From War to Peace19.1 Postwar Havoc

“PUT THEM OUT AND KEEP

THEM OUT!”

A Deadly Epidemic

Influenza (the “flu”) found breeding grounds in the military camps and trenches of WWI

As Americans gathered to welcome home the troops, the flu spread quickly in the streets

In 1918 and 1919, ten times the number of Americans who died in WWI would die worldwide of the flu; more than half a million were Americans

The First Red Scare

The Rise of the Bolsheviks› In 1917, a violent revolution ripped across

Russia; the Red Army of the Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, had taken control, and Russia would soon become the Soviet Union

› Lenin dreamed of a new social system – communism – for not only his people, but for the world

What is communism??

Communism

A system of government which promotes the establishment of a “classless, stateless” society

Lenin believed that all people should share equally in society’s wealth› No economic/social classes› No private property/ownership

The American Reaction

Americans were baffled of – and frightened by – communism› Americans valued the

opportunity to better themselves by hard work and ingenuity and appreciated the ability to own property

Communism called for the overthrow of capitalism, the American way of life

Lenin called for the workers (i.e., blue collar workers) to revolt

Modern-day Communists storm Wall Street

Communism in America

Communist parties formed in America after the war

A Red Scare, or widespread fear of communism, enveloped the nation

The government took the threat seriously› New York state legislators

voted to bar five legally elected socialists from office

› In addition, they made it a crime to call for the overthrow of government

Lego Lenin

VLA

DIM

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IN Who does this remind you of??

The Palmer Raids“I believe we should place them all in ships of stone, with sails of lead.”

Attorney General Mitchell Palmer lead raids, known as the Palmer Raids, on suspected radicals and communist sympathizers

To justify these raids, Palmer used wartime laws that gave the government broad powers› Deportation of ‘aliens’

Labor Strife Grows

The year following the Great War, was one of the most explosive for the labor movement

Wartime success/productivity and peacetime disappointments/slumps set the stage for more than 3,000 strikes involving over four million workers

Postwar Difficulties

During the war, Wilson had sought good relations with workers, who were keeping our troops clothed . . .

After the war, Wilson’s focus switched to his peace plan, and he did little to promote worker’s rights

In addition, the sinking postwar demand for goods damaged many industries, and returning soldiers had trouble finding jobs

Labor’s Losses

Because communism was closely tied to the promotion of the working class; many people grew suspicious of organized labor

As a result, unions lost members and political power

Limiting Immigration

Competition for scarce jobs coupled with the Red Scare triggered an ugly backlash against foreigners

Labor leaders, along with the Nativists, pushed for immigration restrictions› In 1921, we established a quota for how

many immigrants we’d allow into the country – less than 2% of the country’s population was allowed to immigrate

The Ku Klux Klan

Nativism sparked a revival of the KKK› Targeted:

African Americans

Jews Catholics

“Native white, Protestant supremacy.”

Sacco and Vanzetti In 1920, two men, Nicola

Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, were arrested for armed robbery and murder; the two men were Italian immigrants, they also proclaimed themselves anarchists . . .

At the trial, it became clear there was no evidence against them and that they were really on trial for their political beliefs . . . not robbery or murder.

Despite public outrage, the two men were convicted and sentenced to death

“I am suffering because I am a radical, and indeed I am a radical; I have suffered

because I was an Italian, and indeed I am Italian.”

- Bartolomeo Vanzetti

Assignment

Review your notes over Sacco and Vanzetti . . . write a short editorial

explaining the public interest in the trial of the two men; specifically,

explain to what extent – if any – you believe the Red Scare and hostility toward immigrants played a role in

their conviction and subsequent execution.