World War I Origins of WWI nationalism Germany and Italy imperialism competition over colonies militarism war is glorious and beneficial alliances Triple Alliance - Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy Triple Entente - Great Britain, France, Russia June, 1914 - Gavrilo Princip assassinates Archduke Ferdinand Austria declares war on Serbia all alliances kick in The War Schlieffen Plan Germany attempts to knock France out of the war before Russia can mobilize Battle of the Marne race to the sea Trench Warfare 400 miles of trenches from English channel to Alps caused by new weapons machine guns, mustard gas 1916 - Battle of the Somme over 1 million killed in three months 9 million casualties for entire war Neither side could turn tide of the war The United States declares it s neutrality Americans viewed war as European problem millions of Americans of German, Italian, Austrian descent America is drawn towards the war American business sells supplies to Allies Britain blockades Germany German U-boats attack all ships entering Britain May 7, 1915 - U-boat sinks the Lusitania 128 Americans killed 1916 - Germany issues Sussex pledge promise not to sink merchant ships w/o warning 1916 - Wilson runs for reelection on He Kept Us Out of War pledge barely wins reelection many Americans unhappy not doing enough to protect interests
policies favor the Allies $500 million in arms in 1916 Feb 1, 1917 - Germany resumes unrestricted sub warfare Wilson breaks off relations March 1, 1917 - Zimmerman Note published Germany tried to sign alliance with Mexico to attack U.S. April 4, 1917 - Congress declares war on Germany Wilson defines purposes for war war to end all wars war to make the world safe for democracy US prepares to fight May 18, 1917 - Selective Service Act passed requires all males from 21-30(18-45) to register for draft five million serve in war doughboys hundreds of thousands of minorities serve in segregated units John Blackjack Pershing in command of US forces refuses to commit forces until army trained and ready Nov, 1917 - Russia drops out of war Russian Revolution and Treaty of Brest Litovsk 1918 - growing American presence pushes Germans back End of the war November, 1918 - Germany signs armistice ending conflict War at home US funds war by selling liberty bonds Wilson needs to mobilize economy Rationing Food and Fuel Administration regulated production and distribution War Industries Board Bernard Baruch allocates resources to industry and determines production National War Labor Board mediated disagreements to avoid strikes Millions of women and African-Americans go to work Committee on Public Information produced propaganda to support the war demonized everything German deep social effects Espionage and Sedition Act banned criticism of the war Schneck vs. US - doesn t violate 1 st Amendment
clear and present danger An Imperfect Peace Wilson s Fourteen Points designed to prevent all future wars with a just peace self-determination people should decide their own government no secret agreements freedom of seas no restrictions on trade League of Nations Paris Peace Conference Wilson travels to Europe to negotiate treaty Europeans want to punish Germany Treaty of Versailles Wilson loses most of his Fourteen Points Germany is divided and loses significant territory loses all colonies Germany military forces are gutted Forced to pay $31 billion in reparations Germany people feel hurt, betrayed, embarrassed League of Nations remains, but is weak requires unanimous decisions has no military forces Germany and Russia not invited to join Ratification of Treaty Henry Cabot Lodge leads opposition to treaty felt that too much power taken from US, put into League Wilson refuses to negotiate, takes issue to people campaigns for passage by train tour grows ill, suffers stroke Senate defeats the treaty US does not join League of Nations Americans begin period of isolation Postwar Troubles Demobilization Millions of soldiers return home to work Women and minorities lose jobs millions unemployed Government canceled war contracts recession ensued Farmers suffer from renewed European competition Labor Strife
War inflation caused rising prices Workers demanded higher wages thousands of strikes occurred Seattle shipyards thousands of dockworkers strike Bolsheviks and immigrants blamed no violence happens Boston Police strike police struck for right to unionize crime breaks out Coolidge orders in national guard Steel strike 350,000 workers walk out strike breakers brought in and strike fails The Red Scare Americans feared strikes were signs of a Bolshevik revolution paranoia broke out as people saw Reds everywhere bomb scares seemed to justify paranoia Nov, 1919 - Palmer raids launched by attorney general A Mitchell Palmer headed by J Edgar Hoover thousands of immigrants arrested without cause 1921 - Sacco and Vanzetti trial accused and convicted of murder during payroll robbery convicted on hatred against immigrants and anarchists thousands protested and help appeal still executed in 1927 By mid-1920 s paranoia dies down without communist threat Republican Presidents(1920-1932) 1920 - Warren G Harding elected president runs on return to normalcy much more open and friendly than Wilson Cut taxes and helped spur economic activity didn t help any working class people The Ohio Gang Harding s friends caught in a series of scandals stole millions from Veteran s Bureau Teapot Dome Scandal AG and Sec of Int sold reserve land to oil interests 1923 - Harding dies, VP Calvin Coolridge becomes president elected president in 1924 the business of America is business supported business and opposed all government spending 1928 - Herbert Hoover elected president well liked engineer who benefited from strong economy
claimed that poverty would soon be eradicated Social Divisions Women were not satisfied with 19 th amendment Tried to pass Equal Rights Amendment would have guaranteed equal treatment for all women Great Migration millions of African Americans moved to Northern cities many worked in factories others fought in war tensions between blacks and whites led to race riots 1919 - Chicago NAACP organizes legal defense for AA s Black Nationalism Marcus Garvey encouraged black ownership of business wanted independent African homeland believed that blacks should draw on African culture deported in 1927 and movement declined Ku Klux Klan revived in 1915 used beating, hanging, destruction to intimidate minorities grew to millions of members in culture of intolerance Red Scare, Black Nationalism, strikes 1924 - Immigration limited to 2% of existing population in US The Jazz Age Productivity boomed in the 20 s new technologies increased production assembly line, radio, electricity scientific management Frederick Taylor optomized efficiency of movement very boring work The Automobile Henry Ford begins to mass produce Model T Fords only $500 paid workers $5/day to keep them allowed middle class Americans to travel great distances motivated massive road construction introduced first sexual revolution Advertising Companies spent millions to convince consumers to spend jingles, slogans, celebrity testimonials credit was expanded to buy expensive items on installment Entertainment
Radio and movies became new forms of entertainment Jazz Singer first full length talking picture millions own radios Celebrity Charlie Chaplin first silent film star Rudolph Valentino first hearthrob movie star Sports Baseball and Olympics capture American passion Babe Ruth and Jim Thorpe Charles Lindbergh becomes first to fly across Atlantic solo Music and Dance Jazz is the first truly American music style started in New Orleans and Chicago African American source of pride Harlem Renaissance many entertainment stars came from Harlem Paul Robeson poetry, music, theater, and film flourished The Lost Generation First generation of truly great American writers Ernest Hemingway and F Scott Fitzgerald most famous books discussed dissatisfaction of WWI generation criticized material wealth Flappers Women began to express themselves more freely started dressing more liberally stressed independence worked on their own Conflict over Values Many Americans were disturbed by changes in American life Prohibition 1919 - Volstead Act passed to enforce 18 th amendment progressives, anti-germans, religion support enforced only in spots across country allows organized crime to flourish Al Capone in Chicago, Meyer Lansky in NYC 1933-21 st Amendment repeals prohibition as a failure Fundamentalism wanted a literal interpretation of the Bible reaction to new liberalism Scopes Monkey Trial - 1925 Tennessee teacher tried for teaching evolution in science William Jennings Bryan vs. Clarence Darrow Darrow loses trial but wins over public opinion