U.S. ENTRY INTO THE WAR

1917

EUROPEAN BACKGROUND

• 1870 BISMARCK & GERMAN UNIFICATION

• ALLIANCE SYSTEMS• TRIPLE ALLIANCE: GERMANY,

AUSTRIA-HUNGARY & ITALY

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• THE TRIPLE ENTENTE: BRITAIN, FRANCE, & RUSSIA.

• SECRET ALLIANCES• IMPERIALISM: KAISER WILHEM

II• EXTREME NATIONALISM

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• PAN GERMAN V. PAN SLAVISM• DECAY OF OTTOMAN EMPIRE • JINGOISTIC PRESS• RESULTS OF FRANCO-PRUSSIAN

WAR 1870• SERIES OF CRISES• MILITARISM

ASSASSINATION

• THE ARCHDUKE FRANZ FERDINAND (IMMEDIATE CAUSE)

• SARAJEVO, BOSNIA • PRINCEPS• ULTIMATUM FROM AUSTRIA-

HUNGARY “THE GERMAN BLANK CHECK”

OPPOSING SIDES:

• CENTRAL POWERS: GERMANY, AUSTRIA-HUNGARY, TURKEY, BULGARIA

• ALLIED POWERS: FRANCE, BRITAIN, RUMANIA, JAPAN,BELGIUM, NEITHERLANDS, (ITALY 1916)

WILSON CALLS FOR NEUTRALITY 1914

• GERMAN VIOLATION OF BELGIAN NEUTRALITY

• KAISER ON THE TREATY: “A SCRAP OF PAPER”

U.S. TRADES WITH BOTH SIDES.

• TRADE WITH ALLIES QUADRUPLES

• TRADE WITH GERMAN FALLS TO 1% OF 1914 LEVEL.

FEB 1915 GERMANS DECLARE WAR ZONE

• THREAT OF U-BOAT ATTACKS• WILSON: GERMANY HELD TO

“STRICT ACCOUNTABILITY.”

MAY 1915 LUSITANIA SUNK 128 AMERICANS DIE.

• GERMANS HAD WARNED PASSENGERS IN NEW YORK.

• LUSITANIA WAS CARRYING AMMUNITION

• WILSON KNEW BUT DID NOT TELL THE AMERICAN PEOPLE

MARCH 1916 SUSSEX IS SUNK

• WILSON’S SUSSEX ULTIMATUM:–IF U-BOATS STRIKE U.S. MERCHANT SHIPS

–U.S. WILL BREAK DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH GERMANY.

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• THE SUSSEX PLEDGE: GERMANS PROMISE NO MORE MERCHANT SHIPS WILL BE ATTACKED.

• AGREE TO RESTRICTED SUB WARFARE.

• NOV. 1916 WILSON RE-ELECTED ON SLOGAN: “HE KEPT US OUT OF WAR.”

BRITISH VIOLATE OUR NEUTRALITY

• NON-LETHAL BLOCKADE WITH SURFACE FLEET

• PROMISE TO PAY FOR GOODS SEIZED

• MINE THE NORTH SEA ARE LETHAL.

WHY DID U.S. ENTER THE WAR?

• JAN. 1917 GERMANS ANNOUNCE: UNRESTRICTED SUB WARFARE.– A GERMAN GAMBLE. THOUGHT THEY

COULD WIN BEFORE THE U.S. COULD MOBILIZE

• GERMAN SINK U.S. SHIPS. FEB. 1917 WILSON BREAK RELATIONS.

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• ALLIED PROPAGANDA IS SUPERIOR

• GERMAN PROPAGANDA IS POOR.

• WILSON WAS ALWAYS PRO BRITISH

THE ZIMMERMAN TELEGRAM 1917

• INTERCEPTED BY THE BRITISH• A GERMAN PROPOSAL THAT MEXICO

ATTACK THE U.S.• PROMISE TO RESTORE CALIF.,

ARIZONA, & NEW MEXICO TO MEXICO.

• CAUSE U.S. OUTRAGE.

WILSON ARMS U.S. MERCHANT FLEET

• SEC OF STATE BRYAN RESIGNS

• GERMANS SINK MORE U.S. SHIPS

• WILSON ASKS FOR DECLARATION OF WAR.

WHY DID THE U.S. ENTER?

• U.S. ECONOMIC INTERESTS• HOSTILITY TOWARDS

GERMANS• BRITISH PROPAGANDA• AMERICAN IDEALISM• U.S. SECURITY INTERESTS

WAR ON THE HOME FRONT

• EXPANDED PRESIDENTIAL POWER

• MOBILIZING FOR WAR• WAR INDUSTRIES BOARD• WAR LABOR BOARD• RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION

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• SHIPPING BOARD• FUEL ADMINISTRATION• FOOD ADMINISTRATION:

HERBERT HOOVER• “HOOVERIZING” MEATLESS

MONDAYS

PUBLIC OPINION

• GEORGE CREEL “ COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC INFORMATION

• ESPIONAGE ACT 1917• SEDITION ACT 1918

LABOR

• WOMEN AT WAR• W.E.B. DU BOISE

SUPPORTS WAR• AFRICAN

AMERICANS AND MEXICAN AMERICANS AT WAR.

• NATIONAL WAR LABOR BOARD

FREE SPEECH IS LIMITED

• SCHENCK VS. UNITED STATES 1919

• SETS “THE CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER RULE”

FINANCING THE WAR

• 1/3RD THROUGH HIGHER TAXES

• 2/3RD BORROWED –SALE OF LIBERTY BONDS.

• BEGINNING OF THE NATIONAL DEBT.

