Unit 7 - WWI (1914-18) and Prosperity (1919-29) Study Notes

Foundational Geopolitical Concepts and Pre-War Developments

  • Isolationism: Defined as a national policy focused on avoiding involvement in world affairs.

  • Imperialism: The policy adopted by powerful countries that seek to control the economic and political affairs of weaker nations.

  • Great White Fleet: In the period leading up to 1900, the United States Congress modernized the Navy. The result was a powerful steam-powered fleet known as the "Great White Fleet," so-named because their steel hulls were all painted white.

  • Panama Canal: A maritime passage built by the United States to provide a quicker transit route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and vice versa.

  • Protectorate: A term describing a country whose affairs are partially controlled by a stronger power. Notable examples include Puerto Rico and the Philippines.

Origins and Tensions of the First World War (1914–1918)

  • Pre-War Tensions (MAIN): The escalations in Europe before the outbreak of WWI are categorized by four primary factors:     * Militarism: The policy of building up strong armed forces to prepare for war.     * Alliance System: A network of formal agreements between nations.     * Imperialism: Competition for control over weaker territories.     * Nationalism: A strong feeling of pride in and devotion to one’s own country.

  • The Assassination of Franz Ferdinand: The literal spark of the war occurred in Sarajevo when Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, were assassinated.     * The Assassin: Gavrilo Princip.     * The Black Hand: A Serbian terrorist group that orchestrated the assassination with the goal of achieving a free Serbia.

  • Kaiser Wilhelm II: The Kaiser of Germany from 1888 to 1918. He was a primary figure in increasing pre-1914 tensions by pushing for an aggressive foreign policy, a strong navy to compete with Britain, and the acquisition of colonies.

The Theaters and Nature of Combat

  • The Western Front: This theater involved Germany fighting against Britain and France. It was characterized by:     * Trench Warfare: A form of warfare in which opposing armies fight each other from trenches dug into the battlefield.     * Stalemate: A deadlock in which neither side is able to defeat the other.     * Small Land Gains: Progress was minimal and frequently ended in a bloody stalemate.

  • The Eastern Front: This theater involved Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Turks fighting against Russia and the Serbs. Unlike the Western Front, it was characterized by:     * The absence of trenches.     * Large land gains.

  • "No Man's Land": The extremely dangerous territory located between rival trenches.

  • Mustard Gas: A new invention of WWI; a yellow-colored gas fired at the enemy that caused blindness, severe damage to the lungs, and death.

  • U-boats: Submarines utilized by the German military during the war.

  • The Major Alliances:     * Allies (Triple Entente): Composed of France, Great Britain, and Russia, with the United States joining later.     * Central Powers (Triple Alliance): Composed of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire.

Major Turning Points and the Path to U.S. Involvement

  • Neutrality: The initial U.S. policy of supporting neither side in the war.

  • Sinking of the Lusitania (1915): A German submarine sank this vessel in 1915, resulting in the deaths of 139 Americans. This event led the U.S. to pressure Germany to cease attacking American vessels, a demand Germany complied with for a short time.

  • The Zimmerman Note (1917): A secret German proposal sent to Mexico suggesting an alliance against the United States. Germany offered to assist Mexico in reclaiming territories lost to the U.S. in 1848. The British alerted President Wilson’s administration to the plan, and Mexico ultimately refused the idea.

  • The Russian Revolution (1917): The Czar was forced to abdicate his throne and was subsequently assassinated. The Bolsheviks seized control of the government, established the Soviet Union, and exited WWI. This transition made it easier for the United States to join the Allied side.

The American Home Front and War Administration

  • Financing and Support:     * War Bonds: Short-term loans made by individual citizens to the government to finance the costs of the war.     * Propaganda: Ideas spread specifically to influence public opinion for or against a cause.     * Four-Minute Men: Men sent on tour by President Wilson to deliver four-minute propaganda speeches to the general public.     * Committee on Public Information: A committee organized to mobilize the minds of the people for war both within the U.S. and abroad, striving to gain the full support of the American public for WWI involvement.

  • Government Agencies:     * War Industries Board: Established to increase industrial efficiency and discourage waste in industries related to the war.     * Food Administration: Led by Herbert Hoover, this agency was established to increase food production and manage the rationing of food for the military.     * Fuel Administration: An agency created to regulate the use of coal and oil for the war effort.

Social Impacts and Domestic Legal Realities

  • Schenck v. United States (1919): A landmark Supreme Court reaction to WWI critics, ruling that speech creating a "clear and present danger" is not protected by the First Amendment.

  • The Great Migration: A demographic shift between 1914 and 1920 where over 300,000 African Americans moved from the rural South to Northern cities. They were escaping the Jim Crow laws of the South and seeking job opportunities in the North.

  • Harlem Hellfighters: The nickname given to the 369th Infantry, a decorated all-black unit. They served on the front lines in France for six months, which was longer than any other American unit.

  • Women in WWI: Women played a critical role by moving into jobs previously held by men. They volunteered as nurses, cooked meals for soldiers, worked in factories, and manufactured clothes and hospital supplies.

The Conclusion of Hostilities and the Peace Settlement

  • Hundred Day Offensive: The final period of the First World War, during which the Allies launched a decisive series of offensives against the Central Powers on the Western Front.

  • Armistice: A formal agreement to stop fighting.

  • Paris Peace Conference (1919): A conference led by the Allied powers to determine the terms of the Treaty of Versailles at the conclusion of the war.

  • Reparations: Mandatory payments for war damages.

  • Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points: A series of proposals by President Wilson meant to achieve a lasting global peace. Key aspects included:     * The removal of economic barriers.     * The breakup of large empires, specifically Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire.     * The creation of the League of Nations.

  • League of Nations: An international organization formed in 1920 to promote cooperation and peace among nations. Despite Wilson’s advocacy, the United States did NOT join.

  • Woodrow Wilson (President 1913–1919): A Democratic president who provided WWI leadership. His domestic and foreign policy legacy includes the progressive income tax, lower tariffs, women's suffrage, the Treaty of Versailles, the Fourteen Points, and the attempt to ratify the League of Nations. He was a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.

Prosperity and Change in the Post-War Era (1919–1929)

  • Prohibition (18th Amendment): Known as "The Noble Experiment," this legislation banned the production, sale, and consumption of alcoholic beverages. It was eventually repealed by the 21st Amendment.

  • Speakeasy: An illegal establishment where alcoholic beverages were sold and consumed during the Prohibition era.

  • Women's Suffrage (19th Amendment): The constitutional amendment that granted women the right to vote.

  • The Flapper: Symbolizing the "liberated" woman of the 1920s, flappers were carefree young women known for their short "bobbed" hair, heavy makeup, and short skirts.

  • Harlem Renaissance: A cultural movement in the 1920s during which African-American achievements in music, art, and literature flourished.

  • Economic Shifts:     * Mass Production: The process of manufacturing large quantities of a product quickly and at a low cost.     * Buying on Margin: A practice where an investor pays a small percentage of a stock's price as a down payment and borrows the remainder.     * Consumerism: The economic behavior of Americans purchasing non-essential products designed to make life "easier." This included the widespread consumption of cars, washing machines, radios, telephones, vacuums, and sewing machines during the 1920s.