Transcript us involvement in wwi

US INVOLVEMENT IN
WWI
Causes of American Involvement
 1.
Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
 2. British propaganda
 3. Zimmerman Telegraph
 4. Russian Revolution
Which side should the US pick?
Central Powers:
Allies:
•11 million German-Americans
•Irish-Americans hated Great
Britain
•Close cultural ties
•Shared transatlantic cables
(so censored stories)
•Big business loaned much $
to allies
US Exports to both sides:
Nations
Britain
France
Germany
1914
1915
1916
$594,271,863 $911,794,954 $1,526,685,102
$159,818,924 $364,397,170 $628,851,988
$344,794,276 $28,863,354
$288,899
3
Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
 Germany
created new submarine
called the ”U-Boat”
 British blockaded North Sea, so
Germany gave a “sink on sight”
order to any ship approaching Britain
 May 7th, 1915-British passenger liner
the “Lusitania” sunk off the coast of
Ireland
 Killed 128 Americans
The Lusitania
Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
 Aug.
1915
 The Arabic is
sunk by the
Germans
 2 Americans
are killed
Unrestricted Submarine Warfare




March 1916
The Sussex, an
unarmed passenger
ship is sunk
America threatens
to cut off diplomatic
relations
Sussex pledge- no
passenger or
merchant ships
would be sunk
without warning
British Propaganda
 The
British sent news of the war to
US newspapers everyday
 Full of Propaganda
 Led the American public to be
sympathetic toward the British
British Propaganda
British Propaganda
British Propaganda
British Propaganda
British Propaganda
Zimmerman Telegram
 March
1917-British authorities gave
to the US a telegram that was
supposedly sent to Mexico from
Germany
 It had been decoded by the British
 It asked Mexico to declare war on
the US and they would be supported
by Germany
Russian Revolution
 March
1917-Russia left WWI due to a
Revolution in their own country
 Germany now would concentrate
totally on the Western Front
 Pleas from Great Britain and France
to join the war effort
Declaration of War
 April
2, 1917-Wilson asks Congress
to declare war on Germany
 “The World must be made safe for
Democracy”
 April 6th-Congress votes and declares
war
Mobilization - Centralized Regulation

War Industry Board
– Bernard Baruch
– Controlled raw material,
production, prices,
factories, RR’s
– Nat’l War Labor Bd –
Support by Gompers
– No strikes – higher wages,
etc.

Food Administration
– Encouraged people to eat
less meat and bread
– Farm Production increased
exports
– No rationing cards yet
(WWII)

Invented Daylight
Savings to conserve
fuel
Mobilization
Convinced
Americans to put
savings into
“Liberty Bonds”
 Increased income
tax, business tax,
and excise tax

US Propaganda
CREEL Committee
 Voluntary
censorship of the
news
 Made heroes out of
soldiers and villains
out of the Germans
 Attacked and gave
new names to
anything that
sounded German

US Propaganda
US Propaganda
 American
Civil Liberties
Protective League – open
mail, neighborhood watch
 100% Americanism
 Espionage Act of 1917-imprisoned
for 20 year if caught inciting a riot or
obstructing the draft
 Sedition Act of 1918-Prohibited from
making disloyal remarks
 Schneck v. US (1919)-Restriction of
civil liberties is ok if it demonstrates
a “clear and present danger” to
public safety (Abrams v. US)
Minorities
 Women-Entered
the workforce in
mass, took the jobs of soldiers
fighting in Europe
 Mexicans-immigrating in mass to get
agricultural work in the southwest
 African-Americans-400,000
volunteered for the armed services,
served in non-combat roles, and in
segregated units; also in Northern
industries --- Great Migration
Armed Forces



Thousands
volunteered
Selective Service
Act (1917)-2.8
million drafted by
lottery
American
Expeditionary
Force (AEF) led by
General John J.
“Black Jack”
Pershing
Casualties
 49,000-Combat
Deaths
 64,000-Died from Disease
 Worldwide Flu Epidemic
Armistice
 November
11, 1918 at 11am
 “On the 11th day of the 11th month at
the 11th hour”
 Memorialized-Veterans Day
 Germany surrendered their arms,
Navy, and occupied territory
Wilson’s Plan
 Called
the 14 points
 Points 1-5-Remove the Causes of
War
– Freedom of Seas
– Prohibit secret treaties
– Reduce Arms
– Reduce colonies
– Self-Determination-each person allowed
to move to country of their nationality
Wilson’s Plan
 Points
6-13-Boundary Changes
 Point 14-League of Nations
– Most valued-heart of peace plan
– Peace association-solve problems by
diplomatic means instead of war
Treaty of Versailles
 January
 Big
1919-Paris
Four
– Woodrow Wilson-US
– David Lloyd George-Great Britain
– Georges Clemenceau-France
– Vittorio Orlando-Italy
Wilson
Lloyd George
Clemenceau
Orlando
Treaty of Versailles
 Wilson
wanted this to be the “war to
end all wars”
 Others wanted revenge
 Months of arguing
 Wilson compromised on all of his 14
points except one
Treaty of Versailles
Provisions
 1.
Germany was disarmed, stripped
of colonies, forced to admit guilt,
occupation of Rhineland, and had to
pay reparations (war debt) to
England and France
 2. Many boundary changes
 3. Established a League of Nations
Boundary Changes
Weakness of Treaty
 Central
Powers not invited
 Russia not invited-took land away
 Germany blamed
 Led to three wars
– WWII
– Cold War
– Vietnam War
US Ratification
 Wilson
returns with treaty
 Has to get 2/3 vote in Senate
 Election of 1918-Majority of
Republicans in both houses
 Senate-raised objections to treaty
especially League of Nations-against
the Monroe Doctrine
US Ratification
 Opponents
divided into two groups
– Irreconcilables-would not accept the
treaty
– Reservationists-Would accept the treaty
if reservations placed on League of
Nations
– Henry Cabot Lodge leader of
reservationists
US Ratification
Wilson against any reservations
 Tries to rally public support by a speaking
tour in the west
 Sept. 25th, 1919-collapsed while speaking,
returned to Washington and suffered a
massive stroke
 Never recovered
 Many believe his wife was running the
country
 Led to the 25th Amendment-Presidential
handicap

US Rejection of Treaty
 Senate
voted twice on treaty
 Rejected both times
 1921-US signed separate peace
treaty with Germany
 Never ratified the Treaty of Versailles
or joined the League of Nations