USA AND WW1

Contents

CONTENTS

THE USA IN 1917

Contents

THE SYSTEM

1787 – the USA became independent of British Rule

Congress was split into two:

House of Representatives

Senate

President who can clock laws passed by Congress

Supreme Court who can decide I laws passed are in agreement with the ‘Founding Fathers’ in 1787

1863 – blacks freed from slavery after the Civil War but are not treated much, if any, better than before

Isolationist – America didn’t join alliances or get involved in foreign politics

Contents

THE POLITICAL PARTIES

Republicans More conservative

Representing business

Believed in:

‘Rugged individualism’

Isolationism

Presidents include:

Wilson

Harding

Coolidge

Hoover

Democrats More liberal

Believe in using the Federal government to help

State welfare, etc.

But there are racist Democrats in the South

Presidents include:

Roosevelt

Kennedy

Contents

IMMIGRATION

Millions came to the USA to make a new life

‘The Land of Opportunity’

They believed in ‘rugged individualism’

They had a hatred and fear of government interference and of Socialism

WASPS were the earlier immigrants from north-west Europe

But from the 1880’s, poor immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe began to arrive

They were dark-skinned and Jews or Catholics

Like the blacks, they were discriminated and remained poor

WW1 AND THE USA

Contents

SOME KEY DATES

1914 – WW1 began. The USA continued its policy of isolation

1916 – Woodrow Wilson was elected and promised to keep the US out of WW1

1917 – the USA declared war on Germany and entered WW1

1918 – WW1 ended

Contents

WHY DECLARE WAR?

The USA traded with both sides in the war. When Germany declared a war-zone around Britain, they used U-boats. But in 1916, the Lusitania was sunk, losing 128 American lives

By 1917, the USA lent lots of money to Britain and France. The loans would be squashed if Germany won

People were more sympathetic towards Britain and France as they are democratic countries

By early 1917, Germany was desperate so re-commenced the U-boat. They figured that the US would join against them and wanted to defeat them before they did join

Germany invited Mexico to attack the USA if war broke out. The British intercepted the Zimmerman Telegram and passed it onto the USA. The US couldn’t stay out of the war any longer

Contents

THE TREATY OF VERSAILLES

Jan. 1918, Wilson put forward his 14 Points for a better world. This included the League of Nations and rejected harsh treatment of Germany

He arrived in Europe in Dec. 1918 and was welcomed as a hero. He stayed until June 1919 and played a major part in the Treaty of Versailles

He didn’t get all he wanted but he did get the League of Nations

But the Senate decided not to accept the Treaty of Versailles and so didn’t join the League of Nations

Contents

THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS

America didn’t join the League of Nations because:

Many Americans came from Europe (over ½) and had memories of poverty, lack of freedom and exploitation

Americans feared Communism, Anarchism and Socialism. There had been revolutions in Hungary and Germany after Russia’s in 1917. They didn’t want it to spread to the USA

American policy of Isolation

100,000 Americans were killed or wounded in the war. People feared America would become more involved in wars if they made further alliances

Wilson had made himself unpopular by staying away for so long and even more so by not being ready to compromise on the deal

Many Americans thought they didn’t need anyone else as their industry was ‘booming’

IMPACT OF WAR

Contents

RESULTS OF WAR

US trade increased as they had no European rivals during the war

The US industries did well supplying food and arms to Europe

The US took over Germany’s chemical industry

Making dyes, plastics, fertilisers, etc.

The interest from European loans allowed investors to invest in US industry

In 1920, all women could vote and young, liberated women of the 1920’s, who smoked in public, wore short dresses, etc. were called ‘Flappers’

People wanted to make money and have fun hence the 1920’s being called ‘The Jazz Age’

Wilson was unpopular for his seriousness after the war

Contents

RESULTS OF ISOLATIONISM

America never joined the League of Nations

The Forney-McCumber tariff was used to protect US industry by putting high duties on many imports

Restrictions on immigration. Before the US had an ‘open door’ policy but now restrictions were put on:

1. Total number was restricted from 1921

2. A quota system let in numbers of people according to their presence in the US population. This favoured WASPS

3. A literacy test was imposed in 1917

The US turned its back on Europe for nearly 20years as the Republicans were in charge