World War ISections 3 and 4

Congress Gives Power to Wilson

• To fight the war adequately, the U.S. had to mobilize labor, industry, and soldiers.

• Because WWI was such an immense conflict, the entire economy had to be refocused on the War effort.

• The shift from producing consumer goods to war materials was too complicated of a job for just private industry, so business and government collaborated on this effort.

Congress Gives Power to Wilson

• Congress gave President Wilson direct control over much of the economy, including the power to fix prices and to regulate—even to nationalize—certain war related industries.

War Industries Board• The WIB was the main regulatory body.• It was established in 1917 and reorganized in 1918 under the

leadership of Bernard M. Baruch—a prosperous business man.• The Goal: was to set production quotas and allocate for raw

materials.• Encouraged mass production techniques• Urged to eliminate waste (typewriter)

WIB• The WIB was not the only federal agency to regulate the

economy during the war.• Who else played a role? What was the outcome?

War Economy • Wages in most industries rose during war years.• Hourly wages for “blue-collar” workers rose to almost 20%.• But, a household’s income was largely undercut due to the higher

prices of food and housing costs.

War Economy• Ironically, stockholders saw enormous profits. • The DuPont company saw its stock multiply in value 1,600

percent btw 1914-1918.• The company was earning 68 mil. Yearly profit

• As a result of uneven pay btw management and workers strikes broke out continuously.• Unions boomed, work hours were extended, and a rise in child

labor.

Continued…• To deal with the disputes btw management and labor,

President Wilson established the National War Labor Board in 1918.• Workers who refused to obey board decisions could lose their

draft exemptions.• “Work or Fight” became the slogan.• However, the board did work to improve factory conditions.

• 8 hour work days, safety inspections, child labor ban

Think, Pair, and Share• Would you rather have worked in a factory where you were

treated poorly, worked long hours, and were paid low rates or fight in WWI?

• Why?

Food Administration• Under Herbert Hoover• Was created to help produce and conserve food.• Instead of rationing food, he called on the people to follow the

“gospel of the clean plate.”• He declared one day a week:

• meatless• Sweet less

• Two days a week…• Wheat less

• And the other 2 days:• “pork less”

Selling the War• Once the government had extended its control over the

economy, it was faced with two major tasks: • 1. Raising money• 2. Convincing the public to support the war

War Financing • The government spent about 35.5 Billion on the war effort.• 1/3 raised through taxes

• What taxes? Pg. 596

• Government sold bonds through tens of thousands of volunteers.

Committee of Public Information• To popularize the war, the government set up the nation’s first

propaganda agency: CPI• What is Propaganda?

• The head of the CPI was a former muckraking journalist, George Creel.

What did Creel Do?• Describe Creel’s marketing strategy and plan:• Page: 596

Attacks on Civil Liberties• Early in 1917, President Wilson expressed his fears about the

consequences of war hysteria.• Page 597.

• The main targets of attacks were Americans who had emigrated from other nations (*Germany, Austria-Hungary)• Many Americans with German names lost their jobs, some towns

even changed their names, schools stopped teaching German.

Espionage and Sedition Acts• In June 1917, Congress passed the Espionage Act.• In May 1918—they passed the Sedition Acts.• Under these acts, a person could be fined up to 10,000 dollars

and sentenced to 20 years in jail for interfering with the war effort or for saying anything disloyal, profane, or abusive about the government or war efforts.

Continued• These laws clearly violated the 1st amendment.• Their passage led to:• Over 2,000 prosecutions for loosely defined antiwar activities.• Of these, over half resulted in in conviction!

Continued…• These acts targeted socialists and labor leaders.• Eugene V. Debs was handed a 10 year sentence for speaking out

against the war and the draft.• Anarchist Emma Goldman received 2 years and a 10,000 fine for

organizing the “No Conscription League”.• When she left jail, authorities deported her to Russia

Reflection Stop• Imagine living in the U.S. during this time period. What would

your views have been about the war? If you disagreed would you be afraid to speak out? Why?

• Do you think the Sedition and Espionage acts are fair? Why or Why not.

The War Encourages Social Change• African Americans• African American public opinion about the war was divided.

W.E.B. Du Bois believed that blacks should support the war effort.• He believed by showing support, the war would strengthen calls

for racial justice.• Who disagreed with him? Why?• Page 599

The Great Migration• The large scale movement of hundreds of thousands of

Southern African Americans to cities in the North.• Several factors contributed:• Escaping racial discrimination• More job opportunities

• The outbreak of WWI and the drop in European immigration increased job opportunities in factories, mills, etc. for African Americans.

