The Great War

1914-1918 (Europe)
1917-1918 (USA)

Europe - Roots of “the Great War”

Franco-Prussian War (Germany is creating an empire)

● Germany wins and takes land from France
● Creates competition between European nations

Nationalism - Strong belief in one’s own country and its superiority to other
nations. (Beyond patriotism, in extreme cases at the expense of other nations.)

Militarism - A nation needs a strong military to protect itself and carry out their
plans.

Austria-Hungary - Russia -Serbia

A-H controls areas of modern day Poland, Bosnia, and the Czech Republic.
● Poland and Czechoslovakia want to be independent.

Serbia is an independent country to the east of Bosnia

Russia wants to be the protector of all Slavic people.

Imperialism

Power countries of the world are colonizing parts of Africa, the Middle East and
Asia.

Competing with each other for desirable territories.

Alliances

Triple Entente (The Allies)

● Great Britain
● France
● Russia*
○ Russia has separate agreement with Serbia.

Triple Alliance (the Central Powers)

● Germany
● Austria-Hungary
● Ottoman Empire
● Italy**
○ Italy leaves this alliance and joins the Allies in 1915

Serbia believes Bosnia should be a part of their nation.

● High concentration of Serbian people

Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary tours Sarajevo (in Bosnia).

● Trip announced
● Parade route posted
● Black hand has a plan
○ Assassinate Franz Ferdinand and Sophie

Timeline

June 28, 1914 - assassination

July 28, 1914 - Franz Josef declares war on Serbia
● Russia enters to help Serbia
● Germany enters to help Austria-Hungary
● France enters to help Russia
August 4, 1914 - Germany declares war on Belgium (neutral) - Schlieffen plan
August 4, 1914 - Great Britain delcares war on Germany honoring
agreements with Belgium and France.

Schlieffen plan failed due to Great Britain’s involvement.

American Isolationism

Can we trade, if we are isolationist? (Yes)

Who are we trading with?

● 1914
○ Britain and France - $754 million
○ Germany - $190 million
● 1916
○ Britain and France - $2.75 billion
○ Germany - British Blockade. . .

How are they paying for all this? (Loans) What happens if they lose? (The chances of
them paying back their loan goes down, and businesses lose money)

British Blockade

What is the impact on trade? (It stops trade)

What kind of things are harder to find with the blockade in place? (Food, raw
materials, tools, clothing, medicines.)

America is a land of immigrants. . .

Taking sides
● 5 million German-American (Favor Germany)
● 3 million Irish-American (Does not favor England)
● Suspicious of “strong Russian government”
BUT
● Britain and France are democracies like USA and we have a lot of shared
experiences.
Espionage and Genocide

Espionage - the usage of spies to get information you are not supposed to have.

Genocide - the deliberate elimination of a large group of people from a certain

culture or ethnicity.

● Germany used sabotage to keep goods from making it to the Allies.

○ Costing American businesses money and occasionally lives.
● Ottoman Empire to maintain control began eliminating Armenians
○ News gets to America.

U-boot = Unterseeboot = submarine

Submarine Warfare

Initially
● Attacks were limited to Allied vessels carrying war goods.
Expanded to include
● Allied merchants vessels carrying war goods
Occasionally
● Any Allied vessel carrying war goods…

The Lusitania - May 1915

Passenger ship
● Germany suspected it was carrying contraband
○ It was…
● Germany submarine fired upon it, (sinking it.)

President Wilson gets Germany to agree to not attack civillian vessels without
warning.

Germany’s population is starving.

● (The blockade is working)

The troops are deadlocked in the trenches.

Looking for an advantage…

The Germans begin practicing

● Unrestricted Submarine Warfare!

They will attack any vessel supplying the allies.

Zimmermann Telegram

Concerned America might join the war.

It is suggested that Mexico be asked to invade the United States to keep the
USA’s attention “at home”.

Intercepted and release to the public (March 1917)

Mid March 1917 - USA vessels are attacked by german UBoots

April 1917 - Wilson asks for a special session of COngress.

