World War I: The Home Front

Libertyville HS

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

War Guilt and Reparations

• French, British wanted to punish Germany– Insisted Germans take on

complete responsibility for the war

– Demanded Germans pay $33 billion to allies (impossible)

• Versailles Treaty signed 6/28/19