Imperialism and World War I

Spanish Flu (1918-1919)

• Infected ⅓ of the world’s population (50 million people)

• Spread after WW1

• Started in the U.S and spread

• 675,000 Americans died

Treaty of Versailles** (1919)

• The Peace Treaty that officially ended WW1 between Germany and the Allied Powers

• War Guilt Clause: Germany's full responsibility for starting WW1

• Territorial Losses: Germany lost land in Europe and overseas colonies

• Reparations: Germany had to pay huge sums of money to repair war damages

• Military Restrictions: Germany’s army, navy, and air force were very limited; no submarines or tanks allowed

• League of Nations: Created to promote peace and cooperation, but the U.S later didn’t join

Jose Marti (1853-1795)

• Fought for Cuba’s independence from Spain and was the leader

Zimmerman Telegram (1917)

• Secret Message sent by Germany to Mexico during WWI

• Germany promised Mexico that if it joined the war against the U.S, Germany would help Mexico regain Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona

• The British found out the message and revealed it to the U.S, which helped push the U.S into WWI

War Guilt Clause (1919)

• Part of the Treaty of Versailles, it blamed Germany for starting WW1

• Justified payments from Germany to the Allied countries.

Reparations

• The Treaty of Versailles required Germany to pay huge amounts of money to the Allied countries for the destruction and costs of the war.

Treaty of Paris-SAW ( Dec 1898)

• Spain gave up control of Cuba 

• Spain gave Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines to the U.S

Philippines

• Was a Spanish colony in SAW

• Filipino revolutionaries, led by Emilio Aguinaldo, had been fighting for independence from Spain

• When the U.S defeated Spain, the Philippines were given to the U.S. in the Treaty of Paris (1898)

• This led to the Philippine-American War (1899-1902), as Filipinos fought against U.S. rule

Spanish American War (1898)

• Began after the U.S.S. Maine exploded in Havana Harbour, and the U.S blamed Spain

• The U.S helped Cuba gain independence from Spain and won

• The U.S gained Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines

Panama Canal (1914)

• Man-made waterway in Panama that connects Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean

• Opened in 1914, and allows ships to avoid the long trip around South America

• Built by the U.S. after helping Panama gain independence from Columbia

• Shortened global shipping routes

Emilio Aguinaldo

• Filipino Revolutionary leader who fought for the Philippines’ independence from Spain, then the U.S

• Joined forces during the Spanish-American War, then in the Philippine-American War when the U.S took control

• First president of the Philippines

William McKinley

• 25th President (1897-1901)

• Led the U.S during the SAW

• Under his leadership, the U.S. gained Guam, the Philippines, and Puerto Rico

• Assassinated in 1901

 Teddy Roosevelt

• 26th President (1901-1909)

• Became President after McKinley’s assassination

• Known for the “Big Stick” foreign Policy and Panama Canal Construction

• Led the Rough Riders (Volunteer cavalry unit) in the Battle of San Juan Hill during the SAW

“Yellow Journalism”

• Exaggerated stories used to grab attention rather than tell the truth

• Used during the SAW to stir public anger against Spain after the USS Maine exploded in Cuba

Lusitania

• British passenger ship sunk by a German U-boat on May 7, 1915, during WWI

• 1,198 people died, including 128 Americans

• Germany claimed the ship carried war supplies, but its sinking outraged the U.S and increased support for joining the war

Unrestricted Submarine Warfare

• When a country’s submarines sink ships without warning, even if the ships are civilian or neutral

• Germany used this tactic during WW1 to stop supplies from reaching enemies

• Angered other nations, especially the U.S, after the ships like the Lusitania were sunk with civilians on board.

