America and World War One

“The War to End All Wars”

World War One- An Introduction

• World War One was a global war that lasted from 1914 to 1918 and involved most of the world's major powers, including the United States of America.
• It is seen as a major turning point in World History, leading to the downfall of empires and the rise of new political and social movements.
• IMPORTANT TERMS:
• NATIONALISM: A political ideology that emphasizes the importance of national identity and the desire for self-determination and independence. This is important for small, emerging countries.
• IMPERIALISM: The practice of extending a nation's power and influence through the acquisition of colonies, territories, and other forms of political control over other countries or peoples. This was important for a number of larger, established countries.

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The Greeley Tribune, evening edition, April 7th, 1917.

World War One- Causes

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• ALLIANCES: There was a system of alliances between major powers in Europe, which created a sense of tension and competition between countries.
• NATIONALISM and IMPERIALISM also played a role, as countries sought to either expand their political influence or assert their independence.
• THE BEGINNING: Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, was assassinated on June 28, 1914, in Sarajevo, Bosnia.
• WAR IS DECLARED: Austria-Hungary saw the assassination as an act of aggression by Serbia and soon declared war on Serbia.
• ALLIANCES KICK IN: The situation quickly escalated, with other countries getting involved due to their alliances and mutual interests. Germany supported Austria-Hungary, while Russia supported Serbia. France and Great Britain, allies of Russia, also entered the conflict.

New York Tribune newspaper headline, June 28th, 1914.

World War One- The Alliances

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The Alliances of Europe in 1914, prior to the Death of Archduke Ferdinand

World War One- The First Two Years, Alliances at Work

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1914

• June 28th - Archduke Ferdinand assassinated. Austria-Hungary blames Serbia.
• July 28 - Dual Alliance of Austria-Hungary and Germany declares war on Serbia.
• August 1 - Germany declares war on Russia (even though her ally was still only at war with Serbia).
• August 3 - Germany declares war on France.
• August 4 - Britain declares war on Germany.
• August 6 - Austria declares war on Russia; Dual Monarchy now at war with Russia.
• August 12 - Britain and France declare war on Austria; Montenegro declares war on Germany.
• August 23 - Japan declares war on Germany. (The Japanese, allied with the British since 1902, entered the war hoping to gain German outposts in the Pacific and in China.)
• August 25 - Austria declares war on Japan.
• October - Turkey joins the Central Powers
• Nov. 2 - Russia and Serbia declare war on Turkey
• Nov. 5 - Great Britain and France declare war on Turkey.

1915

• May 23 - Italy abandons the Triple Alliance and joins the Allies after securing promises of Austrian territory from them.
• September - Bulgaria joins Triple Alliance

1916

• Romania joins the Triple Entente
• August 27 - Italy declares war on Germany

German Postcard, 1915. It reads, “Shoulder to Shoulder, Hand in Hand, for God, King and the Fatherland.”

World War One- The Major Players

• Major Players in the War
• The major countries involved in the war were divided into two main groups: the ALLIED POWERS and the CENTRAL POWERS
• The ALLIED POWERS (Known as the “Triple Entente”) consisted of France, Great Britain, Russia, and later the United States.
• The CENTRAL POWERS (Known as the “Triple Alliance”) consisted of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire
• Key leaders:
• Germany: Kaiser Wilhelm II
• Austria-Hungary: Emperor Franz Joseph I, Emperor Karl I
• Ottoman Empire: Sultan Mehmed V, Sultan Mehmed VI
• Russia: Tsar Nicholas II, Alexander Kerensky
• France: President Raymond Poincare, Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau
• Great Britain: King George V, Prime Minister David Lloyd George
• United States: President Woodrow Wilson
• Italy: Prime Minister Vittorio Orlando

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Postcard showing the Leaders of the Triple Entente, 1915.

Postcard showing the Leaders of the Triple Alliance, 1915.

