Key Themes and Events of World War I and II

Militarism

The arms race among major powers heightened tensions.

Alliances

A complex network of alliances, particularly the Triple Alliance and Triple Entente, created obligations that escalated the war.

Imperialism

Competition for colonies caused conflicts between nations.

Nationalism

Ethnic groups sought independence from empires, leading to political instability.

Central Powers

Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria.

Allied Powers

Initially included France, Russia, and Britain, later joined by Italy (1915) and the United States (1917).

Unrestricted Submarine Warfare

Germany's attacks on civilian ships, notably the Lusitania, angered Americans.

Zimmermann Telegram

A secret proposal from Germany to Mexico for an alliance, seized by British intelligence and shared with the US.

Economic Interests

American banks and businesses had invested heavily in the Allies.

Role of Women in the War

Women took on roles traditionally held by men, such as in factories, transportation, and civil service. They also served as nurses and in organizations like the Red Cross.

Harlem Hellfighters

Many African Americans served in segregated units, challenging racial prejudices.

Great Migration

The movement of African-Americans north for jobs, impacting postwar labor dynamics and civil rights movements.

Committee on Public Information (CPI)

Established to influence public opinion through propaganda, using posters, films, and speeches to promote the war effort.

Labor Unions and the War

Labor unions became more active, demanding better working conditions and wages in support of the war effort.

National War Labor Board

Created to mediate labor disputes and prevent strikes during wartime.

Civil Liberties and the War

Civil liberties were curtailed under wartime legislation, including the Espionage Act of 1917 and the Sedition Act of 1918.

Troop Deployment

The US sent troops primarily to the Western Front, where their fresh forces helped turn the tide against the Central Powers.

Effect of the Communist Revolution

The Bolshevik Revolution in Russia in 1917 led to Russia signing the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, ending their involvement in the war.

Main Goals of the 14 Points

President Wilson proposed the Fourteen Points to promote peace and prevent future conflicts.

League of Nations

Established but struggled to maintain peace; the US never joined due to opposition in the Senate.

Treaty of Versailles

Signed in June 1919, it imposed heavy reparations and territorial losses on Germany.

Postwar Issues

Economic turmoil ensued, including inflation, strikes, and labor unrest as soldiers returned home.

Spanish Flu

The outbreak of the Spanish Flu pandemic in 1918 exacerbated public health crises post-war.

First Red Scare

Arose from fears of communism following the Bolshevik Revolution, leading to the Palmer Raids.

Palmer Raids

Government officials targeted suspected radicals and communists, resulting in widespread violations of civil liberties.

Postwar Problems

Postwar America faced significant inflation, leading to strikes and labor unrest as workers demanded higher wages.

Rise of Mass Media and Culture

The 1920s saw the rapid expansion of mass media, including radio, cinema, and print, leading to the emergence of a national culture.

Advances in Aviation

Significant advancements were made in aviation, exemplified by Charles Lindbergh's solo transatlantic flight in 1927.

Mass Production

The introduction of assembly line production techniques, particularly by Henry Ford in the automobile industry, revolutionized manufacturing.

Birth of Jazz

Jazz music emerged as a defining element of the 1920s, combining African American musical traditions with European influences.

Race in the Jazz Age

The Jazz Age was marked by a flourishing of African American culture, notably in Harlem, where jazz clubs flourished.

Harlem Renaissance

A cultural, social, and artistic explosion centered in Harlem, highlighting African American artists, writers, and musicians.

Northern Migration

The Great Migration saw millions of African Americans moving from the rural South to urban centers in the North.

Women in the Jazz Age

The 1920s witnessed significant changes for women, including increased independence and greater participation in the workforce.

Reactionism to the Jazz Age

The cultural shifts led to backlash from some sectors of society, manifesting in nativism against immigrants and the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan.

Prohibition Amendment (18th Amendment)

Enacted in 1920, this amendment prohibited the manufacture and sale of alcohol, leading to a rise in organized crime.

Volstead Act

This act provided for the enforcement of Prohibition, establishing the legal framework for the ban on alcohol.

Harding Administration

President Warren G. Harding's administration focused on domestic goals and economic recovery, marred by scandals like the Teapot Dome affair.

Teapot Dome Affair

A major scandal during Harding's presidency involving secret leasing of federal oil reserves to private companies.

Andrew Mellon

As Secretary of the Treasury, Mellon advocated for tax cuts and limited government intervention in the economy.

Five Power Treaty

This 1922 agreement among the US, UK, Japan, France, and Italy aimed to limit naval arms races by setting limits on naval warship tonnage.

Kellogg-Briand Pact

Signed in 1928 by multiple nations, this pact renounced war as a means of resolving conflicts.

Calvin Coolidge Administration Goals

Coolidge focused on economic growth, reduced government spending, and laissez-faire economics.

Great Depression

A complex, multifaceted economic crisis that occurred during the 1930s, deeply affecting both the United States and the global economy.

Stock Market Crash of 1929

This event marked the beginning of the Great Depression, leading to a significant loss of confidence and wealth in the economy.

Smoot-Hawley Tariff (1930)

Enacted to protect American industries, this law raised tariffs on foreign goods, resulting in retaliatory tariffs from other countries, severely hindering international trade and exacerbating the economic downturn.

Hoover's Response

President Herbert Hoover took a largely hands-off approach initially, believing in limited government intervention. He later introduced measures such as the Reconstruction Finance Corporation to provide emergency loans to banks and businesses, though these efforts were criticized as being too little, too late.

