Transcript Chapter 19: The World War I Era (1914 – 1920)

Chapter 19: The World War I Era
(1914 – 1920)
I.
Europe At War
A. Underlying Causes: MAIN
1. Militarism: arms race; navy… aggression
2. Alliances: Triple Alliance (G,AH, I) & Triple
Entente (GB, F, R)… balance of terror
3. Imperialism & Competition: Africa, ME, Asia
4. Nationalism: Aggression & Independence
B. Immediate Cause: Assassination
II.
The US Enters “The Great War”
A. Underlying Reasons
1. Cultural & Ethnic Ties… Pluralism & Progressives
2. Economic Ties: Trade & Loans
3. Allied Propaganda: Civilization v. Barbarians
4. Freedom of Seas and German Sub Warfare
* Lusitania: May 7, 1915
II.
The US Enters “The Great War”
B. The Events of 1917
Introduction… “He Kept us out of War”
1. Violation of Sussex Pledge
2. Zimmerman Note
**Important: “Freedom of Seas”
“Join with us and you get a bit
of the United States”
III. America At War
A. “The War to End All Wars”: Crusade!
1. “Make world safe for democracy”
2. “Peace Without Victory”
*First war overseas
*Idealistic goals… crashing down!
III. America At War
B. “Prepardness”: Train and mobilize for war
1. National Defense Act & Navy Act (1916)
* Began the expansion of Armed Forces
2. War Revenue Act (1916)
* Passed to pay for military expansion; raised
corporate and individual income taxes
3. Selective Service Act (1917)
* Draft/ conscription: 18 to 45
* “End all wars”: acceptance
III. America At War
C. Mobilizing the Economy: Power of the Prez!
Introduction… Great Migration
1. Fuel Administration
* Increase production/ reduce consumption…
2. Food Administration
* Wheatless… Voluntary Price Controls & Rations…
3. War Industries Board
* Gave out raw materials; told manufacturers what
and how much to produce
III. America At War
C. Mobilizing the Economy (cont)
4. National War Labor Board
* Settle any labor dispute…disrupt war effort…
5. War Labor Policies Board
* Set standards for wages, hours, and working
conditions in war industries
* Labor unions won limited rights to
organize and bargain collectively
?: Discuss three ways…
III. America At War
D. The Committee on Public Information
1. George Creel/ Creel Committee
2. Goal: Sell the war aims
3. Reach public: lectures, pamphlets, posters, press
releases, songs…
4. Urged public to buy liberty bonds,
conserve resources, press censor
5. Attacked Germany: propaganda
III. America At War
Propaganda Posters…
III. America At War
E. The American Expeditionary Force
IV. Wartime Constitutional Issues
A. Espionage Act (1917)
* 20 years in prison if aided enemy, interfered w/
draft, encouraged disloyalty, or refused to serve in
armed forces
* Justify: National Security
B. Sedition Act (1918)
* 20 years if write, publish, or say
anything bad about Govt,
Constitution, flag, or US uniform
IV. Wartime Constitutional Issues
Effects
1. More than 1500: arrested and sent to jail
2. Broadly worded acts served to control/punish those
who opposed war effort
3. Pacifists, socialists, and others: seen as extremists and
suffered the most
4. Industrial Workers of the World (Wobbies): leaders
were arrested, strikes broken up, members jailed
IV. Wartime Constitutional Issues
C. Schenck v. United States (1919)
1. Supreme Court: upheld conviction: Schenck
2. Convicted of violating Espionage Act
3. Oliver Wendell Holmes: “Clear and present
danger”
4. Fire! In a crowded theater
5. Our rights are not
Absolute!*****
IV. Wartime Constitutional Issues
D. The Red Scare (1918 – 1919)
1. November 1917: Bolshevik Revolution
2. Communists: Anti American values, beliefs:
capitalism, democracy, freedom, choice
3. 1918: intense fear of commies in US
4. Began to target socialists, anarchists, labor leaders,
immigrants
5. Imprison, exile
6. Actual # of commies… very small
V.
The Search for Peace after WWI
Introduction…
A. Wilson’s 14 Points… Sheet
V.
The Search for Peace
B. The Treaty of Versailles (1919)
1. Big Four: George, Clemenceau, Orlando,
Wilson…
Motives?
2. Germany had to accept certain provisions:
* Complete responsibility for the war
* Pay reparations to Allies
* Disarmament: give up military forces
* Cede land to new nations: Poland, Czechoslovakia
* Gave up overseas colonies
V.
The Search for Peace
B. The Treaty of Versailles (cont)
3. League of Nations
* Wilson opposed many of T of V conditions but
accepted it b/c included L of N
* L of N: would create peace through collective
security…
* Internat’l org: settle disputes through arbitration,
judicial decisions, or economic sanctions
V.
The Search for Peace
C. Senate Defeat of the Treaty & League
1. American Opposition to the Treaty
* Most Americans: opposed
* Disillusioned after war… “Peace w/o Victory”?
Goals too high?
* Return to Washington’s neutrality & isolation
* Membership would mean a continuing
role
* Would hurt American sovereignty
V.
The Search for Peace
C. Senate Defeat of Treaty and League (cont)
2. H.C. Lodge & the Reservationists
* Chairman of Foreign Relations Committee: not
invited!
* Reservationists: Congressmen who approved of
joining the League under certain conditions
* Ex: Monroe Doctrine
* Wilson: unwilling to compromise…
V.
The Search for Peace
C. Senate Defeat (cont)
3. Checks and Balances
* Senate rejected treaty; US not join
* US: not willing to assume the burdens of world
leadership; return to isolationism
* Signed separate treaty w/ Germany: 1921