US History/US History (Bureau Development Inc.)(1991).ISO/dp/0025/00255.txt

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$Title{United States History 1600-1987
Chapter VII  World War I}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{Immigration and Naturalization Service}
$Affiliation{US Department of Justice}
$Subject{war
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depression
americans
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$Volume{M-288}
$Date{1987}
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Book:        United States History 1600-1987
Author:      Immigration and Naturalization Service
Affiliation: US Department of Justice
Volume:      M-288
Date:        1987

Chapter VII  World War I

Causes of World War I

     Woodrow Wilson, a Progressive, was elected in 1912 by people who wanted
social, political and economic reforms.  In his first term as President,
Wilson tried to make reforms, but he was hindered by the war which began in
Europe in 1914.  The man next in line to the throne in Austria-Hungary was
shot while visiting a small country, Serbia (which no longer exists).
Austria-Hungary, supported by its ally, Germany, declared war.  Serbia had
Russia as an ally.  Russia was supported by France.  When Austria declared
war, both Russia and France began to prepare their armies to fight.  Germany
became worried and attacked France by going through neutral Belgium.  World
War I had begun.

U.S. Remains Neutral, 1914-1917

     In the beginning, the United States tried to remain neutral and to
isolate itself from the war.  Many Americans believed that European quarrels
should stay in Europe.  They believed that the war was the result of the kind
of entangling alliances which the U.S. tried to avoid.  Wilson issued a
proclamation of neutrality, saying that the U.S. would not favor one side or
the other.  Most Americans, even while saying they did not want to get
involved, sympathized with the Allies (Britain, France, Russia and Italy).
Many people believed that the Central Powers (Germany and Austria-Hungary) had
started the war and were too militaristic.  The U.S. continued to trade with
both sides.  However, the Allied sympathies were shown in better trade
agreements with the Allies than the Central Powers.

U.S. Enters War

     By 1917, Americans were ready to fight with the Allies to defeat Germany.
Germany had developed a new weapon, the submarine, and was using it to attack
both warships and merchant ships.  This unrestricted warfare by the Germans
angered Americans.  They thought it was too brutal and violated U.S.
neutrality.  Allied propaganda also was good at obtaining the sympathy of
Americans.  Many Americans were idealistic about what they could do if they
won the war.  They wanted to help fight this "war to end all wars."  The war,
as Woodrow Wilson said, should be fought because "the world must be made safe
for democracy."  The goals were moral, and even though Americans did not want
to fight in a war, they were ready to, if good would come from it.

     World War I was called the Great War while it was being fought.  It was
the first modern war to involve so many countries and so many men.  World War
I was also a total war, meaning that the whole country had to be prepared to
fight it.  This was less true in the U.S. than in Europe, since the actual
fighting took place in Europe.  The President's powers were temporarily
expanded and thus strengthened.  The economy was turned to producing as many
items for war as possible, such as uniforms, guns, ammunition, and ships.
People helped by giving up items they would normally have bought.  Each week
had its "meatless" and "wheatless" days.  People were not supposed to eat
these foods so they could be sent to where people were fighting.  The
government had to raise taxes to pay for the war, but people also helped
voluntarily by buying savings bonds from the government.  Many soldiers were
needed to fight, so Congress passed the Selective Service Acts and began to
draft young men.  The whole country supported fighting the war.

     When the U.S. entered, the war was not going well for the Allies.  There
was a stalemate on land, and German submarines were still sinking many ships.
The development of new war machinery - such as the submarine, tanks and
airplanes - made it difficult for nations to adjust their way of fighting to
new conditions.  For the European countries, it already had been a long bitter
struggle.  The Germans were winning on the oceans until Allied ships began
traveling together in convoys to protect each other.  The Allied powers
suffered major defeats on the Eastern Front, in Russia, because of lack of
preparation and because Russia removed its troops after the Russian
Revolution.  The Western Front, mostly in France, was locked in trench
warfare, with both sides not able to move anywhere.  The entry of the U.S.
brought many fresh troops which helped the Allies greatly.  General John J.
Pershing led more than 2 million U.S. troops into battle in France, helping to
win the Western Front.  The U.S. Navy also provided needed ships to help the
convoys, blockade German ports and destroy submarines.  Germany surrendered
unconditionally on November 11, 1918.

