HIS 112Chapter 24

World War I

Foreign Policy of Theodore Roosevelt

Took over the building of the Panama Canal from French; canal opened in 1914

Believed U.S. :Should strengthen its world roleProtect its interests in Latin AmericaPreserve the balance of power in Asia

Foreign Policy of William Howard Taft

Became president in 1909Focused on advancing American

business interests abroadWanted “open door” policy where trade

was concerned – no restrictions; also called “dollar diplomacy”

Tried and failed to advance our commercial interests in China

Woodrow Wilson

Became president in 1913Did not like the expansionist policies of

either Teddy Roosevelt or Wm. Howard Taft

Once said it would be pure irony if his administration had to deal chiefly with foreign affairs

Was devoted to domestic affairs with no deliberate foreign policy

Wilson, the World, and Mexico

MoralistPacifist Believed wars should be fought only in

self-defenseHis Secretary of State, Wm. Jennings

Bryan negotiated treaties with 30 countries stating that in the event of dispute, they would talk out the problem for a year before declaring war

Believed in the superiority of the white race but was not aggressive about it; he was patronizing but firmDid not like dealing with non-white nations

like Japan and mixed race nations of Latin America

Did not object to a California law that forbade Japanese from owning land

Sent troops into Haiti and Dominican Republic

Mexico Interfered in Mexican affairs because of

American investmentsAmericans owned $2 billion in Mexican

property: most of the railroads, 60% of oil wells, & most of the mines at turn of century

Decade of revolution 1910-1920

The Great War, The War to End All Wars, World War I

28 June 1914 – assassination of Austria-Hungary’s Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophia, in Sarajevo, Bosnia by Gavrilo Princip of Black Hand

23 July 1914 – ultimatum sent from Austria-Hungary to Serbia (unreasonable demands and a time-limit for retribution)

28 July 1914 – Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia (only with German backing)

30 July 1914 – Russia declared war on both Austria-Hungary and Germany

By 4 August 1914 Germany declared war on Russia & France

(walked through neutral Belgium)France declared war on GermanyBritain declared war on Germany after it

violated Belgian neutrality

4 Main Causes of World War I

Militarism: build-up of new weapons coming out of Industrial Revolution

Nationalism: those of the same ethnic background should have their own nation-state

Imperialism: the taking over territory that is already occupied and organized

Alliances: joining in a loose friendship because of a common enemy

The war spread to 33 nations worldwide1914, Woodrow Wilson declared

America neutralU.S. had a history of not getting involved

in entangling alliances, so we wouldn’t be dragged into some else’s war

Difficult for Americans to remain neutral in their hearts

The German Schlieffen Plan did not workGermans had to split their forcesThey had to split their suppliesNo quick take-over of FranceBelgians resisted heroicallyRussians advanced more quickly than

expected into German territory

New weapons used but not efficientlyAirplane: initially used to count enemy

troops until they were fired upon; then guns were mounted on planes

Poisonous mustard gas: devastating; a shift in the wind could send fumes back on those who released gas

Machine gun: very effectively mowed down troops advancing in old infantry style

Ex.: Battle of the Somme in July of 1916, 60,000 British troops were slaughtered or wounded in the first half hourAt the end of the battle:

British losses – 400,000French losses – 200,000German losses – 500,000

Tanks: Developed by the BritishArmored vehicles that drove right through

encampmentsNot initially used efficientlySent infantry in first, then tanksRealized they needed to send in tanks with

infantry using them for cover

War at Sea

Directly touched American interestsDestroyed commerceBritish set up a blockade of GermanyDuring war, all enemy merchant ships

could be seized, attacked, and sunkOld rules of war:

Warn passengers of attackThen rescue them

New rules of war, especially with the use of the submarine: use the element of surprise and don’t rescue those on the enemy ship

Ships of neutral nations retained the right to trade with any nation as long as they weren’t carrying war materiel

Americans could not trade with Germans

Waters around Germany were minedAmerican ships were stopped and

searched by BritishFood was considered war materielGermans hurt the British economy by

using their submarine called the U-boat or unterseeboot

Modern Submarine: Invented by 2 Americans, John Holland and

Simon LakeU.S. Navy rejected their plansThey took them then to Europe and sold

them to the highest bidder, GermanyEach sub was armed with 19 torpedoesMade waters around Britain very dangerousStruck without warning

LusitaniaSunk off the coast of Ireland on 7 May 1915Was a n English luxury liner1,198 passengers of the 1,959 on board

were killed including 128 AmericansGermans had taken out an Ad in a New

York paper telling people not to get on that ship

The Lusitania did carry 4200 cases of small arms bought in the U.S.

When ship was hit, there was the initial explosion followed by a secondary explosion

This was proof for the Germans that they were right to sink the ship; a secondary explosion meant to them that there were explosives on board

Since 1915, it was discovered that the torpedo hit right next to room containing coal, and coal dust is highly explosive

That could account for th secondary explosion

Americans became anti-German after the sinking of the Lusitania

Wilson sent several messages to Germany

Germany agreed to stop attacking passenger vessels because they did not want the U.S. to enter the war on the side of the British

Western Front

Became a stalemateUsed trench warfareTrenches were dug in a zig-zag patternMen lived in trenches with lice, rats, and

dead bodies

America Goes to War

Wilson won the election of 1916 with the slogan, “He kept us out of war.”

Wilson, however had been preparing for it and knew the U.S. would have to enter

November, 1915Wilson enlarged the U.S. army to 400,000

menHe also expanded the navy

Wilson did try to mediate an end to the war soon after he was re-elected; it didn’t work

American factories had switched to making materiel for war

Women took men’s places in the factories when they joined the military