World War I (1914-1919)

Domestic (in the U.S.) Consequences of U.S. Involvement in World War I

-Accelerated America's emergence as the world's greatest industrial power -Contributed to the movement of African Americans to Northern cities -Intensified anti-immigrant and anti-radical sentiments among mainstream Americans -Brought over 1 million women into the work force

Lusitania

A British liner ship sunk on May 7, 1915, by German U-Boats. 1,198 passengers and crew died, including 128 Americans. The Germans defended their actions on the grounds that the ship carried ammunition

no man's land

A barren expanse between the trenches of each side, mud pockmarked with shell craters and filled with barbed wire. Periodically, the soldiers went "over the top" to charge enemy lines, only to be moved down by machine gun fire.

African American opinions about U.S. involvement in World War I

African Americans were divided in opinion about the war. On one side were people like W.E.B. Dubois, who believed that AAs should support the war effort because doing so would strengthen calls for racial justice in the U.S. In contrast, those like William Monroe Trotter believed that victims of racism should not support the efforts of a racist government and favored protesting the war.

British Blockade

Britain used its navy to blockade the German coast, preventing military supplies and food from arriving in Germany. The result was a famine in Germany; about 750,000 Germans starved to death as a result of the British blockade

World War I (1914-1918)

Called "the war to end all wars" or "the Great War" in its own time, World War I/The First World War was the bloodiest war in history at its end. Deaths numbered about 22 million, more than half of them civilians. An additional 20 million people were wounded, and 10 million more made refugees. The U.S. lost 48,000 men in battle, with another 62,000 dying of disease, and more than 200,000 Americans were wounded.

Henry Cabot Lodge

Conservative senator that opposed the League of Nations

Food Administration

Federal agency set up to help produce and conserve food. it called for people to follow the "gospel of the clean plate" and declared one day a week "sweetless," another "meatless," two days "wheatless" and two other days "porkless."

Victory Gardens

Gardens planted by Americans in public parks and private yards during World War I to assist in food conservation and production efforts

the Schlieffen Plan

Germany's military strategy that called for a holding action against Russia, combined with a quick drive through Belgium to Paris; after France had fallen, the two German armies would defeat Russia. On August 3, 1914, Germany invaded Belgium as part of this plan.

Archduke Franz Ferdinand

Heir to the Austrian throne, whose death triggered the beginning of World War I. He assassinated in 1914, by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip, while visiting the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo.

Espionage and Sedition Acts (1917-1918)

Laws that punished people for interfering with the war effort of for saying anything considered disloyal, profane, or abusive about the government or the war effort. These laws violated the spirit of the First Amendment, and often targeted socialists and labor leaders.

Causes of World War I

MANIA! Long-term causes M-Militarism A-Alliances N-Nationalism I-imperialism Short-term cause (the spark in the powder keg) A- Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

American Expeditionary Force (AEF)

Main US military Army force during World War I

U-Boat

Nickname for German submarines; derived from "Unterseeboot," the German word for submarine

Wilson's Fourteen Points

President Wilson's plan for world peace, delivered in a speech to Congress on January 18,1918 (before the war's end). The points were divided into 3 groups. The first 5 points were issues that Wilson believed had to be addressed to prevent another war 1. There should be no secret treaties among nations 2. Freedom of the seas should be maintained for all 3. Tariffs and other economic barriers among nations should be lowered or abolished in order to foster free trade 4. Arms should be reduced "to the lowest point consistent with domestic safety, thus lessening the possibility of military responses" during diplomatic crises 5. Colonial policies should consider the interests of the colonial peoples, as well as the interests of the imperialists power The next 8 points dealt with boundary changes: groups that claimed distinct ethnic identities were to form their own nation-states or decide for themselves to what nations they would belong. The 14th point called for the creation of an international organization to address diplomatic crises

trench warfare

Style of military conflict in which armies fought (sometimes to gain mere yards of ground) from established ground trenches. There were three main kinds of trenches: 1. front line 2. support 3. reserve

Unrestricted Submarine Warfare

The German response to the British blockade; Any British or Allied ship found in the waters around Britain would be sunk

Triple Alliance/"The Central Powers"

The Triple Alliance consisted of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy. Germany and Austria-Hungary, together with the Ottoman Empire, were later known as the "Central Powers."

Significant Weapons During World War I

The battlefields of WWI saw the first large-scale use of weapons that would become standard in modern war. These weapons changed the nature of warfare by mechanizing it. The two most innovative weapons were the tank and the airplane. Other effective weapons in WWI included: machine guns, anti-aircraft weapons, and poison gas

Committee on Public Information (CPI)

The first federal propaganda agency in the U.S.

