Chapter16:WorldWarIandItsAftermath
Section1:TheUnitedStatesEntersWorldWarI
WorldWarIBeginsOldalliancesandnationalistsentimentsamongEuropeannations
setthestageforWorldWarI.
~MilitarismandAlliances
In1864,whileAmericansfoughttheCivilWar,theGermankingdomofPrussia
launchedthefirstofaseriesofwarstounitethevariousGermanstatesintoone
nation.
By1871,PrussiahadunitedGermanyandproclaimedthebirthoftheGerman
Empire.
ThePrussiansforcedtheFrenchtogiveupterritoryalongtheGermanborder.
Fromthatpoint,FranceandGermanywereenemies.
Toprotectitself,GermanysignedallianceswithItalyandwithAustriaHungary.
Thisbecameknownasthetriplealliance.
Asaresult,RussiaandFrancehadacommoninterestinopposingGermanyand
AustriaHungary.
In1894theysignedtheFrancoRussianAlliance,promisingtocometoeach
othersaidinawarwiththeTripleAlliance.
ThesystemofalliancesinEuropeencouragedmilitarismtheaggressive
buildupofarmedforcestointimidateandthreatenothernations
TheBritishrefusedtosignaformalalliance,sotheirnewrelationswiththe
FrenchandRussiansbecameknownasanententecordialeafriendly
understanding.
Britain,France,andRussiabecameknownastheTripleEntente.
~ImperialismandNationalism
Bythelate1800s,nationalism,orafeelingofintenseprideinoneshomeland,had
becomeapowerfulideainEurope.
NationalismwasoneofthereasonsforthetensionsamongtheEuropeanpowers.
Oneofthebasicideasofnationalismistherighttoselfdetermination
Imperialismistheideathatacountrycanincreaseitspowerandwealthbycontrolling
otherpeople's.
~ATerroristAttackBringsWar
InlateJune1914,ArchdukeFranzFerdinandwasassassinatedbyaBosnian
revolutionarynamed,GavriloPrincip.
TheassassinwasamemberofaSerbiannationalistgroupnicknamedBlackHand.
TheassassinationtookplacewiththeknowledgeofSerbianofficialswhohopedtostart
awarthatwouldbringdowntheAustroHungarianEmpire.
TheAlliancesAreTriggered
OnJuly28AustriaHungarydeclaredwaronSerbia.
OnAugust1GermanydeclaredwaronRussia.
Twodayslater,itdeclaredwaronFrance.
WorldWarIhadbegun.
Germany'sPlanFails
GermanyhadbeenpreparedforwaragainstFranceandRussia.
ItlaunchedamassiveinvasionofFrance,hopingtoknocktheFrenchoutofwar.
TheGermanplanhadonemajorproblem,itrequiredtheGermanforcesto
advancethroughneutralBelgiuminordertoencircletheFrenchtroops.
WhenGermantroopscrossedtheBelgianfrontier,Britaindeclaredwaron
Germany.
TheGermanplanseemedtoworkatfirst.
RussianstroopsinvadedGermany.
TheywereforcedtopullsomeoftheirtroopsawayfromtheattackonFrance
andsendthemeasttostoptheRussians.
ThisweakenedtheGermanforcesjustenoughtogivetheAlliesachancetostop
them.
~AmericaDeclaresWar
BritishpropagandaandbusinessinterestsledmostAmericanstoaproBritish
stanceonthewar.
~AmericansTakeSides
ManyAmericansvaluedtheheritage,language,andpoliticalidealstheyshared
withBritain.
OtherstreasuredAmerica'slinkswithFrance,agreatfriendtoAmericaduring
theRevolutionaryWar.
AgreatdebatebeganonwhethertheUnitedStatesshouldprepareforwar.
GovernmentOfficialsBackBritain
OneselectgroupofAmericanswasdecidedlyproBritish:PresidentWilsons
cabinet.
OnlySecretaryOfStateWilliamJenningsBryanfavoredneutrality.
BritishofficialsworkedtowinAmericansupportbyusingpropaganda.
BusinessSupportsBritain
AmericaninterestsbusinessalsoleanedtowardtheAllies.
CompaniesintheUnitedStates,particularlyontheEastCoast,hadstrongties
withbusinessesintheAlliedcountries.
ManyAmericanbanksbegantoinvestheavilyinanAlliedvictory.
~MovingTowardWar
AseriesofeventsgraduallyerodedAmericanneutralityanddrewthenationinto
thewar.
GermanSubmarinesGoIntoAction
Shortlyafterthewarbegan,theBritishdeclaredablockadeofGermanportsand
beganinterceptingneutralmerchantshipssailingtoEurope.
TheyforcedtheshipstolandatBritishportswheretheywereinspectedfor
contraband,orgoodsprohibitedfromshipmenttoGermanyanditsallies.
BritainandFrancedependedonfood,equipment,andothersuppliesfromboth
theUnitedStatesknownasUboats.
