The United States in WW I

From Neutrality to War

The Causes of the War Nationalism- each European country believed they

were superior to the others; overzealous patriotism Militarism (Arms Race)- European countries

glorified armed strength and war-massive and competitive arms race

Military Alliances- Europeans bound together by a series of military treaties

Imperialism (Rivalry over Colonies)- Europeans competing for colonies in Africa and Asia as a source of raw materials

The Causes Spoke

                                                                                                                                                          

ARMS RACE

EACH COUNTRY IN EUROPE HAD A DESIRE TO BETTER ITS ARMY AND NAVY.

GREAT BRITAIN TRADITIONALLY HAD THE MOST POWERFUL NAVY IN EUROPE. GERMANY BEGAN TO EXPAND HER NAVY, WHICH CREATED TENSION BETWEEN THE TWO NATIONS.

FRANCE LOST THE ALSACE-LORRAINE REGION TO GERMANY IN THE FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR OF 1870. THIS LEFT BITTERNESS BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES AND A DETERMINATION BY FRANCE TO HAVE HER ARMY READY TO TAKE BACK THE TERRITORY FROM GERMANY.

INTRICATE AND SOMETIMES SECRET ALLIANCES IN EUROPE LED TO

OBLIGATIONS BUT ALSO DIVIDED LOYALTIES IF ATTACKED

AUSTRIA-HUNGARY HAD AN AGREEMENT WITH GERMANY WHO HAD AN AGREEMENT

WITH ITALY. OTTOMAN EMPIRE WAS ALLIED WITH

GERMANY AGAINST RUSSIA.

SERBIA HAD AN AGREEMENT WITH RUSSIA WHO HAD AN AGREEMENT WITH FRANCE WHO HAD AN

AGREEMENT WITH GREAT BRITAIN WHO HAD AN

AGREEMENT TO PROTECT

BELGIUM’S NEUTRALITY

The Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austro-Hungary

The archduke and his wife Sofia assassinated by a Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip

Occurred in Sarajevo, Bosnia- resented Austria’s control

June 28, 1914

ARCHDUKE FRANZ FERDINAND AND FAMILY

THE HEIR TO THE AUSTR0-HUNGARIAN

THRONE WAS ASSASSINATED WHILE

TOURING THROUGH SERBIA BY GAVRILO

PRINCIP, A MEMBER OF AN ORGANIZATION

CALLED BLACK HAND, WHO WANTED

INDEPENDENCE FOR THE REGION FROM AUSTRIA-

HUNGARY.

THIS ASSASSINATION HELPED LEAD TO THE WAR AS COUNTRIES

RUSHED TO AVENGE THE MURDER AND FULFILL

THEIR ALLIANCE OBLIGATIONS.

The Assassination (Continued) The Response (Tensions already high)

1. Austria and Germany declared war on Serbia

2. Russia, an ally of Serbia, moved troops to Serbia

3. Germany declared war on Russia and its ally France

4. Britain declared war on Germany

THE WAR BEGAN WITH THE

ALLIES VERSUS THE CENTRAL POWERS AND SIX NEUTRAL

NATIONS

CENTRAL POWERS

AUSTRIA-HUNGARY

GERMANY

BULGARIA

TURKEY

ALLIES

FRANCE

UNITED KINGDOM (AND ALL OF HER COLONIES)

ITALY RUSSIA

JAPAN ROMANIA

SERBIA GREECE

PORTUGAL

NEUTRAL NATIONS

SPAIN SWITZERLAND NORWAY SWEDEN BELGIUM DENMARK

HOW DID MOST AMERICANS FEEL ABOUT JOINING THE WAR IN EUROPE?

MOST PEOPLE WANTED TO REMAIN NEUTRAL BECAUSE: THEY FELT THAT IT WAS NOTNOT OUR FIGHT

EUROPE WAS TOO FAR AWAY

WAR WAS EXPENSIVE

DIVIDED LOYALTIES SINCE WE TRADED WITH BOTH GERMANY AND GREAT BRITAIN (AND FRANCE) AND DID NOT WANT TO SEVER TIES WITH EITHER ONE BY FIGHTING AGAINST THEM

0

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

8000000

9000000 GERMAN

AUSTRIAN-HUNGARIANBRITISH

IRISH

RUSSIAN

ITALIAN

POPULATION BY ETHNIC GROUP

IN MILLIONS

TOTAL U.S. POPULATION 1910: 91,972,266

U.S. POPULATION BY ETHNIC GROUP FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE WAR: 32,243,282

