US Neutrality
• 1897 to 1914: Trade overseas increased from $700 million to $3.5 billion
• French, British war orders• British North Sea naval
blockade, u-boats threatened trade
• “Freedom of the Seas”, for neutrals
Women working in ammo factory
US Neutrality
• US preparedness for war– US business leaders
generally supported British, French
– Camps set up to train men for combat
• Peace Movement– Populists, progressives,
social reformers (women)– Government tried to broker
peace
From Neutrality to War
• German Submarine Warfare– “Unterseeboot”– Lusitania (5/7/15)
• Torpedoed, sank in ten minutes
• 1200 killed, incl. 128 US
– Arabic (8/15)• 200 passengers aboard
– Sussex (3/16)• cross channel ferry• 25 US casualties
From Neutrality to War
• Election of 1916– Wilson motto: “He kept us
out of the war”
• Zimmerman Note• Russian Revolution
– February 1917: Czar overthrown, but Russians stayed in war
– Russian people increasingly radicalized, demoralized
The War Resolution
• Resolution passed 4/2/17
• The “War to end war”• Wilson: “the world
must be made safe for democracy”
• Critics: hypocrite!
Americans on the Home Front
• Financing the war– Tax increases = $9 billion– Liberty Bonds raised $15
billion
• Managing labor, economy– War Industries Board
• Bernard Baruch• Eliminate waste, inefficiency• Est. priorities for shipping, set
prices for goods• Ex – redesign of bicycles
Sale of liberty bonds
Americans on the Home Front• Managing labor, economy
– War Trade Board: control over imports, exports
– National War Labor Board: set up to adjudicate labor disputes
– Food Administration: set prices, what crops grown• Citizens encouraged to save
food to send overseas• “War gardens” created
– Fuel Administration: control production of coal, oil
Americans on the Home Front
• Enforcing Loyalty– Committee on Public
Information• Official propaganda agency of US
government• Generated propaganda vs.
Germans
– National Security League• Dec. 1914: nationalist, militaristic,
quasi-fascist org.• Called for strong military,
conscription, interstate highways
Americans on the Home Front• Espionage Act of 1917
– Crime to promote success of enemies of America
– Crime to pass info w/ intent to interfere w/ operations or success of armed forces of US
– Over 2000 arrested, including labor leaders (Debs), ee Cummings (in France!)
• Sedition Act of 1918– Crime to make disloyal
statements about US flag, gov’t or armed forces
Debs, speaking in Canton, OH
Americans on the Home Front• Schenck v. US (1919)
– Head of Socialist Party of US– Sent 15k leaflets to draft eligible
males– 6 month prison sentence– US Supreme Court: criminal
conviction constitutional?• Unanimous: yes!• “Clear and present danger”: do
words used in circumstances create c & pd of evil Congress was trying to prevent
• “shouting fire in a theater” ex.
WWI, Changing America
• Children joined boy scouts• Immigration dried up• African-Americans
– The Great Migration: African-Americans moved north due to labor shortages
– Race Riots b/c of Migration• East St. Louis• Chicago• Omaha
WWI, Changing America
• Women– 400k women joined industrial
work force– Wilson on suffrage: “a vitally
necessary war measure”– 19th Amendment (1920)
• Prohibition (18th Amendment)– Grain used to make alcohol– Justification for prohibition =
give up alcohol to devote scarce grain supplies for troops
America’s Entry into the War
• The American Expeditionary Force (AEF)– General John “Blackjack”
Pershing– “Doughboys”
• Convoy system– Protection vs. U-boats
• Pershing’s vision– US troops to serve together,
as units– US officers lead US troops
America’s Entry into the War• Selective Service Act of
1917 – drafted 4 million men to fight
• Women – 13000 served as nurses in France, US Navy
• African Americans– Ex: 369th Inf. Reg: “Harlem
Hell Fighters”– Pershing: Afr. Am. troops to
serve as replacements for British, French units
Turning the Tide of War
• Bolshevik Revolution (11/17)– Bolsheviks – Vladimir Lenin & the
“sealed train”– Russian Peace w/ Germany
• German attack almost reached Paris– Chateau Thierry – 1st combat
service– Belleau Wood
Turning the Tide of War
• Allied counterattack– Meuse-Argonne offensive –
attack along entire Western Front
– Alvin York: Medal of Honor• Attacked MG nest, killing 28• Captured 132 Germans
• The Air War– Billy Mitchell commanded all
US forces– Advocate of air power, post
war
Ending the War
• The Armistice– “The eleventh day . . .”
• The Influenza Epidemic– Mutation of flu virus– World wide death toll
• American cost of War– 50,000 Americans, dead– Trench foot– Shell shock
US as Global Peacekeeper
• Wilson and the 14 Points– Wilson’s vision of a world peace– No secret treaties– Remove trade barriers– Reduce military forces
• League of Nations– Organization for world nations
to ensure security, peace– Article 10: attack on one
member = attack on all– US Senate refused to ratify
Reaction at Home• Henry Cabot Lodge:
“reservationists”– Wanted to restrict Art. 10
• Wilson’s reaction– Tour of country; stroke– Became inflexible over treaty
• Senators: 39-55 rejection!• Fate of treaty
– 5-20-20: Wilson vetoed treaty w/o League of Nations
– 7-2-21: war officially ended