1. U.S. Involvement in WWI

2. Selective Service When the U.S. entered WWI in 1917, the Army and National Guard combined had about 370,000 troops Approximately 2 million young men volunteered for service after the war began, but many Americans believed more soldiers were necessary To help increase the size of the military, Congress enacted the Selective Service Act

3. Selective Service Selective Service requires all men between 21 and 30 to register for the draft A lottery randomly drew names that were ordered to appear before a local draft board, who would decide whether a person was exempted or selected for service

4. Women in the Military • WWI was the first war in which women officially served the armed forces • In 1917, the Navy authorized the enlistment of women to meet its clerical (secretarial) needs • The Army did not enlist women, but did allow women to serve in the Army Nursing Corps • Army nurses were the only women sent overseas during the war.

6. Homefront War Efforts • There were many efforts in the U.S. to support the troops and the war effort • The War Industries Board coordinated the production of war materials • Food and fuel were not rationed, but people were encouraged to increase food production while decreasing consumption, which created a surplus of food • Victory Gardens were planted to provide fruit and vegetables for individual families

7. Homefront War Efforts • The government could not raise taxes to pay for the war, so they came up with a way to borrow over $20 billion from the American people by selling Liberty Bonds and Victory Bonds • The government agreed to repay the money with interest in a specific number of years • Posters, rallies, and “Liberty Loan Sermons” encouraged people to buy the bonds as an act of patriotism

9. Civil Liberties Limited • The Espionage Act of 1917 addressed the penalties and prison terms for anyone who gave aid to the enemy • It also penalized disloyalty, giving false reports, or “otherwise interfering with the war effort” • The Post Office even hired college professors to translate foreign magazines to find out if they contained anti-war messages

10. Civil Liberties Limited • The Sedition Act of 1918 expanded the meaning of the Espionage Act to make any public expression of opposition to the war illegal • It allowed officials to prosecute anyone who criticized the government • The Sedition Act led to over 1,500 prosecutions and 1,000 convictions

11. Civil Liberties Limited • The fear of spies and emphasis on patriotism led to the mistreatment and persecution of German Americans • German sounding names were changed – for example, sauerkraut was renamed “liberty cabbage” • Schools dropped German language classes • Music by German composers was banned, including Beethoven and Schubert

12. Civil Liberties Limited • Labor activists, socialists, and pacifists were targeted as well • Americans formed private organizations to combat “anti-patriotic” behavior • Organizations included the American Protective League and the Boy Spies of America • Their objectives included spying on neighbors and reporting any suspicious activities

13. Civil Liberties Limited In spite of the fact that the First Amendment states that “Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press,” the Supreme Court decided otherwise Schenck vs. the U.S.: “When a nation is at war, many things that might be said in times of peace are such a hindrance to its effort that their utterance will not be rendered so long as [soldiers] fight . . .”

14. Comparative Losses In WWI MEN KILLED IN BATTLE COSTS 1,700,000 Russia $18 billion 1,600,000 Germany $39 billion 1,385,000 France $26 billion 900,000 British Empire $38 billion 800,000 Austria $21 billion 462,000 Italy $13 billion 49,000 U.S. $22 billion

15. The War’s End • The Treaty of Versailles ended WWI • It was exceptionally harsh on Germany • President Woodrow Wilson was disappointed in the treaty, but was pleased that it called for the creation of the League of Nations • President Wilson returned from the peace summit at Versailles for the Senate to approve the Treaty

16. The War’s End The U.S. Senate refused to approve the Treaty of Versailles because of the clause requiring the creation of the League of Nations “The Irreconcilables” were afraid that the League might supersede the power of Congress and require the U.S. to enter into future wars without Congress’s approval The U.S. negotiated separate peace treaties with each of the Central Powers The League of Nations was formed without the U.S.

17. The War’s End • The end of the War brought great upheaval to American society • Restrictions on goods ended and people raced to buy goods that had been limited during the war • This massive increase in demand caused a spike in inflation • Inflation is a dramatic increase in the cost of living – the cost of food, shelter, and other essentials

18. The War’s End Inflated prices meant that people’s money was worth less This led to strikes in several industries across the U.S., including the Seattle General Strike (a strike throughout the city, not limited to one industry or company), and the steelworker strikes

20. The War’s End • Hundreds of thousands of soldiers who had left their lives for the war returned to the U.S. and were looking for jobs • Many African-Americans had moved north during the war and were also competing for jobs • Frustration and racism came to a boiling point, and race riots broke out across the U.S. in the summer of 1919 • The worst riots were in Chicago in July • The riot lasted several days: 38 people died – 15 white and 23 black

22. The War’s End The strikes of 1919 helped to fuel fears that Communists were conspiring to start a revolution in the U.S. Communism in the U.S. was associated with unpatriotic and disloyal behavior Immigrants were particularly targeted as suspected Communists