“Great Migration” (1916-1970)

• Movement of Millions of African-Americans from the rural South to the urban North (first wave during WWI)

• People moved to escape racial discrimination, segregation, and violence in the South

• They sought better jobs in Northern factories, especially as war production increased

• It re-shaped Northern cities culturally, socially, and economically

Women and the War Effort

• Important roles women played during wartime, especially WW1 and WW2

• They worked in factories making weapons and supplies

• Served as nurses and volunteers

• Took jobs in offices, farms, and transportation

• Helped keep the economy and home front running

• Helped show they could do the same jobs as men, which helped justify the women’s rights movement and suffrage movements later on

Anti-German Sentiment

• Hostility and suspicion toward German people and culture 

• Germans were often seen as the enemy, leading to discrimination and violence

• German language classes, newspapers, and cultural activities were sometimes banned

• People with German-sounding names sometimes changed them, and some German foods were renamed

  • Ex. Sauerkraut→Liberty cabbage, Hamburger→Liberty Sandwich

Espionage Act (1917)

• During WW1, the U.S made it illegal to spy, interfere with the military, or stop people from supporting the war effort

• Also punished those who had military secrets or encouraged soldiers to resist service

Sedition Act (1918)

• The law that made it illegal to speak, write, or publish anything critical of the government, military, or the war effort

• It was an extension of the Espionage Act and aimed to prevent dissent that could harm national security

• Many people were arrested or fined under this law for speaking against the war

Selective Service Act (1917)

• Law that required men to register for the military draft, which allowed the government to make an army very quickly

General Pershing

• Commander of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) during WWI

• Led U.S. troops in Europe starting in 1917

• Pershing insisted that American forces fight as an independent army rather than being integrated into British or French units

• Under his leadership, the U.S. helped push back German forces and contributed to the Allied victory

Perspectives of each country at TofV

• France wanted to punish Germany harshly (so Germany won’t attack again)

• Britain wanted Germany punished but not too harshly (to prevent communism)

• The U.S wanted a fair peace based on the Fourteen Points (focused on the League of Nations for no future wars)

• Italy wanted the territory promised to it during the war (didn’t get all they wanted)

Reservationists

• U.S. Senators after WWI who supported the Treaty of Versailles, only with changes

• They were very concerned w/ Article 10 of the League of Nations, which could require the U.S to join future wars

• Led by Henry Cabot Lodge, they wanted amendments or “reservations: before approving the treaty

• Because of their opposition, the U.S. never officially joined the League of Nations

14 Points (1918) 

• President Woodrow Wilson’s plan for peace after WW1, and presented it to other nations

• League of Nations

New Technology in the War

• Machine Guns

• Poison Gas

• Flamethrowers

• Better Artillery 

• Tanks

• Trench Warfare

• Airplanes

• Submarines

• Communication technology

Central Powers

• Countries that fought against the Allies during WW1

• Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire, Bulgaria

Triple Entente 

• Countries that fought together to defeat the Central Powers

• France, Russia, Great Britain

• Formed in 1900s to country the growing power of Germany and its allies

• Later, Italy and the U.S and other nations joined the allies, but the Triple Entente was these three

Italy during the war

• First stayed neutral even though it had an alliance w/ Germany and Austria-Hungary

• In 1915, they joined the Allies after being promised land and territory in the Treaty of London

Self-Determination

• People had the right to choose their own government and political status

  • President Wilson promoted this in his 14 points

  • It led to the creation of new countries in Europe, like Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia, from former empires

Belleau Wood (1918)

• Battle during the WW1 in France

• U.S marines helped stop a major German advance

Meuse Argonne (Sep 11, 1918)

• Major battle in WW1 in northeastern France

• It involved American forces as part of the Allied push against Germany

• It was the largest American battle of WWI and one of the deadliest in U.S history

• The offensive helped break German defenses and contributed to Germany's agreeing to an armistice

Convoy System

• Naval strategy used to protect merchant and supply ships from German submarines (U-boats)

• Greatly reduced losses from submarine attacks and helped keep supplies moving safely

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (Mar 3, 1918)

• Treaty between Germany and its allies and Russia

• Ended Russia’s involvement in the war after the Bolsheviks took power in the Russian Revolution

• Russia gave up large territories to Germany (Ukraine, Poland, Belarus, and the Baltic states)

• This allowed Germany to focus its forces on Western Front

MANIA (Main causes of WW1)

• Militarism: building up strong armies and navies to prepare for war

• Alliances: agreements between countries to support each other in conflict

• Nationalism: Strong pride in one’s country, sometimes leading to hostility toward others. 

• Imperialism: Competition for colonies and global power

• Assassination: the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary in 1914**

Differences between Reservationists and Irreconcilables

Reservationists were willing to ratify the Treaty of Versailles with amendments (reservations), while Irreconcilables opposed the treaty entirely and refused to ratify it under any circumstances