Chapter 21 Study Guide America and the Great War I. America and the World 1901-1917 Roosevelt and Civilization: Civilized nations were predominantly white and Anglo Saxon Had the right to intervene in the affairs a ffairs of a backward nation to preserve order and stability Protecting the Open Door in Asia: 1904: Japan staged an attack on the Russian fleet in Manchuria M anchuria that both Russia and Japan hoped to control Roosevelt agreed to a Japanese request to mediate an end to the conflict; trade freely with Japan; ended the Russo-Japanese War Iron-Fisted Neighbor: Venezuela began to renege on debts to European bankers; blockaded Venezuela in response Roosevelt used the threat of American naval power to pressure the German navy to withdraw to bombard the Venezuelan port Roosevelt Corollary: the US had the right not only to oppose European intervention in the Western hemisphere but also to intervene in the domestic affairs of its neighbors proved unable to maintain order and national sovereignty on their own -assumed control of Dominican customs and dist. 45% of the revenues to the Dominicans and the rest to foreign creditors Platt Amendment: granted indep. To Cuba but gave US the right to prevent any other foreign power from intruding into the new nation; quelled the fighting of domestic uprisings The Panama Canal: Linked Atlantic and Pacific; Philippe Bunau Villa helped organize a revolution in Panama and prevented Colombian forces from suppressing the rebellion and recognized Panama as an indep. Nation; new gov’t agreed to terms the Colombian senate had rejected; canal opened in 1914 Taft and the Dollar Diplomacy: Knox encouraged American bankers to offer substantial loans to the new government in Nicaragua to increase leverage on the country Diplomacy and Morality: When Wilson began to fear that the Danish West Indies might be about to fall into the hands of Germany, he bought the colony from Denmark and renamed it the Virgin Islands When the Mexicans refused to have the Huerta forces fire a 21 gun salute sal ute to the American flag as a public display of penance; Wilson used it to seize the Mexican port of Veracruz Strengthened the Carranza faction which captured Mexico City and forced Huerta to flee the country; Pancho Villa was leading a rebel army and Wilson supported him instead of Carranza
Wilson abandoned Villa and granted preliminary recognition to the Carranza gov’t -b/c of this American betrayal, Villa shot 16 American miners and killed 17 more in NM Wilson ordered Pershing to lead a force but never found Villa; withdrew from the war and recognized the Carranza regime II. The Road To War: Collapse of European peace: Triple Entente: Great Britain, Russia, France Triple Alliance: Germany, Austro-Hungarian Empire, Italy Conflict emerged when Ferdinand was shot by a Bosnian Serb within the Austro-Hungarian Empire; Germany declared war on Russia and France and had invaded Belgium in preparation for a thrust across the French border G.B. declared war on Germany and Russia and A. Hungary began hostilities on August 6 Wilson’s Neutrality: The British had imposed a naval blockade on Germany to prevent munitions and supplies from reaching the enemy; US had the right to trade with Britain and Germany but to trade with Germany, they had to defy the blockade By 1915, US was transformed into the arsenal of the Allies Germany used submarines to try to stem the flow of supplies to England, enemy vessels would be sunk 1915: German submarine sunk the British passenger liner Lusitania causing American deaths; demanded that Germany not repeat Germany attacked the unarmed French steamer Sussex, injuring Americans and Wilson demanded that Germany abandon its unlawful tactics; German gov’t relented, still hoping to keep America out Preparedness vs. Pacifism: Wilson at first sided with the antiprepardness forces, denouncing the idea of an American military buildup as needless and provocative Endorsed proposal for a large and rapid increase in the nation’s armed forces; went on national speaking tour to arouse support for proposal 1916 Election: Wilson did nothing to discourage the candidate Hughes was more likely to lead nation into war Won reelection and democrats retained control over Congress A War For Democracy: Wilson stated that the nation was committed to using the war as a vehicle for constructing a new world order, based on some of the progressive ideals that had motivated reform in America Germany launched series of assaults on France and hoped that allied forces would collapse before US would intervene New Germany policy and two additional events made American entry into war inevitable:
1) British gave Wilson a telegram intercepted from the German foreign minister, Zimmermann and proposed that in the event of war between Germany and US, the Mexicans should join with Germany against the Americans to regain their lost provinces like Texas when war was over 2) Russian revolution toppled the czarist regime and replaced it with a new republican gov’t ; now US would be spared embarrassment with allying itself with despotic monarchy -After Germany toppled 3 American ships, Wilson asked Congress to declare war III. War Without Stint: Entering the War: No American troop ship was lost at sea when aiding the British navy and traveling overseas After the Bolshevik Revolution, Lenin negotiated a peace with the Central Powers, thus freeing additional German troops to fight on the western front (1918) American Expeditionary Force: Selective Service Act: draft brought 3 million men into the army and 2 million joined various branches; known as the American Expeditionary Force AEF Women were permitted to enlist in the