Essential Questions: What were the causes of the First World War? Why did the U.S. become involved?
I. Europe�s Descent into War
A. Background (June 1914)
1. Serbian nationalist assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand
a. Meant to protest Austro-Hungarian presence in Balkans
2. Led to Austro-Hungarian declaration of war on Serbia
B. Involvement of other nations
1. Triple Alliance: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy
2. Triple Entente: Britain, France, Russia
3. Russia (allied with Serbia) declared war against Austria-Hungary
a. Germany came to Austria-Hungary�s aid by attacking France
4. Britain then declared war on Germany
C. Course of war not as expected
1. Two camps evenly matched, so victory not swift
2. Troops dug trenches and settled in for long war of attrition
II. American Neutrality
A. Woodrow Wilson�s administration proclaimed neutrality
1. Tried to maintain normal relations with both sides while seeking peace
2. U.S. began selling food, clothing, and munitions to Britain and France
a. Sales brought U.S. economy out of slump
b. British blockade prevented U.S. from selling to Germany
B. Submarine warfare
1. To combat British control of the seas, Germany unleashed U-boats
a. On May 7, 1915 British passenger liner Lusitania sunk, killing 1,198 people (128 Americans)
-Wilson outraged and demanded German apology
C. German escalation
1. Germany decided in early 1917 to throw full military might at Britain
and France
2. Diplomatic relations severed on Feb 1, 1917
a. Wilson delivered war speech on Apr 2, 1917
-�The world must be made safe for democracy.�
III. American Intervention
A. U.S. declares war on April 2, 1917
B. German offensive, spring 1918
1. Reached striking distance of Paris
2. Only arrival of U.S. troops prevented city from falling
C. Allied offensive, fall 1918
1. Helped by participation of U.S. troops
2. Had reached German border by late Oct. 1918
3. German leaders were forced to seek armistice
4. Subsequent peace negotiations would be based on Fourteen Points
5. War ended on Nov 11, 1918
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Chapter 23: War and Society, 1914-1920 (sec 2)
Essential Questions: What problems did the U.S. government encounter as it sought to mobilize its people and economy for war, and how were they overcome?
IV. Mobilizing for �Total� War�
A. Organizing industry
1. Wilson created several centralized gov�t agencies, each charged with
supervising nationwide activity in its assigned economic sector
a. Food Administration substantially increased production and
distribution of food to millions of troops and European civilians
b. U.S. Railroad Administration shifted railroad system from
private to public control
c. Aircraft Production Board and Emergency Fleet Corp.
did poor job of supplying Allies with aircraft & ships
B. Organizing civilian labor
1. War increased demand for industrial labor while cutting supply
a. New workers recruited from rural south
b. Many women also entered industrial workforce
C. Organizing military labor
1. Selective Service Act empowered administration to organize a draft
2. U.S. Army faced difficult task of transforming ethnically and racially
diverse millions into a professional fighting force
a. Army segregated black soldiers from white
b. Despite the ethnic problems, American Expeditionary Force
was impressive
D. Paying the bills
1. Gov�t incurred huge debts in order to pay for the war
a. Sharply increased taxes, especially on wealthiest Americans
b. Also, sold �Liberty Bonds�
E. Arousing public sentiment
1. Committee on Public Information (1917) to popularize war
a. Giving people the facts of the war would make clear the wisdom
of Wilson�s policies
b. CPI message imparted to many a deep love of country and sense
of participation in grand democratic experiment
F. Wartime repression
1. By early 1918, CPI�s campaign had developed a darker, coercive side
a. Called on patriots to report on neighbors, coworkers, and ethnics
whom they suspected of subverting war effort
b. German Americans became objects of popular hatred
-German Americans risked being fired from work, losing
their businesses, and being assaulted on the street
c. Espionage, Sabotage, and Sedition Acts (1917 and 1918) gave
administration broad powers to silence and imprison dissenters
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Chapter 23: War and Society, 1914-1920 (sec 3)
Essential Questions: What were Woodrow Wilson�s peace proposals and how did they fare?
V. The Failure of the International Peace
A. The Paris Peace Conference and the Treaty of Versailles
1. Negotiations controlled by �Big Four� (U.S., Britain, France, and Italy)
2. Wilson�s Fourteen Points
a. All nations need to abide by code of conduct
-(free trade, freedom of the seas, diplomacy, disarmament)
b. All nations need to recognize the principle of self-determination
- (redrawing map of Europe, give people of Austrian-
Hungary empire independence, League of Nations)
c. Most of Wilson�s principles omitted or watered down
-Won partial endorsement of idea of self-determination
3. Europe was determined to punish Germany for its wartime aggression
B. The League of Nations
1. Wilson won agreement on creation of League of Nations
a. Serve as international parliament and judiciary, establishing
rules of international behavior and resolving disputes between
nations through rational and peaceful means
C. Wilson versus Lodge: The fight over ratification
1. League�s success depended on Wilson�s ability to convince U.S. Senate
to ratify Treaty of Versailles, which included U.S, membership
2. Republican majority determined to frustrate Wilson�s ambitions
a. Senator William Borah led irreconcilables
-Wanted U.S. to maintain its separation from Europe
-Felt Europeans were incapable of decent behavior
b. Senator Henry Cabot Lodge led other group
-World should be controlled by a few great nations
-Opposed to surrendering to League decision on when U.S.
would go to war
3. Ratification hinged on Wilson�s acceptance of several amendments to
ensure U.S. freedom of maneuverability in matters of war making
a. Wilson refused
4. Suffered devastating stroke and became even less amenable to revisions
5. Treaty, and U.S. membership in League, defeated on (Nov. 1919)
D. The treaty�s final defeat in Congress
1. Supporters of League in Congress urged Senate and Wilson to
reconsider
a. Wilson remained steadfast
2. Treaty defeated for final time in Mar 1920
3. U.S. membership in League wouldn�t have solved Europe�s postwar
problems