The Road to War

 Wilson wanted peace but saw the need to be prepared in case war could not be avoided  1916 Wilson ran for reelection against Republican Charles Evan Hughes; both supported neutrality  Democrats boosted Wilson’s image with the slogan “He kept us out of war!”  Wilson won reelection  Wilson called on world powers for “peace without victory”

 Germany warned any neutral nation that it would sink any ship nearing Britain.  The renewal of submarine warfare was a desperate effort to break the Allied blockade  They knew U-boats attacks would bring the U.S. into the war.  To protest Germany’s attraction Wilson cut diplomatic relations  He still hoped for peace

 Zimmerman telegram: Germany’s foreign secretary, Arthur Zimmerman gave instructions to the German minister to urge Mexico to attack the U.S. if the U.S. declared war on Germany  In return Germany would help Mexico regain its lost provinces in the American Southwest  When this new broke Anti-German feelings soared

 German submarines sank several American merchant ships  Revolution in Russia drove czar Nicholas II from power  Czar: Russian Emperor; ruled with absolute power

 Several times in the 1800s and early 1900s Russians revolted against czarist rule  Their efforts all ended in failure  Discontent surface when condition in Russia and on the war front worsened  Russian revolted against the czar protesting food shortage  Revolutionaries set up a provisional government calling for democratic reforms

 Wilson welcomed the Russian revolution because he believed in democracy  It was against his principles to be an ally of the czar  With the new Russian government in power he believed the Allied cause would be stronger

 Read Wilson’s war message on page 656  Why did Wilson believe the United States should declare war?  Democracy  Congress voted in favor of declaring war.

 Americans needed to prepare for war fast  Allies were desperate  Britain had only a few weeks worth of food left  France’s troops were on the verge of collapse  Russian soldiers (Eastern front) were deserting to join the Revolution

 Selective Service Act: Required all men age 21 to 30 to register for military draft  In 18 months 4 million men and women joined the armed forces  Some felt this was their chance for adventure and excitement

 People from every ethnic group enlisted  20,000 Puerto Ricans  Filipinos  Many recent immigrants  Native Americans could not be citizens and could not be drafted but enlisted anyway  African American at first could not serve  2 million registered when Government changed the rules  400,000 were accepted

 U.S. reorganized its economy to produce food, arms, and other goods need to fight the war  Government agencies weren’t set up to oversee the effort

 Herbert Hoover headed the Food Administration  Farmers grew more crops  Families rationed  Wheatless Mondays  Meatless Tuesdays

 War industries Board; new government agency  Told factories what to produce  Divided up limited resources  Settled disputes over working hours and wages  Due to labor shortage, Unions won better pay and working conditions

 Liberty Bonds: When American bought bonds they were lending money to the government to pay for war  $21 billion dollars in sales  “Four-Minute men”: speakers urged Americans to make sacrifices for goals of freedom and democracy

 Women stepped in to war industry jobs where they received better pay  By performing well in jobs thought only suited for men they changed the view that they were only fit for certain kinds of work

 Many African Americans left the south and moved to northern cities to escape poverty and discrimination

 In the north competition for housing and jobs caused prejudice and racial violence  39 African Americans killed during a riot in East St. Louise, Illinois

 Southwestern farmers pressed the government to allow more Mexicans to cross the border to work on farms  They entered to work on farms and in city factories  After the war the U.S. tried to force them to return to Mexico

 Subjected to suspicion and intolerance during the war  Newspapers questioned their loyalty  Mobs attacked them

 Progressives and Socialists opposed the war  They believed that the war benefited the wealthy owners but not workers  Pacifists: people who refuse to fight in any war  To encourage unity congress passed laws making it a crime to criticize the government or to interfere with war efforts  1,600 men and women were arrested for breaking these laws  Some felt that silencing critics violated the constitution’s guarantee of free speech  Most felt these laws were necessary in wartime