Transcript The Great War

World War I
(1914-1920)
1
Standards

 USH.3.1 Describe the events and people central to the
transformation of the United States developing into a world
power.
 USH.3.9 Explain the impact of “New” Immigration and the Great
Migration on industrialization and urbanization and in promoting
economic growth.
 USH.3.3 Compare and contrast the Progressive reforms of
Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and Woodrow Wilson.
 USH.3.4 Explain the constitutional significance of the following
landmark decisions of the United States Supreme Court: Schenck v.
United States (1919) and Abrams v. United States (1919).
 USH.4.3 Identify areas of social tension such as the Red Scare,
Prohibition, Religious Fundamentalism, the KKK, New Morality,
and the New Woman and explain their consequences in the postWWI era.
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Learning Targets

 I can describe how old alliances and nationalist sentiments among
European nations set the stage for World War I.
 I can describe how British propaganda and business interests led most
Americans to a pro British stance on the war.
 I can describe how the US government used progressive ideas to manage
the economy and pay for the war.
 I can describe why the United States instituted a draft for military service
and African-Americans and women took on new roles during the war.
 I can describe how new technologies made World War I the first modern
war.
 I can describe how the arrival of Americans in your changed the course of
the war and helped the allies win.
 I can describe why the United States Senate refused to ratify the Treaty of
Versailles and rejected the League of Nations.
 I can describe why the country suffered economic uncertainty, Strikes, riots
in the year after World War I.
 I can describe why the fear of a Communist Revolution caused a
nationwide panic in the US after World War I.
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Key Vocabulary
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Militarism
Alliances
Imperialism
Anti-imperialism
Nationalism
Propaganda
Contraband
Lusitania
Balkans
Assassination
Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Sussex pledge
Zimmerman telegram
Victory garden
Liberty bonds
Espionage & Sedition Acts
War industries Board (WIB)
National war labor Board (NWLB)
Committee on public information (CPI)
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Schenck v. U.S.
Abrams v. U.S.
Mobilization
Convoy
Armistice
National self-determination
Reparations
No mans land
Trench warfare
John J Pershing
Treaty Versailles
14 points
League of Nations
Wilson’s foreign-policy
General strike deportation
Calvin Coolidge
Red scare
A. Mitchell Palmer
J. Edgar Hoover
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The U.S. Enters
World War I

Guiding Questions:
1. How did old alliances and nationalist sentiments among
European nations set the stage for World War I?
2. Why was America slow to join WWI?
3. How did American life change during WWI?
5
Causes of WWI
WWI was not caused by any one event.
Rather, many factors worked together to cause the war.
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Militarism & Alliances

 (1860s) The German
kingdom of Prussia
launches the series of
wars to create a united
German Empire.
 (1870) Germany takes
Alsace-Lorraine from
France making France
an enemy.
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Militarism & Alliances
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 Germany forms the Triple-Alliance with Italy and
Austria-Hungry.
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Militarism & Alliances
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 Russian leaders are alarmed
by the formation of the triple
alliance.
 Russia is determined to help
Eastern European countries
oppose Austria-Hungary.
 (1894) Russia and France
form the Franco-Russian
Alliance promising to aid
each other in any war against
the Triple Alliance.
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Militarism & Alliances

