History Chapter 16-17

Imperialism

was how European powers built empires. For years the Ottoman Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Empire had ruled the Balkans. But as nationalism spread in the late 1800s and early 1900s, national groups such as the South Slavs Serbs, Bosnians, Croats, and Slovenes began to press for independence. The Serbs, who were the first to gain independence, formed a nation called Serbia between the two empires. Serbia believed that its mission was to unite the South Slavs.

What impact did Germany's unrestricted submarine warfare have on the U.S.?

This attack gave credibility to British propaganda and changed American attitudes about the war. Wilson sent an official protest to Germany, but in March 1916, a U-boat torpedoed a French passenger ship. Wilson threatened to break off diplomatic relations with Germany, but then decided to issue one last warning demanding that the German government abandon its methods or risk war with the United States.

Liberty Bonds

To fund the war effort, Congress raised income tax rates, placed new taxes on corporate profits, imposed an extra tax on the profits of arms factories, and borrowed over $20 billion through the sale of Liberty Bonds and Victory Bonds. Americans who bought bonds were lending money to the government to be repaid with interest in a specified number of years.

National War Labor Board

To prevent strikes from disrupting the war effort, the government established the National War Labor Board (NWLB) in April 1918. The NWLB often pressured industry to improve wages, adopt an eight-hour workday, and allow unions the right to organize and bargain collectively.

The scopes trial

1925 court case in which Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryan debated the issue of teaching evolution in public schools

Marcus Garvey and Black Nationalism

A dynamic leader from Jamaica, Marcus Garvey captured the imagination of millions of African Americans with his "Negro Nationalism." Garvey founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association, aimed at promoting black pride and unity. He was inspired by Booker T. Washington's call for self-reliance. The central message of Garvey's Harlem-based movement was that African Americans could gain economic and political power by educating themselves. Garvey also advocated separation and independence from whites. In 1920 he told his followers they would never find justice or freedom in America. He proposed leading them to Africa.

Bolsheviks/Vladimir Lenin

A temporary government took command whose leaders wanted Russia to stay in the war. Vladimir Lenin's Bolshevik Party seized power and established a Communist government in November 1917.

Harlem Renaissance

African Americans joined Migration to cities in the North. Populations swelled in large cities. Nightclubs and music filled these cities, particularly the New York City neighborhood of Harlem. Artistic development, racial pride, and political organization combined in a flowering of African American arts. This became known as the Harlem Renaissance.

1. What happened to the American economy following the end of the war?

After the war ended, government agencies removed their controls from the economy. People raced to buy goods that had been rationed, while businesses raised prices they had been forced to keep low. The result was rapid inflation that greatly increased the cost of living, the cost of food, clothing, shelter, and other essentials. With orders for war materials evaporating, factories laid off workers. Returning soldiers found that jobs were scarce.

2. What was significant about the Supreme Court's ruling in Schenck v. the United States (1919)?

Although the First Amendment states that Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, the Supreme Court departed from a strict interpretation of the Constitution. In Schenck v. United States (1919), the Court ruled that the government could restrict speech when the speech constituted a clear and present danger. The most stringent protection of free speech would not protect a man in falsely shouting fire in a theatre and causing a panic the question in every case is whether the words used are used in such circumstances and are of such a nature as to create a clear and present danger that they will bring about the substantive evils that Congress has a right to prevent.

What was the Dawes Plan, and why was it needed?

America's former allies, Britain and France, had difficulty making the payments on their immense war debts. To address this problem, in 1924 American diplomat Charles G. Dawes negotiated an agreement with France, Britain, and Germany. American banks would make loans to Germany to help it to make reparations payments. In exchange, Britain and France would accept less in reparations and pay back more on their war debts to the United States.

Convoys

American admiral William S. Sims proposed that merchant ships and troop transports travel in groups called convoys. Small, maneuverable warships called destroyers protected convoys across the Atlantic. Convoys greatly reduced shipping losses and ensured that American troops arrived safely in time to help the Allies on the Western Front.

