World War I Home Front

War Industry BoardWar Industry BoardWar Industry BoardWar Industry Board• Encouraged use of Mass-

production

• Standardized similar products (in 1917 there were 150 different types of typewriter ribbons, they suggested 5 types…)

• Set production quotas and allocated resources

Wilson’s War Powers:Wilson’s War Powers:Wilson’s War Powers:Wilson’s War Powers:• National War Labor Board:

• No strikes allowed (workers told to “work or fight”)

• Worked to improve conditions (8 hour work day, safety inspections and outlaw child labor)

• Food Administration:• No rationing

• Used slogans: “Meatless Mondays”, “WheatlessWednesdays” or “Sugarless Saturdays” to conserve food

• Victory Gardens

• Set prices for some farm goods (wheat) at a higher than market rate (this made farmers want to produce more, which they did)

If you go to war… what do you need?If you go to war… what do you need?If you go to war… what do you need?If you go to war… what do you need?

• An army

• Food & supplies (equipment)

• Raw materials for modern weapons

• Money to pay for it all

• Was this war “popular”? If not, how do you get all the things you need?

Paying for the WarPaying for the WarPaying for the WarPaying for the War

• War cost $35.5 billion dollars

• 1/3 raised via taxes (income tax, sin tax)

• The rest raised through “Liberty Bonds”

“Selling” the War:“Selling” the War:“Selling” the War:“Selling” the War:

• Committee on Public Information (CPI) - make the war more popular• Hired George Creel a “muckraker” journalist to run it

• Used propaganda (biased message to influence people's thoughts or actions)

“My Tuesdays are

meatless,

My Wednesdays

are wheatless,

I'm getting more

eatless each day.

My coffee is

sweetless,

My bed, it is

sheetless,

All sent to the

YMCA.”

Effects of PropagandaEffects of PropagandaEffects of PropagandaEffects of Propaganda

• ABOUT 10 MILLION GERMANS FACED:

• Job discrimination

• removed German authors from libraries

• German composers- ‘banned’

• changed the name of German products (Liberty cabbage, liberty sandwich and liberty hound)

BLACK TOM FACTORY EXPLOSIONBLACK TOM FACTORY EXPLOSIONBLACK TOM FACTORY EXPLOSIONBLACK TOM FACTORY EXPLOSION

• What was it? • An act of sabotage

on American ammunition supplies by German agents which took place on July 30, 1916 in Jersey City, New Jersey.

ATTACKS on Civil LibertiesATTACKS on Civil LibertiesATTACKS on Civil LibertiesATTACKS on Civil Liberties

• Espionage (1917) and Sedition (1918) Acts:• Could be fined up to $10,000 and sentenced up to 20 years for:

• Interfering with the war effort

• Saying anything disloyal, profane or abusive about the government OR the war effort

• 2,000 prosecuted under the acts and about half were convicted

• Seem to trample upon our first amendment liberties…• Should the government be able to silence dissent in times of war?

War Encourages Social ChangeWar Encourages Social ChangeWar Encourages Social ChangeWar Encourages Social Change

• THE GREAT MIGRATION

• Movement of African Americans from the South to the industrial centers of the Northeast and Midwest

• Why? Many off fighting in the war, leaves jobs open for the taking.

War Encourages Social ChangeWar Encourages Social ChangeWar Encourages Social ChangeWar Encourages Social Change

• Given new opportunities: worked on RR’s, shipyards, dock workers, bricklayers

• Pushed for suffrage: 19th amendment passed in 1920

WOMEN on the Home Front

Flu Epidemic of 1918Flu Epidemic of 1918Flu Epidemic of 1918Flu Epidemic of 1918

• Effects?• ¼ of the US got the flu

• Hurt the economy (halted production, changed services and supplies ran short)

• Killed 500,000 Americans in one year

• Killed about 30 million people world wide

I had a little bird,I had a little bird,I had a little bird,I had a little bird,

Its name was Its name was Its name was Its name was EnzaEnzaEnzaEnza....

I opened the window,I opened the window,I opened the window,I opened the window,

And inAnd inAnd inAnd in----flewflewflewflew----enzaenzaenzaenza....

—Children’s Rhyme, 1918

WILSON WILSON WILSON WILSON

FIGHTS FOR FIGHTS FOR FIGHTS FOR FIGHTS FOR PEACEPEACEPEACEPEACE

Recall the Causes Recall the Causes Recall the Causes Recall the Causes

of the War…of the War…of the War…of the War…

1. Nationalism

2. Militarism

3. Imperialism

4. Alliance System

1. No secret treaties

2. Freedom of the Seas

3. Lower Tariffs

4. Arms reduction

5. Better treatment of colonies

Wilson’s 14 PointsWilson’s 14 PointsWilson’s 14 PointsWilson’s 14 Points

*8 dealt with boundary changes – self determination

*14th dealt with the creation of a League of Nations

The The The The Big Big Big Big Four Four Four Four

at at at at VersaillesVersaillesVersaillesVersailles

Woodrow Wilson USA

Georges Clemenceau France

David Lloyd-George Great Britain

Vittorio Orlando Italy

Who didn’t make the cut?Who didn’t make the cut?Who didn’t make the cut?Who didn’t make the cut?

Russia Germany

What did they want…What did they want…What did they want…What did they want…

• France wanted: security, revenge & reparations*

• England agreed (in public), but needed Germany for trade, worried about Communism

• US (Wilson) proposed the 14 points & the League of Nations*

• The Allies reject the 14 points

• Reparations: war damages (costs)

• League of Nations: provided a forum for nations to discuss and settle arguments without having to resort to war

• Predecessor to the United Nations

The Changing WorldThe Changing WorldThe Changing WorldThe Changing World

• Countries Gone after WWI:Countries Gone after WWI:Countries Gone after WWI:Countries Gone after WWI:

• RussiaRussiaRussiaRussia

• Ottoman EmpireOttoman EmpireOttoman EmpireOttoman Empire

• AustriaAustriaAustriaAustria----HungaryHungaryHungaryHungary

• SerbiaSerbiaSerbiaSerbia

• PersiaPersiaPersiaPersia

• New Countries created by the treaty:New Countries created by the treaty:New Countries created by the treaty:New Countries created by the treaty:

• USSRUSSRUSSRUSSR

• TurkeyTurkeyTurkeyTurkey

• Austria, Hungary, CzechoslovakiaAustria, Hungary, CzechoslovakiaAustria, Hungary, CzechoslovakiaAustria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia

• YugoslaviaYugoslaviaYugoslaviaYugoslavia

• Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc.Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc.Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc.Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc.

• PolandPolandPolandPoland

The Treaty of VersaillesThe Treaty of VersaillesThe Treaty of VersaillesThe Treaty of Versailles

• What did it do? � Ended World War I

1. Limit German military (no tanks, air force, submarines or large battleships)

2. Germany loses territory and colonies

3. Germany must pay war reparations ($33 billion)

4. War Guilt clause: Germany takes full responsibility for war

Ratifying the TreatyRatifying the TreatyRatifying the TreatyRatifying the Treaty

• The senate rejects the treaty (US signed a separate treaty with Germany)

• Effort led by Henry Cabot Lodge:• Too hard on Germany

• League threatened our neutrality

• Upset at Wilson

• America returns to isolationism

Effects on Germany Effects on Germany Effects on Germany Effects on Germany

• Anger/humiliation

• Ruined economy (Great Depression hits Germany 1st)

• Leads to Hitler’s efforts to reunite “Germany”

“It cannot be that 2 million (Germans) should have fallen in vain… No, we do not pardon, we demand

vengeance!”-Adolf Hitler