Americans and the Great War, 1914-1919 – HIST 1493 (OpenStax Ch. 23)

Question-and-Answer flashcards covering major people, events, laws, social changes, and aftermath of U.S. involvement in World War I, following the student’s lecture notes.

What was President Woodrow Wilson’s initial foreign-policy goal when World War I began in Europe?

To keep the United States neutral and intervene abroad only when a clear moral imperative existed.

Which major European alliance systems confronted each other at the start of World War I?

The Triple Entente (France, Great Britain, Russia) versus the Triple Alliance or Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire, and initially Italy).

Whose assassination in Sarajevo on June 29, 1914, triggered the diplomatic chain that led to World War I?

Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary.

Why did Austria-Hungary declare war on Serbia in 1914?

Serbia failed to meet Austro-Hungarian demands after the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, and Austria-Hungary felt assured of German support.

Name three new military technologies that helped turn World War I into prolonged trench warfare.

Heavy artillery, machine guns, poison gas (others include tanks, airplanes, barbed wire).

What type of German weapon was the U-boat, and why was it controversial?

A submarine that attacked without surfacing, violating traditional international rules of warning and surrender.

What happened to the RMS Lusitania on May 7, 1915?

It was sunk by a German U-boat, killing nearly 1,200 people, including 128 Americans.

What was the Zimmermann telegram and why did it anger the United States?

A secret German message proposing that Mexico join the war against the U.S. and invade in exchange for lost territories; it was intercepted by Britain and revealed to the U.S.

In his January 22, 1917 “Peace without Victory” speech, what did Wilson urge the warring nations to do?

Seek a negotiated peace without victors or vanquished, emphasizing patience and diplomacy.

What legislation created a national draft for World War I, and what age group did it initially cover?

The Selective Service Act of 1917; men aged 21-30 (later expanded to 18-45).

Give two examples of anti-German sentiment on the U.S. home front during World War I.

Schools dropped German language classes; foods like sauerkraut and frankfurters were renamed “liberty cabbage” and “liberty dogs.”

What 1918 law made it a crime to use ‘disloyal’ or critical language about the U.S. government during wartime?

The Sedition Act of 1918.

Which organization, founded in 1920, grew out of the National Civil Liberties Bureau to defend free speech and civil rights?

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

How did World War I temporarily affect women’s employment in the United States?

Over one million women entered the workforce for the first time, and many others moved into higher-paying industrial or traditionally male jobs.

What was the nickname of the 369th Infantry Regiment, and why were they celebrated?

The Harlem Hellfighters; they served on the French front lines for six months and earned numerous commendations for bravery.

Which constitutional amendment, ratified in 1920, secured women’s suffrage?

The Nineteenth Amendment.

What 1917 event removed Russia from the eastern front and eventually led to its withdrawal from World War I?

The Russian Revolution, culminating in Bolshevik control and a separate peace with Germany.

On what date did the armistice ending the fighting in World War I take effect?

November 11, 1918.

List two key principles from Wilson’s Fourteen Points.

(1) Freedom of the seas and free trade. (2) Self-determination for nations. (Also: end to secret treaties, reduction of armaments, creation of the League of Nations.)

What was the main purpose of the proposed League of Nations?

To provide a forum for nations to resolve disputes peacefully and protect territorial integrity, preventing future wars.

Name one way the Treaty of Versailles differed from Wilson’s original vision.

It imposed a ‘war guilt clause’ and heavy reparations on Germany, rather than a lenient peace based on the Fourteen Points.

Approximately how much were German reparations set at in the Treaty of Versailles?

Over $33 billion.

What global health crisis struck immediately after World War I, killing about 675,000 Americans?

The 1918-1919 influenza pandemic (Spanish flu).

What was the ‘Red Summer’ of 1919?

A wave of race riots across U.S. cities, including the deadly Chicago Race Riot, resulting in over 250 deaths.

What caused the Chicago Race Riot of 1919?

A white mob killed a black teenager for swimming near a ‘white’ beach, and police failed to arrest the perpetrator, sparking days of violence.

Which 1920 presidential candidate promised a ‘return to normalcy’ and won in a landslide?

Warren G. Harding.

What was the Selective Service Act’s primary administrative strategy to encourage compliance?

Allowing men to register at local draft boards rather than federal offices, paired with patriotic appeals.

Why did the U.S. never ratify the Treaty of Versailles?

The U.S. Senate rejected it, partly over objections to joining the League of Nations and fears of entangling alliances.

What was Wilson’s stance toward international trade for neutral nations at the war’s outset?

He sought free trade for neutrals, but German submarine warfare made this impossible.

How many American soldiers served in combat overseas during World War I?

About two million.

What happened to women workers when U.S. troops returned after the war?

Many women were fired and expected to resume traditional domestic roles.

How many vessels did German U-boats sink by the end of World War I?

Nearly five thousand.

What nickname did some Americans give to frankfurters during World War I to avoid German associations?

‘Liberty dogs.’

What U.S. agency or practice that managed the wartime economy disappeared shortly after the war but reappeared during the New Deal?

Wilson’s wartime economic boards and agencies (e.g., War Industries Board).

Which battles or offensive did more than one million U.S. soldiers join in September 1918?

The Meuse-Argonne (Argonne Forest) offensive.