Great Migration

The greatest effect of the First World War on African Americans' lives was the acceleration of the Great Migration, a large-scale movement of hundreds of thousands of Southern blacks to cities in the North. Once in the Northern states, however, African Americans still faced prejudice. Several factors contributed to the tremendous increase in African American migration: 1. racial discrimination in the South 2. a boll weevil infestation, aided by floods and droughts, destroyed many of the South's fields 3. increased job opportunities in the North

League of Nations

The international organization to address diplomatic crises propose by President Wilson in his Fourteen Points. It was intended to provide a forum for nations to discuss and settle their grievance without having to resort to war

Big Four

The leaders of the four top Allied powers that met at the Paris Peace Conference in January 1919, including: Woodrow Wilson (U.S.); Georges Clemenceau (France); David Lloyd George (Britain); and Vittorio Orlando (Italy)

War Industries Board (WIB)

The main federal organization, established, that regulated "war-related industries" as the nation prepared for war. The board encouraged companies to use mass-production techniques to increase efficiency. It also urged them to eliminate waste by standardizing products. The WIB set production quotas and allocated raw materials

Triple Entente/"The Allies"

The major defense alliance between France, Britain, and Russia. Known as "The Allies" throughout World War I.

Treaty of Versailles (1919)

The peace treaty signed at the end of World War I. Its provisions: -established 9 new nations -shifted the boundaries of several existing nations -carved out 5 areas of the Ottoman Empire and gave them to Franc and Great Britain as mandates (temporary colonies) -barred Germany from maintaining an army -required Germany to return the region of Alsace-Lorraine to France and was stripped of its colonial possessions in the Pacific -required Germany to pay reparations

Selective Service Act (1917)

This act required men to register with the government in order to be randomly selected for military service.

M.A.N.I.A.

Way to remember the causes of World War I M-Militarism A- Alliances N-Nationalism I- Imperialism A- Assassination of Franz Ferdinand

War Guilt Clause

a clause in the Treaty of Versailles (1919) that humiliated Germany by forcing Germany to admit sole responsibility for starting WWI

nationalism

a devotion to the interests and culture of one's nation

propaganda

a kind of biased communication designed to influence people's thoughts and actions

conscientious objector

a person who opposes warfare on moral grounds

neutrality

a policy of remaining out of a conflict

Bernard M. Baruch

a prosperous businessman, and the leader of the War Industries Board (WIB) beginning in 1918

the Marne

a river in France, where the Allied forces halted German invading forces. The two sides then proceeded with months of trench warfare

Zimmerman Telegram

a telegram from the German foreign minister to the German ambassador in Mexico that was intercepted by British agents. The telegram proposed an alliance between Mexico and Germany

armistice

a truce; the armistice that ended WWI was signed at the 11th hour, on the 11th day, in the 11th month of 1918 (at 11:11 on 11/11/18)

First Battle of the Somme (July 1, 1916-mid-November 1916)

bloody trench battle: total casualties reached 1.2 million, but only 7 miles of ground changed hands

alliance system

defensive agreements between nations

Railroad Administration

federal agency that controlled the railroads during WWI

Fuel Administration

federal agency that monitored coal supplies and rationed gasoline

George Creel

former muckraking journalist and head of the Committee on Public Information (CPI)

Liberty Loan and Victory Loan war bonds

government bonds sold to the American public to help fund the war effort

Kaiser Wilhelm II

leader of Germany during the First World War

General John J. Pershing

leader of the American Expeditionary Force

convoy system

method used by the British to defend against German U-Boats by having a heavy guard of destroyers escort merchant ships back and forth across the Atlantic in groups. It was very effective; by fall 1917, shipping losses had been cut in half

National War Labor Board (1918)

organized by President Wilson to deal with labor disputes. Workers who refused to obey orders could lose their draft exemptions. The board, however, also worked to improve factory conditions by recommending the 8-hour workday, promoting safety inspections, and enforcing child labor laws.

Mustard Gas

poison gas and form of chemical warfare used to lethal effect during World War I

Eddie Rickenbacker

the "American ace of aces:" a famous fighter pilot of World War I; Engaged in 134 air battles and downed 26 enemy aircraft

Harlem Hellfighters

the 369th National Guard regiment, which consisted of several minority soldiers. The regiment was nicknamed the Harlem Hellfighters, the Black Rattlers, and the Men of Bronze, which was given to the regiment by the French. The nickname "Hell Fighters" was given to them by the Germans.

David Lloyd George

the British Prime Minister at the end of WWI

Georges Clemenceau

the French premier at the end of WWI; he was determined to prevent future invasions of France

Vittorio Orlando

the Italian Prime Minister at the end of WWI

militarism

the development of armed forces and using these forces as a tool of diplomacy

reparations

war damages; according to the Treaty of Versailles (1919), Germany was required to pay the Allies $33 billion in reparations