11/23/09

1

TheUnitedStatesinWWI

Chapter12,Sec6ons1,2,3,&4

TheSides•  TheAlliedPowers– France– GreatBritain– Russia– Belgium

•  TheCentralPowers– Germany– Austria‐Hungary

– Bulgaria– O=omanEmpire

•  TheFenceRiders– Spain– Switzerland(nosurprise)

– ScandinavianCountries

– Netherlands

WorldWarI:BeforeAmerica•  BytheLmetheUnitedStatesenteredthewar,ithadbeenragingfor3years.

•  Europeancountrieshadfoughtthemselvestoatrenchstalemate.

•  Thiswasawarnobodywaspreparedfor.–  IndustrializedWarfaremadethisthebloodiestwartodate.

11/23/09

2

TheUnitedStatesS6rs•  TheUnitedStatesNeutralitywastestedmulLpleLmesbeforefinallyenteringthewar.– U‐boatWarfare–PerceivedviolaLonofSussexPledge.

– SinkingoftheLusitania– ZimmermanNote– RussianRevoluLon(REDSCARE!!!)

It’sOfficial…NowWhat?•  TheU.S.wasnotpreparedtofightsuchawar.– Marineswerespreadoutacrosstheworld.(MainlyCentralAmerica)

– Only100,000meninuniform(Pershingfeltweneededatleast1million.)

•  Selec6veServiceActof1917–conscripted3millionmentofightintheAmericanExpediLonaryForce(AEF).

We’reHere!Whydoeseveryonelooksodown?•  U.S.soldierswerefreshandreadyforba=le.ThereEuropeanallieswerehaggardandwarweary.

•  PershinginsistedhissoldiersstayseparatefromtheirEuropeanallies.–  Feltthedefensive(trench)mentalitywouldinfectthesoldiers.

11/23/09

3

TheAmericansSaveParis•  ThenewRussiangovernmentmakespeacewithGermany.–  Closestheeasternfront.

•  GermanymountsoffensivetoParis.

•  MarineCorpsstopsGermansatBelleauWoodandChateau‐Thierry.–  “Wedignotrenchestofallbackon.TheMarineswillholdwheretheystand.”

TheCentralPowersCollapse•  TheO=omanEmpireandBulgariamaketheirownpeaceagreementswithAllies.

•  Austria‐Hungarysplintersasvariousgroupsdeclareindependence.

•  Alone,GermanysuesforpeaceasthefighLngstartstopourintotheirlands.– ArmisLcesignedonat5AMonNovember11,1918inarailroadcar.

TheWaratHome•  AmericansenthusiasLcallyboughtLibertyBondstohelpfinancethewar.

•  ThegovernmentsetupasystemofraLoningtokeepfromwasLngvaluablefoodstuffs.–  Prince‐Controlsalsohelpedkeepthepricesontheseraregoodsfromsoaring.

•  DaylightintroducednaLonwideduringWWItosavevaluablefuelresources.

11/23/09

4

ScaredofEveryone•  Americans’fearofGermanyspiesledtoaseriesofnamechanges.– Hamburger=SalisburySteak

– GermanSheppard=PoliceDog

– Sauerkraut=LibertyCabbage

That’sonegoodlookingSalisburySteak

Sedi6onandImprisonment•  CongresspassedtheEspionageActof1917.– Madeitillegalspeakrebellion.(SediLon)

– Manypeoplewerejailed.

•  Vigilanteslynchedandhorsewhippedsocialistswhotheyfeltweretryingoverthrowthegovernment.

TimetoTalk•  WiththeArmisLceinplace,PresidentWilsonwenttoEuropeastheheadoftheU.S.delegaLon.– Wilsonhadgrandplanstomakepeacefinal.

– However,heonlytookoneRepublicaninthedelegaLon.•  TheRepublicanscontrolledtheU.S.Congress.

11/23/09

5

Wilson’sPlansforLas6ngPeace•  ReducetraderestricLonbetweencountriesandreducemilitary.

•  Self‐DeterminaLonforethnicgroupsfromAustria‐Hungary.

•  Formapermanentagencywherecountriescouldworktogethertoresolvedisputespeacefully.(LeagueofNaLons)

•  Wilsondidnotintendtotakespoilsfromthelosersandhopedtheothercountrieswouldnoteither.

WilsonFails•  Wilson’splansforlasLngpeacefailedbecauseofangryEuropeanalliesandRepublicans.–  EuropeancountriesinthewarwantedtopunishGermany.•  WantedtocarveupGermany’scolonies.

•  DemandedReparaLonsfortheWar.–  AsWilsonpredictedthis

wasnotforgo=enbytheGermans.

–  CongressionalRepublicansdidn’twanttheU.S.tobeapartoftheLeagueofNaLonsbecauseitwouldcommitU.S.tomorewars.

U.S.atTheEndofTheWar•  WilsontriedtodrumupsupportfortheTreaty.– Hasamassivestroke.

•  CongressdoesnotraLfyapeacetreatywithGermanyandAustria‐HungaryunLlOctober1921.

11/23/09

6

•  Bytheendofthewar,theU.S.wastheworld’slargestcreditor.–  (MuchlikeChinaistoday.)

•  Britain,France,andGermanyspendmuchoftheirwealthonthewar.– Theyemergedweak.

•  Americaonceagainadoptedaneutralstanceonworldconflicts.(Lastedforabout20years)