1. World War I

2. Teetering on War In the early 1900s, Europe is divided into 2 armed camps. Triple Alliance: Germany, Austro- Hungary, and Italy. Triple Entente: France, Britain, and Russia. Others: –Belgium is protected by Britain. –Serbia is protected by Russia. –Greece, Serbia, Bulgaria, Russia, and Austria are all looking to expand into the Balkan region of Europe owned by the Ottoman Empire. –Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and Italy are all competitors in the colonial regions of Asia and Africa.

3. Other reasons for the War Nationalism: Intense love and pride for your ethnic group. It is like patriotism, but stronger and can be racist. Imperialism: The industrialized European nations, hungry for resources and drunk on nationalism, seek out colonies in Asia, Africa, and the Pacific to exploit them. They dominate the political, economic, and social lives of the countries that they take over. Some nations feel that they did not get their “fair share” and become resentful. Militarism: Like an arms race. Every major European power will build large armies and navies. They also threaten to use them.

4. Assassination Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian crown is assassinated by a Serbian nationalist in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914.

5. How World War I Began 1. Archduke Franz Ferdinand is shot. 2. Austria gives ultimatum to Serbia. 3. Serbia refuses ultimatum. 4. Austria asks Germany for permission for war and gets it. 5. Austria declares war on Serbia. 6. Russia declares war on Austria. 7. Germany declares war on Russia and France. 8. Germany asks Belgium if it is ok to through to attack France. Belgium says no. 9. Germany invades Belgium anyways. Britain, the protector of Belgium declares war on Germany. 10. Italy switches sides and joins the allies in the fight against Austria and Germany. 11. Germany gets Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria to join in on its side.

6. The Fighting Begins Germany’s plan was to smash into France, get them to surrender, and attack Russia. After about a month or so, the French and British stall the German advance 40 miles from Paris. German attack falls back and both side end up in trench warfare.

7. Trench Warfare

8. Question Time 1. Why did the European countries go to war? 2. What is trench warfare and why is it so bad?

9. Declaring Neutrality President Wilson feels that the war is a European affair and that we should stay out of it. Some want us to support the British and the French.

10. U-boats German for “Unterseeboots”, we know them as submarines. These weapons first become a major war weapon during WWI. The Germans use the submarines to starve the British out of the war by sinking ships loaded with food and supplies. Many of the ships are American. The unrestricted submarine warfare will be a major cause of bringing the United States into WWI.

11. The Lusitania A British ocean liner that was a passenger cruise ship running the North Atlantic Sea Route. The ship was torpedoed and sunk by a German U-Boat on May 7, 1915 of the coast off Ireland. The incident came very close to bringing the United States into the war as 1,198 innocent passengers were killed…including 128 Americans. Germany agreed to end unrestricted submarine warfare after this, however began to do it again in 1917. It is also believed that the liner may have been secretly carrying weapons and ammunition for the British.

12. The War Continues As 1915 and 1916 wear on, the war continues with no end in sight in the Western Front. At the Battles of Verdun and the Somme, over 2 million casualties between the Allied and Central Powers are suffered. In the East, Russia is losing very badly to Germany and Austria. US maintains neutrality.

13. 1916 Election Wilson runs under the slogan “He kept us out of war!” Republicans nominate Charles Evans Hughes. Progressives fall in line with Republicans when Roosevelt supports the Republicans. California swings the election to Wilson by 3,800 votes of 1 million cast.

14. Question Time 3. Why did Wilson try to keep us out of WWI? 4. Why was it hard for him to do this?

15. Zimmerman Telegram A telegram sent by the Germans to the Mexican government. As war with the US seemed likely, Germany offered Mexico a deal that if Germany goes to war with the US, if Mexico attacks America, the Germans will help them get Texas, California, Arizona, and New Mexico back. When the American people heard about this, it turned the public opinion towards war.

16. US Enters the War In early 1917, Germany resumes unrestricted submarine warfare in the Atlantic Two months after the Zimmerman Telegram was discovered, US President Woodrow Wilson asked Congress to declare war on April 2, 1917 and help the Allies win. The world must be made safe for democracy. Its peace must be planted upon the tested foundations of political liberty. –Woodrow Wilson

17. US Enters the War Led by Gen. Jack Pershing, the US forces were over a million men strong and would receive 360,000 casualties in combat. The AEF would swing the balance of the war as America brought fresh troops into combat to relieve the weary French and British units as they faced a renewed German offensive in the summer of 1918.