Treaty of Versailles, 1919

     The war was over.  Wilson had a plan for peace which was based upon
Fourteen Points.  In Versailles, France, Wilson and the leaders of three other
Allied nations (Britain, France and Italy) tried to negotiate a peace treaty
based on these ideals.  The Fourteen Points were:

     1. no secret treaties;

     2. freedom of the seas;

     3. freedom of international trade;

     4. reduction of armaments;

     5. settlement of all colonial claims fairly for everyone involved;

     6-13. self-determination, or the right for the people of a country to
decide for themselves what kind of government they want; and,

     14. establishing the League of Nations.

League of Nations

     The League of Nations was the most important point.  All countries would
join, and upon joining would agree to settle disagreements through
negotiations.  There no longer would be reason for war.  Unfortunately, the
Senate, which must ratify all treaties, thought that the U.S. should not be
greatly involved with the other countries of the world.  The Senate wanted to
go back to a neutral and isolated position.  It did not ratify the Treaty of
Versailles which would have required the U.S. to join the League of Nations.
Though the League of Nations failed because few countries were committed to
making it work, many of the ideals of the League of Nations helped determine
the structure of the United Nations, which was established after World War II.

18th and 19th Amendments

     Two amendments to the Constitution were added immediately after World War
I:  the 18th and 19th.

     Two groups had been trying to get the 18th amendment passed for a long
time:  the Anti-Saloon League and the Women's Christian Temperance Union.
They had been able to get about half the states to ban alcohol.  World War I
helped the cause, too, because less alcohol was made in order to conserve
grain.  In general, however, the public did not like the 18th amendment
(called Prohibition) and many simply ignored it by making and drinking their
own alcohol.  In 1933, the 21st amendment was ratified by special state
conventions, returning the control of alcohol usage to the individual states.

     Women had been very active in trying to get Prohibition passed and in the
war effort, but still did not have the right to vote.  Many women wondered why
they were treated as second-class citizens when they were capable of taking an
active role in society.  Because they could not vote, women participated
little in political affairs.  They did not have equal opportunities in
education, business or the professions.  Even their property rights were
limited.  Many women wanted to change the situation.  They thought that if
they could vote, they could change those problems.  The leading suffragette
was Susan B. Anthony, though she died before women received the right to vote.
Anthony and the other suffragettes lectured, organized and educated people
about the vote for women and other social reforms such as Prohibition.  Some
states, especially in the West, had already granted women the right to vote.
Wyoming had been the first state, in 1869.  By 1920, the 19th amendment was
ratified, largely as a result of the efforts of the suffragettes and
recognition of women's contributions during World War I.  Since that time,
women have made great progress.  They now have equal educational opportunities
and can enter any profession they choose.

Interwar Period

     The period between the end of World War I in 1918 and the beginning of
World War II in 1939 is called the Interwar Period.  In the U.S. it is also
called the Age of Normalcy.  Americans wanted to return to peaceful times and
isolationism.  This was part of the reason for the U.S. not joining the League
of Nations.  Isolationism also was partly responsible for the immigration
restrictions which began in the 1920's.  Another reason some people wanted
restrictions on immigration was that the economy was beginning to suffer and
there would be few jobs for the new immigrants.

     During most of the Interwar Period, Americans enjoyed prosperity.  It was
the age of jazz clubs, movie houses, and daring new fashions for women.  Many
people believed they would grow wealthy and have much leisure time.
Unfortunately, the economic boom of the Interwar Period was based more on
buying on credit than on fiscal responsibility.

