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Tim Thornton

Hist-162

Andrew, Klosterman

American Mobilization for World War I

American Mobilization for the war effort was a feat of great leadership and patriotism of

the American people.

Wilson knew that quick and effective action would be what won the war, so he

created close to five thousand new federal agencies. Social propaganda campaigns were used to

convince the American public that they were fighting the war for a good cause, while Espionage

and Sedition Acts were used to enforce loyalty to the war effort. Militarily nondiscriminatory

conscription was used to create an army large enough to engage in an effective campaign.

Finally, the War Industries Board and a higher income tax were used to economically prepare the

country by producing sufficient supplies and paying for the cost of war. Life wasnt easy for the

American soldier (Doughboy) during World War 1. The average soldier on the front line had to

deal with lack of food and water, deadly gases, and the constant annoyance of lice and rats. The

soldiers started to refer to the lice as cooties and they had given up on ever ridding themselves

of the ever-agitating pests. The rats for the most part, were almost unbearable to most of the

troops. Many claimed that in the middle of the night the rats would wait until they were sleeping

and chew a hole through their sack or pocket to get to any available food they could find on

them. They also claimed that the rats would become bloated off the amount of human flesh they

consumed as more bodies had piled up. Many soldiers would tie a piece of bacon to the end of

their rifle as to entice a rat close enough for an easy shot.

A major factor in the war was the moral of a countries troop. Soon into the war

the French morale was low at best. After constant defeats and up rises in mutiny the French were

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beginning to falter. But, with the arrival of the AEF to France had raised the morale of the

French troops. This up serge in American troops causes German officials to try and win the war

before the AEF can have a major impact on the outcome of the war. Initially the American troops

take over the less violent areas of the front as to give the French and British troops time to rest

and to regroup on positions that were in need of reinforcements. The almost relentless pouring in

of American troops quickly devastated the morale of the German troops and that of their high

command. This lead to the onslaught brought on by the French and British troops that eventually

drove the Germans and the Triple Alliance out of the war.

In conclusion, Americas involvement and motives in World War I are often in

question by historians and scholars. However, the swiftness in which the country mobilized for

war remains an astounding feat.