CHAPTER 11

WORLD WAR 1

 

GENERAL CAUSES

 

-         ULTRA NATIONALISM

o       DEMISE OF EMPIRES AND THE BIRTH OF NATIONS

 

-         IMPERIALISM

o       NATIONS JOCKEYED FOR WORLD POWER

 

-         MILITARISM

o       EVER INCREASING AMOUNTS OF MONEY SPENT TO MODERNIZE ARMIES AND NAVIES

 

-         ENTANGLING ALLIANCES

o       CENTRAL POWERS

§        GERMANY, AUSTRIA HUNGRY, OTTOMAN EMPIRE

o       TRIPLE ENTENTE

§        FRANCE, GREAT BRITAIN, RUSSIA

o       MUTUAL DEFENSE PACTS – AN ATTACK ON ONE WOULD INCUR REPRISALS BY ALL

 

THE WAR ITSELF

 

-         THE WAR IS PRECIPITATED WHEN ARCHDUKE FERDINAND, THE HEIR APPARENT TO THE THRONE OF THE AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN EMPIRE, IS ASSASSINATED BY A SERBIAN NATIONALIST

 

-         INITIAL GERMAN SUCCESSES ARE FOLLOWED BY A STALEMATE ON THE WESTERN FRONT

 

o       THE WAR BECOMES A WAR OF ATTRITION

§        THE BRITISH BLOCKADE EFFECTIVELY BRINGS THE WAR TO AN END

 

o       TRENCH WARFARE IS THE NORM

§        NO MAN’S LAND


 

o       HIGH CASUALTY RATES ON BOTH SIDES

§        CONTRIBUTING FACTORS

·        ANTIQUATED TACTICS COUPLED WITH MODERN WEAPONS

o       TANKS, MACHINE GUNS, AIRPLANES, U-BOATS, CHEMICAL WEAPONS

·        DISEASE AND SHELL SHOCK

§        26 MILLION DEAD, HALF ARE CIVILIANS

 

-         THE TIDE TURNS WITH US ENTRY INTO THE WAR

 

U.S. INVOLVEMENT IN WORLD WAR I

 

-         INITIALLY THE U.S. FEELS THAT NEITHER SIDE MERITS OUR SUPPORT

 

-         THE U.S. DECLARES A POLICY OF NEUTRALITY

 

-          WILSON AFFIRMS FREEDOM OF THE SEAS

o       WE CONTINUE TO TRADE WITH BOTH SIDES

 

o       THE U.S. LEANS TOWARDS THE ALLIES

§        ECONOMIC REASONS- WE HAVE MORE LOANS TO THE ALLIES

§        POLITICAL % SOCIAL REASONS – WE HAVE COMMON LANGUAGE, ANCESTRY, CUSTOMS AND DEMOCRATIC TRADITIONS

 

-         WHAT BRINGS US INVOLVEMENT?

 

§        SINKING OF THE LUSITANIA

·        UNRESTRICTED SUBMARINE WARFARE

 

§        ZIMMERMAN NOTE

 

§        WILSON WANTS A SAY IN THE OUTCOME

 


 

-         AMERICAN MOBILIZATION

 

o       RAISE MONEY

§        LIBERTY BONDS

 

o       RAISE MEN

§        S.S.S. – DRAFT

 

o       RAISE GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT

 

§        PROPAGANDA

·        COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC INFORMATION  - GEORGE CREEL

 

§        W.I.B. – BERNARD BARUCH – COMMAND ECONOMY

 

§        ESPIONAGE AND SEDITION ACTS PUNISHED DISLOYALTY

espionage act 1918

§        THE GITLOW AND ABRAMS CASES

 

 

-         THE A.E.F (DOUGHBOYS) UNDER GENERAL JOHN PERSHING HAD A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE OUTCOME OF THE WAR

 

o       THE A.E.F.  WASN’T INTEGRATED WITH

§         FOREIGN TROOPS, WOMEN, OR AFRICAN AMERICANS

 