 (1898) German militarism and
the large German Navy threaten
British interests.
 Britain and Germany race to
build the most powerful navies.
 Britain (though concerned with
German militarism) refuses to
sign a formal alliance with
France and Russia.
 Instead Britain, France, and
Russia form a “friendly”
understanding – the Entente
Cordiale
 Britain, France, and Russia
become known as the Triple
Entente
10
Nationalism &
Imperialism
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 Nationalism in the Balkans
challenges Ottoman and AustroHungarian imperialism in
southern Europe.
 Serbia gains independence –
other Slavic nations also seek
independence (Bosnians, Croats,
Slovenes).
 Austria-Hungary annexes
Bosnia.
 Serbians are infuriated.
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Nationalism & Terrorism
 (June 1914) Archduke
Franz Ferdinand visits
Bosnian capital of
Sarajevo.
 Bosnian revolutionary
(and Serbian nationalist
of the “Black Hand”)
Gavrilo Princip
assassinates the
Archduke.
 Assassination is
intended to start a war
that will bring down the
Austro-Hungarian
Empire.
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Alliances Triggered
(WWI Begins)
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 First, Austro-Hungarian Empire blames Serbia for
assassination – decides to crush Serbian nationalism.
 Note: Austro-Hungarian war with Serbia will trigger war
between Austro-Hungarian Empire and Russia.
 Then, Austro Hungarian empire seeks assistance from
Germany – Germany agrees.
 Then, Serbia turns to Russia for support – Russia agrees.
 Then, Russia turns to France for support – France agrees.
 Then, July 28, 1914, Austria-Hungary declares war on
Serbia.
 Finally, August 1, 1914, Germany declares war on Russia.
 WWI Begins
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14
Alliances Expand &
Change

 Then, Germany attacks France by crossing neutral
Belgium.
 Note: Britain had guaranteed to protect Belgium’s neutrality.
 So, Britain declares war on Germany and allies itself with
France and Russia – the Triple Entente.
 Then (in 1915), Italy joins Britain, France, and Russia after
they agree to give land won from Austria-Hungary to
Italy after the war – the Allies.
 So, Germany and Austria-Hungary ally themselves with
the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria – the Central Powers.
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Alliances of WWI in 1914.
(In 1915 Italy joins the Alliance.)
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America Moves Toward War

 Americans do not immediately join World War I – Wilson
is opposed.
 Nationalistic sentiments divide Americans – who to
support?
 British propaganda and American business interests lead
most Americans to pro British stance.
 February 1915 – Germany announces that it’s U-boats
Will send any ships found in British waters without
warning.
 May 7, 1915 – German submarine sinks the Lusitania
killing 1200 civilians (128 Americans) – Americans are
infuriated; Wilson still takes no action
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Was the sinking of the Lusitania a terrorist act?
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America Moves Toward War
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 March 1916 – pres. Wilson’s advisers are opposed to
Germany
 Wilson and Germany agreed to Sussex Pledge – to
keep US out of the war Germany agrees not to sink
anymore ships without warning.
 Will Germany keep its word to keep the U.S. out of
the war?
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So Wilson wants to avoid war with Germany
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…
 But, a telegram is intercepted
by British Intelligence.
 It appears to be from a
German named Zimmerman
and is addressed to the
Mexican government.
 Please read the Telegram then
answer the document analysis
questions with your partner.
 Discuss
20
America Moves Toward War

 January 1917 – British
intelligence intercepts
“Zimmerman telegram” –
promising to return to Mexico
it’s lost territory in Texas, New
Mexico, in Arizona after the
war if Mexico supports
Germany (and helps Germany
form an alliance with Japan).
 Germany breaks Sussex
Pledge.
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America declares war

 February 1, 1917 Germany
resumes unrestricted
submarine warfare –
ignores Sussex pledge.
 Six American ships are sunk
between February 3 and
March 21, 1917.
 April 2, 1917 America
declares war on Germany.
 Wilson signs war
resolution.
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WWI Crash Course
Please take notes on the back of your telegram…

 How WWI Started
(10:00)
 Who Started WWI
(10:00)
23
Test Your Understanding

 Write IDs for the
following:
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Alliances
Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Wilson’s foreign-policy
Lusitania
Sussex pledge
Zimmerman telegram
 Answer the following
Questions:
1.
2.
How did old alliances and
nationalist sentiments among
European nations set the stage for
World War I?
Why was America slow to join
WWI?
24
The Home Front

Guiding Questions:
1. How did the US government use progressive ideas to manage the
economy and pay for the war?
2. Why did the United States institute a draft for military service during
WWI?
3. Why did African-Americans and women take on new roles during the
war?
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Definitions

 Espionage
 the practice of spying
or of using spies,
typically by
governments to obtain
political and military
information.
 Sedition
 conduct or speech
inciting people to rebel
against the authority
of a state or monarch.
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America Organizes for War