● Wilson asks Congress to declare war on Germany.
● Congress declares war

Is the United States ready? (No)

How to pay for the war? (Taxes, Loans (War bond)

Do we have enough materials to supply the war and the homefront? No (War
goods, medical supplies, food)

Less than 380,000 soldiers (including National Guard)

United States’ federal government increases its power!

Liberty Bonds (war bonds)

Citizens bought bonds

Government used $ to pay for the war

Citizens were repaid plus interest

War Industries Board (WIB)

Regulated industries
● Converted factories to produce war goods (cars/planes)
○ What was made
○ How much it cost
○ Where it was sent

The Draft

Selective Service Act - May 1917

● Requires men between the ages of 21 and 30 to register.
○ Numbers (more than 1 person has number) are drawn (like a lottery)
○ Individuals with that number(s) must report (to be considered) for
military service.

24 million registered 2.8 million were drafted

Conscientious Objectors

● Moral or religious beliefs “forbid” them to fight in the war

● Some refused to present themselves for the draft
○ Slacker
● Some were drafted but used in “non-combative” jobs
Food Administration

Meatless/Porkless
Sweetless
Wheatless
Victory Gardens
Preserves (canning)

Committee on Public Information (CPI)

Produced propaganda to sway public opinion - increase support of the war

● Rallies, Parades, Posters Press releases and Pamphlets
● Hollywood movie - “The Kaiser: The Beast of Berlin”
● “Four minute men” - speakers that gave short patriotic speeches
● Often stressed cruelty and wickedness of the enemy (Germans)
○ Created resentment and discrimination towards German-Americans

Impact

Hamburger - Salisbury Steak

Sauerkraut - Liberty Cabbage
Other German foods, books, newspapers disappeared
The language was not taught.

Was there an issue of German espionage? Was it justifiable to attack all thing
German?

Limits on Freedom (Civil Liberties)

Espionage Act 1917

● Prevent sabotage and spying

Obstructing a recruiting office or interrupting the war effort

● Up to $10,000 fine
● 20 years in prison
Trading with the Enemy Act
● Postman could suspend delivery of materials in a foreign language

Sedition Act 1918

● “Uttering, printing writing, or publishing any disloyal, profone, scurrilous or
abusive language” about the government or armed forces.

Americans arrive

June 1917 - John J. Pershing and a limited number of troops arrive in France

Americans were used as replacement

● Pershing convinced Allied commanders Americans should fight as
independent units. Americans played a major role.

American presence raised hope and helped end the war more quickly -
American soldiers were fresh and well fed.

Minorities and the war

367,000 African-Americans servied in the war Harlem Hellfighters

● Loyalty and patriotism
● Segregated units (white officers)
● Many were given “labor related” jobs instead of combat positions

Many Asian-Americans and Hispanic-Americans chose to serve

Many minorities were met with discrimination and discrimination is what

prevent some from serving.

500,000 women join the workforce for the first time

1.5 million women work in factories (assuming jobs previously held by men)

25,000 volunteered to serve in France

● Nurses, ambulance drivers, signalers, typists and interpreters
● Received no pension for the service
Weapons and Equipment

Machine gun - late 1800’s improved - 500 rounds per minute

Tanks - invented to counter MG - could cross No Man’s Land
Airplanes - reconnaissance - then equipped with guns
Airships - reconnaissance
Anti-aircraft gun - used to take out airplanes/airships
Convoy -strategy to move groups of ships and defend against Uboots.

The Great Migration

Due to the availability of jobs many African-Americans move north

(1914-1920 - 600,000)

They were often met with discriminatory behaviors

Also when soldiers return home after the war, tensions will run high!

Prohibition

Grains used to brew beer were needed for food.

Brewers tended to be German

Nativists were often prohibitionists

1917 (approved by congress) 1919 (ratified by states)

18th amendment prohibits sale of alcohol

Women

Carrie Chapman Catt NAWSA

● Women are patriotic voters
○ Counteract those against the war.

1918 approved 1920 ratified

19th amendment - Women were granted suffrage

BUT little changed for women . . .

1918 Flu epidemic

No vaccine

Antibiotics weren’t common thus increasing deaths from the secondary

infections.

It was a pandemic.

Russians leave the war