Doughboys

American troops marched into the bloody stalemate in the Western Front. Although the American doughboys were inexperienced, they were fresh and eager to fight.

Selective Service

Believing a draft was necessary, however, Congress, created a new system selective service. Instead of having the military run the draft from Washington, D.C., the Selective Service Act of 1917 required all men between 21 and 30 to register for draft. A lottery determined the order in which they were called before a local draft board in charge of selecting or exempting people from military service.

5. When did the U.S. enter WWI?

British intelligence intercepted the Zimmermann telegram, and it ran in American newspapers. Furious, many Americans concluded that war with Germany was necessary. German military leaders believed that they could starve Britain into submission if U-boats began sinking all ships on sight. They did not believe that the United States could raise an army and transport it to Europe in time if it decided to enter the war. Between February 3 and March 21, U-boats sank six American ships.

Propaganda

British officials worked diligently to win American support. One method they used was propaganda, or information designed to influence opinion.

1. Why was this war so destructive?

By the spring of 1917, World War I had devastated Europe. Old-fashioned strategies and new technologies resulted in terrible destruction. Many Americans believed, however, that their troops would make a difference and quickly bring the war to an end.Early offensives demonstrated that warfare had changed. Powerful artillery guns placed far behind the front lines hurled huge explosive shells onto the battlefield.

John Calvin Coolidge

Calvin Coolidge was very different from Harding. Was capable cabinet members Hughes, Mellon, and Hoover to remain. Coolidge believed that prosperity rested on business leadership and that the government should interfere with business and industry as little as possible.

Great Migration

Desperate for workers, Henry Ford sent agents to the South to recruit African Americans. Other companies quickly followed suit. Promises of high wages and plentiful work convinced between 300,000 and 500,000 African Americans to move north. This massive population movement became known as the Great Migration. The racial makeup of such cities as Chicago, New York, Cleveland, and Detroit changed greatly.

Washington Conference

Despite their debts, the major powers were involved in a costly postwar naval arms race. In 1921, the United States invited representatives from eight major countries Britain, France, Italy, China, Japan, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Portugal to Washington, D.C., to discuss disarmament.

How was Republican Warren G. Harding able to win the Presidential election of 1920?

Economic problems, labor unrest, racial tensions, and the fresh memories of World War I created a general sense of disillusionment in the United States. The Republican candidate, Warren G. Harding, called for a return to "normalcy," arguing that the country needed to return to the days before the Progressive Era reforms. Harding won the election by a landslide

Zimmerman telegram

Events, however, soon brought the country to the brink of war. In January 1917, German official Arthur Zimmermann sent a telegram to the German ambassador in Mexico promising Mexico the return of its "lost territory in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona" if it allied with Germany. British intelligence intercepted the Zimmermann telegram, and it ran in American newspapers.

3. How many American men volunteered or were drafted to serve in WWI? What roles did women play in the armed forces?

Eventually, about 2.8 million Americans were drafted. Not all American soldiers were drafted. Approximately 2 million men volunteered for military service. As the military prepared for war in 1917, it faced a severe shortage of clerical workers. Early in 1917, the navy authorized the enlistment of women to meet its clerical needs. Women serving in the navy wore a standard uniform and were assigned the rank of yeoman. By the end of the war, more than 11,000 women had served in the navy. The only women to actually serve in the army were in the Army Nurse Corps. Women had served as nurses in both the army and the navy since the early 1900s, but as auxiliaries.

Seattle General Strike.

In Seattle, some 35,000 shipyard workers walked off the job demanding higher wages and shorter hours. Other unions in Seattle soon organized a general strike a strike that involves all workers in a community of more than 60,000 people that paralyzed the city for five days.The strikers returned to work without making any gains.

Nine-Power Treaty

Finally, all the participant countries signed the Nine-Powers Treaty, which guaranteed China's independence. As a long-term effort to prevent war, the conference had some serious shortcomings. It did nothing to limit land forces.

What was President Wilson's stance on the war? What were the reasons most Americans sided with the Allies?

