countries would eventually participate in the war. II.
German created the Schieffen Plan a. Count Alfred von Schieffen was chief of the German General Staff i. Called for German forces to go around the heavily defended Franco‐
German border and march through Belgium. 1. Invade France before Great Britain could move forces across the English Channel a. Believed with Britain and France out of the war they could focus on Russia. ii. The plan was to serge into Belgium with the anticipation of moving quickly through northern France and into Paris 1. Belgium surprised Germany by holding them to a fierce fight for nearly three weeks a. This allowed time for General Joseph Joffre of France time to get his troops to the border before the German’s got there and for Britain to bring in 90,000 troops into Northern France III.
Trench Warfare is introduced in World War I a. Unable to save Belgium, the Allies retreated to the Marne River where they were able to halt the Germans advance in 1914 i. Both sides struggled to outflank each other with little success 1. Both sides dug in for the long siege. b. By the spring of 191 both sides had parallel systems of deep trenches crossed France i. Went from the Belgian coast to the Swiss Alps c. There were three types of trenches i. Front line ii. Support iii. Reserve d. Trench systems also had command posts, underground rooms and officer quarters. i. These systems were rat‐infested and lice was another war soldiers were fighting ii. Soldiers would walk on bodies they could not bury due to artillery fire. 1. Often allowed them to stay out of the water in the trenches to try and keep their feet dry. e. Between the two trench complexes was an area referred to as “no man’s land.” i. Pockmarked land with shell craters and were filled with barbed wire and land mines 1. One side would on occasion charge the enemy line a. Generally turned into large scale slaughter f. Artillery fire often would unearth corpuses that had been buried earlier g. Trench warfare consisted of both sides fighting for just yards of land over a three year period IV.
Americans Questioned Neutrality a. Most Americans did not see any sense in becoming involved in a war that was 3,000 miles away i. Especially since it did not interfere with American lives or property b. Many had ties with nations involved with the war. i. Sympathy was with their homeland c. Socialists believed it was a capitalist and imperialist struggle to control markets and colonies in areas of the world i. China ii. Africa iii. The Middle East d. Pacifists believed war was evil i. Wanted the United States to be an example of peace for the rest of the world e. Parents did not want their children to experience the horror of war i. Fear of loosing their children to war. f. President Wilson felt that remaining neutral might put the United States in a position to help negotiate a settlement to the conflict g. Our ties with both the Allies and Central Powers allowed our economy to double during the first two years of the war. i. We supplied goods for their war 1. dynamite 2. cannon power 3. submarines 4. copper wire and tubing 5. armored car ii. Business was so good America was experiencing a labor shortage V.
Factors that increased sympathy for the Allies in America a. Allies were using a propaganda campaign to boost American support i. They gave the United States the idea that Germany was a land of brutal warmongers b. America had two reasons to rally around the Allies i. Prevent Germans from interfering with United States shipping to European nations ii. Wanted to make sure the Allies repaid debts to the United States VI Germany threatens to sink all ships in British waters a. German U‐boats, submarines, began establishing a “war zone” around Britain. i. Said any ship entering the zone that was neutral would most likely be attacked and passengers and crews might not always be warned 1. The United States warned Germany that they would be held accountable to any Americans injured or American property that was on the high seas in accordance with international laws of neutrality b. Germans were responding to the blockade preventing goods to enter German ports c. Germany attacked the British liner Lusitania off the coast of Ireland i.. Killed 1,198 persons 1. 128 of the dead were Americans ii. Germany defended their actions based on the belief that the liner had been carrying ammunition iii. Americans were outraged because Americans lives had been lost. 1. American opinion turned against Germany and the Central Powers iv. Wilson ruled out military response to the Lusitania incident 1. Made a sharp protest instead vii. Three months after the sinking of the Lusitania, Germany sunk another British liner called the Arabic. 1. Two Americans drowned resulting in another American protest 2. Germany agreed not to sink any more passenger ships viii.
