US History Midterm Module 6: America In The World War

The existence of treaties forced countries and empires into declaring war even when they were not directly threatened.
An example is when Austria-Hungary declared war against Serbia, Russia was brought into the conflict due to a treaty in which they had agreed to defend Serbia.

Wilson advocated for a less expansionist approach and pledged to only intervene when morally obligated.
Wilson believed that democracy was the best system and demanded that Mexico hold democratic elections and establish laws based on the moral principles he espoused. He also held that the United States should continue to actively pursue economic markets abroad.

The German use of unrestricted submarine warfare.
The German Navy continued to use submarines to destroy military or merchant ships without warning and without giving the opportunity to surrender.

Wilson proposed an idealistic foreign policy based on morality, rather than American self-interest, and felt that American interference in another nation’s affairs should occur only when the circumstances rose to the level of a moral imperative.

The Zimmerman Telegram

The telegram sent from the German foreign minister to the German ambassador in Mexico, which was intercepted by the British, invited Mexico to fight alongside Germany. In return, the Germans would help Mexico win back territory lost in the Mexican-American War.

Holding overseas colonies was seen as a status symbol and fed feelings of nationalism.
Powerful countries sought to increase their influence by expanding their empires overseas with colonies leading to increased competition, rivalry, and alliances.

Wilson’s desire to keep the world safe democracy encouraged his support of women’s suffrage.
Supporters of equal rights for women pointed to Wilson’s rallying cry of a war “to make the world safe for democracy,” as hypocritical, saying he was sending American boys to die for such principles while simultaneously denying American women their democratic right to vote.

The federal government became more involved in an effort to deal with the labor shortage.
The wartime need for peaceful and productive industrial relations prompted the federal government to invite organized labor leaders to the negotiating table.

The Sedition Act.

an act that prohibited any criticism or disloyal language against the federal government and its policies, the U.S. Constitution, the military uniform, or the American flag. More than two thousand persons were charged with violating these laws, and many received prison sentences of up to twenty years.

Women worked the many jobs left open by men who were fighting in Europe but were often fired as the men returned.
More than one million women entered the workforce for the first time as a result of the war, while more than eight million working women found higher-paying jobs. However, after the war ended and men returned home and searched for work, women were fired from their jobs and expected to return home and care for their families.

be part of a well-recognized religious sect that practices pacifism
When the Selective Service Act of 1917 was passed, it allowed conscientious objectors to register for non-combatant service as long as they were part of a “well-recognized religious sect … whose then existing creed or principles forbid its members to participate in war in any form”.

The war would make the world safe for democracy.
Hollywood studios and other media outlets cultivated a view of the war that pitted democracy against imperialism and framed America as a crusading nation rescuing Western civilization from medievalism and militarism.

They did not see as many economic gains as business owners.
Individual purchasing power actually declined during the war due to the substantially higher cost of living. Business profits, in contrast, increased by nearly a third during the war.

Black Americans returned ready to fight in America for the same equal treatment they experienced in France.
French soldiers were generally kind and friendly toward Black Americans. When Black soldiers began to return from France, however, they were met with hostility, anger, and violence. Many Black Americans were not willing to accept post-war racism, triggering a dramatic change in Black communities.

The Food Administration encouraged volunteer rationing of food on the home front.
“Meatless Mondays” and “Wheatless Wednesdays,” encouraged volunteer rationing by invoking patriotism with the slogan “food will win the war”, with the hope of rationing food for military use.

Organizers garnered support for both amendments by making the topics a matter of patriotism.
he 18th amendment was bolstered by the strong anti-German sentiment as it was largely German-descended immigrants who ran breweries. Additionally, the public cry to ration food and grain made prohibition even more patriotic. Supporters of the 19th amendment said Wilson’s rallying cry of a war “to make the world safe for democracy”, was hypocritical as he sent American men to die for such principles while denying American women their democratic right to vote.

Sarah can buy a liberty bond to support the war.
The Liberty Loan Act allowed the federal government to sell liberty bonds to the American public, extolling citizens to “do their part” to help the war effort.

They agreed not to strike in exchange for being able to organize and use collective bargaining.
The federal government promoted the adoption of an eight-hour workday, a living wage for all workers, and union membership.

Black families were prohibited from settling in certain neighborhoods.

Since it did not take effect until after the war had ended, there was widespread opposition.
Almost immediately following the war, the general public began to oppose and violate the law, making it very difficult to enforce.

Hans stopped speaking German for fear of reprisal.
Anti-German sentiment was rampant resulting in some schools banning the teaching of the German language, symphonies refusing to perform music written by German composers, and German Americans being persecuted and their businesses shunned, whether or not they voiced any objection to the war.

American troops in France were able to force German troops into a full retreat.
After a series of Allied successes across France from 1917 to 1918, defeat was inevitable for Germany and they were in full retreat.

The Palmer Raids began in an effort to arrest those with communist ties.
Palmer raids resulted in the arrests of four thousand alleged American radicals who were detained for weeks in overcrowded cells.

Objections from senators who worried about the role of the U.S. under collective security.
Isolationists feared that the requirement of collective security would require extensive American intervention, meanwhile, interventionists argued that it would impede the United States from using her rightfully attained military power to secure and protect America’s international interests.

To diffuse conflicts before they became wars by facilitating talks and negotiations.

The League of Nations was President Wilson’s idea for an international body that would help diffuse conflicts before they became wars by facilitating talks and negotiations, and pledging collective security in case of aggression.

Harding promised to not interfere in international affairs.
Harding stated, “It would be a sorry day for this republic if we allowed our activities in seeking for peace in the Old World to blind us to the essentials of peace at home. If I could choose but one, I had rather have industrial and social peace at home, than command the international peace of all the world.”

Fighting among democrats threatened to split the party vote.
Political in-fighting among Wilson’s cabinet, most notably between A. Mitchell Palmer and William McAdoo, threatened to split the party convention.

Great Britain, France, Japan, and Italy expanded their colonial holdings by claiming territory in Africa and Asia.
The danger of revolutions elsewhere spurred these allies to use the treaty negotiations to expand their territories and secure their strategic interests, rather than strive towards world peace.

Some believed the U.S. would be unable to protect their international interests.
Interventionists argued that it would impede the United States from using its rightfully attained military power to secure and protect America’s international interests since other nations could intervene against the U.S.

Race riots erupted across America.
Numerous race riots took place in many cities as White soldiers returned to find Black workers in their former jobs and Black soldiers returned with a renewed sense of justice and strength.

The U.S. was able to supply fresh troops in France to help push back exhausted German troops.
Two million men of the American Expeditionary Forces had joined British and French armies in a series of successful counter-offensives that pushed the disintegrating German lines back across France putting the Germans in full retreat by the end of July 1918.

He backed low taxes, immigration restriction, and noninterference in world affairs.
Despite not being an energetic candidate, Harding offered the people what they wanted, which was to be left alone to live their lives and not become entangled in international problems.

imperialists and capitalists

A concern over the threat of Bolshevism.
The president was concerned about a spread of Bolshevism to other parts of Europe and in America after the successful communist revolution in Russia.

peace must be founded on the equality of rights of nations, great and small.
President Wilson advocated for the equality of rights of all nations, regardless of their size or whether they were on the winning or losing side of the war.

Joseph is a practicing Quaker.
Joseph has a moral objection to war.

free trade and national self-determination.

Both amendments were supported by Wilson’s push to make the world safe for democracy.

Customers boycott their restaurant and they are forced to close.