Woodrow Wilson Fights For Peace

1. What was Wilson's 14th Point?

Wilson's 14th proposed setting up a League of Nations in which countries could talk through diplomatic issues so that going to war could be avoided whenever possible.
2. What terms of the treaty specifically affected Germany?

The treaty forbid Germany from having an army. It also forced Germany to repay $33 billion dollars to the Allies - money that Germany did not have. Finally, the treaty forced Germany to give the region of Alsace-Lorraine back to France. Also, the treaty forced Germany to take full responsibility for the war.
3. What were the weaknesses of the treaty?

The treaty had many unforeseen weaknesses. Firstly, the treaty embarrassed Germany. How could a stable nation be rebuilt if one of its parts is being ridiculed? Also, the treaty asked Germany to pay the Allies vast sums of money - it was not taken into consideration that Germany didn't have nearly that much money. Thirdly, although Russia had participated heavily in the war, it was not included in the conference. It also lost a lot of land - even more than Germany did. Finally, the treaty completely ignored certain groups of people - such as the Vietnamese citizens, who were vying for rights equaled those of Western citizens.
4. Why did Henry Cabot Lodge object to the treaty?

Lodge believed that the League would interfere with the U.S.' policy of isolationism. He was particularly suspicious of the League's call for joint military and financial action against any insubordination - even though involvement in such situations would be completely voluntary.
5. How did Wilson help bring about the Senate's rejection of the treaty?

Wilson ignored the Republican majority and picked unpopular candidates for his delegation. Traveling throughout the country made him too ill to continue to give speeches to the Senate; even then, he absolutely refused to compromise. Had he been a little more willing to bend, the treaty might have been passed.
6. What circumstances at this time would eventually lead many Germans to support Adolf Hitler?

Many Germans were outraged at the treatment of Germany in the Treaty of Versailles - they had expected Wilson to make things even across Europe, but instead, they got severely undercut. They had lost land, men, money, and dignity, all with nothing to show for it. Adolf Hitler promised a vision of a new, strong, constantly victorious Germany, which everyone would respect - how could anyone say no?
7. Who is George Clemenceau?

George Clemenceau was the French premier at the time of WWI.
8. Who is David Lloyd George?

David Lloyd George was the British prime minister at the time of WWI.
9. Describe the participation of Russia at the peace conference.

Russia had no involvement in the peace conference - it was specifically excluded from negotiations.

The War At Home

What were some things accomplished by the following wartime agencies and laws?

1. War Industries Board: Encouraged companies to cut down on waste and mass-produce products more efficiently; caused industrial production to rise by 20%, but prices to rise exponentially as well; companies profited but citizens suffered.
2. Railroad Administration: Regulated the railroads as the WIB regulated factories.
3. Fuel Administration: Watched coal supplies and rationed heating oil; introduced and popularized Daylight Savings Time in order to save fuel.
4. National War Labor Board: Moderated issues that arose between workers and managers; took away draft exemptions from workers who caused problems; also worked to improve work conditions - supported eight hour days, safety inspections, child labor bans.
5. Food Administration: Helped to ration food by promoting the "gospel of the clean plate" and days where you would go without something: one day a week without sweets, one day without meat, two without wheat, and two without pork; encouraged restaurants to reduce waste; promoted the planting of victory gardens to supplement home kitchens; tripled food shipments to the Allies.
6. Committee on Public Information: Nation's first propaganda agency; George Creel convinced thousands of artists to create posters, cartoons, paintings, and statues to promote patriotism and the war; distributed thousands of pamphlets and other literature promoting the war; had "Four Minute Men" promote joining up and sell war bonds; these efforts angered many opponents of the war.
7. Espionage and Sedition Acts: stated that a person could be fined up to $10,000 or incarcerated for 20 years for interfering with the war effort or saying anything disloyal about the war or the government; led to over 2,000 prosecutions, about 1/2 of which were convicted; targeted socialists and labor leaders; dissenters were sent to jail, fined, or even deported.

Briefly explain why Bernard M. Baruch and George Creel are significant historical figures.

Bernard M. Baruch is a significant historical figure because he was the leader of the WIB - it was under his organization that conservation and mass production techniques to support a war effort became popular. We still use some of the ideas that he pushed forwards today - even if not to the extent that the WIB used the, Baruch's ideas and motives underly our war effort today.

George Creel is an important historical figure because he was the head of the first national propaganda organization. Without him, propaganda would never have gotten going in such a big way, for it was during WWI that it got its start. Creel came up with techniques to intrigue the public and tug at their heartstrings, often shaming them into contributing to the war effort. Creel is significant because he forwarded a new technique that would be used widely in every war that America would fight in the future.