Fighting the War-The Bloody Stalemate 1914-1917

WW I (1914-1918) also called the Great War

Europeans thought war would be over in a few months

Germany fought a multi-front war:1. The Western Front- against Britain and France2. The Eastern Front- against the Russians

The Western Front Eastern France Front’s position fluctuated little from

1914-1917 Characterized by Trench Warfare Bloody- massive amount of deaths

The Horrors of Trench Warfare

System of trenches dug along a 160-mile line in eastern France

Soldiers fought from and lived in the trenches

Bloody, muddy and unsanitary

Consisted of long artillery bombardments followed by infantry charges

Havens of disease, dead bodies, rats, flies and trench foot

Trench Warfare

MOST OF THE TIME IN THE TRENCHES

WAS SPENT WAITING FOR THE

FIGHTING TO BEGIN

SLEEPING TOOK PLACE IN SHIFTS

SO SOMEONE WAS ALWAYS

WATCHING THE ENEMY

“OVER THE TOP”

New Weapons of the 20th Century Warfare-WW I

The Machine Gun Modern Cannon Chemical warfare- mustard and chlorine gas Flame Thrower Tanks- could break over the trenches and

barbed wire Airplanes- The Red Baron- famous German

pilot-downed many Allied planes U-boat Warfare- “unterseeboots” (submarines)

AIRPLANES ENTERED THE SCENE

The Machine Gun

TECHNOLOGY IMPROVED

CANNONS-BIG BERTHA

TANKS WERE FIRST INTRODUCED

The Flamethrower

SUBMARINES, CALLED “U-BOATS” BY THE GERMANS, WERE USED TO SINK SUPPLY

SHIPS

German U-boat

POISONOUS GAS

The Machine Gunners w/ gas masks

                                                                             

Even the horses wore gas masks

ANIMALS AT WAR

Deadly Battles Verdun (680,000

killed in 6 Months) Somne (1 million

killed in 6 months) Argonne Forest

(decisive, but costly victory for the allies)

VERDUN WAS A MAJOR BATTLEGROUND

3 Events that drew America into the Conflict

1. The sinking of the luxury liner Lusitania by a German u-boat

2. German U-boats violate International Law- continued to sink American merchant vessels

3. The Zimmerman Telegram- “the icing on the cake”

1. The Sinking of the Lusitania May 7, 1915- sunk in 18 minutes Torpedoed off the Irish coast 1,200 dead out of 2000, including 128

Americans and 125 children Contained a secret cargo –4200 cases of

guns for the British and French Outraged America, Germany apologized

The Sinking of the Lusitania

<>           

                                                                                            

ALTHOUGH THIS EVENT ANGERED MANY AMERICANS, THE U.S. DID NOT JOIN THE WAR

FOR 2 MORE YEARS

GERMANY ANNOUNCED THEY WOULD RESUME THEIR U-BOAT CAMPAIGN AND SINK ALL (INCLUDING

AMERICAN) SHIPS IN THE WAR ZONE. MANY GERMANS WERE STARVING FROM THE BRITISH BLOCKADE AND

THE GERMAN MILITARY BELIEVED THEY COULD FORCE THE BRITISH TO SURRENDER IN A FEW MONTHS,

BEFORE THE U.S. WOULD ENTER, AND WIN THE WAR.

WILSON CLUNG TO THE HOPE THAT GERMANY WOULD NOT ACTUALLY ATTACK U.S. SHIPS, HOWEVER IN MARCH FOUR UNARMED MERCHANT SHIPS WERE SUNK, WITH

36 LIVES LOST.

2. Unrestricted Submarine Warfare

1917

3. The Zimmerman Telegram The “icing on the cake” (January 1917) Sent to the German ambassador in Mexico from

Arthur von Zimmerman Called for Mexico to invade the US to keep the US

from sending troops to Europe Promised to Mexico Texas, Arizona and New Mexico “Intercepted” by the British On April 6, 1917, President Wilson convinced

Congress to declare war on Germany

ZIMMERMANN Telegram(1917)

On the first of February we intend to begin submarine warfare unrestricted. In spite of this, it is our

intention to endeavor to keep neutral the United States of America.

If this attempt is not successful, we propose an alliance on the following basis with Mexico: That we shall make war together and together make peace.

We shall give general financial support, and it is understood that Mexico is to reconquer the lost territory in New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona. The

details are left to you for settlement. . . . You are instructed to inform the President of Mexico

of the above in the greatest confidence as soon as it is certain that there will be an outbreak of war with the

United States and suggest that the President of Mexico, on his own initiative, should communicate

with Japan suggesting adherence at once to this plan; at the same time, offer to mediate between Germany

and Japan. Please call to the attention of the President of Mexico that the employment of ruthless submarine warfare now promises to compel England to make peace in a

few months.

