Chapter16:WorldWarIandItsAftermath

Section1:TheUnitedStatesEntersWorldWarI
WorldWarIBeginsOldalliancesandnationalistsentimentsamongEuropean
nationssetthestageforWorldWarI.

MilitarismandAlliances
In1864,whileAmericansfoughttheCivilWar,theGermankingdomof
PrussialaunchedthefirstofaseriesofwarstounitethevariousGerman
statesintoonenation.
By1871,PrussiahadunitedGermanyandproclaimedthebirthofthe
GermanEmpire.
ThePrussiansforcedtheFrenchtogiveupterritoryalongtheGerman
border.
Fromthatpoint,FranceandGermanywereenemies.
Toprotectitself,GermanysignedallianceswithItalyandwith
AustriaHungary.Thisbecameknownasthetriplealliance.
Asaresult,RussiaandFrancehadacommoninterestinopposingGermany
andAustriaHungary.
In1894theysignedtheFrancoRussianAlliance,promisingtocometoeach
othersaidinawarwiththeTripleAlliance.
ThesystemofalliancesinEuropeencouragedmilitarismtheaggressive
buildupofarmedforcestointimidateandthreatenothernations
TheBritishrefusedtosignaformalalliance,sotheirnewrelationswiththe
FrenchandRussiansbecameknownasanententecordialeafriendly
understanding.
Britain,France,andRussiabecameknownastheTripleEntente.

ImperialismandNationalism
Bythelate1800s,nationalism,orafeelingofintenseprideinoneshomeland,
hadbecomeapowerfulideainEurope.
NationalismwasoneofthereasonsforthetensionsamongtheEuropean
powers.
Oneofthebasicideasofnationalismistherighttoselfdetermination
Imperialismistheideathatacountrycanincreaseitspowerandwealthby
controllingotherpeople's.

ATerroristAttackBringsWar
InlateJune1914,ArchdukeFranzFerdinandwasassassinatedbyaBosnian
revolutionarynamed,GavriloPrincip.

TheassassinwasamemberofaSerbiannationalistgroupnicknamedBlack
Hand.
TheassassinationtookplacewiththeknowledgeofSerbianofficialswhohoped
tostartawarthatwouldbringdowntheAustroHungarianEmpire.
TheAlliancesAreTriggered
OnJuly28AustriaHungarydeclaredwaronSerbia.
OnAugust1GermanydeclaredwaronRussia.
Twodayslater,itdeclaredwaronFrance.
WorldWarIhadbegun.
Germany'sPlanFails
GermanyhadbeenpreparedforwaragainstFranceandRussia.
ItlaunchedamassiveinvasionofFrance,hopingtoknocktheFrenchoutof
war.
TheGermanplanhadonemajorproblem,itrequiredtheGermanforcesto
advancethroughneutralBelgiuminordertoencircletheFrenchtroops.
WhenGermantroopscrossedtheBelgianfrontier,Britaindeclaredwaron
Germany.
TheGermanplanseemedtoworkatfirst.
RussianstroopsinvadedGermany.
TheywereforcedtopullsomeoftheirtroopsawayfromtheattackonFrance
andsendthemeasttostoptheRussians.
ThisweakenedtheGermanforcesjustenoughtogivetheAlliesachanceto
stopthem.

AmericaDeclaresWar
BritishpropagandaandbusinessinterestsledmostAmericanstoa
proBritishstanceonthewar.
AmericansTakeSides
ManyAmericansvaluedtheheritage,language,andpoliticalidealsthey
sharedwithBritain.
OtherstreasuredAmerica'slinkswithFrance,agreatfriendtoAmerica
duringtheRevolutionaryWar.
AgreatdebatebeganonwhethertheUnitedStatesshouldprepareforwar.
GovernmentOfficialsBackBritain
OneselectgroupofAmericanswasdecidedlyproBritish:PresidentWilsons
cabinet.
OnlySecretaryOfStateWilliamJenningsBryanfavoredneutrality.
BritishofficialsworkedtowinAmericansupportbyusingpropaganda.

 BusinessSupportsBritain
AmericaninterestsbusinessalsoleanedtowardtheAllies.
CompaniesintheUnitedStates,particularlyontheEastCoast,hadstrong
tieswithbusinessesintheAlliedcountries.
ManyAmericanbanksbegantoinvestheavilyinanAlliedvictory.
MovingTowardWar
AseriesofeventsgraduallyerodedAmericanneutralityanddrewthenation
intothewar.
GermanSubmarinesGoIntoAction
Shortlyafterthewarbegan,theBritishdeclaredablockadeofGermanports
andbeganinterceptingneutralmerchantshipssailingtoEurope.
TheyforcedtheshipstolandatBritishportswheretheywereinspectedfor
contraband,orgoodsprohibitedfromshipmenttoGermanyanditsallies.
BritainandFrancedependedonfood,equipment,andothersuppliesfrom
boththeUnitedStatesknownasUboats.
InFebruary1915,theGermansannouncedthattheywouldsinkwithout
warninganyshiptheyfoundinthewatersaroundBritain.
Germanyhadsignedaninternationaltreatythatbannedattacksoncivilian
shipswithoutwarning.
TheGermansclaimedthattheirUboatswouldbeplacedatgreatriskifthey
hadtosurfaceandgiveawarningbeforefiring.
TheGermansSinktheLusitania
TheissuereachedacrisisonMay7,1915,whentheBritishpassengership
Lusitaniaenteredthewarzone.
TheUnitedStatesDeclaresWar
Germanyresumedunrestrictedsubmarinewarfare.
WilsonaskedCongresstodeclarewaronGermany.

