Lawanda Lawanda TolarTolar

3/29/113/29/11U.S Hst 2-1U.S Hst 2-1stst

C. B. WrightC. B. Wright

The War’s ImpactThe War’s Impact

Author

Lawanda Tolar is a 17 year who attends Wilcox Central High School. She has two remarkable parents, as well as two siblings. In her spare time, she likes to play basketball and read books. She wants to pursue a career in medicine to become a neonatologist.

Table of ContentsTable of Contents

World War I: Trench WarfareEnvironmental ImpactThe Boston Police StrikeRacial UnrestThe Red Scare BeginsThe Palmer RaidsEnd to Progressivism

World War I:Trench Warfare

In 1914, the assassination of archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary resulted in the First World War, otherwise known as The Great War, or WWI. It started with Austria-Hungary invading Serbia, where the assassin came from, and Germany invading Belgium. The war was mostly in Europe, between the Allies and the Central Powers.

Environmental Impact

In terms of environmental impact, World War I was most damaging, because of landscape changes caused by trench warfare. Digging trenches caused trampling of grassland, crushing of plants and animals, and churning of soil. Erosion resulted from forest logging to expand the network of trenches. Soil structures were altered severely, and if the war was never fought, in all likelihood the landscape would have looked very differently today.

The Boston Police Strike

In 1919 America was still recovering from from the Great World War. Price inflation and the cost of living had increased far beyond wages. Men back from the war flooded the labor market which further diminished workers' earning power.

Racial Unnrest

African American artists, actors, and writers led the battle against intellectual and artistic bias. Between the wars, and even during the hardship of the Great Depression, there was a great crescendo of African American artistic expression in the period known as the "Harlem Renaissance." Paintings, drawings, jazz, blues, poetry, novels, plays, and dance abounded during this era and won world acclaim. But artistic and intellectual achievement did not win for blacks political, economic, and educational parity with whites. Racism remained a powerful force in American life.

The Red Scare Begins

During World War I, a fervent patriotism was prevalent in the country, spurred by propagandist George Creel, chairman of the United States Committee on Public Information.  While American boys were fighting the "Huns" abroad, many Americans fought them at home.  Anyone who wasn't as patriotic as possibleconscientious objectors, draft dodgers, "slackers," German-Americans, immigrants, Communists was suspect.  It was out of this patriotism that the Red Scare took hold.

The Palmer Raids

The climate of repression established during World War One continued after the war ended: this time, government interest focused on communists, Bolsheviks and "reds" generally. The climactic phase of this anti communist crusade occurred during the "Palmer Raids" of 1918-1921.

End to Progressivism

Progressivism had been both the criminal and victim of this transition in the public mood.  With the entry of the U.S. into the war, progressives had carried off the day with the same kind of moral seriousness and confident optimism which had infused their earlier reform movements.