Chapter 23: War and Society, 1914-1920

Chapter 23: War and Society, 1914-1920

1. Why did the US become involved in the First World War?

As the war began, all the nations turned to the US for supplies, resources, and artillery. However the British blockaded the German ports, this in turn severely damaged the already limited trade between Germany and plummeted trade with the Central powers 99% over 2 years. The British blockade clearly violated American neutrality. To avoid recession, the US did not retaliate by suspending loans or exports to Great Britain and therefore inevitably drew itself into the war.

2. What problems did the US government encounter as it sought to mobilize its people and economy for war, and how were they overcome?

 Mobilizing for “Total” War, Wilson created several centralized government agencies, each charged with supervising nationwide activity in its assigned economic sector. In order to pay for the massive amounts incurred for munitions, and supplies, Wilson raised taxes significantly: 67% income tax on the wealthy, 25% inheritance tax, and corporations had to pay excess profits tax. He established the CPI to popularize war, and their message imparted to many a deep love of country and sense of participation in grand democratic experiment. They used repression to achieve domestic unity, established the Food Administration substantially increased production and distribution of food to millions of troops and European civilians shifted railroad system from private to public control. War increased demand for industrial labor while cutting supply, as a result Wilson employed new workers recruited from rural south and encourage many women to enter the industrial workforce. In order to organize military labor he empowered administration to organize a draft for the Selective Service. However the U.S. Army faced difficult task of transforming ethnically and racially diverse millions into a professional fighting force and General Pershing segregated black troops from white. Despite the ethnic problems, American Expeditionary Force was impressive. By early 1918, CPI’s campaign had developed a darker, coercive side and they called for the report of neighbors, coworkers, and ethnics whom they suspected of subverting war effort. Evidently German Americans became objects of popular hatred. Espionage, Sabotage, and Sedition Acts (1917 and 1918) gave administration broad powers to silence and imprison dissenters.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

3. What were Woodrow Wilson's peace proposals?

At the Paris Peace Conference, Wilson announced the Treaty of Versailles and negotiated for lands controlled by “Big Four” (U.S., Britain, France, and Italy). Wilson also deemed his Fourteen Points that all nations need to abide by code of conduct: free trade, freedom of the seas, diplomacy, and disarmament. All nations need to recognize the principle of self-determination: redrawing map of Europe, give people of Austrian-Hungary empire independence, League of Nations. However, most of Wilson’s principles were omitted or amended. Wilson won an agreement on creation of League of Nations to serve as international parliament and judiciary, establishing rules of international behavior and resolving disputes between nations through rational and peaceful means.

4. Why were there so much American opposition to the League of Nations and what was the crux of their argument?

Two groups opposed this, the Irreconcilables and a group led by Senator Henry Lodge. From the beginning, the nation did not desire to involve itself in the war. Reluctantly being drawn in out of its neutrality the people became skeptical. And as thousands of citizens died aboard passenger liners such as the Lusitania and Sussex, the people doubted the nations sovereignty. Wilson consistency for 'peace without victory' through negotiation fell under doubt. Lodge and the Republicans claimed that changing the world and their foreign policy would put the US economy and autonomy at risk. They would rather sustain Roosevelt's vision of having a few great nations sphere of influence and to let Europe return to its politics as opposed to allowing every group of people could form their own nation.

5. Did the First World War enhance or interrupt the pursuit of liberty and equality on the home front?

As the world war ended society went into convulsion. Workers were set on obtaining the purchasing power they lost to inflation. Radicals saw conflict between capital and labor deeming an inevitable socialist revolution they claimed had already begun. Servicemen were nervous about regaining their jobs as female and Hispanic workers had taken their place and looked at blacks with hostility. Black veterans were in no condition to return to racist segregation and prejudice. And unfortunately the federal government put itself vulnerable and incapable of intervening in social conflicts because they immediately took down War industries board and National War Labor Board from their discomfort of the centralization of power during the war.

Terms:

Franz Ferdinand:

Archduke Ferdinand was the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne. He was assassinated on June 28, 1914 in Bosnia. This act was meant to protest the Austro-Hungarian imperialism and gave alliance of the Bosnians, Croatians and Balkans. However Austria-Hungary declared a war on Serbia, holding them responsible for the assassination.

Triple Entente:

Great Britain, France, and Russia.

Central Powers:

Also known as the Triple alliance: Austria-Hungary, Germany, and the Ottoman Empire.