 Paying for the War:
 Raised income taxes
 Raised taxes on
corporate profits
 Taxed profits from
arms factories
 Liberty bonds
 Victory bonds
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Council of Defense

 War Industries Board (WIB)
established to Coordinate production
of war materials – Bernard Baruch
 Food Admin. Increases production of
war materials and food – Victory
Gardens –
Herbert Hoover
 Railroad Admin. Improves RR
efficiency – William McAdoo
 National War Labor Board (NWLB) –
Mediates labor disputes with unions
and owners to ensure production of
war supplies – W. H.Taft & Frank P.
Walsh
 Results:
 Unemployment virtually
disappeared.
 Expansion of “big
government.”
 Close cooperation
between public
and private sectors.
 Unprecedented
opportunities for
disadvantaged groups.
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America Organizes for War

 Committee on Public
Information (CPI) –
formed to sell war.
 Social Changes
 Women join workforce
 Mexican Americans move
north
 Great Migration – African
American movement
north.
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America Organizes for War
 Selective Service Act of 1917

 Required all men ages 21-30 to register
for the draft (managed locally)
 24M Register - 2.8M Drafted
 Soldiers
 4.8M serve
 2M saw combat
 400,000 African Americans in
segregated units (praised for valor)
 15,000 Native Americans
 200,000 are wounded
 50,000 die in combat
 60,000 die from disease (influenza
epidemic 1918-19)
 Women Join Military
 Clerical, Support, nursing
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Civil Liberties Curtailed

 Boy Spies of America
 American Protective League
 Espionage and Sedition Acts
upheld by USSC
 (1917) Schenck v. U.S. – Mailing
anti-war pamphlets regarding the
draft.
 1918 Eugene V. Debs arrested and
imprisoned
 (1918) Abrams v. U.S. - Mailing antiwar pamphlets criticizing decision
to send troops to Russia to fight
communists.
 Free speech may be curtailed 
yikes!
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Schenck…

Clear and Present Danger
Doctrine
Government can limit free
speech that poses a “clear &
present danger” to national
security.
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Case Study & Document Analysis Activity

 1st Amendment
 The Espionage Act of 1917
 Schenck v. U.S.
 The Sedition Act of 1918
 Abrams v. U.S.
 Eugene V. Debs speech and arrest
 Eugene Debs made his famous anti-war
speech in Canton, Ohio, protesting World
War I which was raging in Europe. For this
speech he was arrested and convicted in
federal court in Cleveland, Ohio under the
war-time espionage law (Schenck). He was his
own attorney. He was sentenced to serve 10
years in prison.
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Test Your Understanding

 Write IDs for the
following:
 Liberty bonds
 War industries Board (WIB)
 National war labor Board
(NWLB)
 Committee on public
information (CPI)
 Espionage and Sedition Acts
 Answer the following
Questions:
1.
2.
How did American life change
during WWI?
How did the cases of Schenck v.
U.S. and Abrams v. U.S. curtail
certain liberties that we take for
granted?
34
Bloody Conflict

Guiding Question:
1. How did new technologies make World War I the first modern
war?
2. How did the arrival of Americans in Europe change the course
of the war and help the allies win?
3. Why did the US Senate refuse to ratify the Treaty of Versailles
and reject the League of Nations?
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America Enters the War

 Review:
 Initially, the U.S. follows a policy of isolationism from
1914-April 1917…
 Why?
 Then, on April 2, 1917, the U.S. Declares War on
Germany…
 Why?
 What two main measures did the U.S. government
take to fund their war effort?
 What roles did women fill to help out with the war
effort?
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World War I: In Brief
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 1914-1918
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65 million men mobilized for war
37 million casualties (killed, missing, wounded)
9.7 million military deaths
8.8 million civilian casualties
 Eastern Front
 Russia Surrenders to Germany (Oct. 1917)…leads to Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
 Civil War in Russia: Rise of Lenin and (Bolshevik) Communist Party
 Western Front: Trench Warfare
 Stalemate from 1914-1918
 U.S. Enters War (1917)
 Allied Powers
 U.S., Britain, France
 Why did this help break the stalemate?  men and materials
 2nd Battle of the Marne (1918)
 Turning Point on Western Front
The Horrors of War:
Life in the Trenches
During WWI troops on “both
sides” dug networks of
trenches stretching from the
English Channel to the Swiss
Border.
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The Horrors of War:
Life in the Trenches
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The Horrors of War:
Life in the Trenches

