US in World War I

Triple Alliance

Germany, Italy, Austro-Hungarian Empire

Triple Entente

Britain, France, Russia

Central Powers

Germany, Austro-Hungarian Empire, Bulgaria, Ottoman Empire

Allies

Britain, France, Russia, Italy, Japan, US

Reasons for US joining the War

• Wilson initially proclaimed neutrality, but full neutrality was not possible

  • Ethnic groups in USA took sides

  • Wilson + advisers held pro-Allied views 

    • Saw Germany as a threat 

  • USA-England trading of arms + loans 

  • USA-German trading dropped 

    • Germany sees U.S. trade w/ England violating neutrality

  • Wilsonianism: ideas Wilson assumes will spread if Allies win war

Lusitania

• sinks in 1915

• sunk by German U-boat

• kills 128 American citizens

• causes US to join war

Zimmermann Telegram

• Telegram from Germany to Mexico saying that if they join Central Powers then they will help Mexico get back their land from America

• intercepted by US and taken as a declaration of war

US declares war on:

April 2, 1917

Selective Service Act (1917)

• starts official draft

• Natives in nonsegregated units, African-Americans in segregated units

• Conscientious objectors: people that avoided the draft

  • got severe punishments

Bolshevik Revolution of 1917

• Challenges Wilson’s view of the world

• Lenin attacks Capitalism; wants worker uprisings

• Releases secret treaties to embarrass the Allies

• Wilson responds with 14 Points (1918)

• Lenin makes peace w/ Germany (early 1918) —→ Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

Council of National Defense Established

• War Industries Board: Bernard Baruch

• Food Administration: Herbert Hoover

• Railroad Administration: William McAdoo

• National War Labor Board: W. H. Taft, Frank P. Walsh

New organization of economy led to:

1. Unemployment virtually disappeared (tooootal war)

2. Expansion on “big government”

3. Excessive government regulations in economy

4. Some gross mismanagement → overlapping jurisdiction 

5. Close cooperation between public and private sectors

6. Unprecedented opportunities for disadvantaged groups

Opportunities for African-Americans in WWI

• Great migration from 1916-1919 AAs moved to the north

• War industries work 

• Enlistment in segregated units

New American Immigrants

• very patriotic

• could buy war bonds

• Jewish welfare board, etc…

Committee of Public Information

• led by George Creel

• published many propaganda posters to sell American culture

• Anti-Germanism

Espionage Act of 1917

• Forbade actions that hindered recruitment efforts or promote insubordination in the military

• Ordered the Postmaster General to remove Leftist materials from the mail (censorship)

• You could face fines up to $10k and/or up to 20 years in prison

Sedition Act of 1918

• Made speaking out against the purchase of war bonds, US government, and US Constitution illegal

• Saying anything that goes against the U.S. is now illegal

Schenk v. US

• Gave out flyers to stop people from joining the military

  • Clearly violated the Espionage Act 

• IF an act of speech posed a clear and present danger, then Congress had power to restrain it 

• 1919

Abrams v. US

• 1919

• Defendants were convicted since 2 printed leaflets were thrown from windows of a building 

  • 1 leaflet: denounced the sending of American troops to Russia

  • 2nd leaflet: denounced the war + US efforts to stop the Russian Revolution 

  • Sentenced to 20 years in prison

Steel Strike in 1919

Coal miners, steel workers, & Boston police went on strike

Red Scare

• Result of the Bolshevik Revolution 

  • America was scared of the spread of Communism (red)

  • 1919: International goal was to promote worldwide Communism

  • 1920: Palmer Raids led by Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer to arrest suspected Communists

Wilson’s Fourteen Points

• Program included a plan for free trade, reduction in arms, & emphasized self-determination 

  • Humane treatment to Germany after the war

Paris Peace Conference

• leaders of 32 countries

  • France: wanted revenge

    • Most major battles occured in France 

  • Britain: wanted Germany to pay for war damages

    • Maintain British military superiority

  • Italy: wanted to make sure the land promise with the Allies was honored

    • Initially was an ally of Germany 

  • America: ensure peace + believed their economy would benefit from a strong Germany 

Diktat

a harsh + unilaterally imposed settlement with a defeated party

• 6 terms of the Treaty (GARGLE):

• Guilt for the War - Germany should be guilty of the war 

• Armed forces - restricted German armed forces 

• Reparations - Germany had to pay back all war damages until 1984

• Germany lost territory gained from the war 

• League of Nations formed (Wilson’s idea) 

  • Senator Henry Cabot Lodge HATED Wilson + League 

• Extra points - forbade Anschluss (union) between Germany & Austria

  • Made Estonia, Latvia, & Lithuania independent states

Germany’s Overall Losses

• 10% land (Alsace-Lorraine)

• All colonies

• 12% of its population 

• 16% of its coal fields 

• Half its iron and steel industry 

• Most of its army and navy 

• All its air force

League of Nations

• Served to guarantee collective security to all members

• Intiialy attempted to gather all of the world’s countries 

• Membership was voluntary & nations would protect each other through collective action 

• Hope: prevent motivation for war in the future

• “Great powers” supposed to be permanent members: USA, Britain, France, Italy, Japan and Russia

  • USA never took its place due to Senate’s refusal

  • Russia was not admitted until 1934

  • Germany was allowed to join in 1926 & later became a permanent member of the “power” council

• Major flaws with the League of Nations:

  • USA became isolationist in nature 

  • Voluntary membership led to countries leaving anytime

  • Countries were not forced to follow through with decisions made 

    • League had no power