Transcript Chapter 30: The War to End Wars

Alexa Ramirez
April Wachunas
5th period
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Jan. 22,1917 Woodrow Wilson gave the most
moving speech restating America’s
commitment to neutral rights
Jan. 31, 1917 German warlords respond by
announcing they would wage
UNRESTRICTED submarine warfare, sinking
ALL ships (including American) in a war zone.
 Germany hoped to bring Great Britain
down before US entered war.
 Wilson broke diplomatic relations with
Germany, but refused to enter war unless
Germans overtook “overt” acts against
American lives.
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To defend American interest, Wilson asked
Congress for authority to arm American Merchant
Ships
Mar. 1,1917 the Zimmerman note was intercepted
and published infuriating Americans
 German Foreign Secretary, Arthur Zimmerman,
proposed and alliance with Mexico tempting
them with returning Texas, New Mexico and
Arizona to Mexico.
On April 2, 1917 Wilson asked Congress for a
declaration of war due to German attacks on
American Merchant vessels.
 April 6, 1917 America declared war after 4 days
of debate between Congress members.
- With 6 Senators and 50 Representatives
voting against the war declaration
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Wilson’s biggest problem:
Arising an isolated and
neutral nation to a
European war.
 The only hope was to
glorify American goals
in the war.
- American goal was a
crusade “to make the
world safe for a
democracy.” with no
territorial or
economic gain.
Woodrow Wilson
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Jan. 89, 1918 Fourteen Points Address was delivered by
Wilson to congress.
 It inspired drooping allies to make mightier efforts
and demoralized enemy governments.
 First 5 Points and the 14th:
1. No private international understandings all
should be made public.
2. Freedom of the navigation throughout the seas.
3. Removal of economic barriers establishing an
equality of trade conditions to all nations.
4. Reduction to the lowest point of national
armament consistent with domestic safety.
5. Free, open-minded and impartial adjustment of
colonial claims.
14. A general association of nations
(foreshadowing the League of Nations)
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The Committee of Public Information created to sell
the people into war.
 Headed by George Creel, who was a young journalist
that was outspoken, tactless, imaginative and
enthusiastic.
- Employed 150,000 workers at home and
overseas
- Sent out an army of 75,000 “four-minute men”
to deliver the countless “patriotic peps” to the
people.
- Propaganda consisted of:
1.Billboard posters
2.Leaflets and pamphlets containing latest
Wilsonisms
3.Booklets with red, white, and blue covers
4.Hang-the-Kaiser movies
Creel typified American mobilization, which relied on
passion and voluntary compliance, BUT oversold
Wilson’s ideals leading the world to expect too much.
George Creel
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8 million German Americans out of a population of
100 million.
Rumors of disloyalty to America spread and some
German Americans were tarred and feathered,
beaten, or in a very extreme case in Illinois
lynched.
 Paranoia and hatred mounted resulting in:
1. Orchestras found it unsafe to play Germancomposed music. (Wagner or Beethoven)
2. German books were removed from libraries.
3. German classes were canceled in high
schools and colleges.
4. Beer brewers were also doubted in loyalties
if their names were like Shlitz or Pabst.
5. And finally the Espionage Act of 1917 and
the Sedition Act of 1918.
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Wilson was mildly prepared for war.
1915 created a civilian Council of National
Defense to study problems of economic
mobilization..
Launched a shipbuilding program for either
trade or war.
Improved US army with 100,000 regulars. (15th
largest)
American’s had no range of production causing
economic chaos.
March 1918, Wilson installed Bernard Baruch as
head of War Industries Board which was
disbanded within days.
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War Dept.’s 1918 rule was “work or fight”.
National War Labor Board motivated workers with high wages and
8 hours per day, BUT did not support the government’s guarantee
of the right to organize into unions
AF of L was a labor organization and supporter of the war
efforts.
It doubled its members by the end of the war to over 3 million
Coal mining manufacturing and transportation wages went up 20%
over prewar levels
6,000 strikes broke out during the war
1919 steelworkers walked out of their jobs to try and force their
employers to let them organize into unions.
Employers refused and brought 30,000 African American
strikebreakers, collapsing the strike
African Americans migrated to the north causing interracial
violence. (gangs on the streets)
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Thousands of women poured into factory jobs during the
war.
National Women’s Party was headed by Alice Paul Quaker
Activist. (against Wilson‘s pro-war)
National American Women Suffrage Association (Pro war)
Wilson endorse women suffrage as “a vitally necessary ear
measure.”
