Transcript File

World War I
Unit 7: Turn of the Century
A Precarious Neutrality
• Read the document and consider the
following:
– Why was it so difficult for the U.S. to remain
neutral?
– What reasons does the document give?
– What reasons can you infer from the
document?
– Who would have a hard time remaining
neutral in thought and action?
U.S. Exports to Belligerents
Belligerent
Nation
1914
1915
1916
1916 Figure as
Percentage of
1914 Figure
Britain
$594,271,000
$911,794,000
$1,526,685,000
257%
France
$159, 818,000
$369,397,000
$628,851,000
393%
Italy
$74,235,000
$184,819,000
$269,246,000
363%
Germany
$344,794,000
$28,863,000
$288,899
0.08%
Wilson’s War Message
…I am not now thinking of the loss of property
involved, immense and serious as that is, but only of
the wanton and wholesale destruction of the lives of
noncombatants, men, women, and children,
engaged in pursuits which have always, even in the
darkest periods of modern history, been deemed
innocent and legitimate. Property can be paid for;
the lives of peaceful and innocent people can not
be. The present German submarine warfare against
commerce is a warfare against mankind.
Wilson’s War Message
It is a war against all nations. American ships have
been sunk, American lives taken, in ways which it
has stirred us very deeply to learn of, but the ships
and people of other neutral and friendly nations have
been sunk and overwhelmed in the waters in the
same way. There has been no discrimination. The
challenge is to all mankind. Each nation must decide
for itself how it will meet it. The choice we make for
ourselves must be made with a moderation of
counsel and a temperateness of judgment befitting
our character and our motives as a nation. We must
put excited feeling away. Our motive will not be
revenge or the victorious assertion of the physical
might of the nation, but only the vindication of right, of
human right, of which we are only a single champion.
Sen. George Norris
…We have loaned many hundreds of millions of dollars to the
Allies in this controversy. While such action was legal and
countenanced by international law, there is no doubt in my
mind but the enormous amount of money loaned to the Allies
in this country has been instrumental in bringing about a public
sentiment in favor of our country taking a course that would
make every bond worth a hundred cents on the dollar and
making the payment of every debt certain and sure. Through
this instrumentality and also through the instrumentality of
others who have not only made millions out of the war in the
manufacture of munitions, etc., and who would expect to make
millions more if our country can be drawn into the catastrophe,
a large number of the great newspapers and news agencies of
the country have been controlled and enlisted in the greatest
propaganda that the world has ever known to manufacture
sentiment in favor of war.
Sen. Robert LaFollette
The failure to treat the belligerent nations of Europe
alike, the failure to reject the unlawful “war zones” of
both Germany and Great Britain is wholly
accountable for our present dilemma.
We have not treated, as a Government, these
belligerents with any degree of impartiality; but, on
the contrary, have demanded one of them absolute
obedience to our ideas and interpretations of
international law, and have allowed at least one of
the other belligerents to override at will the
established rules and practice of all the civilized
nations of the world…with but feeble protest, and, in
many cases, with no protest at all.
Sen. Robert LaFollette
We surrendered to Great Britain practically all we
contested for in the War of 1812. It is true, as far as
we know, that she has not impressed our seamen,
but she has seized and appropriated to her own use
entire cargoes and the ships that carried them….
George Washington said, “Avoid European
entanglements,” but we are recklessly entering a
path to the end of which no man can foresee or
comprehend…God pity our country, gentlemen, if
you desire that this cup be placed to our country’s
lips….You may do so; I can not so vote at this time.
Socialist Party
Modern wars as a rule have been caused by the
commercial and financial rivalry and intrigues of the
capitalist interests in the different countries.
Whether they have been frankly waged as wars of
aggression or have been hypocritically represented
as wars of “defense,” they have always been made
by the classes and fought by the masses. Wars
bring wealth and power to the ruling classes, and
suffering, death, and demoralization to the
workers…The Socialist Party of the United States is
unalterably opposed to the system of exploitation
and class rule which is upheld and strengthened by
military power and sham national patriotism. We,
therefore, call upon the workers of all countries to
refuse support to their governments in their wars.
Mobilizing for War
Analyze the ways in which the federal
government sought support on the home
front for the war effort during the First
World War.
Food Administration
Liberty Bonds
Anti-German Propaganda
Anti-German Sentiment
The Huns: Anti-German WWI Propaganda Film
“Over There”
Over there, over there,
Send the word, send the word over there That the Yanks are coming,
The Yanks are coming,
The drums rum-tumming
Ev'rywhere.
So prepare, say a pray'r,
Send the word, send the word to beware.
We'll be over, we're coming over,
And we won't come back till it's over
Over there.
Over There: Remembering WWI
The First Amendment
Congress shall make no law respecting an
establishment of religion, or prohibiting the
free exercise thereof; or abridging the
freedom of speech, or of the press; or the
right of the people peaceably to assemble,
and to petition the Government for a
redress of grievances.
Espionage Act (1917)
(Section 3) Whoever, when the United States is at war,
shall wilfully make or convey false reports or false
statements with intent to interfere with the operation or
success of the military or naval forces of the United
States or to promote the success of its enemies and
whoever when the United States is at war, shall wilfully
cause or attempt to cause insubordination, disloyalty,
mutiny, refusal of duty, in the military or naval forces of
the United States, or shall wilfully obstruct the recruiting
or enlistment service of the United States, to the injury of
the service or of the United States, shall be punished by
a fine of not more than $10,000 or imprisonment for not
more than twenty years, or both.
Sedition Act (1918)
…or shall willfully utter, print, write, or publish any disloyal,
profane, scurrilous, or abusive language about the form of
government of the United States, or the Constitution of the
United States, or the military or naval forces of the United
States ...or shall willfully display the flag of any foreign enemy,
or shall willfully ...urge, incite, or advocate any curtailment of
production ...or advocate, teach, defend, or suggest the doing
of any of the acts or things in this section enumerated and
whoever shall by word or act support or favor the cause of any
country with which the United States is at war or by word or
act oppose the cause of the United States therein, shall be
punished by a fine of not more than $10,000 or imprisonment
for not more than 20 years, or both....
“Home Front” Essay
• Discuss and “break-down” the question. [5m]
– What does analyze mean?
– Break down the task (row headings).
• Skim through the documents and make a
quick list of evidence. [10m]
• Complete the brainstorm grid. [5m]
– Identify subtopics (column headings).
• Write an introduction. [10m]
– Focus on strong subtopic sentences that fully
answer the question (task).
Great Migration
Race Riots (1917-1919)
Omaha Race Riot (1919)
Mr. President, why not make
America ‘safe for democracy?’
Flu Epidemic