World War One- Major Battles

• TRENCH WARFARE: World War One was characterized by trench warfare, in which soldiers fought from elaborate systems of trenches dug into the ground.
• NEW MILITARY TECHNOLOGY: New technologies such as machine guns, poison gas, airplanes, radios, tanks and flamethrowers changed the nature of warfare. The lethality of the weapons and the chemicals used led to high casualties on both sides.
• Some of the MAJOR BATTLES and events of the war included:
• The Battle of the Marne, 1914: Major early victory for England and France, stopping German troops advancing on Paris. 470,000 casualties in 5 days (110,000 killed, 360,000 wounded.)
• The Battle of Verdun, 1916: 10 month trench warfare battle in France, 710,000 casualties (305,000 killed, 403,000 wounded.) Ends in a stalemate with no ground given or lost.
• The Battle of the Somme, 1916: Another 5 month stalemate battle between France, England and Germany. One of the bloodiest conflicts in human history with 1 million casualties- 420,000 British, 200,000 French, and 500,000 German soldiers either killed, wounded, or missing. On the first day of this long battle, Britain had over 19,000 soldiers killed.

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A British soldier inside a trench on the Western Front during World War I, 1914–18.

Machine gunners wearing gas masks to counter chemical warfare, 1915.

World War One- Chemical Warfare

• CHEMICAL WARFARE was first used on a large scale during World War One.
• TYPES OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS: The most commonly used chemical weapons during World War One were chlorine gas, phosgene gas, and mustard gas. These gases were delivered through artillery shells or canisters and could be deadly even in low concentrations.
• EFFECTS ON SOLDIERS: Chemical weapons caused a range of physical and psychological effects on soldiers, including respiratory problems, blindness, burns, and psychological trauma. Soldiers who were exposed to gas attacks often experienced long-term health problems, and some were permanently disabled or disfigured.
• COUNTER-MEASURES: Soldiers were issued gas masks and they also dug trenches deeper to protect themselves from gas attacks.

German soldiers ignite chlorine gas canisters during the Second Battle of Ypres in Belgium on April 22, 1915.

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Mustard Gas attacks, 2nd Division, U.S. Army in action. Kurdsheid, Germany. May 26, 1918

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World War One- The Chemicals

• CHLORINE GAS: Chlorine gas is a yellow-green gas that has a choking odor (said to smell like bleach combined with pineapples,) and it can cause severe damage to the respiratory system. Exposure to chlorine gas can cause coughing, chest pain, nausea, and vomiting. In severe cases, it can lead to fluid buildup in the lungs, suffocation and death.
• PHOSGENE GAS: Is an odorless/colorless gas that has a delayed effect, meaning that symptoms may not appear until several hours after exposure. Phosgene gas attacks the respiratory system, causing a buildup of fluid in the lungs and leading to suffocation and death. It also causes symptoms such as coughing, chest pain, and difficulty breathing.
• MUSTARD GAS: A blistering agent that was used extensively during the war. It is a yellow-brown liquid that has a strong, garlicky odor. Mustard gas causes severe blistering and burns on the skin and can also damage the eyes and respiratory system. Exposure to mustard gas can cause blindness, respiratory problems, and even death.

French soldiers wearing gas masks to counter phosgene gas, which killed an estimated 100,000 soldiers in WW1, 1915.

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The Geneva Protocol, 1925, forbids the use of chemical weapons in warfare.

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World War One- American Involvement

• AMERICA STAYS NEUTRAL: The U.S. is neutral from 1914 until 1917, hoping to be “mediators” in the conflict, not participants.
• GERMAN ATTACKS ON THE US: In 1915, A German submarine sunk the British passenger ship Lusitania, killing more than 100 Americans and caused widespread outrage in the United States. In 1917, Germany resumed unrestricted submarine warfare, leading President Wilson to seek a declaration of war against Germany.
• WE DECLARE WAR: On April 6, 1917, the United States declared war on Germany and entered World War One on the side of the Allies. President Wilson argued that the war was necessary to preserve American values and to protect American interests abroad.
• AMERICA’S ROLE: American troops began arriving in Europe in 1918, and they played a significant role in several late, but major, battles. The United States also provided significant financial and logistical support to the Allies, providing much-needed supplies and resources.
• THE WAR’S END: The war ended with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, which included several key provisions supported by President Wilson, including the establishment of the League of Nations.

New York Times headline regarding the sinking of the Lusitania, 1915.

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The “Big Four” (left to right): David Lloyd George of Britain, Vittorio Orlando of Italy, Georges Clemenceau of France, and Woodrow Wilson of the United States, the principal architects of the Treaty of Versailles, 1918.

