America & World - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

America & World War ISlide2

Wilson, Mexico & US Foreign Policy

Woodrow Wilson

Southern Democrat

History professor & intellectual

Mind for grand ideas- role of US in postwar world

Believed American economic expansion + democratic principles = civilizing force in the world

Emphasized foreign investments and industrial exports

Open Door principles of John Hay

Strong diplomatic and military measure to achieve economic supremacy

1913

Wilson became

president

Continued progressive activism of TR

Greater federal role in economic and business regulation

16

th

Amendment- Federal income tax

Federal Reserve Act- created 12 reserve banks regulated by Washington

Clayton Antitrust Act- recognition of union legality, check big businesses

Federal Trade Commission- regulatory control of corporationsSlide3

Wilson’s problems in Mexico

1911 Revolution in Mexico

overthrows corrupt dictator (

Porfirio

Díaz)Francisco Madero- new democratic government in Mexico promised land reform (this made U.S. with $11 billion invested very nervous)Madero murdered by his own chief lieutenant, Victoriano HuertaWilson refused to recognize Huerta’s gov. because he was unlawful (viewed him as murderer)Wilson used a minor insult to attack & occupy Veracruz attempting to oust HuertaCarranza, leader of opposition to Huerta, ousts Huerta (w/ US arms), then denounces WilsonPoncho Villa, former ally turned enemy of Carranza & U.S., tries to draw U.S. into war – raids and kills AmericansVilla evades 1,500 US troops for over a yearWilson’s involvement leads to Mexican distrust of USWilson didn’t go to war with Mexico because he didn’t want to weaken US position with GermanyWilson believed capitalist development, democracy and free trade were wave of futureWilson believed in Moral Values  WWISlide4

The Great War

Europe:

Triple Alliance

(aka The Central Powers)

Germany, Austria-Hungary, ItalyTriple Entente (aka The Allies)Great Britain, France, RussiaCompetition of Great Britain and GermanyGB: long-standing dominant powerGermany: aspirations of empireAlliances kept countries from going to war over small conflicts from 19th-20th centuryInclusiveness was its weaknessCould draw others into war that did erupt1914 archduke of Austro-Hungary assassinated in Bosnia by a Serbian nationalistHe thought Bosnia should be annexed by SerbiaGermany backed retaliation by Austro-HungarySerbia asked for Russian helpWar declared by both sides

Stalemate in northern France

New weapons: machine guns, tanks, trench warfare = 5 million killed in 2.5 yearsSlide5

Run-up to War

Wilson urged Americans to be “impartial in thought and action”

Germany declares waters around British Isle a war zone

May 7, 1915 German U-boat sinks Lusitania killing 1200, 128 Americans

Americans demand strong stance against Germany but don’t want warMarch 1916 German U-boat torpedoes French Sussex injuring 4 AmericansWilson threatens to cut off diplomatic relations w/ GermanyJune 1916 National Defense Act doubles the size of US army and increases spending of new battleships, cruisers and destroyersAnti-war feelings still very strong in USWilson wins 2nd term w/ “He kept us out of war” campaign 1916Germany declares unlimited submarine warfare gambling to destroy Allies before America can arriveMarch 1, 1917 Zimmerman Note interceptedGermany encouraging Mexico to take back New Mexico, Texas and ArizonaUS merchant ships are armed and allowed to shootGermans sink 7 US merchant ships killing manyApril 2, 1917 Wilson asks congress for warWilson’s case based on America’s special mission as mankind’s most enlightened and advanced nation to make the world safe for democracySlide6

Selling the War

Committee on Public Information – CPI agency for war promotion led by George Creel

Enlisted 150,000 people to work on CPI committees

Produced more than 100 million pieces of literature- pamphlets, articles, books- explaining causes and meaning of war

Created posters, slides, newspaper ads and filmsUsed movie stars to help sell war bonds75,000 “Four Minute Men” gave patriotic speeches before stage and movie showsAggressively negative campaign against GermansHuns = bestial monsters/ uncivilizedGerman music, language and books bannedSlide7

War PropagandaSlide8

The Draft

Lack of volunteers for service

Selective

Service Act- registration of all men ages 21-35

Different from Civil War draft- couldn’t buy your way out of service by paying for a substituteJune 5, 1917 10 million registerAug. 1918 extended age limits to 18-45Illiteracy rates among troops as high as 25%Low test scores of immigrants and African Americans reflect biases of testsSlide9

African Americans in the Military

Organized in segregated units

Barred from Marines and Coast Guard

Worked as cooks, laundrymen, stevedores

Endured humiliating and violent treatment form southern white officersFaced hostility from white civilians200,000 served in France1 in 5 saw combat compared to 1 in 3 white soldiersBlack combat units served with distinction in some French divisionsThe all black 369th US infantry served in trenches for 191 days, longest of any American regimentFrench government awarded entire regiment the Croix de GuerreEnjoyed better treatment in military and by civilians in France than in USSlide10

America’s Effect on the War

AEF- American Expeditionary

Forces = US troops

Led by General John J.

