World War I

Woodrow Wilson

Won Election of 1912

against Taft and TR
Son of a Minister
stark view of good and
bad that makes it hard for
him to compromise=rigid
Student of government;
professor of political
science
Believed in strong
presidency (think about
his portrayal in Iron
Jawed Angels
accurate???)

Long Term Causes for

World War I
Militarism
Alliances
Imperialism
Nationalism

Long-Term Causes of WWI

Militarism
DEFINITION:

development of armed forces

to be used as tool of diplomacy
by 1890, build up of armed forces in
Europe
Germany builds a navy to compete with
GB-makes GB a little nervous

Long-Term Causes of WWI

Alliance System

2 camps/sides in Europe-no-one trusting

each other, all fearing each other
Triple Entente (later known as the Allies)
France
GB
Serbia
Belgium
Russia
Japan supported the Allies-hoped to
acquire GER Pacific possessions
Italy-neutral at start of war. Joined the
Allies when FR and GB agreed to give
IT some Austrian territory if they won

Long-Term Causes of WWI

Alliance
Triple

System

Alliance (later known as

the Central Powers)
Germany
Austria-Hungary
Ottoman Empire
Later joined by Turkey and
Bulgaria

Long-Term Causes of WWI

Imperialism
Great

European powers competed with

each other for
world trade
markets for raw materials
colonies in Asia and Africa
FR and GER clashed over Morocco
Russia and A-H rivals in the Balkans
GB (Britain) and GER competed for
imperial control and markets in Africa and
Middle East

Long-Term Causes of WWI

Nationalism

interests and unity of nation more important

than global cooperation
foreign affairs should be guided by national
interests
some wanted to annex areas in other countries
where their people lived (France wanted
Alsace-Lorraine back from Germany who took it
1871)
minority groups wanted independence (Czechs
and Slovaks in Austria-Hungarian empire
wanted their land back)

Immediate Cause of WWI

Serbian nationalist kills Archduke Franz

Ferdinand-heir to throne of Austria-Hungary--and his wife Sofia
spark that touched off explosion

Austrians blame Serbia

Backed by Germany
Serbia backed by Russia

France mobilizes on GER west

GER strikes at France through Belgium

GB enters the war against Germans-WHY???

Japan eventually comes in against Germany
US remains isolationist

Do Now
1)

Why did many Americans want to stay out

of the conflict?

2)

Predict what will happen if American

companies sell products to countries at
war.

A Precarious Neutrality

Americans had no desire to get involved

Wilson neutrality proclamation-war (in
EUR) was one in which this nation had
nothing to do

Urged a spirit of impartiality toward belligerents

in thought and actions

Trade with belligerents allowed?

Neutrality compromised because US rapidly

became greatest neutral shipper of supplies to
both Allies and Central powersUS caught in
the middle

A Precarious Neutrality

US people overwhelmingly in
support of Allies and staying
out of the war
Reasons Americans favored
Allies?
Wilson saw himself as the
neutral arbitrator, hoped to be
called upon to negotiate a
peace
He calls for peace without
victory

America Earns Blood Money (377)

Munitions and supply orders from

European nations quickly snap US
out of recession-starts a business
boom
US

banks provide a great deal of

financing to the Allies

US sold war materials and

foodstuffs to warring nations
British Blockade:

GB

navy searched US ships-seized

cargo bound for non-allied ports

U-Boats

German U-Boat war zone

around the British Isles
Ships can be torpedoed
without
warning=unrestricted
submarine warfare
GER later extended to
waters adjacent to IT
and FR
By early months of 1915German U-boats sink about
90 ships

Lusitania

GER U-boat torpedoed

English liner Lusitania
1198 killed, including
128 Americans.
Secretly carrying
munitions in
cargo
compartment
US public outraged
at attack
Americans on east
coast started
drumming for war
Midwest is very
isolationist.
Wilson does not want
war. Why?
TR tried to push Wilson
into the war.

