THE U.S. AND WORLD WAR I, 1914-1918

HIST 202 - HESEN

Long-Term Causes of World War I Militarism Alliances Imperialism Nationalism

Remember MAIN!

Alliance Systems Triple

Alliance/Central Powers Germany Austria-Hungary Ottoman Empire Italy…until 1915

Triple Entente/Allied Powers Great Britain France Russia Italy…in 1915 U.S….in 1917

Balkan Powder Keg Problems in Serbia

Austria-Hungary governs

One of the smallest European countries

Black Hand Gavrilo Princip June 28, 1914 –

assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

American Neutrality U.S. traded with all

Allied countries 1915 – British

blockade Germany Effects:

U.S. can’t trade with Germany

German enters famine Germany blames

Great Britain and U.S.

Submarine Warfare Response from

Germany – “Eliminate the blockade”

Targeted merchant and military vessels

Lusitania – May 7, 1915 128 Americans died

Sussex – March 1916 Sussex Pledge – sink

with warnings only

Economic Links with Allies

Tied chiefly to Great Britain and France

U.S. makes war supplies – sends to Allied Powers

Blame blockade for not trading with Germany

1914-1917 – trade with Great Britain and France quadrupled

Public Opinion Americans favored

Britain and France Germany – “bully

of Europe” Reinforced with

Lusitania

Loans to businesses – JP MORGAN

Ethnic Influences Second generation

immigrants in U.S. Make-up 30% of

population Sympathizers

Germans – “homeland” Irish – hates British Russians – great

protectors

Opposition to the War Mostly from the

Midwest and West Scared that U.S.

would get involved Progressives Populists Socialists Pacifists

Going to War Major U.S. causes:

Unrestricted submarine warfare

Zimmerman Telegram

Russian Revolution

Declaration of War – April 2, 1917

Fighting “Over There” Conditions

Trench warfare Trench foot Chemical warfare Shell shock

Affected Allied and Central Powers ***

U.S. Mobilization Committee on

Public Information George Creel

Food Administration Herbert Hoover

National War Labor Board

War Industries Board

Public Opinion and Civil Liberties

Espionage and Sedition Acts (1917) Prohibited disloyal

speech Applied to all Allied

Powers Imprisonment – 2,000 Schenck v. U.S. - 1919

Armed Forces Selective Service

Act June 1917 2.8 million men put

into lottery Made up half of the

fighting force African-Americans

400,000 served in segregated units

W.E.B. DuBois

Effects on American Society

MORE JOBS!! Men leave --- factory

jobs taken by women

Men leave cities – migrants move North from South

World War I Ends War ends

November 11, 1918

Hailed as a major Allied victory 116,000 U.S. troops

killed 5 million Russians

dead