America and World War I

1. America and World War I

2. The Great War in Europe • Quickly spiraled out of control • Total War • Spread and reach of conflict affected all aspects of society • Loss of civilians and infrastructure • All elements business, economy, agriculture, etc, used to support war effort • Trench Warfare • Made necessary by the accuracy of improved weapons • In northern France- 6,250 miles of trenches • Misery of the trenches • New Technologies • Airplanes, submarines (u-boats), and tanks as transport • Chemical warfare- chlorine and mustard gas • Improved Machine guns

3. Neutrality • From the outbreak of war in Europe, President Woodrow Wilson called for Americans not to take sides • Called for Americans to be ‘neutral in thought as well as in deed’ • In sentiment and allegiance not really neutral- heavily favored Britain and France • Wilson believed trade with warring countries was necessary • Most US trade of the time was with the Allied Powers • After a few years, fighting nations were in need of loans • US loaned $2.25 billion to the Allies, only $27 million to the Central Powers

4. The Lusitania • May 7, 1915 • Civilian passenger ship torpedoed by a German U Boat off the coast of Ireland- sank in 20 mins. • Killed 1,198 people • 128 Americans • Outrage, but did not enter the War

5. Towards War • Unrestricted Submarine Warfare • 1917- Germany resumes plan to target and attack ships providing aide to the Allied Powers • Germany was attempting the win the war quickly, despite the risk of antagonizing Wilson

6. The Zimmerman Note • March 1917- British intelligence sends Wilson an intercepted telegram between German foreign minister Alfred Zimmerman and German ambassador to Mexico • Telegram proposed an alliance between Germany and Mexico if the US joined the War • Promised to help Mexico recover lost territory- Texas, New Mexico, California, Arizona • Last straw- Wilson asks Congress for a declaration of war • Claiming our role would be to end German Militarism and “make the world safe for democracy”

7. Over There • 1917- Russia had cut a deal with Germany- destabilized by the Bolshevik revolution, and Italy had been beaten • US assumed an active role in the conflict very quickly • US raised an army of 5 million- volunteer and draft • American troops assisted in pushing German army back at the Battle of the Somme • Influx of American troops forced the Central Powers to ask for peace

8. Over Here • In 1917, over 1/3 of the US was of foreign decent- close ties to warring countries in Europe • Over 10 million from Central Powers nations; Irish hated the English • To raise support for the war, Wilson created the Committee on Public Information (CPI) to distribute pro-war propaganda • Anti-German Sentiment • Immigrants from Germany and Ireland strongly supported neutrality and criticized US support of the Allies • Once we entered the war- hunting for spies in the German communities • German schools and newspapers were closed-

9. Over Here cont. • Removing German elements from the culture- • Germans were called "Huns." In the name of patriotism, musicians no longer played Bach and Beethoven, and schools stopped teaching the German language. Americans renamed sauerkraut "liberty cabbage"; dachshunds "liberty hounds"; and German measles "liberty measles." Cincinnati, with its large German American population, even removed pretzels from the free lunch counters in saloons. • Vigilante actions against Germans in the community- often without consequence

10. Espionage and Sabotage Act • 1917- Espionage Act allowed postal service to ban anti-war written work- and threatened those encouraged draft dodging with jail time • 1918- Sabotage and Sedition Act- made it a federal offense to use "disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive language" against the US government • Bisbee deportation- Over 1100 striking mine workers were rounded up and shipped off into the New Mexico desert without food or water • Strikers seen as threatening the economy and therefore the war effort

11. Most Significant Battles • Battle of the Marne • Initial surprise invasion by Germany- ended in stalemate • Battle of Verdune • France in 1916- one of the most brutal encounters of the war- massive losses with very little advantage gained • Battle of Ypres • Multiple battles at this location- 1915 first use of chemical warfare by Germany • Battle of the Somme • July-Nov. of 1916- massive losses- gained 3 miles • Total Casualties- 8.5 million • Allied Powers- 5.1 million • Central Powers- 3.3 million • The Lost Generation

12. Treaty of Versailles • Exhausted European powers agreed to an armistice on November 11, 1918 • Treaty of Versailles signed on June 28, 1919 • Dissolution of Austria Hungary and The Ottoman Empire • Germany forced to take responsibility of the war- forced to accept territorial losses and military restrictions

13. Wilson’s 14 points • When peace talks began- Woodrow Wilson put forth his plan, called his 14 points • In it, called for an association of nations to keep the peace and mediate problems- called the League of Nations- precursor to the UN • Believed League needed to include Germany to prevent further conflict from breaking out in Europe- not popular • Finally accepted, although he did not prevent the ‘War Guilt’ Clause • On his return, the US Congress refused to join the League- Wilson spent the rest of his life trying to convince them

14. Works Cited • Mintz, S., & McNeil, S. (2016). World War I. Digital History. Retrieved January 28, 2016, fromhttp://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/era.cfm?eraID=11&smtID=2