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America’s Military Involvement in WW1

• TROOP DEPLOYMENT: The U.S. deployed over two million soldiers to Europe during the war, which significantly increased the size of the Allied forces and helped to turn the tide of the war in favor of the Allies.
• NAVAL BLOCKADE: The United States Navy played a significant role in the blockade of Germany, which limited the country's access to key resources and helped to weaken its war effort.
• AIR POWER: The United States Army Air Service provided significant air support to the Allied forces, including reconnaissance and bombing missions that targeted key German military and industrial targets.
• BATTLE OF BELLEAU WOOD: The United States Marine Corps played a key role in the Battle of Belleau Wood, a major Allied victory that helped to turn the tide of the war on the Western Front in June, 1918.
• MEUSE-ARGONNE OFFENSIVE: Launched in late September 1918, was the largest and deadliest offensive of the war for the American Expeditionary Forces, with 117,000 casualties, including 26,000 killed and 95,000 wounded or missing. It was a critical engagement that helped to break the German lines and led to the eventual defeat of Germany.

American soldiers at the Battle of Belleau Wood, June, 1918.

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World War One- The Repercussions

• WORLD WAR ONE had a profound impact on society, both on the battlefield and at home:
• WOMEN: Women played a larger role in the workforce and in supporting the war effort, helping to pave the way for women's suffrage (right to vote) and increased rights in the years to come.
• RATIONING: Was used to support the war effort and foster a sense of national unity, but also led to inflation, shortages and social and economic upheaval.
• PROPAGANDA: Dissemination of information, ideas, or opinions, often biased or misleading, with the intention of influencing or manipulating the attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors of a specific audience towards a particular cause, person, or group. This becomes widely used in America.
• POLITICAL AND SOCIAL UPHEAVAL: Seen around the world, including the Russian Revolution and the rise of totalitarian regimes in Europe (such as the Nazi Party.)

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Women working in Bush Terminal, a shipping, warehousing, and manufacturing complex, in Brooklyn, December 1917.

A World War 1 propaganda poster, showing Germany as a “Mad Brute” who is carrying away a damsel.

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The U.S. and the League of Nations

• The involvement of the United States in World War One also marked a turning point in American foreign policy, as the United States became a major player on the world stage and adopted a more interventionist stance in global affairs.
• INTERVENTIONISM: America begins ACTIVE INVOLVEMENT in world affairs to promote American interests and values. This emphasized the importance of engaging with other nations to shape the international order.
• INTERVENTIONISM IN PRACTICE:
• Economic and military aid to allied countries, support for democratic governments, and the use of military force to protect American interests or promote American values abroad.
• Interventionism is motivated by a belief that the United States involvement was necessary to prevent the spread of communism, fascism, or other ideologies seen as threatening to American interests and values.
• THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS: An international organization established after World War One with the aim of promoting peace, cooperation, and disarmament among its member states. Wilson was a founder of this idea, but the U.S. never joined the League of Nations, preferring to stay isolated and not get involved in foreign affairs.

World War 1 recruiting poster, showing America “keeping the World safe for democracy.” Poster dated 1917 by American artist, James Montgomery Flagg.

1919 British Political Cartoon criticizing President Wilson’s refusal to join the new League of Nations, even after Wilson was its champion.

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World War One- Punishing Germany

• Some of the key punitive measures taken against Germany in the Treaty of Versailles included:
• REPARATIONS: Germany was required to pay large sums of money as reparations to the Allied powers for the damage caused during the war. Germany was eventually required to pay 132 billion gold marks (equivalent to about $400 billion today).
• DEMILITARIZATION: Germany was forced to disarm, and its army was limited to 100,000 men. It was also prohibited from having an Air Force or Navy, and was required to demilitarize the Rhineland (the border between France and Germany.)
• TERRITORIAL LOSSES: Germany was required to cede (give up) territory to neighboring countries, including Alsace-Lorraine to France, parts of West Prussia and Posen to Poland, and parts of Schleswig to Denmark.
• WAR GUILT: Germany was forced to accept full responsibility for starting the war, and was required to make a public apology.

New York Evening World Headline, June, 1919. “Germany pledges to act in good faith.”

1919: Published edition of the Treaty of Versaille, ending the war and punishing Germany.

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What are the repercussions of all of this in the 1930s and 1940s?