BRINGING THE GREAT WAR HOME Neutrality  Joining the War  The Home Front

REVIEW: FROM NEUTRALITY TO WAR

Causes of the War Militarism European nations expected war so they built up their militaries Alliances Because they expected war, they made allies Imperialism The build up of territories increased competition among nations Nationalism Heightened pride in one’s nation made people feel prejudice toward “others”

Causes of the War With European nations prepared for war (MAIN causes), a small incident had the potential to cause big problems An Austro-Hungarian Archduke (Francis Ferdinand) was assassinated by a Serbian terrorist (Gavrilo Princip) who objected to Austria-Hungary’s control over Bosnia, which was ethnically similar to Serbia Nations allied with Austria-Hungary (Germany, Italy) and nations allied with Serbia (Russia, Great Britain, France) declared war on one another

Nature of Warfare New types of weapons made traditional warfare more deadly In attempts to protect themselves, soldiers dug trenches Both sides became entrenched which made progress difficult

Reasons for U.S. Involvement Americans initially didn’t want to get involved, but 1/3 of the population was foreign-born and many had connections to the conflict Isolationists didn’t think the war was U.S. business Interventionists sided with the Allies Great Britain, France, & Russia Internationalists wanted the U.S. to be involved in making peace, but not through war President Wilson’s POV

Reasons for U.S. Involvement Great Britain blockaded military and non-military supplies from getting to Germany Germany started sinking boats using U-boats (submarines) Sinking of Lusitania & Sussex passenger ships Germany’s promise not to sink unarmed ships (Sussex Pledge) President Wilson prepared for the worst, but hoped for the best Zimmerman Note German Foreign Minister Arthur Zimmerman tries to get Mexico to attack the U.S, by promising them American territory Germany declares unrestricted submarine warfare President Wilson finally declares war

THE HOME FRONT

America Mobilizes for War Selective Service Act Required men to register for military service draft Council of National Defense Federal agencies to manage war effort War Industries Board Food Administration Committee on Public Information

Opposition and Its Consequences Resistance to draft Some men avoided the draft, others openly refused to cooperate and were imprisoned Some were considered “conscientious objectors” for religious reasons Women’s Peace Party Formed by Jane Addams as a feminist/pacifist political party

Opposition and Its Consequences Espionage Act Banned “treasonous” printed materials and penalized people who interfered with the war effort Sedition Act Banned language that critiqued the government Schenck v. U.S. upheld this law during war times Prejudice against Germans

Societal Changes Women join the workforce Women had fought for equal rights for decades Now filled jobs left behind by men or jobs necessary for war Also served as nurses in the war overseas Finally won presidential support for women’s suffrage

Societal Changes “Great Migration” African Americans moved North to escape violence, seek economic opportunity, ensure future for children 1.2 million moved from 1910 to 1920 New York, Chicago, & Detroit especially Mexican immigration Moved into Southwest U.S. for same reasons

FINAL QUESTION How did WWI impact the American Dream?