USH Sem 1 WWI

WWI

Sedition Act

• refers to legislation that criminalized criticism of the government and restricted free speech during times of political tension or conflict 

• part of the alien and sedition acts, passed under president john adams during rising tensions with france 

• purpose was to prevent opposition to the federalist government, which feared criticism could weaken the nation during external threats

• key prov isions 

  • made it illegal to publish “false, scandalous, or m alicious” statements about the government, congress, or president 

  • targeted newspaper and critics, particularly those affiliated with the democratic-republican party led by thomas jefferson

• impact 

  • several individuals, including journalists, were prosecuted 

  • sparked debates over first amendment rights 

  • contributed to the decline of the federalist party as it was seen as repressive

Red Scare

• refers to periods of intense fear and suspicion of communism, socialism, and radical leftist ideologies in the US

• 2 major ones in US history 

• first red scare (1919-1920)

  • after WW1, the US faced social and economic upheaval 

  • key events 

    • palmer raids 

      • attorney general palmer authorized mass arrests of suspected radicals and anarchists 

      • thousands of individuals were detained, and many immigrants were deported without proper legal processes

    • labor strikes 

      • major strikes in industries like steel and coal were often blamed on communist agitation, further fanning fears

    • espionage and sedition acts 

      • enacted during WW1, these laws were used to suppress dissent and target those accused of being unpatriotic or radical 

  • impact 

    • civil liberties were violated as individuals were arrested without evidence 

    • fear of radicalism led to widespread discrimination, particularly against immigrants 

    • contributed to restrictive immigration laws, such as the emergency quota act of 1921 and the immigration act of 1924

• second red scare (1947-1957)

  • context 

    • emerged during the early cold war, driven by tensions between the US and the soviet union

    • the success of communist revolutions in eastern europe and china, as well as the korean war, heightened fears 

  • key events 

    • house un-american activities committee 

      • investigated suspected communist influence in american institutions, particularly in the entertainment industry

      • led to the hollywood blacklist, where many actors, writers, and directors were denied work due to alleged communist ties

    • espionage cases 

      • alger hiss: a state department official accused of espionage

      • julius and ethel rosenberg: executed for allegedly passing atomic secrets to the soviet union

    • loyalty programs 

      • government employees were subjected to loyalty tests to ensure they had no communist affiliations 

  • impact 

    • thousands lost jobs or were imprisoned due to accusations, often without credible evidence 

    • the fear of communism influenced foreign policy, leading to aggressive anti-communist actions abroad

    • damaged civil liberties, including freedom of speech and association

Trench Warfare

• trench warfare was a dominant form of combat during WW1, characterized by soldiers fighting from long, fortified ditches called trenches 

• key features 

  • structures of trenches 

    • front line trenches: closest to the enemy, used for direct attacks and defense 

    • support trenches: behind the front lines, providing supplies and reinforcements 

    • reserve trenches: further back, where troops rested and prepared to replace those at the front 

    • connected by communication trenches for moving supplies, orders, and troops

  • no man's land

    • the area between opposing trenches, often filled with barbed wire, landmines, and craters from artillery fire 

    • crossing it was extremely dangerous and usually resulted in heavy casualties

  • life in the trenches

    • soldiers endured cold, mud, flooding, rats, lice, and disease 

    • trench foot was a painful condition caused by prolonged exposure to wet and unsanitary conditions

four MAIN causes of WWI

• M - Militarism 

  • a belief in building up strong armed forces and being prepared to sue them aggressively to defend or promote national interest 

  • nations, especially germany, france, and the UK invested heavily in their military, including armies, navies, and weaponry

  • arms race 

    • britain and germany competed in building larger battleships, while other countries rapidly increased their military forces

• A - Alliances

  • agreements between countries to support each other in times of war

  • impact 

    • meant that a conflict between two countries could quickly escalate into a full-scale war involving multiple nations

    • the entangling of alliances contributed to the rapid spread of the conflict once archduke franz ferdinand was assassinated in june 1914

• I - Imperialism 

  • a policy where a country extends its power and influence through colonization, use of force, or diplomatic pressure 

  • key points

    • european powers competed for dominance in africa, asia, and the pacific leading rivalries 

    • imperial competition heightened tensions, especially between britain, france, and germany

    • imperial ambitions creed disputes over territories, trade routes, and resources, fostering international rivalries

• N - Nationalism 

  • a belief that people who share a common language, culture, and history should form their own independent nation

  • national pride led counties to priority their own interests over diplomacy, increasing the likelihood of war

German invasion of Belgium 

• a pivotal event that contributed significantly to the outbreak of WW1

• in 1914, tensions among the major european powers had escalated 

• germany aimed to quickly defeat france by advancing through belgium before turning its full attention to russia

• the schlieffen plan 

  • germany’s strategy focused on invading belgium to gain a quick route into france 

  • the plan aimed to capture parsi within weeks, ensuring germany’s forces would not have to fight a prolonged war on the western front

• violation of belgian neutrality 

  • belgium had declared its neutrality, meaning it should remain uninvolved in the conflict 

  • despite this, germany invaded belgium to reach french territory

  • invasion was a direct violation of international agreements, such as the treaty of london, which guaranteed belgium’s neutrality 

• british involvement 

  • britain had signed the treaty of london, promising to defend belgium’s neutrality 

  • when germany invaded belgium, britain declared war on germany in 1914, entering WW1

• impact 

  • forced britain to join the allied powers 

  • significant destruction and civilian suffering in belgium 

  • failure of the schlieffen plan meant that german forces could not achieve a quick victory in france

Lusitania

• the sinking of the lusitania was a key event during WW1 that escalated tensions between the US and germany and contributed to US eventually entering the war

• reason for sinking 

  • germany suspected the lusitania was carrying war supplies, which was later confirmed 

• impact 

  • the rapid sinking (within 18 mins) caused significant civilian casualties and sparked international outrage, especially in the US

• significance 

  • death of americans increased anti-german sentiment and strained US-german relations 

  • widely used to portray germany as ruthless in allied propaganda

Zimmerman note

• was a secret diplomatic message sent by germany to mexico during WW1 that significantly influenced the US’s decision to enter the war

• proposed a military alliance between germany and mexico if the US entered war against germany

• if mexico joined the alliance, germany would support mexico in reclaiming territories lost to the US

• british intercepted and decoded the telegram and shared it with the US

• public was agreed by germany's attempt to incite conflict on US soil