InFebruary1915,theGermansannouncedthattheywouldsinkwithoutwarning
anyshiptheyfoundinthewatersaroundBritain.
Germanyhadsignedaninternationaltreatythatbannedattacksoncivilianships
withoutwarning.
TheGermansclaimedthattheirUboatswouldbeplacedatgreatriskiftheyhad
tosurfaceandgiveawarningbeforefiring.
TheGermansSinktheLusitania
TheissuereachedacrisisonMay7,1915,whentheBritishpassengership
Lusitaniaenteredthewarzone.
~TheUnitedStatesDeclaresWar
Germanyresumedunrestrictedsubmarinewarfare.
WilsonaskedCongresstodeclarewaronGermany.
Section2
TheHomeFront
OrganizingtheEconomy
TheUnitedStatesentersthewarinApril1917andkicksthingsoff
WartimeAgencies
Congresscreatednewagenciestohelpoutinthewar
WarIndustriesBoard(WIB)wasanagencythatproducedalotofwar
materialsnowthatCongressgavethemgreenlighttoproduceforthewar
(InthepasttheycouldntexpandasmuchbecauseofWilson)
MostsuccessfulagencywastheFoodAdministrationrunnedbyHerbert
Hoover
Encouragedpeopletoproducemorefoodforthewarandcutbackon
foodthemselves(eatveggies)
$32Billionwentintothiswarandtaxesweregonnapayformostofit
MobilizingtheWorkforce
Thegov.establishedtheNationalWarLaborBoardtopreventjobstrikes
duringthewar
Pressuredindustriestoimprovewagesandworkhours
Womenworkedjobsthatmencouldnotbecauseofthewar
AfricanAmericanswerewelcomedtothenorthtofillupjobsinfactoriesaswell
MexicanswerewelcomedtotheNorthtobefarmersandranchers
ShapingPublicOpinion
progressivesfeltlikethegov.neededtocontrolpublicopinion
CommitteeofPublicInformation,distributedpamphletsandgaveshort
speechesthatpersuadedpeopletobuywarbondsorjointhewar
TheEspionageAct=illegaltoaidtheenemy,givefalsereports,or
interferewiththewareffort
TheSeditionAct=illegaltospeakagainstthewarpublicly
BuildingtheMilitary
CongressandpresidentWilsonmadeasystemcalledtheselective
servicethatrequiredallmenover21and30toregisterforthedraft
2.8millionAmericansweredrafted
2millionAmericansvolunteeredbecausetheythoughttheyhadaduty
Notonlysoldierskillinwar,alsoafluepidemicwasresponsibleformany
deaths
AfricanAmericansoldierswerediscriminatedwhilebeinginthearmyand
servedinraciallysegregatedunits
Womenalsoservedinthewarasnursesandothersmallhelpfulways,
justnotcombat.(EspeciallytheNavy.nottheArmy)
Section3
ABloodyConflict
By1917,WW1haddevastatedEuropewithnewstrategiesandtechnology
TrenchWarfare
Moreadvancedwarfare
Bombsandpowerfulartillerygunswerealwaysadanger
troopsstartedtodigtrenchesforprotection
machinegunscameinhandyforfightingintrenches
Nomanslandwasaveryharshpartofthetrenchwerelotsdied
NewTech
ArmoredTanks
PoisonousGas
Zeppelins
AdvancedAircrafts
Submarines
TheAmericansArrive
Americantroopsrushedineagertofightfortheircountryeventhoughthey
wereinexperienced
WinningtheWaratSea
TheBritishneededhelpfightingtheGermansubmarinessotheAmericanscould
helptheminthewar
Sotheycreatedastrategycalledaconvoywhereacargoshipwouldteamup
withotherdefensiveshipstomakeittoacertaindestination
thisishowAmericantroopsgottoBritainsafeandsound
RussiaLeavesWar
TheRussiansleftthewarbecauseofarussianrevolution
Germanycouldnowstopfightingwiththemandfocusonotherenemies
AmericansEnterCombat
AmericansbelievedtheyowedtheFrenchforhelpingduringthe
Revolutionarywar
AmericawasbackinguptheFrenchandBritishbutundertheagreement
ofcontrollingtheirowntroops
GermanypushedtotheWesternFronttryingtocaptureParis
AmericanandFrenchtroopsputastoptomanyoftheseattempts
TheBattleoftheArgonneForestwasoneofthebiggestfightsin
Americanhistory.WhichAmericantroopssufferedbutopenaholein
GermandefenceleadingtoaretreatfromtheGermans.
AmericanHeros
CorporalAlvinYork
Afterhisplatoonwaskilled,Yorkpickedupacouplemachineguns
andkilled925Germans.Hewasawardedforhisbravery
EddieRickenbacker
Oneofthebestpilotstofightinthewarandwasawardedforfightingso
hardandthevictorieshehad.
TheWarEnds
AustriaHungaryandGermanyhadrevolutionaryproblemsbecausethey
werelosingthewar
Germanysoonhadenoughandsignedanarmisticeortruce