18. Stopping the U-Boats Convoys: A fleet of cargo ships protected by destroyers and cruisers for the voyage across the Atlantic. They would also arm merchant vessels with cannons. A group of ships is stronger than individual ships. By adding warships to the group, the Allies could protect their supply lines from German U-Boat attacks by sinking u-boats. The convoy system helped keep Britain supplied through the war when America joined in the fight. By war’s end, 178 u-boats (50% of the fleet) would be sunk.

19. Problems with Russia War went very badly for Russia. In early 1917, the Russians demand the abdication of Czar Nicholas II, however the new Duma keeps the war going. Bolsheviks, under Vladimir Lenin, overthrow the fragile democracy in October 1917 and sign the Treaty of Brest- Litovsk ending war with Germany. Lenin will establish the Soviet Union, a communist state. Germany can now free up armies in the East and plunge them against the Western Front.

20. US Fights The first battle that the Americans fought at was the Second Battle of the Marne. The Allies halted a thrust by the Germans from July 15-18, 1918 to take Paris. The new American forces held the Allied line and weakened the German forces. It was the last major German offensive of the war. US forces push into the Argonne Forest and Belleau Wood in late October and begin to push towards the German border.

21. Armistice The new German Republic asks for an end to hostilities on Nov. 11. A cease-fire is granted all over the Western Front. While not a total peace, the armistice is seen as the end of war. Both sides, from this point on, talk about peace although some nations have a bitter agenda in mind. Nov. 11 is a national holiday in many Western Nations (Armistice Day) although in America it is now Veterans Day (because of WWII). World War I, the “War to End All Wars” comes to an end.

22. New Weapons Poison Gas Machine Guns Tanks Airplanes

23. Sergeant York Alvin York was a soldier in the army. Had “issues” with fighting. Served in France. In a battle, his men were pinned down. He led his seven men to capture 132 German soldiers. He became a war hero and won the Congressional Medal of Honor

24. Eddie Rickenbacker American fighter ace in WWI. Had 26 kills as a pilot. Won Congressional Medal of Honor.

25. African-American Troops Nearly 400,000 blacks were drafted to serve overseas Had to serve in segregated units under white officers, faced racial discrimination Still, many, such as the “Harlem Hell Fighters,” served with distinction, winning medals

26. Question Time 5. Why did the US end up going to war? 6. How did America tip the balance in favor of the Allies? 7. Why did Russia have to leave the war?

27. The Home Front In US and Britain, people back home had to resort to rationing goods. Rationing is a system of making sure that everyone gets a fair share of needed supplies while the bulk of the supplies gets sent to the war effort. Goods from butter, iron, rubber, wheat, meat, shoes, leather, etc. were all rationed during the war years on both sides. This would ensure that the troops were taken care of while the people at home had what they needed to survive as well. “Victory gardens” “Freedom burgers” and “Liberty sausages” Women work in factories.

28. The War Industries Board Created in July 1917 Run by former stockbroker Bernard Baruch Tasked with efficiently managing US industry in the manufacture of war materials Controlled what products were made in US factories

29. The Home Front In US and Britain, people back home had to resort to rationing goods. Rationing is a system of making sure that everyone gets a fair share of needed supplies while the bulk of the supplies gets sent to the war effort. Goods from butter, iron, rubber, wheat, meat, shoes, leather, etc. were all rationed during the war years on both sides. This would ensure that the troops were taken care of while the people at home had what they needed to survive as well. “Victory gardens” “Freedom burgers” and “Liberty sausages” Women work in factories.

30. Growth of Business US spent $33 billion on the war. Had to pay for war with bond drives. Industry expands as they produce goods for war. Factories employ more workers too. National War Labor Board-deals with issues between labor and business. Herbert Hoover chairs the Food Administration. “meatless day”, “wheatless day”, “sweetless day”. Wages rise from $627 to $1407 from 1914 to 1920.

31. Propaganda One-sided information designed to persuade people. Propaganda could be used to make people support the war, buy war bonds, hate the other side, keep up morale, ration goods, etc.

34. Espionage and Sedition Acts Espionage Act passed in June 1917. Sedition Act passed in May 1918. A person can be fined up to $10,000 and/or sentenced to 20 years in jail for interfering with the draft, obstruction of the sale of war bonds, saying anything disloyal or abusive about the government and war effort. 6,000 arrests and 1,500 convictions. Schenck vs. United States—“clear and present danger”

35. Immigrant Hysteria People worried that immigrants may be working for enemy nations. Orchestras would refuse to play Mozart, Bach, Wagner, and Beethoven. Some people changed their names to be “more American.” Some towns changed the names. (New Berlin, NY became New Berlin, Vienna, NY became Vienna, NY). Many immigrants tortured, lynched, beaten, or abused.