Germany attacked the Sussex in 1916. 1. Approximately 80 passengers were killed or injured a. Americans were among the dead or injured 2. American threatens to break off diplomatic relations with Germany if they don’t change their tactics a. Germany once again agreed to the condition with the understanding the United States would persuade Britain to lift the blockade against food and fertilizer or they would return to unrestricted submarine warfare. VII. Reason the United States entered the war a. Sussex Pledge i. Germany’s U‐boats were to stop sinking ocean liners without warning ii. Germany felt they were not being treated fairly 1. Britain was not being forced to end its blockages b. Zimmermann Note i. A communication between two German diplomats, German foreign minister and the German ambassador in Mexico 1. Message intercepted by British agents ii. Massage wanted Mexico to help Germany if the United States entered the war 1. Promised Mexico all the lands lost to the United States if Germany won the war. a. Texas b. New Mexico c. Arizona c. The sinking of the Lusitania d. British propaganda sent to the United States VIII. America Raises an Army a. Congress passed the Selective Service Act in May of 1917 i. This was the answer for the government to get up to fighting power. ii. The act required men to register with the government 1. The government would randomly select men for military service iii. There were 24 million men who had registered under the Selective Service Act 1. From that number almost 3 million were called to serve b. The draft in reality was discriminatory for many i. Native Americans ii. African Americans 1. Were block from service in the Marines 2. Limited to kitchen duty in the navy 3. Most were confined to all black support units in the Army a. Under command of a white officers 4. Army was convinced to open more opportunities for African Americans through various organizations like the NAACP a. Established schools to train African American officers b. More were assigned to combat duty i. Still no effort to integrate them into whit units iii. Mexican Americans iv. Foreign‐born soldiers b. Men entering the military were put through an eight‐month training period i. Part of the training took place in the United States and part of the training was in Europe. c. Women were allowed to enlist, but not subject to the draft i. Approximately 13,000 women took noncombat positions in the navy and marines with full military rank 1. Nurses 2. Secretaries 3. Telephone operators IX. Ship Production on the Increase a. The United States took four steps to expand its fleet. i. Government exempted many shipyard workers from the draft and gave others a deferred classification ii. The United States Chamber of Commerce joined the public relation campaign to push the importance of shipyard work 1. Distributed service flags to families of shipyard workers 2. Gave flags to families of soldiers and sailors 3. Urged automobile owners to give shipyard workers rides to and from work iii. Shipyards used fabrication techniques. 1. Standardized parts were built at a different location and assembled at the shipyard. a. This method reduced construction time X. Convoy System a. This was a system suggested by Vice Admiral William S. Sims for the British to try i. They were to use heavy guard of destroyers to escort merchant ships across the Atlantic Ocean in groups b. This technique cut ship losses in half XI.
Allies reaction to America entering the war a. Allied forces were exhausted and demoralized after two and half years of fighting i. Americans brought in not only fresh troops but also a new air of enthusiasm. ii. Came to Europe determined to defeat the Germans b. The American Expeditionary Force was led by General John J. Pershing. i. He wanted his force to operate separately from the Allies 1. Wanted to have his troops remain under American command ii. Believed in aggressive combat iii. Helped stop the German advance iv. Captured important enemy positions XII.
New Weapons are introduced during World War I a. This was the first war to see a large number of different weapons i. Landmines ii. Machine guns iii. Barbed wire placed in front of trenches iv. Mustard gas and tear gas v. Airplanes vi. Motorized vehicles vii. Rifles viii. Tanks that ran on caterpillar threads and built of steel ix. Bombs x. Observation balloons xi. Antiaircraft guns b. The new technologies led to terrible injuries and hazards. i. Poison gas XIII.
XIV.
XV.
Medical Services a. American Army of Engineers were sent to Europe to with orders to construct various facilities including hospitals i. These hospitals were manned by approximately 10,000 nurses ii. Thousands of other women volunteered with other agencies in Europe 1. Red Cross a. Sent ambulances to the battlefields to carry wounded to hospitals 2. YMCA iii. Hospitals dealt with men’s diseases contracted living in the trenches 1. Lice 2. dysentery 3. Rat bites 4. Inhalation of poison gas 5. Shell shock 6. Trench rot a. Toes and fee were amputated as the only solution to this problem United States played a part in fighting Germany a. Battle at Cantigny i. American troops fill in gaps for the British and French b. Battle of Chateau‐Thierry i. Help stop Germans from entering Paris c. Meuse‐Argonne i. American advances helped end the war d. St. Mihiel i. Pershing and Americans have a victory Alvin York a. Was a conscientious objector from Tennessee b. Eventually came to the decision that fighting was acceptable if it was a morally acceptable cause c. In the battle at Meuse‐Argonne he took a rifle and revolver and killed 25 Germans i. Along with six other American soldiers captured 132 prisoners. XVI.
Collapse of Germany a. Austria‐Hungary surrendered on November 3, 1918. b. German sailors mutinied against government authority i. Mutiny spread rapidly c. All over Germany, groups of soldiers and workers organized revolutionary councils d. On November 9, 1918, socialist leaders in Berlin established a German republic i. Kaiser gave up the throne e. Germans were too exhausted to fight anymore War Industries Board is established a. It was the governments central war agency i. Had the overall responsibility for allocating scare materials ii. Establishing production priorities iii. Set prices 1. Threatened to intervene if companies did not cooperate XVIII. American Economy during the war a. During the war wages rose for blue‐collar workers i. Metal trades, shipbuilders and meatpacking workers salaries rose about 205. b. Cost of food and housing costs rose so income’s remained basically the same c. Stockholders in large corporations received huge profits i. Stock values rose with profits d. Blue‐collar workers conditions led to union booms i. Uneven pay between labor and management ii. Increased working hours iii. Child labor iv. Dangerous working condition XVII.
