The War to End War

Serb patriot killed heir to the Austria-Hungary throne◦ Germany and Austria-Hungary sent message to

Serbia◦ Serbia backed by Russia set eyes on Germany◦ Germany attacked France through Belgium◦ Great Britain joined with France

Archduke Francis Ferdinand

Gavrilo Princip

Both central and allied powers wanted US help◦ Allies – German atrocities◦ Central – relied on German-Americans

Americans anti-German◦ Against Kaiser Wilhelm II

In recession before WWI British and French need for product J.P Morgan loaned 2.3 billion Central powers complained

◦ Did not violate neutrality laws◦ Could still trade with US◦ British blockade

1915 –Germany announces submarine war area around British isles◦ U-boats◦ 90 ships sunk in first few months

“try not to sink neutral ships”

Passenger ship Sank of Ireland on May 7, 1915 1,198 killed (128 Americans) Germans argued ship carried ammunition

Warning to Germany Agreed in 1915 to not sink unarmed ships

without warning Violated with sinking of Sussex in 1916 Sussex ultimatum

◦ Germany would not attack passenger ships Accepted by Wilson

◦ U.S. would help to remove British blockade Not agreed upon

Wilson: “He Kept us Out of War” Roosevelt refused to run as a progressive Republican’s nominate Hughes

◦ Pro-business; attacked Wilson’s foreign policy

January 22, 1917 Neutral rights “Peace without victory”

January 31, 1917 – unrestricted submarine warfare

Wilson still wanted peace March 1, 1917 - Zimmerman note

◦ German-Mexican alliance◦ Recovery of TX, NM, and AZ

4 unarmed US ships sunk in March

Declared on April 6th, 1917 “to make the world safe for democracy”

Appeal for peace The first 5 points and their effects were: 

◦ 1. A proposal to abolish secret treaties pleased liberals of all countries.

◦ 2. Freedom of the seas appealed to the Germans, as well as to Americans who distrusted British sea power.

◦ 3. A removal of economic barriers among nations was comforting to Germany, which feared postwar vengeance.

◦ 4. Reduction of armament burdens was gratifying to taxpayers.

◦ 5. An adjustment of colonial claims in the interests of both native people and the colonizers was reassuring to the anti-imperialists.

The largest achievement, #14, foreshadowed the League of Nations - an international organization that Wilson dreamed would provide a system of collective security.

 

Created by George Creel Mobilize people for war “four minute men” – patriotic speeches Posters, pamphlets, and movies

8 million German-Americans Rumors of spying and sabotage. 

◦ German-Americans were tarred, feathered, and beaten. 

◦ hatred of Germans and things related to Germany The Espionage Act of 1917 and the Sedition

Act of 1918 ◦ Socialist Eugene V. Debs and the Industrial Workers of

the World (IWW) leader William D. Haywood were convicted under the Espionage Act. 

At this time, nearly any criticism of the government could be censored and punished.  ◦ Schenck v. United States (1919): freedom of

speech could be revoked when such speech posed a danger to the nation.

Civilian Council of National Defense ◦ to study problems of economic mobilization◦ increased the size of the army◦ created a shipbuilding program.

Fear of big government War Industries Board

◦ impose some order on the economic confusion.  ◦ disbanded after the end of the war.

Unemployed males threatened with the draft The IWW (Industrial Workers of the World) were

victims of some of the worst working conditions in the country.  ◦ At the end of the war, the AF of L's (American Federation of

Labor) membership had more than doubled.  Wartime inflation threatened to eliminate wage gains

and thousands of strikes resulted.  In 1919, the greatest strike in American history hit the

steel industry.  ◦ More than 250,000 steelworkers walked off their jobs ◦ companies brought in 30,000 African-Americans to keep the

mills running.  ◦ After several deadly confrontations, the strike collapsed,

crippling the union movement for over 10 years. Thousands of blacks were drawn to the North in wartime

by the allure of war-industry employment.  ◦ Deadly disputes between whites and blacks consequently

erupted.

In 1919, the greatest strike in American history hit the steel industry.  ◦ More than 250,000 steelworkers walked off their

jobs ◦ companies brought in 30,000 African-Americans

to keep the mills running.  ◦ After several deadly confrontations, the strike

collapsed, crippling the union movement for over 10 years.

National Woman's party protested the war.

National American Woman Suffrage Association, supported

Impressed by women's war work, President Wilson supported women suffrage. 

In 1920, The 19th Amendment was passed, giving all American women the right to vote.

Sheppard-Towner Maternity Act of 1921◦ providing federally financed instruction in maternal

and infant health care.

