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Unit 1: The Emergence of Modern AmericaTopic #2: World War I
Guiding Questions
‐‐‐How and why did the United States enter World War I?
‐‐‐What were Wilson's goals upon entering World War I? Why didn't more Americans share his vision of American national interests?
‐‐‐How did World War I affect the United States at home? Who benefited? Who did not? Why?
‐‐‐How did the American government shape public opinion during the war? What can we learn from these efforts?
‐‐‐Why did the Senate reject the Versailles Treaty? What were the implications of this decision?
‐‐‐What was the post‐war backlash?
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1898: Spanish‐American War
1914 ‐ 1918: World War I: Europe
1917 ‐ 1918: World War I: United States
1939‐ 1945: World War II: Europe
1941‐ 1945: World War II: United States
1945 ‐ 1989Cold War
1950 ‐ 1953Korean War
1960 ‐ 1975Vietnam War
20th Century U.S. Wars
Why did we enter each war?
What was our national interest?
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Wilson's Neutrality Policy (1914): What is the nature of this policy? Why does this policy fail to keep us out of war?
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How did World War I affect the United States at home? Who benefited? Who did not?
Did Benefit:
• Big Business‐‐‐government guaranteed them big profits‐‐‐W.I.B.
• Farmers‐‐Food Administration‐‐‐higher prices for farm products
• Labor‐‐better working conditions, higher wages
• Women‐‐‐more equality (19th Amendment), more opportunity for jobs (temporary changes)
• African Americans‐‐‐more jobs up North‐‐Great Migration
• Native Americans‐‐citizenship
Did Not Benefit:
• Immigrants‐‐German Americans targeted propaganda and by govt. laws
• Free thinkers, dissenters, any one who questioned the war
• Radical labor leaders‐‐I.W.W. (Wobblies)‐‐I.W.W. = radical union‐‐‐communist
• African Americans‐‐more racism in the North • Consumers‐‐higher prices
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OUR QUESTIONS FOR THE DAY
1.) How did World War I end?
2.) What did President Wilson hope to get out of the peace?
3.) What actually happened instead and why?
4.) Why did the U.S. Senate fail to ratify the Treaty of Versailles?
5.) What were the lasting implications of this failure?
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German U Boat War Intensifies
March 1917
U.S. Declares War on Germany
April 1917 June 1917
American Forces Arrive in Europe
Nov. 1917
Bolshevik Revolution in Russia
Nov. 1918
Armistice Ends War
Turning Points in Ending World War I`
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The Peace ConferenceThe Palace of Versailles, January 1919
The Big 4: President Wilson, Prime Minister Lloyd George (England), Prime Minister George Clemenceau (France) and
Prime Minister Vittorio Orlando (Italy)
Imagine you can step in the minds of these four world leaders as they discuss their hopes for the upcoming peace
conference. What are they concerned about? What are their goals?
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Internationalists
President Wilson
27 Senate Democrats
The Senate Debate Over the League of Nations
Irreconcilables
Senator Borah
14 Senate Republicans
1 Democrat
Strong Reservationists
Senator Lodge
7 Senate Republicans
Mild Reservationists
Senator Hitchcock
20 Senate Republicans
20 Senate Democrats
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Covenant of the League of NationsArticle X
"The Members of the League undertake to respect and preserve as against external aggression the territorial integrity and existing political independence of all
Members of the League. In case of any such aggression or in case of any threat or
danger of such aggression the Council shall advise upon the means by which this
obligation shall be fufilled."
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The Senate VoteNovember 19, 1919
Treaty + Lodge Reservations
Senate Democrats + Irreconcilables Voted Against = 55
Lodge Reservationists = 39
The Senate VoteMarch 19, 1920
Treaty Lodge Reservations
Still Failed!
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Lodge, Knox and Borah are Republican Senators
What issue is the cartoonist addressing?
What's the main message of the cartoon?