Bonus Expeditionary Force (1932)

A group of World War I veterans marched to Washington D.C. to demand early payment of a bonus promised to them. Hoover's unwillingness to meet their demands and the violent eviction of protestors alienated many Americans and highlighted the government's failure to address economic hardship.

Farmers and the Depression

Farmers faced declining prices for crops, high debt levels, and natural disasters, leading to widespread foreclosures and poverty in rural areas.

New Deal

Franklin D. Roosevelt's expansive program aimed at economic recovery, relief for the unemployed, and reform of the financial system.

Relief

Immediate support for those affected by the Depression, including programs such as the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA), Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), and Public Works Administration (PWA).

Recovery

Economic policies designed to stimulate growth, including the Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA) and National Recovery Administration (NRA).

Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA)

Aimed to raise crop prices by paying farmers to lower production.

National Recovery Administration (NRA)

Encouraged industrial recovery through fair competition codes.

Reform

Long-term changes to prevent future economic crises, including the Glass-Steagall Act and Securities Act of 1933.

Glass-Steagall Act

Separated commercial and investment banking to reduce risk in the banking sector.

Securities Act of 1933

Regulated the stock market to protect investors.

Impact on Women

While the New Deal provided some job opportunities, many programs favored men and reinforced traditional gender roles, relegating women to lower-paying jobs or excluding them from programs.

Impact on Black Americans

Systemic racism limited access to many benefits of the New Deal, though initiatives like the Works Progress Administration (WPA) provided jobs to some.

Second New Deal

Introduced more extensive reforms from 1935 onwards, including the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and Social Security Act (1935).

Works Progress Administration (WPA)

Created millions of jobs in public works projects.

Social Security Act (1935)

Established a social safety net for the elderly and unemployed.

National Labor Relations Act (Wagner Act)

Protected workers' rights to unionize and engage in collective bargaining.

Court Packing Plan

In 1937, Roosevelt proposed a plan to expand the Supreme Court by appointing additional justices for each sitting judge over 70 years old, seen as an attempt to circumvent opposition to his New Deal programs.

Peak Unemployment Level

The Great Depression saw unemployment levels peak at approximately 25% in 1933, representing unprecedented levels of joblessness in American history.

End of the Great Depression

The Great Depression did not end until the United States entered World War II in the early 1940s, which stimulated the economy through increased production demands, job creation, and significant government spending.

Dust Bowl

Caused by poor agricultural practices and over-farming, leading to significant soil degradation.

Severe drought conditions

Conditions in the 1930s that exacerbated issues in the Great Plains.

Dust Bowl refugees

Thousands of farm families displaced due to widespread loss of farmland.

Great Depression

A culmination of numerous interconnected factors resulting in widespread economic devastation.

Treaty of Versailles

Harsh reparations and territorial losses for Germany that bred resentment.

Expansionist Policies

Aggressive expansion by Axis powers (Germany, Italy, and Japan) that fueled tension.

Failure of Appeasement

European powers' strategy of appeasement towards Hitler, highlighted by the Munich Agreement.

Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact

Non-aggression pact between Germany and the Soviet Union that allowed Nazi expansion into Poland.

Isolationism

The U.S. policy of neutrality influenced by the aftermath of World War I and public opinion.

Lend-Lease Act (1941)

Allowed the U.S. to supply Allied nations with war material, marking an end to full neutrality.

Attack on Pearl Harbor

The surprise attack by Japan on December 7, 1941, that led to the U.S. declaring war on Japan.

North Africa Campaign

Focused on controlling strategic points, leading to the defeat of Axis troops at the Battle of El Alamein.

Operation Overlord (D-Day)

Allied invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944, which led to the liberation of Western Europe.

Battle of Britain

Aerial defense that thwarted Hitler's plans for invasion of Britain.

Fall of France (1940)

Rapid German invasion leading to the fall of Paris.

Women in WWII

Women took on roles in the workforce and military, significantly changing gender roles.

Japanese Internment

Forced relocation and incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII.

Zoot Suit Riots

Racial tensions in Los Angeles between servicemen and Mexican American youths.

Detroit Race Riots (1943)

Ethnic conflicts arising from wartime labor shortages.

Double V Campaign

Advocated for victory against fascism abroad and racial discrimination at home.

Race to Berlin

Competition among Allies to capture Berlin first, intertwined with racial dynamics.

Battle of the Bulge

Last major German offensive on the Western Front.

Yalta Conference (February 1945)

Allied leaders discussed post-war reorganization and the fate of Europe.

Potsdam Conference (July-August 1945)

Finalized plans for post-war Germany and addressed specific issues concerning Japan.

MacArthur and Island Hopping

U.S. strategy in the Pacific to capture strategic islands while bypassing heavily fortified ones.

Fall of the Philippines

Rapid Japanese conquest leading to the Bataan Death March, where soldiers were forced to march under brutal conditions.

Battle of Midway (June 1942)

Turning point in the Pacific theater, with the U.S. decisively defeating the Japanese fleet.

Battle of Leyte Gulf (October 1944)

Largest naval battle in history, marking the decline of Japanese naval power.

Operation Downfall

Planned invasion of Japan, which was ultimately unnecessary due to the use of atomic bombs.

Truman's Decision

President Truman authorized the use of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 to expedite Japan's surrender.

Why the Allies Won

Due to industrial capacity and resources, strategic military decisions, and effective collaboration among the Allied powers.