The Depression, 1929-1939

     During and immediately after World War I, the U.S. economy was doing
well.  By the end of the 1920's, however, the U.S. and the world were in a
Depression.  The economy was not functioning.  In the 1920's, production had
risen.  People were working hard to improve their lives.  Unfortunately, these
positive factors were part of the problem.  The U.S. had become too productive
industrially.  High tariffs meant that foreign countries were not buying U.S.
goods.  Low wages meant Americans could not buy the goods either.  Many jobs
were lost as new machinery was developed.  The tremendous speculation in the
stock market led to the downfall.  Many people were buying stocks which raised
prices.  Eventually the buyers lost confidence in the stock market and began
to sell as fast as they had bought.  On Black Tuesday, October 29, 1929, the
stock market crashed and upset the whole economy.

     The Depression caused much fear throughout the U.S. and the world because
it affected so many people for such a long time.  By 1932, the depth of the
Depression, over 12 million people in the U.S., or one-fourth of the work
force, were out of work.  Many businesses had failed, factories were shut
down, and those who were working had their wages decreased.  The panic was
made worse by the 5,000 banks which failed.  People began to worry that the
Depression would never end.  In fact, it lasted 10 years, until 1939.

Franklin Roosevelt as President

     Before 1939, the economic situation had begun to improve.  In 1932,
Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected President on the promise to help the
"forgotten man."  People believed in him.  He was enthusiastically optimistic.
As governor of New York, Roosevelt had spent state government money to help
those hurt by the Depression.  Roosevelt won by a landslide, and became
President during the worst year of the Depression.

     Roosevelt went to work right away, using his famous three R's:  relief,
recovery and reform.  Relief measures were designed to stop suffering by:

     * providing direct money payments or jobs to the unemployed; and,

     * providing mortgage loans to help farmers and homeowners in danger of
losing their property.

     Roosevelt wanted to bring about recovery by providing aid to farmers,
business owners and workers to help get people back to work.  The government
provided many jobs for people in building roads, highways, public buildings,
dams, and parks.  The third R, reform, was intended less to help with the
Depression than to make sure there never would be another one.  These measures
regulated businesses and banks, and protected bank depositors, investors,
consumers, the aged, children, and the unemployed.  Most of these New Deal
measures were controversial, but they restored confidence at the time and
improved the economy.  Five million people were employed through government
programs and people began to feel hope again.

     The Depression ended differently in Europe than in the U.S.  Germany
suffered terribly from the Depression, and in 1933 a group called the National
Socialists (Nazis) came to power.  Their leader was Adolf Hitler.  A similar
group came to power in Italy, led by Benito Mussolini.  Unfortunately, the way
these two countries tried to get out of the Depression was aggressive.  By the
mid-1930's it looked as though there would be another war in Europe.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Who He Was

     Much concern for the "forgotten man," those people who suffered most
during the Depression.

     Had disease, infantile paralysis (polio), which helped him learn
patience, tolerance and compassion.

     Optimistic about U.S. ability to solve its problems by working at them.

     In First Inaugural Address, inspired Americans with, "We have nothing to
fear but fear itself."

What He Did

     Gained experience in government by serving in New York state legislature
and as Assistant Secretary of the Navy.

     Governor of New York during the Depression.

     --Popular for using heavy state spending to help those suffering.

     --Attracted national attention.

     Won Presidency in 1932 with promise to help country through Depression.

     Helped restore confidence with his Hundred Days legislation.

     --Passed much legislation during first 100 days in office to help fight
the Depression.

     --Famous for his 3 R's - Relief, Recovery and Reform.

     New Deal programs he supported put people back to work, put food on their
tables and gave them hope.

     Provided strong, energetic leadership during World War II.

     Only person elected to four terms as President.

     --People believed in the need for his strong and experienced leadership
during the crises of the Depression and World War II.

     --Died during 4th term due to a brain hemorrhage.

World War I - Review Questions

     1. What words describe the U.S. position during the early years of World
War I?

     2. Name one country which fought for the Allies during World War I.

     3. Name one country which fought for the Central Powers during World War
I.

     4. Name one reason the U.S. joined the Allies in fighting World War I.

     5. Did the Allies or Central Powers win World War I?

     6. To what post-World War I organization is the United Nations similar?

     7. Name one cause of the Depression.

     8. Who was elected President during the Depression and remained so
throughout World War II?

     9. Name one action Roosevelt took to end the Depression and prevent it
from happening again.