Rebecca Dunn

History Notes

Big Stick America and the World

The United States Enters the First World War
Background for War
Triple Alliance- Austria-Hungary, Germany, Italy
-began in 1882
Triple Entente- France, Great Britain, Russia
-began in 1907
-The system of alliances played an important part in turning the assassination into the war.
-Nationalism in Europe was strong.
-Imperialist rivalries threatened peace in Europe.

Assassination
-June28, 1914-Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, was
assassinated in Sarajevo. By a terrorist group called The Black Hand.
-killer: Gavrilo Princip; A Serbian Nationalist.

Mobilization and Invasion of Belgium

Central powers- Austria-Hungary and Germany.
-anticipated a swift victory
-marched through Belgium to France; August 3rd invasion.
-200,000 Belgium troops could not stop Germany, but did slow them as the other allies
mobilized.
-Eastern and Western battlefronts- Opposing armies dug trenches from which to fire on the
enemy lines. Most extensive trench warfare took place in France.
TRENCH WARFARE
American Neutrality

Proclamation of Neutrality
-Wilson-Thought the Allies could win without U.S involvement.
-The U.S adopted a Neutral position.
-Americans had a tough time remaining uninvolved.

Propaganda
-both sides used propaganda to try to influence public opinion.
-most major American papers backed the Allies.
-Immigrant papers- Supported Central Powers.
-British Propaganda Posters vs. United States Propaganda Posters
-allied propaganda- had greatest impact.
-Germans were portrayed as the aggressors.
-New German Weapons- Submariner and Poison Gas.

Weapons
Tank
-You are able to increase enemy lines easily. Tactical and strategic.
-Engines and reliability allowed tank to operate far away and for a long time.
-important new weapon.
Zeppelin
-ability to view the enemy in a observation balloon.
-flew above
-bombing from zeppelins, aero dynamic
-waste of money in economic view, highly flammable and not good on a
Airplane
-used to watch over enemy lines.
-mounted guns around the air craft.
-interrupter gear, ability to shoot a machine gun at the tip of the plane and stop shooting as the
propeller passed.

-sneak up on enemy, and shoot them with machine gun.

Machine gun
-water jacket around the gun, this cooled the barrel and gave it the ability to keep firing and not
overheat.
-elevation mechanism allowed the gun to rotate and cover yards ahead
-decisive part of the wart so many different types of machine guns.
Artillery weapons
-3 types.

Economic Ties
-economic ties to the Allies made strict neutrality impossible.
-military orders from the allies created an economic boom.
-trade with allies grew: $500 million in 1814, $3.5 billion in 1917.
-British set up a naval blockade to keep military contraband from reaching Germany.
Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
-1914-1915- German Submarines began attacking Allied ships.
-international law- Required ships to warn that it was about to sink an enemy vessel. (subs could
not do this.)
-1915- Germans- Ships risked attack in war zone around Britain.
-May 1915-Lusitania- British passenger ship; torpedoed and sunk- 1200 dead, 128 Americans.

Pressure for Preparedness

Sussex Pledge- Germany promised, with certain conditions, to sink no more merchant ships
without warning.
-Roosevelt criticized Wilson for not preparing for war. (restricted building up military).
-1916 could not ignore the possibility of war- Doubled army , and built larger military.
-2 main reasons- (Trade/ shipping, subs sinking our ships.)

Election of 1916

-Nation favored peace

-republican nominee: Charles Evans Hughes.
-labeled as a war candidate by democrats
-democrat nominee: Woodrow Wilson
-democrats portrayed Wilson as the man who would keep the U.S out of the war.

Renewed Effort
-1917- Germany unleashed its submarines to sink ALL ships in the war zone.
-Wilson then broke off relations with Germany.
Zimmerman telegram- Germany was trying to lure Mexico and Japan to its side. (Mexico may
gain land back from the U.S)
-April 6, 1917 U.S declared war on Germany

American Participation
-by June 2, 1917 almost 10 million men between the ages of 21-31 had registered for the war.
American Mobilization
-America was cut short on supplies
-needed to make adjustments to prepare

Wartime Agencies
1. War Industries Board (WIB)
-spur production and coordinate war industries.
-similar efforts brought order to the shipping and railroad industries
-led by Bernard Baruch- prepared industry

2. Food Administration
-Increasing food production became top priority.
-the country came together to raise the food.
-victory gardens- promoted by hoover

-wheat, pork, and sugar were top priorities.

3. Committee on Public information (CPI)

-150,00 citizens lectures.
-said that war was fought for freedom and democracy
-help spur the sale of liberty bonds.

Preparation
-2 million soldiers were sent to France
-slow mobilization: fewer than 300,000 fighting troops within a year
-the U.S used convoys to get ships safely to Europe.

The American Expeditionary force

-The American Expeditionary Force (AEF)- American troops involved in WWI- led by General
John J. Pershing.
-wanted to keep U.S troops together

-Russia dropped out of war.

-Battle of Belleau Woods-US troops distinguished themselves.
-Stopped the Germans, drove them back, broke through the line.
-Battle of the Argonne Forest- Massive American counterattack.
-Allies pressed on to victory November 11, 1918
-American troops and supplies helped turn the tide of battle.

Wilsons Fourteen Points

-Wilsons proposal for peace in World War I.
-FIRST FIVE POINTS- Open treaties, freedom of the seas, free trade, arms reduction, and
important adjustments of colonial claims,
-POINTS SIX-THIRTEEN-National self-determination and realignment of borders.

-POINT FOURTEEN- An establishment of an international organization to settle disputes

between nations and prevents future wars.

Peace Making
-Big Four- Leaders of United States, Great Britain, France, Italy.
-Dominated the peace negotiations at Versailles.

The treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations

-European leaders- Wanted the Treaty to be more selfish and vengeful.
-Wilson wanted the treaty to be more just and noble.
-Victors- Received land in secret treaties.

The U.S Senate and the Treaty

-The U.S did not accept the Versailles Treaty.
-The U.S Senate most strongly opposed setting up the league of Nations.
-U.S Never joined the League of Nations.