Pershing, independent of European command 70,000 AEF soldiers arrived in early 1918, helped the French stop the Germans from reaching Paris in June 1918AEF troop numbers grew to 1 million by Sept.September 1918 AEF troops took over southern part of a 200 mile front in the Meuse-Argonne offensive  German surrenderNovember 11, 1918 war endsMassive influx of American troops hastened the end of the war by ending the stalemate52,000+ Americans died in battle, 60,000 died from influenza and pneumoniaSlide11

WWI Part 2:Domestic Effects of the WarSlide12

The Economy

Economic boom began with exports to allies (between 1914-1916)

War = government-business cooperation (organization, regulation, subsidization)

War Industries Board (WIB)- mobilized national industry to support war effort

Led by Wall Street speculator Bernard M. BaruchRegulation of production & pricesMaximization of productivity & efficiency= BIG government “voluntary cooperation” enforced w/ threats of military takeover (Ford, US SteelGovernment saved $$, gained control of production, got what it needed for the warBusinesses expanded, saw high profitsSlide13

The Economy (continued)

1917 Food and Fuel Act-

Gave President authority to regulate commodities (food & fuel) needed for the war effort

Hoover, millionaire engineer, leads FA (Food Admin)

Uses price controls on agricultural commodities (pork, sugar, wheat) to regulate consumptionGov. buys products, distributes to licensed dealers who sell to public at high pricesUrged conservation ie. limit consumption, grow your own veggies, reuse/recycle Slide14

Cost of War

$33 billion dollars

Paid for with increased income & profit taxes

Min. income for taxation $1000

Highest brackets rates up to 70%Liberty Bonds- $23 billiongovernment borrowed money from American publicFederal debt jumps from $1billion to $20 billionSlide15

Labor & Labor Unions

Economic expansion + army mobilization + decline in immigration = labor shortage

Despite overcrowding & inflation workers enjoy higher wages and standard of living

AFL

pledged support for the war, saw sharp rise in membership (1mil) & increased influence, powerNational War Labor Board- led by Samuel Gompers- avoid strikes & interruptions in productionNWLB: ensured right to organize, higher wages, less hours, over-time pay, equal pay for womenIWW- denounced “capitalist war,” attacked by gov. agents-> Espionage ActSlide16

Women & The War

8 million women already working gained higher pay and access to new jobs

Another million joined workforce

Manufacturing jobs, munitions plants, train engineers, drill press operators, etc.

Women in Industry Service (WIS)- created standards, not legally enforced½ pay of men on averageEnd of war = end of women in “men’s” positionsSlide17

The Great Migration

Mass movement of African Americans from rural south to urban north

Labor shortage = job opportunities & higher wages

1914-1920, 300,000-500,000 migrated north

Single women often found best opportunitiesMen worked on railroads, meatpacking plants, shipyards, steel mills…..lower paying jobs, unskilledViolence and rioting against blacks in Northern citiesNAACP membership grows to 60,000- provide legal defense, influence legislation Slide18

Suppressing the Antiwar Movement

Espionage Act

(1917)

Replaced previous, expired law addressing seditious expression

Used to crush dissent and criticismSevere penalties, up to 20yrs prison, $10,000 fineAiding the enemy, obstruction recruitment, causing insubordination in the armed forcesAllowed postmaster gen. to censor mailPolice & surveillance machinery increaseLeads to creation of Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Sedition Act (1918)Amendment to Espionage ActOutlawed “any disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive language intended to cause contempt, scorn, contumely, or disrepute” to the government, Constitution, or flag (Freedom of Speech??)Used to strike out against socialists, pacifists, labor radicalsEugene Debs (4 times presidential candidate) imprisoned for 2.5 yrs, defending antiwar protestorsSlide19

Women & The Vote

Before WWI

:

State battle rather than nation

Led by western states (UT & WY 1st) In east suffrage linked to prohibitionDuring WWI:National campaign for constitutional amendmentLinked to patriotism2 opposing tactics: NAWSA- more conservative, linked vote to war effort, moderate lobbying & orderly demonstrationsNWP- more aggressive, picketed White House, condemned the Pres. & Congress, dramatic demonstrations19th Amendment: “war measure” passed Aug. 1920 after 2 years gaining states for ratification Slide20

Part III:Post-WWISlide21

Labor and Unions After the War

Wartime wage gains wiped out by inflation, high prices for food, fuel, housing

Government ended controls on industry, employers withdrew union recognition

4 million Americans workers involved in 3,600 strikes in 1919 alone (most ever)

Strikes stir fear, question social orderSeattle General Strike: 60,000 workers, city shut down for 3 days -> federal troops occupy the cityBoston Police Strike: National Guard called in, entire force firedSteel Strike: 350,00 workers, 4 months, state & federal troops used to break itPublic opinion turns against organized labor, propaganda calls strikers revolutionariesRussian Revolution… fear it could happen here, Red ScareSlide22

Wilson’s Post-War Ambitions

Fourteen Points & Versailles Treaty

Postwar European boundaries, division of empires

Principles for governing international conduct

Freedom of the seasFree tradeOpen covenants instead of secret treatiesReduce armamentsMediation for competing colonial claimsSlide23

League of Nations (14th

point)

Based in Geneva, Switzerland (neutral)

Implement 1

st 13 pointsCollective security to keep world peaceDownfalls:Allies resist the call for independence of colonies & carve up former German and Ottoman empiresNo military to enforce peaceSimilar to previous alliances?US, German, Russia don’t joinGermany & the Treaty:Germans need to be made to hate warTerritories divided (WWII- trying to get it back)Wilson disagrees with Britain and France over reparations ($33 billion)German resentment & rise of NazisSlide24

Defeat of the League in US

Party politics (Democratic President

v

Republican controlled Congress)

Oppose collective security & restraints on F.P. (isolationism) Proposal of weakened version in Senate failsWilson’s refusal to compromiseEntire point for going to war wasted in Wilson’s eyesUS doesn’t sign Versailles Treaty or join League of NationsSlide25

Ultimate Effects of WWI

112,000 Americans died (battle & illness), 200,000+ wounded

9 million Russians died

6 million Germans died

5 million French died2 million British died2 million Italians diedSame nations fight again 20 years laterMajor European economies stifled US becomes dominant world economic power