20. The First World War

I.    Problems of neutrality – Wilson says be neutral in thought/deed
    A.    Submarines – British navy blockades German ports, u-boats only way to fight back
        1.    Lusitania – part cruise ship, part munitions transport
        2.    At first Germany gives Sussex Pledge, don’t shoot without warning, but then…
    B.    Economic ties – America was in a recession – JP Morgan and bankers loan money
        1.    Military orders from France and Britain huge
    C.    Psychological and ethnic ties – align with British – control propaganda/Kaiser embodies autocrat
        1.    Germany’s strike on neutral Belgium – makes Germans look like Huns
        2.    Wilson an anglophile
        3.    11 million w/ ties to Germany/Austria-Hungary – recent immigrants

II.    Preparedness and pacifism – Teddy Roosevelt pushes for war – cries of America to stay out
    A.    Russia turns communist and drops out, now America can fight for “democracy”
    B.    1915 – Council of National Defense – look into how to mobilize for war/launched shipbuilding
    C.    Most labor unions support war, except for IWW “Wobblies)

III.    Mobilization
    A.    Fighting the war – army ranked 15th – Americans feared gov’t intervention
        1.    Doughboys – conscription – no draft dodgers to buy selves out – 18-45 register
        2.    Work or fight
        3.    America’s biggest contribution through food/munitions – only two big battles
    B.    Financing the war – no forced rationing- propaganda – Herbert Hoover controls food admin.
        1.    Voluntary – farm production increased
        2.    Victory Loan Drives “Halt the Hun” – 1/5 of all money, $21 billion
            a)    Extreme peer pressure to buy war bonds
        3.    Rest of money from taxes
    C.    War boards – gov’t tries to takes over production
        1.    Bernard Baruch – War Industries Board – not effective – companies want laissez faire
    D.    Propaganda, public opinion, civil liberties
        1.    George Creel – Committee of Public Information – sell America on war and war aims
            a)    Four-minute men to give speeches, posters, billboards, booklets, movies
            b)    World expects too much – inspired with passion to want to buy bonds/participate
        2.    German-Americans targeted – blamed for diarrhea, sickness, spying – some tarred
            a)    Espionage Act – Sedition Act – anything against America can be jailed
                (1)    Targeted anti-war socialists, and union leaders (IWWW)
                (2)    Pardons given once war over, but civil liberties still broken

IV.    Wilson's Fourteen Points – Wilson idealist – “make the world safe for democracy” – goal to prevent war
    A.    No treaties, freedom of seas, reduce military
    B.    Self-determination – let peoples decide their fate
    C.    Create League of Nations to settle international disputes
    D.    Treaty of Versailles – Idealist Wilson vs. Imperialist Europeans who want revenge
        1.    Punishes Germany – unrealistic reparations, demilitarize, accept full blame
    E.    Ratification fight – League of Nations – Senate can’t lose war declaration power
        1.    America’s history of avoiding entangling alliances
            a)    Senate – Henry Cabot Lodge – afraid of Article X – must fight in war
        2.    Strong German sentiment in Mid-West makes Wilson’s tour unsuccessful
        3.    America’s refusal makes League powerless and America looks pathetic not agreeing to what they proposed

V.    Postwar demobilization – America wants to return to normalcy – keep economy going, go America
    A.    Red scare – Russian communism spreading – Crusade against left-wingers – anti-Americans
        1.    Palmer Raids – Mitchell Palmer arrest anyone considered radical
    B.    Labor strife – gov’t goes back to laissez faire – helping corps. – unions look red/communist