Post on 30-Dec-2015
Preparedness
After the sinking of the Lusitania, a small, vocal minority of Americans were calling for U.S. entry into WWI against Germany
Many Republicans argued that the U.S. Army and Navy were hopelessly unprepared for war
Preparedness = greater defense expenditures
Preparedness
The National Security League- organized by a group of business leaders to promote preparedness and to extend direct U.S. aid to the Allies if needed
At first, Wilson disagreed, but in late 1915, changed his mind and urged for an ambitious expansion of the Armed forces
Preparedness
Democrats were upset with Wilson and largely opposed to military increases
June 1916: Wilson finally persuaded Congress to pass the National Defense Act Increased the regular
Army and Navy
?
Think about the strength of our Armed Forces today. If preparedness had never been adopted as a policy, how would this have affected the U.S. military effort in WWI?
Opposition to the War
Midwesterners and Western Americans were highly opposed to preparedness
Socialists, Progressives, and Populists were all antiwar
William Jennings Bryan, Jane Addams, and Jeanette Rankin were all highly against the war Women suffragettes also
campaigned against military buildup
The Election of 1916
Woodrow Wilson was well aware he won in 1912 because of a split in the Republican party
Theodore Roosevelt declined the new Progressive Party’s nomination for president and rejoined the Republicans Republicans nominate NY governor
Charles Evan Hughes
The Election of 1916
“He kept us out of war.”– the Democratic campaign slogan
Wilson claimed he won the election because he was a peaceful leader and Progressive in his own right
Democrats won the close election with most of their strength in the South and West overcoming Republican dominance in the East
Peace Efforts
Wilson made repeated efforts to fulfill his party’s campaign promise to stay out of war
Before the 1915 election sent chief foreign adviser to London, Paris, and Berlin to negotiate a peace settlement
Other efforts at mediation turned aside by both Allied and Central Powers
January 1917 Wilson gives a speech to the U.S. Senate, declaring U.S. commitment to the idea of “peace without victory.”
Decision for War
Unrestricted Submarine Warfare: Most important in the U.S. decision for war
Germany decided in 1917 to resume unrestricted submarine warfare
Germany recognized the risk of the U.S. entering the war, but believed that by cutting off supplies to the Allied forces, they could win the war before the U.S. could get involved
?
If Germany and the Central Powers had effectively won the war before the U.S. got involved, how would this affect our trade policies with France and Great Britain?
Decision for War
Other Immediate Causes: Zimmerman Telegram: On March 1, 1917, U.S.
newspapers reported that British intelligence had intercepted a message from Germany to Mexico
It proposed Mexico ally itself with Germany and in return, Germany would pledge to help Mexico recover lost territories (Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona) from the Mexican-American War
This aroused nationalist anger among Americans and convinced Wilson that Germany fully expected a war with the U.S.
?
If Mexico had not lost its former territories to the U.S. in the Mexican-American War (1846-1848), how would this have impacted our involvement in WWI?
Decision for War
Other Immediate Causes: Russian Revolution: Wilson hesitated getting
involved in the war because one of the Allies was Russia, a nation governed by a autocratic czar
This barrier to U.S. participation was suddenly removed when Russian revolutionaries overthrew the czar’s government and established a republic (at least until November of that year)
Renewed submarine attacks: In the first weeks of March 1917, German submarines sank five unarmed U.S. merchant ships
?
If Russian revolutionaries were unsuccessful in overthrowing the czarist government, how would this have impacted U.S. involvement in WWI?
Declaration of War
April 2, 1917: Wilson asks that Congress
recognize a state of war existed between Germany and the U.S.
His speech condemned Germany’s submarine policy as “warfare against mankind” and declared: “The world must be made safe for democracy.”
April 6: An overwhelming majority vote for war, but some pacifists like Robert La Follette and Jeanette Rankin defiantly voted no
Mobilization
Germany was preparing a knockout blow on land and at sea
Could the U.S. mobilize its vast economic resources fast enough to make a difference in the war?
Since training troops would take many months, the first American contribution to the Allies was shipping needed supplies Wilson created a number of war agencies staffed by
volunteers
Mobilization
War Industries Board led by Wall Street broker Bernard Baruch Established centralized
control over raw materials and prices
Food Administration led by Herbert Hoover Encouraged American
households to eat less meat and bread so more food could be shipped abroad for the Allied troops
Mobilization
Fuel Administration led by Harry Garfield Led efforts to save coal
and daylight savings went into effect for the first time
National War Labor Board led by William Howard Taft Arbitrated disputes
between workers and employers ; laborers won concessions during the war that had previously been denied
Mobilization
Finance: Wilson’s war program raised $33 billion in 2 years by a combination of loans and taxes
Four massive drives to convince Americans to put their savings into federal Liberty Bonds
Congress increased both personal income and corporate taxes; placed an excise tax on luxury goods
?
Think about if our economy and our amount of resources were such that the American public and business sector would still be required to rationalize our resources and savings in wartime (i.e. Iraq, Afghanistan).
Would this policy be widely accepted today as our Patriotic duty or considered too much government intervention? Why do you think so?