Sussex Pledge

March, 1916 FR ship

Sussex torpedoed-3
American injured

Wilson issued warning: if GER

doesnt stop unrestricted sub.
Warfare, US would sever
diplomatic relations

German Sussex Pledge

Promised to end sinking of

merchant ships w/o warning
and provide for safeguarding
passengers
In US, Pledge considered
diplomatic triumph for Wilsonrunning or reelectionHe
kept us out of war

Election of 1916

Stagnation in Europe

War in EUR had quickly ground into a stagnant mass slaughter

on both sides
Trenches (p.376)
Stagnant lines
Casualties on both sides were extraordinarily high
New technology
Mustard gas-poison gas
Dysentery
Battle fatigue/shell-shock
Machine guns, tanks, airplanes/aircraft gun
By early 1917 both sides running out of steam
GER couldnt go on much longer throwing new bodies into
the war
GER needed to end the war soon or lose
GB highly dependent on foreign shipping to keep its war
effort going

Unlimited Sub Warfare: German

Gamble

Peace without Victory address

Quotes Jefferson-govt. derives powers from governed

Sets up idea of League of Nations
Calls for freedom of seas
Invokes Monroe Doctrine=self-determination of nations

Germanys response

January 1917 Germans announce unlimited sub

warfare

Repeal of the Sussex Pledge.

What is the German gamble?

Believed US would enter war and Central Powers

would win war before American military aid could
become effective

Wilson Asks for War

March, 1917, Zimmerman Note is publicized.

GER agents plotted to destroy American munitions
plants, organize strikes in war industries and
sabotage shipments of supplies to Allies
GER offered to help MEX reconquer New Mex, AZ
and TX if US entered war

1917-Bolshevik Revolution overthrows Czar in Russia

and Russia withdraws from war. Consequences? (Think
war strategy)

Now all Allies=democracies

April, 1917 Wilson asks Congress for a declaration of

war.

Wilsons 14 Points

Wilson articulates the moral basis for the war in a

speech setting out 14 points (prevent war,
boundaries/self determination, world gov)
Fourteen points include:
Abolish secret treaties
Return to pre-war borders
Freedom of the seas
Removal of economic barriers among nations
Arms reduction
Adjustment of colonial claims in the interest of both
natives and colonizers
Self-determination for minority groups such as Poles
International organization to provide for collective
security and dispute resolution.

Wilsonian Idealism Enthroned

Isolationism ran deep in the

American psyche.

Washingtons farewell
address

While most favored Allies, the

fever to go to war was
relatively mild
What is the objective of the
US entering the war?

Making the world safe for

democracy

Creel Manipulates Minds

Committee on Public
Information with George
Creel as master
manipulator
Creel is very successful.

Super-Patriotism
Dehumanizing the enemy

Problem: Wilson and

Creel convince the
country that the war will
create a new international
utopia.

Enforcing Loyalty

Anti-German hysteria and

discrimination

Frankfurter and sauerkraut

Espionage Act of 1917

and Sedition Act of 1918

Severe penalties for

treasonable or seditious
(action promoting rebellion vs.
a government) activity

Hundreds jailed-including
Eugene Debs

Witch-hunt against
communism and socialism.

Labor
Would it cooperate by not going out on
strike?
Mostly, Feds were able to keep labor in
line with a combination of strategies.

Work

or fight rule
National War Labor Board

Government Power Promotes

War Effort

Selective Service Act

Military

draft

War Industries Board

Price

controls
Rationing
Control Economy For Good of Nation

Propaganda Posters

Propaganda Posters

Propaganda Posters
Johnnie get your gun, get your gun,
get your gun,
Take it on the run, on the run, on
the run,
Hear them calling you and me,
Every son of liberty.
Hurry right away, no delay, go
today,
Make your daddy glad to have had
such a lad,
Tell your sweetheart not to pine,
To be proud her boy's in line.

Propaganda Posters

Women Go to Work

Women entered the

workforce
Helped convince
Wilson to support
the 19th
Amendment-ratified
in 1920.
Most women gave
up their jobs after
the war

The Girls They Left Behind Do

Their Bit!