Section2
TheHomeFront
OrganizingtheEconomy
TheUnitedStatesentersthewarinApril1917andkicksthingsoff
WartimeAgencies
Congresscreatednewagenciestohelpoutinthewar
WarIndustriesBoard(WIB)wasanagencythatproducedalotofwar
materialsnowthatCongressgavethemgreenlighttoproduceforthe
war(InthepasttheycouldntexpandasmuchbecauseofWilson)
MostsuccessfulagencywastheFoodAdministrationrunnedby
HerbertHoover

Encouragedpeopletoproducemorefoodforthewarandcutbackon
foodthemselves(eatveggies)
$32Billionwentintothiswarandtaxesweregonnapayformostofit
MobilizingtheWorkforce
Pressuredindustriestoimprovewagesandworkhours
Thegov.establishedtheNationalWarLaborBoardtopreventjob
strikesduringthewar
Womenworkedjobsthatmencouldnotbecauseofthewar
AfricanAmericanswerewelcomedtothenorthtofillupjobsinfactoriesaswell
MexicanswerewelcomedtotheNorthtobefarmersandranchers
ShapingPublicOpinion
progressivesfeltlikethegov.neededtocontrolpublicopinion
CommitteeofPublicInformation,distributedpamphletsandgave
shortspeechesthatpersuadedpeopletobuywarbondsorjointhe
war
TheEspionageAct=illegaltoaidtheenemy,givefalsereports,or
interferewiththewareffort
TheSeditionAct=illegaltospeakagainstthewarpublicly
BuildingtheMilitary
CongressandpresidentWilsonmadeasystemcalledtheselective
servicethatrequiredallmenover21and30toregisterforthedraft
2.8millionAmericansweredrafted
2millionAmericansvolunteeredbecausetheythoughttheyhada
duty
Notonlysoldierskillinwar,alsoafluepidemicwasresponsiblefor
manydeaths
AfricanAmericansoldierswerediscriminatedwhilebeinginthearmy
andservedinraciallysegregatedunits
Womenalsoservedinthewarasnursesandothersmallhelpful
ways,justnotcombat.(EspeciallytheNavy.nottheArmy)

Section3
ABloodyConflict
By1917,WW1haddevastatedEuropewithnewstrategiesandtechnology
TrenchWarfare
Moreadvancedwarfare
Bombsandpowerfulartillerygunswerealwaysadanger
troopsstartedtodigtrenchesforprotection
machinegunscameinhandyforfightingintrenches

 Nomanslandwasaveryharshpartofthetrenchwerelotsdied
NewTech
ArmoredTanks
PoisonousGas
Zeppelins
AdvancedAircrafts
Submarines
TheAmericansArrive
Americantroopsrushedineagertofightfortheircountryeventhough
theywereinexperienced
WinningtheWaratSea
TheBritishneededhelpfightingtheGermansubmarinessotheAmericans
couldhelptheminthewar
Sotheycreatedastrategycalledaconvoywhereacargoshipwouldteamup
withotherdefensiveshipstomakeittoacertaindestination
ThisishowAmericantroopsgottoBritainsafeandsound
RussiaLeavesWar
TheRussiansleftthewarbecauseofarussianrevolution
Germanycouldnowstopfightingwiththemandfocusonother
enemies
AmericansEnterCombat
AmericansbelievedtheyowedtheFrenchforhelpingduringthe
Revolutionarywar
AmericawasbackinguptheFrenchandBritishbutunderthe
agreementofcontrollingtheirowntroops
GermanypushedtotheWesternFronttryingtocaptureParis
AmericanandFrenchtroopsputastoptomanyoftheseattempts
TheBattleoftheArgonneForestwasoneofthebiggestfightsin
Americanhistory.WhichAmericantroopssufferedbutopenaholein
GermandefenceleadingtoaretreatfromtheGermans.
AmericanHeros
CorporalAlvinYork
Afterhisplatoonwaskilled,Yorkpickedupacouplemachine
gunsandkilled925Germans.Hewasawardedforhisbravery
EddieRickenbacker

Oneofthebestpilotstofightinthewarandwasawardedforfighting
sohardandthevictorieshehad.
TheWarEnds

AustriaHungaryandGermanyhadrevolutionaryproblemsbecause
theywerelosingthewar
Germanysoonhadenoughandsignedanarmisticeortruce