1917 New York voted for suffrage at state level;
Michigan, Oklahoma, and South Dakota followed.
1920 19th Amendment was added to the Constitution giving
women the right to vote.
Women’s Bureau emerged in the Labor Dept. after the
war.
Women left their jobs, MEANWHILE congress passed the
Sheppard- Towner Maternity Act in 1921.
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Herbert C. Hoover was chosen to be head of the Food
Administration .
He rejected issuing ration cards (Europe), instead he
resorted to propaganda to gain volunteers.
1919 temporary amendment was passed : no alcoholic
drinks
Fuel Administration made American’s save fuel.
Treasury Dept. sponsored parades and invoked slogans to
promote Liberty Loan drives
Together all this gave the United States 2/3 of the war
costs $21 billion
Remainder was raised with tax increase.
Government never used power against the people except
on occasions
Took control of railroads and ships seizing enemy
merchant vessels, recycling them into concrete vessels
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No one dreamed of sending men to France.
America used its Navy to uphold free seas & sent ship
war materials to the Allies, plus loans. ($10)
April & May 1917 European associates confessed the
need of man power.
A large American Army was to be raise, trained and
transported QUICKLY!
Wilson and congress issued the draft 6 weeks after
entering war.
Men ages 18-45 except ship builders.
337,000 escaped draft & 4,000 were excused.
Couple of months and 4 million registered plus 11,269
women in Marine and Navy
African Americans too but in “construction battalions”
under white officers.
4 month training in US + 2 months overseas, BUT some
entered battle not knowing how to handle a bayonet.
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Russian 1918 withdrawal from eastern front released Germans to the
western front against France.
Germans predicted Americans would be to late to save Britain from KO
No effective American fighting force entered fight until after a year of
declaring war.
Germans predicted American inability to transport army.
Shipping shortages plagues the Allies.
Soon the Americans began fighting as replacement with French and British
armies.
American armies didn’t exclusively go to France. (Belgium Italy and Russia)
U.S. troops helped in an Allied invasion of Russia at Archangel to
prevent munitions from falling into German hands.
10,000 troops were sent to Siberia part of Allied expedition to prevent
munitions from falling into Japanese hands, rescue 45,000 Czechoslovak
troops, & prevent
Bolshevik forces from snatching military supplies.
Bolsheviks resented this interference, which it felt was America’s way of
suppressing its infant communist revolution.
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May 1918, Germany attacks 40 miles from Paris
30,000 ill-trained American troops sent to defend
and help French troops at Château-Thierry
July 1918 German force was exhausted.
American men participated in the Second Battle of
the Marne (beginning of German withdrawal)
Sept. 1918, 9 American and 4 French divisions
joined to push Germans out of St. Mihiel salient.
Americans demanded separate army, which was
given to Gen. John J. “Black Jack” Pershing.
Sept. 26 - Nov. 11, 1918 Gen. Pershing undertook
defense at Meuse-Argonne.
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Berlin turns to Wilson in 1918 in face of defeat
seeking peace based on 14 points.
Wilson’s condition was that the Kaiser should leave
before negotiating.
Kaiser was forced to move to Holland living his
remaining 23 years “Unwept, Unhonored, and Unhung.”
Germans declared defeat on Nov. 11 at 11o’clock in
1918.
U.S. main contribution was foodstuffs, munitions,
credits, oil and manpower.
They fought 2 major battles: St. Mihiel and MeuseArgonne in the last 2 months of the war.
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Wilson helped win the war and was
popular and powerful.
In 1918, he appealed voters to give a
Democratic victory.
Americans instead gave Republicans
majority
Wilson went to Paris as a diminished
leader outraging Republicans.
He did not take any Republican
Senators esp., Henry Cabot Lodge
who made Wilson Jealous of his
reputation as the scholar of politics.
Henry
Cabot Lodge
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Wilson was received by masses of people in
France, England and Italy in 1918 & 1919.
Paris Conference fell into the hands of the Big
Four: Wilson (The Rich and Fresh Power),
Premier Vittorio Orlando of Italy, Prime Minister
David Lloyd George of Britain, and Premier
Georges Clemenceau of France (“The Tiger”).
Conference opened on Jan. 18, 1918.
Wilson’s ultimate goal was the League of Nations
compromising between imperialism and Wilsonian
ideals.
Gained victory over the Old World Diplomats on
Feb. 1918.