36. Question Time 8. What is the goal of propaganda? 9. What sacrifices were made by the people back home? 10. Why were people so afraid of immigrants?

37. Influenza of 1919 In the year following the war, as the troops come home, the “Spanish Flu” hits. A worldwide epidemic that killed 50 to 100 million people in about a year. It spreads fear all over the planet as people in every country get sick. 28% of the population contracted it and 500-600,000 perished in the US

38. Social Issues During the War Women working some factory jobs as well as driving taxis, cooks, miners, bricklayers, and dockworkers. Helped win them suffrage Many Blacks moved from the South to the North looking for jobs. Henry Ford allowed Blacks to work in his plant. Blacks found a lot of prejudice up North.

39. The Peace Conference The Big Four: President Woodrow Wilson of the US, Prime Minister David Lloyd George of Great Britain, Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau of France, and Prime Minister Vittorio Orlando of Italy. These were the heads of the four major Allied nations and would write the treaty to end the war. George and Clemenceau, their nations battered by war, unite to punish Germany. Wilson wants a “peace without victory”. Orlando wants land for Italy. Have to discuss new borders of Europe and remaining issues. Soviet Union not invited.

40. Wilson’s Fourteen Points 1. No secret alliances 2. Freedom of navigation on the seas. 3. The removal, so far as possible, of all economic barriers and the establishment of equality of trade conditions among all the nations 4. Adequate guarantees given and taken that national armaments will be reduced to the lowest point consistent with domestic safety 5. A free, open-minded, and absolutely impartial adjustment of all colonial claims. 6. The evacutation of all Russian territory. 7. Belgium must be evacuated and restored. 8. The return of Alsace-Lorraine to France. 9. A readjustment of the frontiers of Italy should be effected along clearly recognizable lines of nationality. 10. Self-determiation for the peoples of Austria-Hungary (Poles, Slavs, Germans, Hungarians, Czechs, Slovaks, Romanians, etc.) 11. Romania, Serbia, and Montenegro must be evacuated and occupied territories restored. 12. The Turkish portion of the present Ottoman Empire should be assured a secure sovereignty, but the other nationalities which are now under Turkish rule should be assured an undoubted security of life and an absolutely unmolested opportunity of autonomous development, and the Dardanelles should be permanently opened as a free passage to the ships and commerce of all nations under international guarantees. 13. An independent Poland should be erected. 14. A general association of nations must be formed under specific covenants for the purpose of affording mutual guarantees of political independence and territorial integrity

41. Treaty of Versailles Germany had to pay 132 million marks. ($350 billion today. Germany loses all colonies. Germany accepts total responsibility for the war. Germany had to have a reduced navy and army. Germany cannot have air force or submarine fleet. Saar Valley is to occupied by France. Alsace-Lorraine is returned to France. German land is given to Poland. Germany is forbidden to unite with Austria. Created the League of Nations.

42. New Europe

43. Wilson’s Case Senate may go against Treaty of Versailles. Wilson pushes himself and goes to the public to get them to support the treaty. On Sept. 20, 1919, he suffers from a stroke in Pueblo, CO. His wife Edith takes care of him and gives his orders and wishes to the cabinet. “First female president.”

44. Senate Rejection With Wilson sick, the treaty has little chance of passing. Henry Cabot Lodge, a Republican and Chairman of the Foreign Relations Com. on the Senate, rejects the treaty. Fears the League of Nations will get us into war without the Senate’s consent. Senate rejects treaty, but signs a treaty with Germany in 1921. US does not join League of Nations.

45. Legacy of the War Without the US, the League is doomed to failure. Germany will be punished so severely that many resentments will be held by Germans. Many ethnic groups will be upset they were ignored at the conference (Japanese, Vietnamese and Arabs especially). Armenian Genocide:. Between 1914-1918, as many as 800,000 Armenians were killed by the Turks. Fear of Communism. US isolationism begins.

46. Question Time 11. Why did the Senate reject the treaty? 12. What was Wilson’s dream to keep the peace? 13. What social issues were there during the war?

47. Population Shifts European immigration halted during the war This created employment opportunities for minorities Many blacks left the South for factory jobs in the North (The Great Migration) Many Mexicans entered the US to fill the labor shortage on farms in the Southwest and in factories in the North

48. Immigration Many people upset at influx of immigration after WWI. Many people left to escape the harsh life of postwar Europe. 1919: 141,000 immigrants. 1921: 805,000 immigrants. Emergency Quota Act of 1921 set up a quota to establish a maximum number of immigrants allowed from one country by allowing only enough immigrants that equaled 2% of people of that ethnicity in this country in 1900. Later amended to 1920 by the Origins Act of 1929. Origins Act also allows only 150,000 immigrants in total. Japanese immigrants are excluded totally. National origin quotas did not count against Canadians, Mexicans, and those from the Caribbean.