He immediately declared the United States to be neutral and asked all Americans "to be impartial in thought as well as in action." Despite Wilson's hopes for neutrality, events gradually drew the United States into the war on the side of the Allies. Many German Americans supported their homeland, and many Irish Americans harbored hostility toward Britain, but in general public opinion favored the Allies. Many Americans valued the heritage, language, and political ideals they shared with Britain.

Alliences

In 1870, as part of its plan to unify Germany, Prussia forced France to give up territory along the German border. As a result, France and Germany became enemies. To protect itself, Germany signed alliances with Italy and with the huge empire of Austria-Hungary, which controlled much of southeastern Europe. This became known as the Triple Alliance.

National Origins Act

In 1921, President Harding signed the Emergency Quota Act, which restricted annual admission to the United States by ethnic groups. In 1924, the National Origins Act made immigration restriction a policy. The law set quotas at each national group represented in the U.S. Census of 1890.

Archduke Ferdinand

In June 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, visited the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo. As he and his wife rode through the city, Bosnian revolutionary Gavrilo Princip rushed their car and shot them dead.

2. What happened in Russia in 1917? How did Russia's exit from the war affect Germany's war strategy?

In March 1917, riots broke out in Russia. Czar Nicholas II, the leader of the Russian Empire, abdicated his throne, and the Russian Revolution began. A temporary government took command whose leaders wanted Russia to stay in the war. However, the government was unable to deal adequately with the problems afflicting the nation, so Vladimir Lenin's Bolshevik Party seized power and established a Communist government in November 1917. Germany's military fortunes improved with the Bolshevik takeover. Lenin pulled Russia out of the war to concentrate on establishing a Communist state.

Espionage Act of 1917

In addition to using propaganda, the government passed legislation to limit opposition to the war and to fight espionage, or spying to acquire government information. The Espionage Act of 1917 made it illegal to aid the enemy, give false reports, or interfere with the war effort.

4. What major issues did Wilson's Fourteen Points address?

It called for the creation of a League of Nations. The League's members would help preserve peace by pledging to respect and protect each other's territory and political independence. Wilson was willing to give up his other goals for support for the League. The peace conference decided to use the Fourteen Points as the basis for negotiations. But not everyone was impressed by Wilson's ideas.

What were the shortcomings of these treaties collectively?

It did nothing to limit land forces. It also angered the Japanese because it required Japan to maintain a smaller navy than either the United States or Great Britain. It did, however, give Americans cause to look forward to a period of peace, recovery, and prosperity.

5. What were the provisions of the Treaty of Versailles?

It included many terms designed to punish and weaken Germany. Germany's armed forces were greatly reduced and its troops were not allowed west of the Rhine River. The treaty also specifically blamed "the aggression of Germany" for the war. This allowed the Allies to demand that Germany pay reparations monetary compensation for all of the war damages it had caused. A commission decided that Germany owed the Allies about $33 billion. This sum far exceeded what Germany could pay all at once and was intended to keep its economy weak for a long time.

Allies (list) vs. Central Powers (list)

Italy, Germany and Austria-Hungary joined with the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria to form the Central Powers. When Russia and French forces on one side and German forces on the other.

Supply side economics

Mellon argued that if taxes were lower, businesses and some consumers would spend and invest their extra money. This would cause the economy to grow, and Americans would earn more money. The government then would collect more in taxes. This idea is known today as supply-side economics.

The Palmer Raids

Mitchell Palmer. Palmer took action, establishing a special division within the Justice Department which eventually became the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). In January 1920, Palmer ordered another series of raids on the headquarters of various radical organizations. Palmer's raids continued until the spring of 1920, and authorities detained thousands of suspects. Palmer's agents often ignored the civil liberties of suspects.

Isolationism

Most Americans, tired of being entangled in the politics of Europe, favored isolationism. This is the idea that the United States will be safer and more prosperous if it stays out of world affairs. To many, it appeared that the United States had become isolationist.

What was the Sacco and Vanzetti Case, and why did it become national news

On April 15, 1920, two men robbed and murdered two employees of a shoe factory in Massachusetts. Police arrested two Italian immigrants, Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, for it. The case created a furor when newspapers revealed that the two men were anarchists, or people who oppose all forms of government. They reported that Sacco owned a gun.