The U.S. Enters World War I

1. How did the United States raise an army?
In order to gather enough men to create an effective army, Congressed passed the Secret Service Act. This forced men to register for the draft - they would then be selected at random to be sent into the war. Soldiers trained for hours every day, in order to prepare for battle.

2. How did U.S. soldiers help win the war?
First, America suggested that Britain use the convoy system to cut down on shipping losses (this worked very well). Next, the US created a 230 mile blockade from northern Scotland to Novia Scotia to prevent German U-Boats from going into the Atlantic. The American soldiers were greatly useful: fresh and passionate, they had an energy that the European soldiers who had been fighting for years already lacked. After Russia pulled out of the war, the Americans were highly influential in fighting Germany out of France. With their help, the tide quickly turned.

3. What were the estimated economic costs of the war?
The estimated economic cost of the war was $338 billion.

4. What did the war cost in terms of the number of civilian deaths; military deaths?; injuries?; and refugees?

Civilian deaths: 11 million
Military deaths: 11 million

Injuries: 20 million

Refugees: 10 million

5. Define armistice.

An armistice is a truce or peace agreement that ends a conflict.

World War I Begins

1. What are the four main causes of World War I? Give an example for each as to why it was a cause.
Nationalism: There was much competition between the countries of the world to gain more land and have a bigger military than their neighbors. This constant battle to be on top led to high tensions and short tempers, especially around Europe, where the fear of invasion (especially by Germany) was a constant.

Imperialism: Many of the European countries were striving to colonize all over the world; colonies provided financial support and power. As Germany became more and more powerful, England and France began worrying about competing with it for colonies.

Militarism: During this time period, a sort of arms race launched in Europe. As each country tried to defend its empire, they began to stockpile men and weapons, trying to get more than their neighboring countries. Germany, although it had the strongest army at the time, was not seen as a threat by England until it started building up its navy; at that point, England became worried.

Alliances: Europe split into two alliances: The Allies (France, Britain, and Russia) and the Triple Allies (Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy). The countries were so concerned with keeping power balanced and protecting their allies that it caused tensions to rise exponentially; what seemed a safe back up plan actually caused a blow up that resulted in all out war.

2. How did the June 1914 assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand become the spark for WWI?
Since Ferdinand's assassinator was Serbian, Austria-Hungray declared war on Serbia. This sparked a massive response from the two allied groups: Russia offered aid to Serbia, which led Germany to declare war on Russia, and then France; soon after, England declared war on Germany.

3. What happened within the first few months of fighting?
Within the first few months of fighting, the Schlieffen plan was put into action. German troops marched through neutral Belgium; Allied troops tried to stop them but could not. However, Allied troops flocked to Paris to defend it from German attack. Soon, vast arrays of trenches spread throughout the land around France - no one was moving anywhere.

4. Generally, why did the United States want to stay out of the war?
The war was so far away that it did not threaten any American property, or put American lives at risk.

5. Specifically, Why did the following groups of Americans tend to oppose U.S. participation in the war? Naturalized citizens; socialists; pacifists; parents.

Naturalized citizens opposed U.S. participation in the war because they still closely sympathized with their home countries; they could not condone fighting against their motherlands. Socialists were opposed to U.S. involvement in the war because they thought it was simply a struggle for capitalist markets in the Eastern world. Pacifists could not condone the US going to war because they thought war was inherently evil; parents were opposed because they did not want to send their children off to die in what they knew was a bloody war.

6. How did Germany respond to the British naval blockade of Germany’s ports? What was the U.S. response?

Germany responded to the British naval blockade of Germany's ports by sending U-Boats to form a counter blockade that would blow up any ship that entered Great Britain's waters, whether it was armed or not. The U.S. was shocked; Americans were being killed in these explosions. The US threatened to end all diplomatic communications with Germany if Germany did not revoke its policy.

7. What forced the United States into the war?

Germany ignored President Wilson's call for peace; in fact, they issued a statement saying that they would sink ALL boats in British waters without hesitation. Wilson, waiting for an open act of hostility, soon got it: the Zimmerman note, sent from Germany to a German ambassador in Mexico, proposed an alliance with Mexico and promised to help Mexico regain land in Texas if Germany's side won. After this, Germany sunk four American merchant ships. After this, the Russian government changed over to a representative government (it was formerly a monarchy), which gained much support from Americans.