Woman in the War• Women moved up in jobs that had exclusively been held by

men.• They became railroad workers, cooks, dock-workers, bricklayers,

coal miners, and ship builders.• At the same time, they even continued to fill more traditional

jobs as: nurses, clerks or teachers.

Woman in the War• President Wilson did acknowledge the effort of woman during

the war. While that acknowledgment did not include equal pay for equal work, it did help bolster public support for woman suffrage.

• In 1919, Congress finally passed the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote.• In 1920, it was ratified by the States

The Flu Epidemic • In the fall of 1918, the U.S. suffered a home front crisis when

an international flu epidemic affected about one quarter of the U.S. population.

• The effect of the epidemic on the economy was devastating.• What happened? Page. 601

The Flu Epidemic • In the Army, where living conditions allowed for contagious

illnesses to spread rapidly, more than a quarter of the soldiers caught the disease.

• Germans fell victim in even larger numbers than the Allies.• The Epidemic killed about 500,000 Americans before it

disappeared in 1919.• Killed about 30 Million people world wide.

Wilson Fights for Peace• Section 4—Main Idea: European leaders opposed most of

Wilson’s Peace Plan and the U.S. Senate failed to ratify the peace treaty.

Wilson Presents His Plan• Fourteen Points: Even before the war was over, Wilson

presented his plan for World Peace. On January 18, 1918 he delivered his famous speech; “Fourteen Points” before Congress.

• The points were divided into 3 groups.• The fist 5 were issues Wilson believed had to be addressed to

prevent another war.

First 5 Points• 1. There should be no secret treaties among nations.• 2. Freedom of the Seas should be maintained for all.• 3. Tariffs and other economic barriers among nations should

be lowered or abolished in order to foster free trade.• 4. Arms should be reduced “to the lowest point consistent

with domestic safety.”• 5. Colonial policies should consider the interests of the

imperialist powers.

Next 8 Points• Dealt with boundary changes.• Wilson based these provisions on the principle of self-

determination.• Groups that claimed distinct ethnic identities were to form

their own nation-states or decide for themselves to what nation they should belong.

The 14th Point• The 14th point called for the creation of an international

organization to address diplomatic crises like those that sparked the war.

• This League of Nations would provide a forum for nations to discuss and settle their grievances without have to resort to war.

The Allies Reject Wilson’s Plan• Why? Who strongly rejected his plan?• Page 605

Debating the Treaty of Versailles• On June 28th, 1919, the Big Four and the leaders of the

defeated nations gathered in the Hall of Mirrors of the Palace of Versailles to sign the peace treaty.

• After four years of devastating warfare, everyone hoped the treaty would create stability and rebuild Europe.

• Instead ANGER was evident

Provisions of the Treaty• The Treaty of Versailles established 9 new nations—including:

Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia—and shifted the boundaries of other nations.

• It carved 5 areas out of the Ottoman Empire and gave them to France and Britain as mandates or temporary colonies until those colonies were ready for self-rule.

• The treaty barred Germany from maintaining an army and also required them to pay reparations amounting to 33 billion dollars to the Allies.

The Treaty’s Weaknesses• First, the treaty humiliated Germany. It contained a war-guilt

clause forcing Germany to admit sole responsibility for starting WWI.

• Furthermore, there was no way Germany could repay this debt.• They were stripped of their colonial possessions which would

have helped them to pay back the debt.• Russia: What happened there?• The treaty ignored claims of colonized people for self

determination.

Opposition to the Treaty• Some people including Hoover, believed the treaty was too

harsh.• Others considered the treaty to be a sell out to imperialism.• Some ethnic groups objected to the treaty b/c the new nations

boundaries did not satisfy demands for self-rule.

Debate over the League of Nations• League of Nations was the main cause of domestic opposition.• Opponents believed that the league threatened the U.S. foreign

policy of isolationism.• Conservative Senators like Henry Cabot Lodge were suspicious of

the provisions for joint economic and military action against aggression.

• They wanted the constitutional right of Congress to declare war included in the treaty..

Wilson Refuses to Compromise • How did Wilson do this? Page 608

The Legacy of the War• People were looking forward to the return of “normalcy”.• However, the world would be dramatically changed.• WWI had strengthened U.S. Military power and government

power.• Also accelerated social change, especially for African Americans

and Women.

In Europe…• The destruction and massive loss of life damaged social and

political systems.• The war created instable political systems and violence the

persisted for decades.

Appalled by Destruction• Americans referred to WWI as “the war to end all wars.”• They hoped humanity would never again be willing to fight

such a war.• However, unresolved issues in Europe would eventually drag

the U.S. into an even wider war.• The Treaty of Versailles had settled nothing• And Adolf Hitler an angry WWI Vet would eventually rise to

power.