3. Briefly describe the events of the war from March through September, 1918.

On March 21, 1918, the Germans launched a massive gas attack and bombardment along the Western Front. Strengthened by reinforcements from the Russian front, the Germans pushed deep into Allied lines. By early June, they were less than 40 miles from Paris. On September 26, 1918, the most massive offensive for the American Expeditionary Force was launched in the region between the Meuse River and the Argonne Forest. Although the Germans inflicted heavy casualties, their positions slowly fell to the advancing American troops.

Boston Police Strike

One of the most famous strikes of 1919 occurred in Boston, where roughly 75 percent of the police force walked off the job. Riots and looting forced Governor Calvin Coolidge to call in the National Guard. When the strikers tried to return to work, the police commissioner instead fired them. Despite protests, Coolidge agreed that the men should be fired, There is no right to strike against the public safety by anybody, anywhere, anytime

Speakeasies & Bootlegging

People flocked to secret bars called speakeasies to purchase alcohol. Liquor also was readily available in rural areas through bootlegging the illegal production and distribution of alcohol. Huge profits could be made smuggling liquor from Canada and the Caribbean. Organized crime became big business.

Fourteen Points

President Wilson arrived in Paris in 1919 with a peace plan known as the Fourteen Points. It was based on "the principle of justice to all peoples and nationalities."

7. What happened to the treaty in the U.S.?

President Wilson was confident the American people would support the Treaty of Versailles. But he had badly underestimated opposition to the League of Nations in the Senate. All treaties signed by the United States must be ratified by the two-thirds of the Senate, and in November 1918, the Democratic Party had lost control of the Senate. Even though he needed Republican support to ratify the treaty, Wilson refused to take any Republican leaders with him to the peace conference. This ensured that Wilson's views prevailed, but it also meant that Republican concerns were not addressed.

Five-Power Naval Limitation Treaty

Secretary of State Charles Evans Hughes proposed a 10-year halt on the construction of new warships. This resulted in three agreements. In the Five-Power Naval Limitation Treaty, Britain, France, Italy, Japan, and the United States essentially formalized Hughes's proposal.

Why had Americans long been suspicious of Communist ideas?

Since the late 1800s, many Americans had accused immigrants of importing socialist and communist ideas and had blamed them for labor unrest and violence. Events in Russia seemed to justify fears of a Communist revolution. The strikes of 1919 fueled fears that Communists, or "reds," might seize power, leading to a nationwide panic known as the Red Scare. Many people were particularly concerned about workers using strikes to start a revolution.

Committee on Public Information/The Four-Minute Men

Soon after Congress declared war, Wilson created the Committee on Public Information to "sell" the war to the American people. Headed by journalist George Creel, the CPI recruited advertising executives, artists, authors, songwriters, entertainers, public speakers, and motion picture companies to help sway public opinion in favor of the war. The CPI distributed pamphlets and arranged for thousands of "four-minute speeches"Some 75,000 speakers, known as Four-Minute Men

The Steel Strike.

Soon after the police strike, an estimated 350,000 steelworkers went on strike for higher pay, shorter hours, and recognition of their union. U.S. Steel refused to talk to union leaders and set out to break the union. It blamed the strike on foreign radicals and called for loyal Americans to return to work. Meanwhile, the company hired African American and Mexican workers as replacements. Clashes between company guards and strikers were frequent. In Gary, Indiana, a riot left 18 strikers dead.

Militarism

Such alliances fostered militarism the strong buildup of armed forces to intimidate and threaten other nations. Over time, German militarism led Britain to become involved in the alliance system. Britain's policy was to try to prevent one nation from controlling all of Europe. By the late 1800s, Germany had clearly become Europe's strongest nation

6. What four empires were dismantled by the treaty? What happened to Germany in particular that would lay the groundwork for crisis in the future?

The Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Russian Empire, the German Empire, and the Ottoman Empire were dismantled, and new nations created. Poland and Czechoslovakia were given territory where the majority of the people were German, and Germany was split in two in order to give Poland access to the Baltic Sea. This arrangement helped set the stage for a new series of crises in the 1930s.

1. How did the government affect food and fuel consumption during the war?

The Food Administration, was responsible for increasing food production while reducing civilian consumption. The agency encouraged families to conserve food and grow their own vegetables in victory gardens. Eat less wheat, meat, sugar and fats to save for the army and our allies,Food Administration posters. The Fuel Administration managed the use of coal and oil. To conserve energy, it introduced the first usage of daylight saving time, shortened workweeks for civilian goods factories, and encouraged Heatless Mondays.

Four Power Treaty

The Four-Power Treaty between the United States, Japan, France, and Great Britain recognized each country's island possessions in the Pacific.

Armistice (Day)

The German emperor stepped down, and on November 9, Germany became a republic. Two days later, the government signed an armistice agreement to stop fighting. On November 11, 1918, the fighting stopped. A day to commemorate this

Sedition Act of 1918

The Sedition Act of 1918 made it illegal to speak against the war publicly. In practice, it allowed officials to prosecute anyone who criticized the government. These two laws led to more than 2,000 convictions. Despite protests, the Espionage and Sedition Acts were upheld by the Supreme Court.

Kellogg-Briand Pact

The Washington Conference inspired U.S. secretary of state Frank Kellogg and French foreign minister Aristide Briand to propose a treaty to outlaw war altogether. On August 27, 1928, the United States and 14 other nations signed the Kellogg-Briand Pact.

When and how was prohibition ended in the U.S.?

The battle to repeal Prohibition began almost as soon as the Eighteenth Amendment was ratified. The Twenty-first Amendment, ratified in 1933, repealed the Eighteenth Amendment. Though diseases and some social problems were reduced, Prohibition did not improve society as dramatically as its supporters had hoped.

League of Nations

The fourteenth point called for the creation of a League of Nations. The League's members would help preserve peace by pledging to respect and protect each other's territory and political independence.

Teapot Dome Scandal

The most famous scandal, known as Teapot Dome, began in early 1922. Harding's secretary of the interior, Albert B. Fall, secretly allowed private interests to lease lands containing U.S. Navy oil reserves at Teapot Dome, Wyoming, and Elk Hills, California. In return, Fall received bribes from these private interests totaling more than $300,000.

Why did the end of the war lead to race riots?

The race riots of 1919 disillusioned some African Americans who felt their wartime contributions had been for nothing. For others, however, the wartime struggle for democracy encouraged them to fight for their rights at home. For the first time, African Americans organized and fought back. The NAACP experienced a surge in membership after the war, and in 1919 it launched a new campaign for a federal law against lynching.

Red scare

The strikes of 1919 fueled fears that Communists, or "reds," might seize power, leading to a nationwide panic known as the Red Scare. Many people were particularly concerned about workers using strikes to start a revolution.

Jazz

There he introduced an early form of jazz, a musical style influenced by Dixieland and ragtime, with syncopated rhythms and improvisational elements. In Chicago, Armstrong broke away from the New Orleans tradition of group playing by performing highly imaginative solos on the cornet and trumpet.

Lusitania

a U-boat sank the British passenger ship, killing over 1,000 passengers including 128 Americans. The attack gave credibility to British propaganda and changed American attitudes about the war. Wilson sent an official protest to Germany, but in March 1916, a U-boat torpedoed a French passenger ship.

Nationalism

a feeling of intense pride in one's homeland, had become a powerful idea in Europe. Nationalists place primary emphasis on promoting their homeland's culture and interests. They believe in the right of self-determination—the idea that those who share a national identity should have their own country and government. In the 1800s, nationalism led to a crisis in the Balkan region of southeastern Europe.

Al Capone

one of the most successful and well-known gangsters of the era, had many police officers, judges, and other officials on his payroll.

U-Boat

the Germans announced that they would use submarines called U-boats to sink without warning any ship they found in the waters around Britain. This decision went against an international treaty signed by Germany that banned attacks on civilian ships without warning.