military but were not allowed in combat 400,000 AA’s were enlisted or drafted into the army and navy; under white commanders -Group of soldiers in Houston subjected to abuse people in the community using military weapons to kill 17 whites; 13 AA’s were hanged and 40 sent to jail American Psychological Association APA gave IQ tests to soldiers The Military Struggle: Under Pershing, the army joined the allied forces Trenches decreased the morale for the Americans, British, and French American forces at Château-Thierry assisted the French in repelling a German offensive that had brought German forces within 50 miles of Pa ris; Allies had halted German advance Argonne Offensive: pushed Germans back toward their border and cut the enemy’s major supply lines to the front Germany wanted a ceasefire and in 1918, war ended The New Technology of Warfare: Trenches, tanks, flamethrowers, chemical weapons like gas, required troops to carry gas marks and made it possible to attack entrenched soldiers without combat Faster machine guns, motorized vehicles, airplanes played a role British battleships like Dreadnought made use of new technologies such as turbine propulsion, hydraulic gun controls, electric light and power Submarines like German U-boat; driven by diesel engines High casualty rates in Germany, Britain, France but light in US IV. The War and American Society
Organizing the Economy for War: Gov’t relied on solicit loans from the American people by selling liberty bonds to the public; new taxes were bringing in 10 billion some from levies on the excess profits of corp. much from new income and inheritance taxes Wilson est. the Council of National Defense which set up local defense councils in every state and locality War boards would oversee the railroads, fuel supplies, and another to handle food to succeed in meeting essential war needs without paralyzing the domestic econ. War Industries board: coordinate gov’t purchases of military supplies Brach decided which factories would convert to the production of which war materials and set prices for goods Centralized regulation of the economy that some progressives had long urged Ensured that manufac. Who coordinated their efforts with his goals would be exempt from anti-trust laws; helped indust. Earn profits from their efforts Accomplishments: Hoover’s efficient organization of domestic food supplies, McAdoo’s success in untangling railroads and others Labor and the War: National War Labor Board resolve labor disputes, pressured industry to grant important concessions to workers; 8 hour day, maintenance of minimal living standards, equal pay for women doing equal work, right of unions to organize, but forgo all strikes Western Federation of Miners staged series of strikes and state militia defeated the strikers Ludlow Massacre: joined by strikebreakers and others, the militia attacked the workers’ tent colony and 39 people died; precursors to continued conflict in the mines that war itself did little to discourage Economic and Social Results of the War: Employment increased and new opportunities for AA’s, women, Mexican and Asian workers bc of booming economy Farm prices rose to their highest levels and agric. Production increased Great Migration: prospect of factory jobs in urban North for blacks to enjoy more freedom and autonomy; Chicago: 70,000 new black residents Dramatic growth in black population in NY, Chicago, Cleveland, and Detroit White mobs started to attack the black population like in Illinois and shot and burned their houses Women Industry Board was created to oversee the movement of these women into the jobs left behind by men; dedicated to protecting the interests of women in the workforce V. The Futile Search for Social Unity: The Peace Movement: Carrie Chapman Catt, a leader for women’s suffrage created the Women’s Peace Party (abandoned peace cause to support the war for suffrage)
Women peace activists were divided: National American Woman Suffrage Association supported the war and dedicated to advance the effort Woman suffrage as a war measure to ensure that women would feel fully a part of the nation; Jane Addams and Gilman opposed the war effort Women peace activists shared socialist views to the “mother half of humanity” Selling the War and Suppressing Dissent: Committee on Public Information: rallied public support by created propaganda for pro war Billy Sunday leading revivalist dropped opposition to support the military effort Directed by George Creel and distributed pro-war literature, posters, newspapers Represented Germans as savages and demonized them in posters Espionage Act of 1917 gave the gov’t new tools with which to respond to such reports of people who supported the enemy (spying, sabotage) Sabotage Act and the Sedition Act: expanded meaning of the esp. act to make illegal any public expression of opposition to the war Targets of legislation: the wobblies (IWW) and Socialist Party (Debs imprisoned) American Protective League attempted to impose unity of opinion on their communities Targets were usually immigrants like Irish Americans because of their animosity toward the British and how Jews hated the Russians for the antiSemitic policies and most German Americans supported Germany VI. The Search for a New World Order The Fourteen Points: Eight specific recommendations for adjusting postwar boundaries and for est. new nations to replace the Austro-Hung. And Ottom. Empires; principles of self-determination 5 general principles to govern international conduct in the future; f reedom of the seas, open covenants instead of secret treaties, reductions in armaments, free trade, and impartial mediation of colonial claims League of nations to implement new principles and territ. Adjustments Provided no formula for deciding how to implement the national self determination Once the international community accepted certain basic principles of conduct, and once it constructed modern inst. To implement them, the human race could live in peace Announced the 14 points in part to ensure that the world looked to the US, not Russia, for guidance (Lenin refused to keep Russia in the war) Early Obstacles: British PM Lloyd George insisted that the German Kaiser be captured and executed; he and Clemenceau of France were determined to the end to gain something from the struggle to compensate them for the catastrophe