 Trench Warfare Video Overview
 Life in the Trenches is best described by the soldiers
themselves. See Document J.
 While reading Document J please list 3 words to
describe life in the trenches during WWI in your notes.
 Out of all the accounts provided in Document J, which
did you find to be most disturbing? Why?
 How do the images and tales of trench warfare make
you feel?
40
New Weaponry

The War Ends
(11/11/1918)
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Fourteen Points

 Fourteen Points: Woodrow Wilson’s Peace Plan for
WWI
 Globalization:
 Reduce chance of war by creating economic ties/cutting
down on armaments
 National Self-Determination:
 Break up colonies/grant independence (borders based
on national identity)
 League of Nations
 1st International Organization Whose Goal Was to Keep
Peace (predecessor of United Nations)
Treaty of Versailles

 Treaty of Versailles (June 28, 1919)
 Peace Treaty Officially Ending War b/n Germany & Allied Powers
 Treaty Establishes the League of Nations
 Treaty Intended to Punish & Weaken Germany
 War Guilt Clause
 Germany must accept full responsibility for the war
 Had to pay massive reparations to the allies
 Most of reparations would go to France/Belgium
 German military dismantled…why?
 Army reduced to 100,000 men
 Not allowed to have Tanks or Air Force
 Demilitarized Rhineland
 Germany suffered major territorial losses
 Lose: Alsace & Lorraine, Baltic States (land won from Russia), Poland, & more
 Ottoman Empire carved up (France and Brittan)
Germany’s War Debt

 Germany’s war reparations from WWI (226 Billion
Reichsmarks or $33 Billion) was established by the
Treaty of Versailles on June 28, 1919.
 Germany did not finish paying off its war
reparations from WWI until Sunday, October 3,
2010.
 That’s 91 years, 3 months, 6 days.
45

U.S. Senate Rejects Treaty
of Versailles

 Senator Henry Cabot Lodge Leads Charge against Treaty of
Versailles
 U.S. Senate Rejects Treaty of Versailles…Why?
 Republican concerns not addressed (Wilson was a Dem.)
 League of Nations…What was their concern?
 Irreconcilables (Never!), Reservationists - including HCL (only if
USC amended to require congressional approval for any military
support offered)
 Influence of George Washington?
 Washington’s Farewell Address warns against entangling
alliances/getting involved in foreign affairs
 Return of U.S. Isolationism
Significance of the Treaty
of Versailles

Planted the seeds for WWII as it helped enable the
rise of Hitler and lead Germany to seek its
“revenge”…why?
Test Your Understanding

 Write IDs for the
following:
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Armistice
National self-determination
Reparations
No mans land
Trench warfare
John J Pershing
Treaty Versailles
14 points
League of Nations
Wilson’s foreign-policy
 Answer the following
Questions:
1.
2.
3.
How did new technologies
make World War I the first
modern war?
How did the arrival of
Americans in Europe change the
course of the war and help the
allies win?
Why did the US Senate refuse to
ratify the Treaty of Versailles
and reject the League of
Nations?
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Thinking Map

 Please include the following in your
WWI thinking map (teams of two or
three):
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Causes
Imperialism/Nationalism (examples)
Alliances/Ententes (who were they?)
Battles
New Weapons/Trench Warfare
Outcome
Treaty of Versailles (terms)
Consequences (casualties, Russian
revolution, New nations, Punishment,
League of Nations, etc.)
Title
See examples on
board…
 Take your time and do good work.
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The War’s Impact

Guiding Questions:
1. Why did the US suffer economic uncertainty, strikes, riots in the
year after World War I?
2. Why did the fear of a Communist Revolution caused a nation
wide panic in the US after World War I?
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Test Your Understanding
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