XIX.
Citizens Response to the War a. Citizens were asked by the Food Administration, under Herbert Hoover, to clean their plates b. Declared days of the week to go without certain foods i. Meatless days ii. Sweetless days iii. Wheatless days iv. Porkless days c. Restaurants removed sugar bowels from tables and served bread only after the first course d. Homeowners planted “Victory Gardens” e. Children grew tomatoes and cucumbers in public parts f. Approximately 40 million acres of wheat were produced by farmers g. High prices on wheat and other goods were enforced by government XX.
Financing the War a. The United States had spent approximately $35.5 billion on the war effort i. About one third of the money came from increased taxes 1. A progressive income tax 2. A war profit tax 3. Higher excise taxes a. Tobacco b. Liquor c. Luxury goods ii. The rest of the monies were raised by borrowing from the public 1. Victory Loans 2. Liberty Loan iii. Sold bonds 1. Used movie stars to promote their sale XXI.
How to popularize a war a. Government set up a propaganda agency i. Committee on Public Information 1. Run by former muckraker George Creel ii. Creel persuaded national artists and advertising agencies to crate art promoting the war 1. paintings 2. posters 3. cartoons 4. sculptures iii. Creel recruited approximately 75,000 men to serve as spokesmen 1. Talked about everything relating to the war a. Draft b. Rationing c. Bond drives d. Victory gardens e. Various topic relating to why we should be fighting and what it meant to be an American iv. Creel ordered a printing of 25 million copies of “How the War Came to America” 1. Included Wilson’s war message in various languages 2. Distributed approximately 75 million pamphlets, booklets and leaflets b. The propaganda campaign was highly effective i. Promoted patriotism ii. Inflamed hatred iii. Inflamed violations of the civil liberties of certain ethnic groups and those who opposed the war XXII.
Ethnic Hysteria a. The main targets of anti immigrant hysteria were Americans who had emigrated from nations affiliated with the Central Powers i. The most bitter attacks were against German ancestry or German born 1. Austria‐Hungary was another ethic group that were attacked ii. Many Americans with German decent were fired from their jobs iii. German Americans were often victims of violence and then “Tar N’ Feathered” iv. Orchestras would refuse to play music by German writers 1. Brahms 2. Bach 3. Mozart 4. Beethoven b. Towns with German names sometimes changed them c. Schools quit teaching German d. Librarians removed books by German authors e. Changed the names of foods and diseases from German to other names i. Liberty sandwich/Salisbury steak Hamburg ii. Liberty measles‐ German measles iii. Sauerkraut‐ Liberty cabbage iv. Liberty pups‐Dachshunds XXIII.
Espionage and Sedition Acts a. Espionage Act was passed June 1917 and Sedition Act in May 1918 i. Persons could be fined up to $10,000 and sentenced to 20 years in jail for interfering with the war effort or saying anything construed as disloyal, profane, or abusive about the government. ii. Violated the spirit of the 1st amendment iii. Over 20,000 were prosecuted for so called antiwar activities 1. Over half were convicted iv. Media that opposed to the war or criticized the Allies lost mailing privileges b. Congress refused to seat Victor Berger from Wisconsin i. A socialist congressman with antiwar views c. Columbia University fired a psychologist. i. Opposed the war d. Acts targets socialist and labor leaders i. Eugene V. Debs sentenced to 10 year in prison for his views about the war and the draft ii. Emma Goldman sentenced to 2 years in prison and a $10,000 fine for organizing the No Conscription League 1. She was deported following her jail sentence iii. Leaders of the Industrial Workers of World were accused of sabotaging the war effort 1. Urged workers to strike for better conditions and higher pay XXIX. The Great Migration and W.E.B. DuBois outlook on the war a. Took place in the late 19th century b. It is the large scale movement of African Americans from the south to northern cities c. Several factors contributed to the increase of Black migration i. African Americans wanted to escape racial discrimination in the South ii. When the war broke out, industries sent recruiters south looking for workers 1. Gave free railroad passes though the south 2. Published in black‐owned newspapers a. Propaganda showing lynching in the south vs. prosperity in the north e. W.E.B. Du Bois believed blacks should support the war effort i. Believed it would straighten calls for racial justice XXX. Women’s opportunities during the war a. Women began working at jobs that had always been exclusively for men. i. Railroad workers ii. Coal miners iii. Cooks iv. Dockworkers v. Bricklayers b. Many worked as volunteers i. Red Cross ii. Encouraging Americans to buy bonds iii. Growing Victory Gardens iv. Some were active in the peace movement 1. Jane Addams founded the Women’s Peace Party a. Was a pacifist c. Recognized for their contribution and their support