1. US Involvement in WWI

2. What Events in Europe Led to World War I?

3. The Order of Events Serbian nationalists kill Austro-Hungarian duke.
Austria Hungary warns Serbia, Serbia ignores
Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia
Russia (Serbia’s ally) mobilizes troops near Germany
Germans declares war on Russia and France (allies)
Germany sends troops through neutral Belgium, Britain declares war on Germany

4. The American Response Neutrality!
Economic& cultural ties with Britain.
Most Americans anti-German.

5. WWI: A Boon to the US Economy
Britain and France bought products in great amounts.
American bankers gave private loans to Allies.

6. German Threats Escalate
Germans kept out of American trade by the British blockade.
Began submarine warfare around British isles to break through blockade.
Germans warned US “ we might sink merchant ships.”

7. Submarine Warfare
Crisis point: Lusitania is torpedoed in Americans died.
After sinking of British and French liners, Germans promised they would not sink unarmed ships without warning SUSSEX PLEDGE

8. Wilson Wins Reelection (1916)
Wilson wins with promise “He Kept Us Out of War.”
Wilson’s victory linked to his promise of further neutrality.

9. America Enters the War
1917—Germany announced unrestricted submarine warfare.
US finds Zimmerman Note on 1917.
“Overt” acts—German U-boats sank four unarmed American merchant vessels in two weeks.
April 6, 1917: US declares war because of these German actions.

10. Getting Public Support for the War
Traditions of isolationism and neutrality.
Wilson cast war in moral terms— “making the world safe for democracy”
Played on people’s ideas of America as the savior.

11. Wilson’s Fourteen Points
Wilson the moral leader of the allied cause
Goal was to keep Russia in war & boost morale of troops.
Key ideas : abolish secret treaties, freedom of the seas, free trade, reduction of armaments, readjustment of colonial claims, self-determination
14th Point: Creation of League of Nations
Not everyone supported this idea
U.S. not in the League

12. Propaganda in the War
Gov created Committee on Public Information—headed by George Creel.
Goal—to sell the war to America and convince the world of the righteousness of Wilson’s war aims.
posters, movies, songs

13. “Remember Belgium”

14. The “Mad Brute”

16. Government Excess & Threats to the Civil Liberties of Americans
1. Espionage Act – forbade actions that obstructed recruitment or efforts to promote insubordination in the military ordered the Postmaster General to remove Leftist materials from the mail fines of up to $10,000 and/or up to 20 years in prison.

17. Government Excess & Threats to the Civil Liberties of Americans
2. Sedition Act – it was a crime to speak against the purchase of war bonds or willfully utter, print, write or publish any disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive language about this form of US Govt., the US Constitution, or the US armed forces or to willfully urge, incite, or advocate any curtailment of production of things necessary or essential to the prosecution of the war…with intent of such curtailment to cripple or hinder, the US in the prosecution of the war.

18. Government Excess & Threats to the Civil Liberties of Americans
3. Schenck v. US – in ordinary times the mailing of the leaflets would have been protected by the st Amendment BUT, every act of speech must be judged acc. to the circumstances in which it was spoken. -The most stringent protection of free speech would not protect a man in falsely shouting fire in a theater and causing a panic. [Chief Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes] - If an act of speech posed a clear and present danger, then Congress had the power to restrain such speech.

19. Council of National Defense
War Industries Board – Bernard Baruch
Food Administration – Herbert Hoover
Railroad Administration – William McAdoo
National War Labor Board – W. H.Taft & Frank P. Walsh

20. U. S. Food Administration

21. U. S. Food Administration

22. National War Garden Commission

23. U. S. School Garden Army

24. Results of This New Organization of the Economy?
Unemployment virtually disappeared.
Expansion of “big government.”
Excessive govt. regulations in eco.
Some gross mismanagement --> overlapping jurisdictions.
Close cooperation between public and private sectors.
Unprecedented opportunities for disadvantaged groups.

25. Opportunities for African-Americans in WW1
“Great Migration.” – 1919  70,000
War industries work.
Enlistment in segregated units.

26. True Sons of Freedom

27. YWCA – The Blue Triangle

28. Munitions Work

29. Women Used In Recruitment

30. The Red Cross - Greatest Mother in the World

31. WWI Era Amendments 1919: 18th Amendment—PROHIBITION
Because of wartime spirit of self-denial, and partly because of anti-Germanic sentiment
1920: 19th Amendment—Women’s suffrage
Linked to women’s key role in war effort in factories

32. Workers and War Not all workers supported war Post-war labor unrest:
Coal Miners Strike of 1919.
Steel Strike of 1919.
Boston Police Strike of 1919.

33. “If Capital & Labor Don’t Pull Together” – Chicago Tribune
Anti-Labor
“If Capital & Labor Don’t Pull Together” – Chicago Tribune

34. “Keeping Warm” – Los Angeles Times
Coal Miners’ Strike
“Keeping Warm” – Los Angeles Times

36. 1917 – Selective Service Act
24,000,000 men registered for the draft by the end of 1918.
4,800,000 men served in WW1 (2,000,000 saw active combat).
400,000 African-Americans served in segregated units.
15,000 Native-Americans served as scouts, messengers, and snipers in non-segregated units.
Women served in non-combat positions

37. Fighting the War US needed in France after Russia pulls out of war
Played key role in stopping German invasion of France

38. The End Nears Closer
Germany wanted to surrender in October 1918, with a peace based on The 14 Points.
US had mostly contributed food, munitions, money, oil and manpower
The prospect of endless American troops was key.

39. The Treaty of Versailles and Wilson’s Downfall
At end of war, Wilson was a hero.
Met with Big Four in Paris—US, Britain, Italy and France
Compromises: The losers colonial holdings would be controlled by the League of Nations, the League would be included in the treaty.

40. The Final Treaty
Had to work out compromises with France, Italy and Japan over colonized land.
Germany forced to accept a peace they did not participate.
Treaty punished Germany harshly!
Wilson had been forced to compromise a moral peace, in order to keep the League of Nations
Some good points: liberated many minority peoples—ex. Poles.

41. Wilson Fights for the Treaty
Lots of critics—some believed too harsh, some too lenient
Isolationists hate the idea of a League Irreconcilables
Over Lodge’s filibuster, Wilson went on a desperate speechmaking tour to sell the treaty to the public stroke, and death soon after he left office
Lodge Reservations: Deal where Republicans would only accept treaty with some reservations—esp. reserving rights of US under Monroe Doctrine and US sovereignty
Wilson urges Democrats to reject treaty with reservations—in doing so, the treaty is killed.

42. The Election of 1920
Wilson wanted to make the campaign a referendum on the League.
Republican Harding won with promise of “return to normalcy.”
Women’s votes key in this election
Death sentence for the League of Nations.

43. Key legacies of the war and the peace
Weakened League meant world was unable to deal with tensions after WWI WWII
US hurt itself by remaining isolationist when it needed to take global responsibility.
We are therefore, somewhat to blame for the problems between the wars that led to WWII.
Wilsonianism: American interventionism, US spreads democracy and capitalism, American influence could bring peace to the world.