Lusitania:

To combat British control Germany revealed the U-boat or submarine. The Lusitania was a British passenger liner carrying many innocent citizens amongst US citizens that was torpedoed by the German U-boat in suspicion of carrying munitions, which was later proven true. Germany had warned that they would attack ships carrying munitions and debated on the neutrality pledge but Germany claimed that Britain's blockade was a violation.

Sussex Pledge:

Essentially it was Germany's warning of unrestricted submarine warfare if the US failed to permit neutral ships to pass through Great Britain's naval blockade. Prior to the pledge, German U-boats sunk the French passenger liner Sussex that carried many American citizens.

'Peace without victory':

This was the slogan coined by Wilson during the First World War to put aside the suspicions of citizens and gain their support. These words drew deeply to American political roots and traditions, and as a result sustained a vast amount of enthusiasm by the people who had previously opposed distrusted state power and the war. However Wilson's hope for peace torn apart a year after the war had ended as violent labor dispute and race riots erupted.

Zimmerman Telegram:

Arthur Zimmerman, the German minister in Mexico, asked the Mexican Government to attack the US in the event of a war between the US and Germany. In return Germany would give them a large fee and regain the lost provinces of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. This was passed onto the US president in an infamous telegram known as the Zimmerman telegram.

General John. J Pershing:

Under the command of the US army, General Pershing organized and fashioned the ethically diverse millions of soldiers into a professional fighting force. However, instead of leaving the racial prejudice behind, he segregated black troop from white.

Fourteen Points:

Food Administration:

Headed by mining engineer and executive Herbert Hoover, the Food Administration placed an efficient food distribution system that delivered food to millions of troops and European civilians.

War Industries Board:

Selective Service Act:

During the war the US had to put everything aside to commence total war, use its GDP, economy, all of its resources to engage in war. To do such the US needed to build an army and the Wilson administration sought conscription. Furthermore, Wilson implemented the Selective Service act in 1917, drafting of most men of a certain age, regardless of their wealth, ethnicity, or social standing.

National War Labor Board:

The National War Labor Board brought together the representatives of labor, industry, and the public to resolve labor disputes. William Taft co-chaired with Samuel Gompers of the Federation of Labor.

Liberty Bonds:

Evidently during the war all resources, supplies and munitions incurred a vast debt. To pay these off Wilson proposed higher taxes on the wealthy along with 30-year Government bonds sold to individuals at a 3.5 percent annual return rate call Liberty bonds

CPI:

Committee on Public Information. A new agency set in place by Wilson to popularize the war. The CPI distributed millions of pamphlets explaining the war; it also trained a force of 75,000 four-minute men to deliver compelling and uplifting presentations about war. It exploded the media with direct information on the war and progress of the war.

Liberty Cabbage:

Renamed German American Word for Sauerkraut.

Immigration Restriction Act:

The prohibition act that restricted immigrants from vices like alcohol believing it would lead to corruption was implemented as the Immigration Restriction Act. However many immigrants refused to abide as they did not seek to be “reformed”.

Espionage:

During the war many of the immigrants currently living in America had several relatives in the Central powers and therefore were put under suspicion of espionage or spying and reporting information back to their native government.

Sabotage:

One of the main concerns toward the migrant families of the Central powers was sabotage. Many German families were treated with hostility in suspicion or conspiracy of espionage and or sabotage.

Sedition Acts:

Congress gave the administration the powers to silence and even imprison dissenters. They sought to repress those whom were expose the government, performing espionage, or sabotaging US plans.

Treaty of Versailles:

The peace agreement signed after the War in Versailles palace in France declaring the fault of Germany, demanding billions in reparations, and the disarmament of their military.

'Irreconcilables':

A group of midwestern progressives that opposed the war from the beginning and desired separation of the US from Europe were known as the Irreconcilables. They opposed the involvement of the US in the League of Nations.

Red Scare:

The widespread fear of the early 20th century that Radical was planning to establish a communist government on US soil. This outraged the government leading to further repressing action, and leading to it's climax on new years of 1920 when 33 homes were broken into on the suspect of radical communist gathering.

Sacco and Vanzetti:

The epitome of the Red Scare and height of repression was the case of two Italian American anarchists, Sacco and Vanzetti. They were accused of armed robbery and murder, and despite their pleas of innocence, the lack of strong evidence against them, and many protests, they were still convicted and sentenced to death.

Marcus Garvey:

Garvey was a Jamaican born Black Nationalist that demanded the separation and self-sufficiency of blacks. He led his movement with the ideal that they had a rich culture dated back many centuries and that they should achieve greatness by nationalizing in Africa. This brought much dispute between Du Bois and himself. However his movement endured.

New Negro:

The recognition and nationalization of the blacks as led by Marcus Garvey.