World War I: The US Homefront

1. World War I: The US Homefront IB History Americas Marusak

2. America at the Outbreak of War • Isolationist • Woodrow Wilson elected in 1912 & 1916 • ‘Americans thanked God for the ocean moats…and congratulated themselves having had ancestors wise enough to have abandoned the hell pits of Europe.’

3. A Precarious Neutrality • Wilson issues neutrality proclamation • His wife, Ellen, had just died on Aug 6th, 1914 • Wilson calls on Americans to be neutral ‘in thought and deed’

4. America Wooed Britain Germany US huge population of transplanted Germans & Austro-Hungarians Kaiser had a poor image Mustache like a villain Ruthless autocrat Germany seen as aggressor Helpless, innocent for Belgium German spy left documents on a NY elevated train Documents detailed industrial sabotage • Stronger cultural & linguistic ties • Stronger economic ties • Controlled most transatlantic cables • Censors deleted negative stories of Allies but passed on all tales of German atrocities

5. US Population Statistics

7. The Business of War • British & French war orders pull US out of recession • US bankers loan Allies money to purchase US goods • $2.3 billion • Germany complained but the trade was legal • Germany could not trade because of British blockade • Britain controlled sea lanes • Britain blocked German ports • Britain forced US ships to go to British ports

8. Trade Between US & War Powers • While trade with Britain > doubles from 1914 to 1916, trade with Germany becomes negligible

9. War on the Seas • Germany announces submarine war area around Britain in Feb 1915 in response to blockade • Unterseeboat, or U-Boat • Under international law a warship is required to stop & board a commercial vessel to search • But subs could easily be sunk if they surfaced (shot or rammed) Few options except to sink or leave alone • US warns Germany it will be held accountable for attacks on US ships or citizens

10. German Submarine War ZoneDeclared February 1915

11. German U-boats go to Work • 1st months sank ~90 ships in war zone World War I era U-9 U-boat

12. German Warning Printed in NY Newspapers

13. German U-Boat Damages • May 7, 1915 Lusitania • British ship • 1200 drowned • 128 Americans • Ship carried war supplies manufactured in US • 4,200 cases of small-arms bullets • US swept by wave of shock at act of ‘mass murder’ & ‘piracy’

14. US Response • Wilson remains committed to neutrality • But sent a series of stern notes to Germany • Strongly criticized • Deep division in US feelings towards war • Sec of State Bryan resigned • Felt Wilson was encouraging war • Ex-President Teddy Roosevelt said the ‘pacifistic professor’ used ‘weasel words’ • Strongly desired US to go to war • East Coast in favor (closer to Europe) • Rest of US against war

15. US Response HMS Sussex 1916 • August 1915 Germans sink British ship Arabic • 2 US deaths • Wilson gets Germany’s promise to not fire ‘without warning’ first • March 1916 French passenger ship Sussex torpedoed • Wilson ultimatum: no passenger ships or US will sever relations • Germany agreed & unsteady neutrality remained for another year (until unconditional sub warfare declared)

17. Election of 1916 • Wilson is re-elected in November 1916 in close race • (277 to 254) • Defeats war hawk Charles Evans Hughes • TR supported Evans Hughes • Evans Hughes ran an ineffective campaign • Wilson campaigned little on the theory: • ‘One should not try to murder a man who is committing suicide • Slogan, ‘he kept us out of war’

18. Wilson Attempts Peace • ‘Peace without victory’ • Speech given January 22, 1917 • Beginning of 14 Points • Germany announces they will begin unlimited submarine warfare • Sink all ships, including US, in the war zone • Wilson calls for arming US merchant ships • Isolationists in Senate blocked measure • US still not completely ready for war

19. Zimmerman Note • Telegram • From German Foreign Affairs Secretary Arthur Zimmerman • To German ambassador to Mexico • Intercepted by British • Delivered to US government • Printed in US newspapers • If Mexico joins Germany in fighting the US • Then, Mexico receives: • TX, NM, & AZ • Brings US closer to war

21. Germany Ups the Ante • Germany declares unrestricted submarine warfare to resume February 1, 1917 • Germany knew US would very likely now declare war • Militarists believed it would take US 1 year to mobilize (correct) • Militarists believed they could defeat Britain / France in 6 months (incorrect)

22. Germany Ups the Ante Germany sinks several more ships (military & commercial) Feb 1917: Germans sank 540,000 tons of shipping March 1917: 578,000 tons April 1917: 874,000 tons Many ships are US -- chipping away at American neutrality Philadelphia newspaper: ‘the difference between war and what we have now is that now we aren’t fighting back.’

