1920s – republican decade the russian revolution vladimir lenin promised to end russian...
TRANSCRIPT
1920s – Republican Decade
The Russian Revolution
Vladimir Lenin promised to end Russian participation in WWI
Bolsheviks gain control in November 1917
Soviets placed property, industry, transportation etc. under government control
Civil War 1918-1920 - Mensheviks vs. Bolsheviks
Cold War begins - U.S troops helped Mensheviks
Mensheviks lose – Soviet Union created
The Red Scare Communism terrified Americans
1. Government owned all land & property
2. One political party controlled government
3. Individuals had no rights
4. Vowed to stir revolutions and spread
Red Scare – fear of communism
spreading to the U.S
Gov’t sought out & expelled suspected
communists
Schenck vs. The United States
Palmer RaidsRed Scare returns after WWII
Palmer Raids• June 1919—Bombs
exploded in several U.S. cities
• Including one at the home of A. Mitchell Palmer, the Attorney General
Palmer Raids• Palmer was convinced that radicals were
trying to overthrow the gov’t• He went on a campaign to root out anyone
that posed a threat to the U.S.• Targets included Communists, Socialists, &
anarchists• “Any movement, however, cloaked or
dissembled, designed to undermine the gov’t, will be met w/ unflinching, persistent, aggressive warfare.”
Palmer Raids• Jan. 2, 1920—Agents in 33 cities arrested
thousands of suspected radicals w/o evidence– Most were immigrants– Many were completely innocent– 500+ were deported
• Americans, including Palmer, expected the worst on May 1, 1920 (an annual Socialist holiday), but nothing happened & the press turned on Palmer
Labor Strikes Post-WWI Labor Unrest
Myth - communists organized strikes
Fact - doubling in the cost of living w/o wage increases
Boston Police Strike – 1919
No pay increase since 1914
19 officers fired for union activity
Police force went on strike causing riots
Nat’l Guard sent to stop rioting & end strike
Strikes ended as 1920’s boom began
Steel/Coal Strikes• 350K workers walk off job at U.S. Steel
Corporation (1919)– 65 hr/week on average; wanted 8-hr day
• Blamed on Communists
• Private police force killed 18 strikers & injured hundreds
• African American workers brought in to break strike
• Strikers give up after 10 weeks
Strikes Decline• Most Americans opposed strikes
– Seen as un-American & likely to violence
• Distrust of labor unions• Linked to radicalism and communism• Union membership peaked in 1920, then dropped
– 5 million workers in 1919-1920 (height of Red Scare)
• Economy improved over course of 1920s– Higher wages
Nativism
Foreigners could never be fully loyal to the U.S.
Slums, corruption & crime blamed on immigrants
Workforce feared loss of jobs to lower paid immigrants
Increase in:
– Patriotism
– Anti-Catholicism; Anti-Semitism
– Fear of losing jobs
– Red Scare & radicalism
Quotas placed on annual immigration
350K foreigners per year
Immigrants from SE Europe (Italy, Poland and Russia) had lower quotas
Asian immigrants were banned entirely
Republican Leadership Public turned to Republican Party amidst Red Scare, strikes,
overseas revolution etc.
1921-1933 - Republicans dominated all 3 branches of government
Republicans united in basic goals
Favored business & wanted economic growth
Desired social stability
Harding & Coolidge Presidencies
Isolationism
Avoid foreign political & economic alliances (no League of Nations)
Disarmament – call on nations to voluntarily give up their weapons
Laissez Faire approach to business
Government should not interfere &
regulate business/economy
Approach fueled the business boom
of the decade – The
Roaring Twenties
The End