Alfred Zimmermann, German Foreign Minister 1916

POLITICAL CARTOON ON

THE ZIMMERMAN

NOTE

US President Woodrow Wilson Asks Congress to declare war on Germany

American Opposition to the War Quakers, Mennonites and Amish (pacifists) Socialists-argued that America was in the war to

help out big business Women’s Peace Party People who opposed the war were branded as

“traitors” and “wrongdoers” Thousands of women hired in the factories to help

with the war effort

America Mobilizes Draft was instituted- 9

million men drafted, 5 million men enlisted on their own

Industrial production increased for weapons and other war supplies

Agricultural production increased to help feed troops                                                                                                                                                           

DRAFTED MEN REPORTED FOR SERVICE IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS

WAR PROPAGANDA POSTERS

American Soldiers in the War Soldiers arrived in

November 1917 2 million by end of the

war-Nov. 1918 American soldiers

called the “Doughboys”

Brave and tough, but not well trained at first

Bolstered the Allied forces in Europe

Helped the allied navy and air forces

AFRICAN AMERICAN SOLDIERS SERVED IN SEGREGATED UNITS

HENRY JOHNSON, LEFT, AND NEADHAM

ROBERTS, RIGHT RECEIVED THE FRENCH CROIX DE GUERRE, AN AWARD CREATED TO RECOGNIZE BRAVERY IN THE FACE OF AN

ENEMY

ALTHOUGH AFRICAN AMERICAN SOLDIERS WERE USED MOSTLY FOR LABOR, THE FRENCH HIRED SOME

INFANTRY THAT FOUGHT ALONGSIDE FRENCH WHITE SOLDIERS. THESE EXPERIENCES CONTRIBUTED TO THE SENSE OF EMPOWERMENT EXPRESSED BY THE BLACK

COMMUNITY IN THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE IN THE 1920s.

BUILDING RAILROADS IN FRANCE

CUTTING DOWN TREES

American Commander General John Pershing

American commander “When you hit, hit hard

and don’t stop hitting” Intensified troop

training Led the Allies to

decisive victories

INCOME TAX CREATED IN 1913Amendment XVI

The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several states, and without regard to any census or

enumeration.

BONDS: THE GOVERNMENT BORROWS MONEY

WAR SAVING STAMPS: COST BETWEEN 25 CENTS AND $5, THE GOVERNMENT PRINTED BOOKLETS AND WHEN THEY WERE FULL THEY COULD BE TURNED IN

FOR BONDS

HOW DID THE U.S. GOVERNMENT PAY FOR THE WAR?

Propaganda Against Germans Americans were encouraged by the government to

reject anything German Boycotts on German beer and music; names of

foods changed- sauerkraut to “liberty cabbage”; hamburgers to “liberty sausage”

German-Americans discriminated against Espionage Act of 1917 and the Sedition Acts of

1918- restricted the lives and movement of German-Americans

EXAMPLES OF ANTI-GERMAN SENTIMENT DURING WWI

•MANY AMERICAN SCHOOLS STOPPED OFFERING INSTRUCTION IN THE GERMAN LANGUAGE.  •CALIFORNIA'S STATE EDUCATION BOARD CALLED GERMAN A LANGUAGE OF "AUTOCRACY, BRUTALITY, AND HATRED”.•SAUERKRAUT BECAME "LIBERTY CABBAGE" •SALOONKEEPERS REMOVED PRETZELS FROM THE BAR •ORCHESTRAL WORKS BY BACH, BEETHOVEN, AND BRAHMS VANISHED FROM MUSIC PROGRAMS, INCLUDING THAT OF THE NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC •MANY GERMAN AMERICANS WERE BADGERED, BEATEN, AND SOMETIMES KILLED.

German Americans being deported

WOMEN TOOK THE JOBS LEFT BEHIND BY THE MEN

NURSES CONTRIBUTED TO THE WAR

EFFORT

The End of the War

The Russians pulled out of the war due to the Communist revolution in 1917

The Allies, led by the US, repelled one last German offensive and pushed the Germans through the Argonne Forest and out of France back east into Germany by October 1918

1918- Austro-Hungarian ethnic groups rebelled Nov. 11th, 1918- Germany signs an armistice-fighting ceases The German/Austro-Hungarian empire crumbles from within Major offensive against Germans in The Argonne led by American

Major Charles Whittlesey- commander of the “Lost Battalion”

Major Charles Whittlesey-commander of the “Lost Battalion”-held off the Germans in the Argonne Forest for several days until help arrived

