The Great War
The Great War 1914-1918
During the 19th century the major European powers went through great lengths to maintain balance over power thru European by forming complex networks of political and military alliances through the continent leading till World-War 1
· The Austro-Hungarian empire
o A dual monarchy
o Was ruled by house Hapsburg powerful German Dynasty
· Central Powers
o Germany
o Austria and Hungary
o Ottman Empire
o Bulgaria
o Later Italy joined
· Tripple Entente (Allied powers)
o Russian Empire
o French Empire
o UK
Causes of the Great War
· Imperialism- the policy of extending a nation's power by gaining political and economic control over other countries.
· Nationalism- devotion to a national or ethnic identity including the desire for independence from rule by foreign countries.
· Militarism- a policy of glorifying military power ideas and values.
Spark of WW1
· June 28, 1914
o The Austro-Hungarian prince Franz Ferdinand was assonated by Serban nationalist in the city of Sarajevo in Bosnia on his wedding day.
o Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia
o Russia defends Serbia
o Germans defend Austria-Hungary
o France comes to aid of Russia
o Uk comes to aid of Russia and France
o At this point US tries to stay neutral and out of war
War on the Western Front
· Trench warfare
o For three years war on the front was fought in trenches
§ Germany vs French and British solders
o Had barbed wire and booby traps
o Infested with rats and diseases and lice
· New Weapons
o Machine Guns
o Chemical Warfare- Poison Gas
· No side had an advantage hundreds of thousands of soldiers died on either side
· Stalemate-no side was winning
War on Atlantic
o To keep supplies and ammunition of British troop the Uk kept trading with the US using their vast naval fleet
o The Uk blockaded Germany fleet thru the North Sea
o The Germans resorted to U boats to attack US ship
o May 1915 German U boats sink British luxury liner the Lusitania killing 1,198 ppl including 128 Americans
o Americans were outrage
o Pres Wilson still tried to keep US out of war
o European leaders with Wilson f for peace
· Zimmerman Note
o Germans resorted to unrestricted submarine warfare
o A note was interpreted by the German foreign minister Arthur Zimmerman
o Germany made alliance with Mexico that if the us entered the war that Mexico should attack the us with German support
US Enters WWI
· Congress declared war on April 6, 1917
o US soldiers and military pushed the Germans back and gave relief to the British and the French.
o At the same time Russians revolted against the Czar
§ Russian revolution
§ Vladmir Lenin and Bolsheviks took power
§ Communism came to Russia
o Germany eventually sieged a cease fire to avoid invasion
o Armistice: Nov 11, 1918, guns were silenced
o 9 million people have died
War on the Homefront
· Propaganda and Patriotism
o Propaganda
§ is information or ideas spread by a group or government to promote its cause or ideas or to damage and opposing cause or idea
§ used to encourage Americans to enlist into the army
§ 2 million men volunteered
§ Selling the war to Americans
· George Creel created committee on public info
o Printed book and pamphlets
o Made pro war movies
o Hired 4-minute men to give speeches
o Patriotism
§ Devotion to one’s country
· US Prepares for War
o Increases manufacturing of weapon s
o Increase production and decrease consumption of food and fuel
§ Herbert Hoover and US food Admiration
· Introduced meatless Mondays and wheatless Wednesdays
· Heatless Monday and Gasless Sundays
o Raise money to pay for the war
§ Increase taxes
§ Selling bonds- liberty bonds (freedom)
o Raising an army- national draft
§ Passing selective service act of 1917(called the draft law)
§ To increase size of American expeditionary force.
§ 3 million men were drafted
· Effect on minorities
o African Americans and Mexicans and women
§ all benefited from new job oppturnites created by
· the increase of manufacturing
· a decrease in the labor force due to
o US men leaving to go fight in Europe
o and at the same a drop in immigration from Europe
· The Great migration
o 554,000 southern blacks move to northern cites during war for better jobs
o 5-6 million would flee the south over the next 50 years
Opposition to the War
· Some Americans had descent for the war they disagreed with the war
· US government enforced two acts to enforce loyalty
·
o Espionage Act of 1917
§ Allowed the postmaster general to enter tap intercept and censor mail and set severe punishments for spying this law continues today
o Sedition act of 1918
§ Set fines and prison terms up to 20 years so speaking or writing anything critical of the government or the military.
1918
· The Great War and Bolshevik revolution
o Due to heavy loss during WW1 the Russian people revolted against rule Russian Czar Nicholas II
o Nicholas 2 and his fam were executed by the Bolsheviks
o The Bolsheviks were revolutionary political party that seized power in Russia in 1917 and established the Soviet Union
o The Bolshevik party established communism and ended the rule of imperialists in Russia
o the Bolsheviks established is socialist society based on equality
o Their political leader was Vladimir Lenin
· Impact of WW1
o When the Bolsheviks seized power, they withdrew Russia from the war which was a major turning point
· Russian revolution and called October revolution
o Was led by red army who fought for Bolshevik government led by Lenin
o This apprising of minority of Bolshevik
o The Red army won the war in 1921
o The Soviet Union largest communist country in the world.
Spanish Flu
· 1918-1919 occurred
o 17-50 million ppl died across world
o 675,000 Americans died which is more than causalities from WW1, WW2, Korean War and Vietnam War
· Killed more people than the war itself
o Spread to England, Germany, France and Spain
o Spain was only country hit by the virus that was not involved in WW1
o Only European country to record the true existent of the pandemic
o Resulted in mistaken belief that it was started in Spain
o Greatly shorted WW1 Significant strain on medical recourses during the war
Americans during WW1
· General Jospeh Perishing
o American army general who was commander of American expeditionary forces (AEF)
o American soldiers were nicknamed Doughboys
· Henry Johnson
o WW1 African American infantry solider
o Part of infantry of black soldiers that were known as Harlem Hellfighters
Post WWI
o Woodrow Wilson presented a 14-point proposal for post war agreements
o His goal was “peace without victory”
o Wilson 14 points
§ First 5 was on trade and avoiding secret treaties
§ 6-13 were new boundaries for European countries
§ Number 14 was creation league of nations
o Treaty of Versailles
§ Jan 1919 dozens of countries assembled at the palace
§ To ratify a peace treaty that ended WW1
· Germany was stripped of military power and its occupied land was taken away
· This caused anger and humiliation to the Germans and gave rise to WW2
o American Isolationism
§ Wilson was unable to convince the senate to agree on the league of nations and ratify the peace treaty.
§ March 1920 the senate rejected the treaty of Versilia
§ America never participated in league of nations