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
IR L
EN
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.