23. US Declares War • News from Russia of revolution • Cruel regime of the tsars ended • US now fighting on side of democracy against despotism • Sub warfare + Zimmerman + Russian revolution = US entry into WWI • April 6, 1917 • US declares war

24. Wilson Selling the War • Wilson had to sell the war to many who remained isolationist • He used idealism • ‘Crusade’ • “to make the world safe for democracy” • ‘a war to end war’ • ‘peace without victory’ • US quickly converted to war mentality • ‘Hang the Kaiser’

25. Wilson Issues 14 Points • January 8, 1918 • At this point Congress enthusiastic • Inspired allies to make a greater effort • Demoralized Central Powers by inspiring their dissatisfied minorities

26. Wilson Issues 14 Points • Abolish secret treaties • Freedom of seas • Remove trade barriers • Reduce arms • Adjust colonial claims • Self-determination • League of Nations

27. US Psychological Effects of Declaring War for Allies • Germans believe US will take 12 months to mobilize • Basically correct • Allies must hold out until help arrives • British & French must continue to hold the line • “I am waiting for the Americans and the tanks” --French Marshall Philippe Petain

28. U-Boat Countermeasures • Allies respond with U-Boat countermeasures • Sonar, mine barges, depth charges, airplane recon, & convoy • Convoy--100 or more commercial ships escorted by military ships • End of 1917 U-boats lose effectiveness

29. CPI formed Committee on Public Information Led by George Creel Basically large-scale propaganda 150,000 employees Including 75,000 ‘4-minute men’: patriotic speech-givers Posters, leaflets, pamphlets, movies, songs Lyrics to ‘Over There’ Over there, over there Send the word, send the word over there, That the Yanks are coming, the Yanks are coming The drums rum-tumming ev’rywhere Manipulating Minds

30. Stifling Dissent • German-Americans • 8 million (8%) of Americans • Overwhelmingly loyal • Rumors • Spying, sabotage, etc • No: • Beethoven or Wagner • German language in schools • Sauerkraut became ‘liberty cabbage’ • Hamburger became ‘liberty steak’

35. Stifling Dissent • Espionage Act 1917 • Spying • Sedition Act of 1918 • Inciting rebellion • 1,900 prosecutions • Socialists • Labor unions • Eugene V. Debs • Received ~1,000,000 votes for president in 1920 from prison • Censorship

36. US Preps for War • US army slowly grew to 100,000 men • 15th in the world • About the size of Persia’s • US had resources but did not know how to ‘tap’ them • War Industries Board (WIB), 1917 • Headed by Bernard Baruch • Encouraged: • Mass production, especially ships (from 1 to 10 million tons) • Elimination of waste • Standardization • Established price controls

37. War & Industry • ‘Labor Will Win the War’ slogan • ‘work or fight’ • Any unemployed male available for immediate draft • National War Labor Board • Led by former President Taft • Cooperation with unions • 8 hour day • Higher wages

39. War Production & Unions • Most unions supported war • Union membership doubled • Some radical groups sabotaged industry • Industrial Workers of the World, ‘Wobblies’ or IWW • Despite gains in wages, inflation ran high • Strikes were numerous & often severe • 1919, 250,000 workers went on strike in steel • Steel companies replaced with African Americans • Violence killed more than a dozen

40. War & African Americans • Massive northern migration • Ex-plantation slave descendants • Extreme racial tensions • Many northern cities were almost all-white • Race riots • Many deaths sparked by blacks at beaches or breaking strikes

41. The Great Migration • From 1910 to 1930 • ~4.1 million African-Americans moved out of the southern US • 12 states largest net loss (red) and net gain (blue)

42. Women in Factories • 1,000s enter factories to replace men who went to war • Contribution convinced Wilson to support woman suffrage • 19th amendment right to vote for women • Passed in 1920 • In reality after WWI most women went back to housewife role • But Constitution allowed the vote & precedent had been set

45. Forging the Economy • Gov’t encouraged voluntary: • Meatless Tuesdays • Wheatless Wednesdays • Heatless Mondays • Lightless nights • Victory Gardens • Some items also rationed • Canned meat, milk, vegetables • Chocolate • Alcohol production limited • Many German owned • Led to prohibition amendment in 1919

50. Victory Loan Campaign • Government promoted purchase of war bonds • Netted $21 billion • Citizens also pressured others, especially German-Americans to contribute • House painted in yellow if no bonds • One man signed for bond with a rope around his neck