Recruitment

Michelangelo's Pieta
WWI poster

Hoover Sets the Table

Volunteerism vs. enforced

restrictions
Food production and
availability was a key issue
Herbert Hoover chosen to
lead Food Administration.
Victory gardens-planted by
regular citizens

Hoover

Congress restricted use of

crops for making alcohol

Helped advance the cause of

prohibition
Many brewers were of German
descent and were subject to warprejudices
18th Amendment prohibiting the
manufacture, sale, transport,
distribution of alcohol passed in
1919 and began prohibition (also
began the rise of the mobster)

Hoovers voluntary approach

worked

Farm production increased

Food exports to the Allies tripled

Appeal to Conserve Food

Bond Drives

Hoovers methods were

emulated in other agencies
Great bond drives.
Went overboard; those who
refused to purchase bonds
were branded unpatriotic
Intimidation and threats.
Kansas Mennonites

Making Plowboys Into Doughboys

Most Americans assumed

that US contribution to war
would be naval
Allies made it clear they
were running out of men to
fight the war
The war had been
extremely bloody
Allies need America to
supply fresh troops

Draft

Many volunteered for war, but

not enough
Conscription/draft
Some in Congress predicted
that a draft would cause riots
Compared by some to slave
labor
Had not been a draft in US
since the Civil War.
Legislation starting draft
was passed six weeks after
war declared

Doughboys

Within a few months,

army grows to over 4
Mill.

Doughboys=infantry
on foot

How to get these

guys ready to fight?
Training timetable
accelerated
Nearly a year after
US declared war
before US troops in
any force could fight
in Europe

Fighting In France

Us troops had to get to EUR FAST-esp. after

Russia pulled out of war

GER able the send battle-tested troops from the

Eastern front to the Western front-no longer had to
fight on two fronts

American soldiers began to trickle into France in

1918, but were not a separate army.

Were used to reinforce the Allied armies on a unit by

unit basis.
American troops were not a separate fighting force.

America Helps Hammer The Hun

Spring 1918 GER unleashed massive offensive that

quickly rolled the Allies back
May 1918 Germans within 40 miles of Paris

July 1918 Allies begin to roll back Germans.

Muess-Argonne offensive, involving 1.2 million US
troops.

US troops see their first real action as an independent unit at

Chateau-Thierry
Brought fresh spirit of optimism

10% US casualties.

GER getting worn down

Reverses on battle field

British blockade taking its toll.

The Fourteen Points Disarm Germany

October 1918 Germans

turn to Wilson seeking a
peace based on his
fourteen points.
Wilson says that no
negotiations before the
Kaiser is out of power.
The Germans promptly
send him packing.
Armistice11/11/1918.
America rejoices.

Losses in World War I

Paris Peace Conference

The Big Four
US-President

Woodrow Wilson
Italy-Premier
Vittorio Orlando
France-George
Clemenceau
GB-Prime
Minister David
Lloyd George

Wilson Steps Down From Olympus

At the end of the war Wilson extraordinarily

popular both at home and in Europe
Moral leader of the world with most powerful
economy behind him
People of Europe welcome Wilson for treaty
negotiations
Peace conference dominated by Big Four,
leaders of US, France, England and Italy.
Wilson in drivers seat

Wilsons Goal

Europe was a mess

Wilsons ultimate goal was
League of Nations
First priority to keep the
winners from dividing up the
colonies of the beaten
countries

Republicans Carve up the Treaty

Enough Senators said

they would not pass
treaty. WHY???

Partisan politics
Opposition to LON

Entangling alliances
International body
making decisions about
American policy

Treaty That Bred A New War

Wilson forced into a series of compromises

Treaty of Versailles presented to GER in June,
1919-better to GER because of Wilson

HARSH???

LON established
Alsace-Lorraine given back to FR
GER overseas possessions taken-divided btwn. FR, GB,
Japan an Australia as mandates
Poland recreated
GER army and navy greatly reduced, fortifications forbidden
War-guilt clause- GER accepted responsibility for WWI and
agreed to reparations for war damages

Treaty laid groundwork for WWII

New Nations