-         THE U.S. CONVEY SYSTEM HELPED THE BRITISH BLOCKADE

 

SOCIAL CHANGES DURING THE WAR

 

-         AFRICAN AMERICANS

 

o       THE GREAT MIGRATION WAS ACCELERATED

o       MOVEMENT OF AFRICAN AMERICANS FROM THE SOUTH TO THE NORTH

§        WHY

·        ESCAPE DISCRIMINATION

·        BETTER JOB OPPORTUNITIES

o       SEGREGATION CONTINUED IN THE MILITARY


 

-         WOMEN

 

o       WOMEN SERVED IN MANY NON-COMBAT ROLES IN THE MILITARY

§        NURSES, CLERKS ETC

o       WOMEN BEGAN FILLING MANY NON-TRADITIONAL JOBS IN THE WORKPLACE

 

 

POST WORLD WAR I – VERSAILLES – RESHAPING THE WORLD

 

-         AGENDAS OF THE ALLIES GOING INTO VERSAILLES

 

o       PUNISH GERMANY

 

§        WAR REPARATIONS

·        LEADS TO HYPER-INFLATION AND THE RISE OF HITLER

§        WAR GUILT CLAUSE

§        GERMANY IS DEMILITARIZED

 

o       ACQUIRE TERRITORY

 

§        FRANCE GOT ALSACE LORRAINE AND OCCUPIED THE SAAR BASIN

§        ENGLAND’S QUEST FOR TERRITORY WAS QUASHED BY THE ESTABLISHMENT OF MANDATED COLONIES UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF THE LEAGUE

·        INCLUDED SYRIA, LEBANON, IRAQ AND PALESTINE (ISRAEL)

§        ITALY GOT NOTHING FROM THE AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN EMPIRE

 

o       PREVENT FUTURE WARS

 

§        U.S. – WILSON – 14 POINTS

§        WILSON FEARED THE POTENTIAL OF BOLSHEVISM

§        WILSON SOUGHT AN INTERNATIONAL MEDIATING BODY TO GUARANTEE

·        TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY

·        SELF-DETERMINATION

·        INTERNATIONAL SECURITY

 

 

-         WEAKNESSES OF THE TREATY

 

o       RUSSIA, GERMANY AND JAPAN WERE EXCLUDED FROM NEGOTIATIONS

§        THE WAR GUILT CLAUSE AND THE WAR REPARATIONS INSTILLED THE BASIS FOR REVENGE AND SOWED THE SEEDS OF FASCISM

 

o       RUSSIA LOST MORE TERRITORY THAN GERMANY

 

o       CREATED INTERNATIONAL INSTABILITY

·        TREATY IGNORED THE CLAIMS OF COLONIAL PEOPLE FOR SELF-DETERMINATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST, EASTERN EUROPE AND SOUTHEAST ASIA

 

o       THE US DID NOT SIGN THE TREATY

 

-         THE TREATY OF VERSAILLES AND THE HOME FRONT

 

o       OPPOSITION TO THE TREATY EMERGED IN THE SENATE BECAUSE WILSON FAILED TO INCLUDE CONGRESSIONAL INPUT PRIOR TO NEGOTIATIONS

 

§        IRRECONCILABLES

·        FAVORED ISOLATIONISM

o       THEY WERE ANTI-TREATY AND ANTI-LEAGUE

 

§        RESERVATIONISTS

·        THEY FAVORED THE LEAGUE BUT OPPOSED ARTICLE X

o       THIS GUARANTEED TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY AND INDEPENDENCE TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE LEAGUE

§        THEY FEARED THAT THIS WOULD INVOLVE THE U.S. IN MANY ARMED CONFLICTS AND THEREBY DIMINISH THE WAR-MAKING POWERS OF CONGRESS

§         

o       THE SENATE REJECTS THE TREATY OF VERSAILLES

 

§        WILSON IS UNWILLING TO COMPROMISE

§        THE RED SCARE BECOMES MORE IMPORTANT IN THE U.S.