Wilson unwisely appealed to American voters to support his peace plans by electing democrats to congress in the November elections; repub. Caught majorities in both houses and domestic econ. Troubles had been the most import. Factor in the voting Wilson further antagonized the republicans when he refused to app oint any important Repub. To the negotiating team that would rep. US at the peace conf. in Paris The Paris Peace Conference: George of Britain, Clemenceau of France, Orlando of Italy, Wilson of US-The big four Wilson ordered the landing of troops in the Sov. Union and claimed to help 60,000 Czech soldiers that were trapped; assisted the White Russians (antiBolsheviks) in their fight against new regime; Wilson refused to recognize new gov’t Despite his support for impartial mediation of colonial claims, he was forced to accept a transfer of German colonies in the Pacific to Japan; self determin. Received several assaults The reparations combined with other territorial and econ. Penalties constituted an effort to keep Germany weak Created Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia and secured approval of a plan to place many former colonies and imperial possessions in trusteeship under the L. of Nations the so called mandate system Most visible triumph: creation of a permanent international org. to oversee world affairs and prevent future wars; all mistakes would be corrected by the League Question unanswered: how the League would enforce its decisions The ratification battle: Senator Henry Cabot Lodge loathed the president and used every tactic to delay and amend the treaty; public sentiment favored the treaty Series of reservations or amendments to the League covenant limiting American obligations to the org. Wilson’s Ordeal: After a tour and after speaking in Pueblo, Cali, Wilson returned to Washington bc of his health When the full senate voted in November, Wilson said they must vote only for a treaty with no changes and any other version will be defeated 42 democrats joined with 13 irreconcilables to reject the treaty; 38 senators voted to approve while 55 voted no VII. A Society in Turmoil: Industry and Labor: Accompanied by raging inflation; econ. Bubble busted as many of the temporary forces that had created it disappeared and as inflation killed the market for consumer goods
Boston Police Strike: responded to layoffs and wage cuts by demanding recognition of its union; Coolidge called in National Guard to restore order and Boston officials dismissed the entire police force and hired a new one 350,000 steelworkers walked off the job, demanding an 8-hour workday and recog. Of their union; setback from which organized labor would not recover from; defeated Demands of African Americans: Black soldiers expected their military service to enhance their social status so black factory workers regarded their move north as an escape from racial prejudice and an opportunity for econ. Gain Whites on Chicago beach stoned a black boy for swimming in their beach; angry blacks gathered in crowds and marched into white neighborhoods to retaliate; 38 people died; Chicago riot was the worst but not the only racial violence during the so-called red summer of 1919 Garvey encouraged AA’s to take pride in their own achievements and to develop an awareness of their heritage; United Negro Improvement Association launched a chain of black-owned grocery stores and p ressed for the creation of black businesses Urged blacks to return to Africa but was deported to Jamaica The Red Scare: American Communist Party formed in 1919 and were responsible for series of bombings in the spring of 1919 that produced national alarm One of bombings damaged Palmer’s home in Washington (att. General) and terrible explosion on Wall Street which killed 30 p eople Anti radical newspapers and politicians now began to portray almost every form of instability or protest as a sign of a radical threat Women’s group such as the National Consumer’s League came under attack by antiradicals because so many feminists had opposed American intervention in the fighting in Europe Palmer and his ambitious assistant, J Edgar Hoover orchest. A series of raids on alleged radical centers and arrested more than 6000 people Palmer Raids: intended to uncover large caches of weapons and explosives Sacco and Vanzetti: confessed anarchists that were convicted and died in electric chair in an unfair trial Refuting the red Scare: The National Civil Liberties Bureau launched in 1917 was renamed the American Civil Liberties Union The Retreat from Idealism: Congress passed the Shepard Towner Maternity Act and Infany Act that provided funds for supporting the health of women and infants 1922 Cable Act which granted women the right of US citizenship independent of their husbands’ status and for the proposed but never ratified 1924 const. amendment to outlaw child labor Republican nominee in election of 1920: Harding won on his ideals to return to normalcy; republicans gained majorities in both houses