Wheatless Wednesdays Meatless Tuesdays Alcohol manufacturing slowed $21 billion raised

Males 18-45 “Draft dodgers” and exemption Key industries excluded Patriotic Duty 4 million men raised Women and African allowed to serve

1917 Bolshevik Revolution◦ Communist Russia toppled the tsar regime◦ Pulled out of “Capitalistic”◦ War now fought solely for democracy

A year after Congress declared war, the first American troops reached France.  ◦ used as replacements in the Allied armies ◦ deployed in quiet sectors with the British and

French.  ◦ Shipping shortages plagued the Allies.

American troops were also sent to Belgium, Italy, and Russia.  ◦ Hoped to prevent Russian munitions from falling

into the hands of the Germans.  

Spring 1918 – Germans attack western front◦ 500,000 German troops◦ Marshal Foch (French commander in charge of

allies)◦ 30,000 Americans sent to French frontlines

First engagement of U.S. in Europe◦ Halted German advance

July 1918 Marked the beginning of a German withdrawal. The Americans demanded a separate army;

◦ General John J. Pershing was assigned a front of 85 miles. 

◦ Pershing's army undertook the Meuse-Argonne offensive from September 26 to November 11, 1918.  Cut the German railroad lines feeding the western front.  Inadequate training left 10% of the Americans involved in

the battle injured or killed. As German supplies ran low and as their allies

began to desert them, defeat was in sight for Germany.

In October of 1918, the Germans were ready for peace based on the Fourteen Points. 

Surrendered on November 11, 1918 The United States' main contributions to the

victory had been foodstuffs, munitions, credits, oil, and manpower. ◦ Only fought 2 major battles, at St. Mihiel and

the Meuse-Argonne. ◦ The prospect of endless U.S. troops, rather than

America's actual military performance eventually demoralized the Germans.

 

January 18th, 1919 The Big Four

◦ Wilson (1st president to travel oversees)◦ Orlando (Italy)◦ Lloyd George (Britain)◦ Clemenceau (France)

Wilson’s main goal: League of Nations◦ World parliament◦ Seats for all nations◦ Controlled by major power

France got the Security Treaty◦ Both Britain and America pledged to come to its aid in

the event of another German invasion. Italy demanded Fiume, a valuable seaport

inhabited by both Italians and Yugoslavs. ◦ The seaport went to Yugoslavia after Wilson's

insisting. Japan demanded China's Shandong

Peninsula and the German islands of the Pacific, which it had seized during the war.  ◦ After Japan threatened to walk out, Wilson accepted a

compromise in which Japan kept Germany's economic holdings in Shandong and pledged to return the peninsula to China at a later date.

The Treaty of Versailles was forced upon the Germans in June 1919.  ◦ Outraged with the treaty, noticing that most of

the Fourteen Points were left out. Wilson, also not happy with the outcome of

the treaty, was forced to compromise away some of his Fourteen Points in order to salvage the more precious League of Nations.

Critics of the League of Nations came from all sides.  Irish-Americans, isolationists, and principled liberals all denounced the League.

In an attempt to speed up the passing of the treaty in the Senate, President Wilson decided to travel the country

The speeches in the Midwest did not go as well as in the Rocky Mountain region and on the Pacific Coast.

On his return to Washington, Wilson suffered a stroke and suffered from physical and nervous exhaustion.

Senator Lodge, a critic to the president, came up with fourteen reservations to the Treaty of Versailles. ◦ These safeguards reserved the rights of the U.S.

under the Monroe Doctrine and the Constitution and otherwise sought to protect American sovereignty.

After the Senate rejected the Treaty twice, the Treaty of Versailles was defeated.  ◦ The Lodge-Wilson personal feud, traditionalism,

isolationism, disillusionment, and partisanship all contributed to the defeat of the treaty.

Wilson proposed to settle the treaty issue in the upcoming presidential campaign of 1920 by appealing to the people for a "solemn referendum."

The Republicans chose Senator Warren G. Harding and Calvin Coolidge ◦ The Republican platform appealed to both pro-League

and anti-League sentiment in the party. Democrats nominated pro-League Governor

James. M. Cox as their presidential hopeful and chose Franklin D. Roosevelt as their vice-presidential nominee.◦ Warren Harding won the election of 1920.  Harding's

victory lead to the death of the League of Nations.

What does this tell us about the League of Nations?

The Treaty of Versailles was the only one of the four peace treaties not to succeed.

After the war, America did not embrace the role of global leader.

In the interests of its own security, the United States should have used its enormous strength to shape world-shaking events.

It instead permitted the world to drift towards yet another war.