World War I Home Front
Encouraged use of Massproduction War Industry Board Standardized similar products (in 1917 there were 150 different types of typewriter ribbons, they suggested 5 types ) Set production quotas and allocated resources
Wilson s War Powers: National War Labor Board: No strikes allowed (workers told to work or fight ) Worked to improve conditions (8 hour work day, safety inspections and outlaw child labor) Food Administration: No rationing Used slogans: Meatless Mondays, Wheatless Wednesdays or Sugarless Saturdays to conserve food Victory Gardens Set prices for some farm goods (wheat) at a higher than market rate (this made farmers want to produce more, which they did)
If you go to war what do you need? An army Food & supplies (equipment) Raw materials for modern weapons Money to pay for it all Was this war popular? If not, how do you get all the things you need?
Paying for the War War cost $35.5 billion dollars 1/3 raised via taxes (income tax, sin tax) The rest raised through Liberty Bonds
Selling the War: Committee on Public Information(CPI) - make the war more popular Hired George Creel a muckraker journalist to run it Used propaganda(biased message to influence people's thoughts or actions)
My Tuesdays are meatless, My Wednesdays are wheatless, I'm getting more eatless each day. My coffee is sweetless, My bed, it is sheetless, All sent to the YMCA.
Effects of Propaganda ABOUT 10 MILLION GERMANS FACED: Job discrimination removed German authors from libraries German composers- banned changed the name of German products (Liberty cabbage, liberty sandwich and liberty hound)
BLACK TOM FACTORY EXPLOSION What was it? An act of sabotage on American ammunition supplies by German agents which took place on July 30, 1916 in Jersey City, New Jersey.
ATTACKS on Civil Liberties Espionage (1917) and Sedition (1918) Acts: Could be fined up to $10,000 and sentenced up to 20 years for: Interfering with the war effort Saying anything disloyal, profane or abusive about the government OR the war effort 2,000 prosecuted under the acts and about half were convicted Seem to trample upon our first amendment liberties Should the government be able to silence dissent in times of war?
War Encourages Social Change THE GREAT MIGRATION Movement of African Americans from the South to the industrial centers of the Northeast and Midwest Why? Many off fighting in the war, leaves jobs open for the taking.
War Encourages Social Change WOMEN on the Home Front Given new opportunities: worked on RR s, shipyards, dock workers, bricklayers Pushed for suffrage: 19 th amendment passed in 1920
Flu Epidemic of 1918 Effects? ¼ of the US got the flu Hurt the economy (halted production, changed services and supplies ran short) Killed 500,000 Americans in one year Killed about 30 million people world wide
I had a little bird, Its name was Enza. I opened the window, And in-flew flew-enza enza. Children s Rhyme, 1918
WILSON FIGHTS FOR PEACE
Recall the Causes of the War 1. Nationalism 2. Militarism 3. Imperialism 4. Alliance System Wilson s 14 Points 1. No secret treaties 2. Freedom of the Seas 3. Lower Tariffs 4. Arms reduction 5. Better treatment of colonies *8 dealt with boundary changes self determination *14 th dealt with the creation of a League of Nations
Woodrow Wilson USA David Lloyd-George Great Britain Georges Clemenceau France The Big Four at Versailles Vittorio Orlando Italy
Who didn t make the cut? Russia Germany
What did they want France wanted: security, revenge & reparations* England agreed (in public), but needed Germany for trade, worried about Communism US (Wilson) proposed the 14 points& the League of Nations* The Allies reject the 14 points
Reparations: war damages (costs) League of Nations: provided a forum for nations to discuss and settle arguments without having to resort to war Predecessor to the United Nations
The Changing World Countries Gone after WWI: Russia Ottoman Empire Austria-Hungary Serbia Persia New Countries created by the treaty: USSR Turkey Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia Yugoslavia Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc. Poland
The Treaty of Versailles What did it do? Ended World War I 1. Limit German military (no tanks, air force, submarines or large battleships) 2. Germany loses territory and colonies 3. Germany must pay war reparations($33 billion) 4. War Guilt clause: Germany takes full responsibility for war
Ratifying the Treaty The senate rejects the treaty (US signed a separate treaty with Germany) Effort led by Henry Cabot Lodge: Too hard on Germany League threatened our neutrality Upset at Wilson America returns to isolationism
Effects on Germany Anger/humiliation Ruined economy (Great Depression hits Germany 1 st ) Leads to Hitler s efforts to reunite Germany It cannot be that 2 million (Germans) should have fallen in vain No, we do not pardon, we demand vengeance! -Adolf Hitler