AND THE BATTLE BEGINS

MILITARY MAN POWER

• 2 MILLION VOLUNTEERS• 3 MILLION DRAFTEES• WILSON OPPOSES THE

DRAFT, BUT IT IS A NECESSARY EVIL.

AMERICAN CONTRIBUTION

• WAR MATERIALS• AMERICAN EXPEDITIONARY

FORCE (A.E.F.)• LEAD BY JOHN PERSHING.• “TELL LAFAYETTE WE ARE

HERE.”

KEY AMERICAN BATTLES

• CHATEAU THIERRY• BELLEAU WOOD • ST. MICHEL • THE ARGONNE FOREST• BIGGEST HERO: STG. YORK

WILSON’S ROLE IN VICTORY

• PROPAGANDA• “PEACE WITHOUT VICTORY”• “WAR TO END WAR”• “MAKE THE WORLD SAFE FOR

DEMOCRACY”

WILSON’S 14 POINTS, WAR AIMS

• OPEN COVENANTS • FREEDOM OF THE SEAS• REMOVAL OF TRADE BARRIERS.• ARMS REDUCTION• IMPARTIAL ADJUSTMENT OF

COLONIAL CLAIMS

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• NEW EUROPEAN BOUNDARIES BASED ON NATIONALITIES.

• SELF-DETERMINATION OF NATIONS

• THE 14TH POINT A LEAGUE OF NATIONS

MORE ON THE 14 POINTS

• THEY WERE POWERFUL PROPAGANDA

• CAPTURED THE IMAGINATION OF COMMON PEOPLE

• OTHER ALLIES HAD NO INTENTION OF BEING SO GENEROUS.

GERMANS SURRENDER

• GERMANS STILL HAD RESOURCE TO CONTINUE WAR

• SURRENDER TO 14 POINTS, NOV. 11, 1918 ARMISTICE DAY.

• THE KAISER ABDICATES HIS THRONE.

THE TREATY OF VERSAILLES 1919

• WILSON PERSONALLY REPRESENTS U.S. (TAKES ONLY ONE REPUBLICAN TO PARIS) A BIG MISTAKE!

• WILSON HALED AS MORAL LEADER OF THE ALLIES.

THE BIG FOUR

• DAVID LLOYD GEORGE P.M. OF BRITAIN WANT GERMANY TO PAY FOR THE WAR.

• GEORGE CLEMENCEAU PREMIER OF FRANCE WANTS SECURE BORDERS, RETURN OF TERRITORY

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• VICTORIO ORLANDO PRIMER OF ITALY WANTS AUSTRIAN TERRITORY

• WILSON WANTS THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS

THE TREATY

• WILSON IS FORCED TO COMPROMISE

• ALSACE-LORRAINE TO FRANCE

• GERMAN SAAR VALLEY UNDER LEAGUE AUTHORITY

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• SAAR COAL TO FRANCE FOR 15 YEAR

• POLAND GIVEN INDEPENDENCE WITH CORRIDOR TO BALTIC SEA

• LEAGUE CONTROLS DANZIG

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• CREATE THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS (USSR NOT A MEMBER)

• GERMANY GIVES ALL COLONIES TO LEAGUE AS MANDATES

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• DISARMAMENT: GERMANY LIMITED TO 100,000 ARMY

• NO DRAFT• RHINELAND DE-MILITARIZED• SMALL SHIP NAVY: NO SUBS, NO

WAR INDUSTRIES.

WAR GUILTY CLAUSE

• GERMANS MUST ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR WAR

• AGREE TO PAY REPARATIONS IN GOLD

• IN 1931 GERMANY REPUDIATES DEBT.

TWO VIEWS OF TREATY

• 1) TREATY WAS TOO HARSH• PLANTED SEEDS OF WW II.• 2) TREATY WAS FAIR BUT

POORLY ENFORCED

DEFEAT OF THE TREATY AT HOME

• WILSON MADE MANY CONCESSIONS TO ALLIES TO GET THE LEAGUE

• BELIEVED THE LEAGUE WOULD– ELIMINATE INTERNATIONAL ANARCHY– PROVIDE PEACEFUL MEANS TO SOLVE

PROBLEMS– PROVIDE A WORLD COURT– PROMOTE WORLD ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

OPPOSITION

• SENATE MUST RATIFY THE TREATY

• “IRRECONCILABLES”: TOTALLY OPPOSED.–WILLIAM BORAH, HIRAM JOHNSON,

& LaFOLLETTE• “LEAGUE IS A THREAT TO OUR

SOVEREIGNTY

MODERATE REPUBLICANS OPPOSITION

• LED BY HENRY CABOT LODGE• “LEAGUE WILL DRAG US INTO

NEW WARS”• LODGE CHAIRMAN OF FOREIGN

RELATIONS COMMITTEE• LODGE HATES WILSON

LODGE’S STRATEGY

• DELAY THE VOTE• OFFER AMENDMENTS “THE

LODGE RESERVATIONS”• WILSON REFUSES TO

CONSIDER AMENDMENTS

WILSON GOES TO THE PEOPLE

• TRAIN TOUR• BORAH AND JOHNSON

FOLLOW SPEAK AGAINST THE TREATY & THE LEAGUE

WILSON’S STROKE

• SEPT 25, 1919 WILSON COLLAPSES

• PARALYZED BY A STROKE

THE SENATE VOTES

• NEED 2/3RD TO RATIFY• DEMOCRATS REJECT THE

RESERVATIONS• VOTE TOTAL 55 YES TO 39

NO• THEY ARE 9 VOTES SHORT

WHY WAS THE TREATY DEFEATED?

• WILSON’S FEUD WITH LODGE• TRADITION OF ISOLATION• PUBLIC DISILLUSION WITH THE

OUT COME OF THE WAR• WILSON’S STUBBORN REFUSAL

TO COMPROMISE