49. Post-war Inflation As regular factory production resumed, demand for consumer goods skyrocketed, driving up prices Inflation in 1919 alone was over 15% Rising cost-of-living led to increased wage demands by labor

50. Election of 1920 Warren Harding runs for Republicans. James Cox runs for Democrats. Running on a campaign to “return to normalcy”, Harding crushes Cox. Largest popular vote margin (26.2%).

51. Postwar Issues Isolationism—stay out of foreign affairs. Nativism—fear of immigrants. Red Scare—fear that communism would spread in the US. 70,000 Communist Party members in the US. Some bombs mailed to people like Rockefeller. Palmer Raids: Raids carried out by Att. Gen. A. Mitchell Palmer. Raids target anarchists and socialists. Many immigrants were deported. May Day 1920.—Nothing happened.

52. Sacco and Vanzetti Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were Italian immigrants. They were socialists and evaded the draft. In April 1920, two men shot and killed a factory paymaster and then robbed him of $15,000. Sacco and Vanzetti were accused. Witnesses said “Italian looking men” did the deed. Three weeks later they were charged with the crime. Even though all evidence was circumstantial, the judge found them guilty and made some derogatory comments. They were executed by electric chair despite nation and world wide protests. This man, (Vanzetti) although he may not have actually committed the crime attributed to him, is nevertheless culpable, because he is the enemy of our existing institutions – Judge Webster Thayer

53. Rise of the Klan Revived in 1915 by William J. Simmons in response to immigrants (especially Catholics and Jews). Inspired by Birth of a Nation. Starts cross burning. Oppose unions and communism. Supports prohibition. 60,000 members will march on DC in 1925. Klan will reach over 6 million members by 1924. After arrests, trials, and bad publicity, the Klan will drop to 30,000 members in 1930.

54. Urban Race Riots Violent racism erupted in Northern cities as WWI veterans returned to work only to find themselves competing with blacks and Mexican immigrants for jobs Worst was in Chicago where a two-week long riot killed 38 and injured hundreds

55. Labor Unrest Boston Police Strike of 1919: Police wanted a pay raise. The police representatives to ask for a raise and were all fired. Police went on strike. Mass. Gov. Calvin Coolidge ordered the National Guard out and the police called off the strike. The police commissioner hired new people and gave the new guys the benefits the strikers wanted. The fired men wanted to be rehired by Coolidge refused saying they put the safety of the people at jeopardy. US Steel Strike of 1919: 350,000 workers walked off the job to protest 12-hr days/7 day weeks and bad conditions with poor wages. Steel companies hired strikebreakers with 18 workers beaten to death and hundreds hurt. Strike ends in 1920 but conditions get better only after a committee reveals the bad working conditions. Coal Miners Strike in 1919: United Mine Workers go on strike until they get a 27% increase in pay. Will not get 8-hr workdays until the 1930s. People favor businesses, despite progressive era, because of communism and nativism.

56. Foreign Treaties Kellogg-Briand Pact: An attempt to end war forever. In 1925, led by the US and France, most of the nations in the world signed a treaty pledging to never go to war again. They renounced war as an instrument of national policy and agreed to never fight again. However, the treaty had no provisions to enforce it and will become nothing but a goodwill measure that accomplishes nothing. Washington Naval Treaty: A treaty in 1923 that limited the naval armaments of Britain, US, France, Italy, and Japan. It was made to help combine the isolationist tendencies of the US at home and the now shaken balance of power in the world. It limited the size and amount of battleships and heavy crusiers (aircraft carriers were excluded). France and Italy were allowed the same amount. Britain, US, and Japan held a 5:5:3 ratio for their ships. France and Japan were both angered by this treaty and it helped lead to other problems. Dawes Plan: Loans money to Germany so they can pay France and Britain their reparations. Britain and France can then pay us back the money we gave them during the war.

57. Tariffs and Reparations Britain and France owed America $10 billion. Fordney-McCumber Tariff in 1922 raised tariffs to 60% on imports. Tariff was designed to protect American businesses, especially chemical and metal corporations. In response, Britain and France demanded that Germany pay all her reparations for the war now. Germany was forced to pay reparations of 132 billion gold marks to the Allies as part of her war guilt in the Treaty of Versailles. US loaned $2.5 billion to Germany to pay off France and Britain when France occupied the Ruhr Valley in 1922.

58. Question Time 14. Why did the KKK get such a boost after WWI? 15. Why were there so many race riots and labor unrest after the war? 16. How do you feel about the Sacco and Vanzetti case?