Sergeant Alvin C. York, 328th Infantry, who with aid of 17 men, captured 132 German prisoners; shows hill on which raid took place [October 8, 1918]. Argonne Forest, near Cornay, France.,

02/07/1919

AN AMERICAN HERO

ARMISTICE SIGNED:

“AT THE 11TH HOUR, OF THE 11TH MONTH, ON THE 11TH DAY”

NOVEMBER 11, 1918 WWI ENDS

THE UNITED STATES CELEBRATED

US Casualties and the Results of the War

10 million soldiers killed, 20 million wounded in battle (worldwide)

10 million civilians killed-many due to worldwide influenza epidemic

112,000 US soldiers killed in action; 290,000 wounded ( in only 1 year of action)

Women gain the right to vote in US and other parts of Europe

Worldwide Influenza Outbreak-600,000 Americans died from the flu

INFLUENZA, 1918•SOLDIERS NEAR BOSTON SUDDENLY STARTED DYING

•THE CAUSE OF DEATH WAS IDENTIFIED AS INFLUENZA, BUT IT WAS UNLIKE ANY STRAIN EVER SEEN

•AS THE KILLER VIRUS SPREAD ACROSS THE COUNTRY, HOSPITALS OVERFILLED, DEATH CARTS ROAMED THE STREETS AND HELPLESS CITY OFFICIALS DUG MASS GRAVES

•IT WAS THE WORST EPIDEMIC IN AMERICAN HISTORY, KILLING OVER 600,000, FIVE TIMES THE DEATHS OF AMERICAN SOLDIERS IN THE WAR. IT DISAPPEARED AS MYSTERIOUSLY AS IT HAD BEGUN.

PARADES QUICKLY SPREAD THE DISEASE

Country Dead Wounded POW/MIA Total Mobilized

Austria-Hungary 1,200,000 3,620,000 2,200,000 7,020,000 7,800,000

Belgium 13,716 44,686 34,659 93,061 267,000

British Empire 908,371 2,090,212 191,652 3,190,235 8,904,467

Bulgaria 87,500 152,390 27,029 266,919 1,200,000

France 1,357,800 4,266,000 537,000 6,160,800 8,410,000

Germany 2,773,700 4,216,058 1,152,800 7,142,558 11,000,000

Greece 5,000 21,000 1,000 27,000 230,000

Italy 650,000 947,000 600,000 2,197,000 5,615,000

Japan 300 907 3 1,210 800,000

Montenegro 3,000 10,000 7,000 20,000 50,000

Portugal 7,222 13,751 12,318 33,291 100,000

Romania 335,706 120,000 80,000 535,706 750,000

Russia 2,700,000 4,950,000 2,500,000 9,150,000 12,000,000

Serbia 45,000 133,148 152,958 331,106 707,343

Turkey 325,000 400,000 250,000 975,000 2,850,000

US 110,516 204,002 0 320,518 4,734,991

TOTALS 10,528,831 21,189,154 7,746,419 37,464,404 65,418,801

Results of the War (continued) The Treaty of Versailles (1919)- designed to

punish Germany for the war President Wilson did not want to punish Germany,

but to allow for all countries to determine their own fate (14 points)

Germany had no say in the Treaty Beaten, stripped of her pride, some of her territory

and colonial possessions, Germany plunged into economic depression setting the stage for the rise of Nazism and Adolph Hitler

PARIS PEACE CONFERENCE “BIG FOUR”

GEORGE ORLANDO CLEMENCEAU WILSON

WANTED TO MAINTAIN TRADE RELATIONS WITH

GERMANY BUT WANTED COLONIES

WANTED LAND

PROMISED DURING

WWI

WANTED TO PUNISH

GERMANY AND PREVENT

FUTURE INVASION

WANTED 14 POINTS AND FAIR PEACE

FOR ALL

TREATY OF VERSAILLES,

EUROPE

1914 1919

WHAT WERE THE EFFECTS OF WWI IN AMERICA?

•U.S. BECAME A WORLD SUPERPOWER

•U.S. ECONOMY GREW DURING THE WAR, ALTHOUGH IT DID GO INTO A RECESSION SHORTLY THEREAFTER

•BIRTH OF AN ANTI-WAR MOVEMENT

•BIRTH OF ANTI-AMERICANISM WITHIN THE COUNTRY

•U.S. CULTURE WAS STARTING TO SPREAD ABROAD

•BIRTH OF BLACK EMPOWERMENT MOVEMENT

•WOMEN WORKED OUTSIDE THE HOME IN HUGE NUMBERS

•BIRTH OF ANTI-COMMUNISM