it did not include equal pay i. It did bolster public support for woman suffrage d. Congress passed the 19th amendment in 1919. i. Ratified in 1920 1. Women finally had the right to vote XXXI. Influenza Epidemic a. International flu epidemic began in the fall of 1918 b. Affective approximately 1/4 of the United States population c. Had enormous effects on the economy i. Mines shut down ii. Telephone service was cut in half iii. Factories and offices had to work staggered hours to avoid contagion iv. Cities ran short of coffins d. Those infected appeared to be healthy people i. Died in a few days after contracting the disease e. No cure i. Doctors recommended quarantine and cleanliness f. The military living caused the epidemic to spread rapidly i. More than ¼ of the soldiers caught the disease g. No country was unaffected by this flu i. More Germans died than any of the Allies ii. Believed the disease was spread by soldiers 1. Killed ½ million Americans 2. Killed 30 million worldwide XXXII. Fourteen Points a. Wilson, following the armistice, asked a group of scholars to advise him on creating realistic peace terms i. A program for world peace was created ii. Presented the program to Congress on January 8, 1918 1. Named the program “Fourteen Points” b. Fourteen Points contained nine issues of self‐determination i. Right for people to govern themselves ii. Points on what Wilson considered the causes of modern war 1. Arms races 2. Violations of freedom of the seas 3. Trade barriers iii. Establish a League of Nations c. Allies reaction to Wilson’s plan was not as warn as Americans i. Germany labeled Wilson as a “busy‐body” 1. Rejected the program ii. Germany sued for a peace settlement as the war turned against them 1. The suit settlement was based on Wilson’s Fourteen Points d. Wilson urged the Allies to agree with his plan i. A peace conference was set of January 1919 in Paris e. Wilson attended the peace conference with the intention of getting the talks to focus on his program XXXIII. Treaty of Versailles a. Peace treaty agreement came after six months of debates i. Official signing of the treaty took place at the palace of Versailles in 1919 1. American delegates pubically stated they were satisfied with the document a. Privately they were disappointed b. Believed the terms were too harsh and humiliating for Germany i. Would have been worse if it had not been for Wilson’s influence c. Believed it would not bring a permanent peace ii. Germany’s colonies and the Ottoman Empire were divided among the Allied nations 1. This was specified in the Spoils‐of‐War treaties a. France reclaimed Alsace‐Lorraine from Germany iii. Wilson insisted the treaty establish a mandate system 1. Required new colonial leaders to report on their administration to the League of Nations iv. Treaty created new nations in central and eastern Europe 1. Czechoslovakia 2. Yugoslavia 3. Finland 4. Estonia 5. Latvia 6. Lithuania 7. Poland v. Germany was forced to disarm vi. Germany was forced to admit full guilt for the war vii. Germany was forced to pay reparations for the billions of dollars of damage XXXIV. League of Nations a. Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland i. Make up of the league 1. Permanent administrative staff 2. Assembly a. Each member nation had one vote 3. Council a. Also called the executive body ii. Intended to have five permanent members and four periodically elected to the assembly 1. France 2. Britain 3. Italy 4. Japan 5. United States iii. League covenant expectations 1. Required members to try and resolve disputes peacefully a. Failed negotiations result in a waiting period before going to war 2. Failure to follow procedure may result in the council applying economic pressures or the use of force against the offending nation 3. Article Ten is the head of the covenant a. “Respect and Preserve” i. The independence and territorial integrity of all member nations XXXV. Global Impact of War a. Europe struggled to recover from the war i. Destruction and human suffering was almost incomprehensible 1. Over 8.5 million died in battle 2. Approximately 21 million were wounded a. Germany 6 million dead and wounded b. Russia nearly 7 million dead or wounded c. United States 112,000 dead d. European industry and agriculture were in ruin i. Northern France was completely destroyed ii. Businesses still in operation could not produce enough to support demands 1. Inflation was the result 2. Germany’s food shortage was so horrible it was almost impossible to keep track of prices b. Arab nations had hoped to win independence since they had sided with the Allies i. Instead they found themselves under control of a different nation 1. Tensions continued to grow in this region after Britain issued the Balfour Declaration in 1917 c.
a. Supported a Jewish homeland in Palestine Americans began to call World War I “the war to end all wars”. i. Hoped that humanity would never be willing to have such a war ever again. ii. America became the world’s greatest industrial power in the world iii. America returned to a policy of isolationism