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Unit 1: The Emergence of Modern AmericaTopic #2: World War I

Guiding Questions

‐‐‐How and why did the United States enter World War I?  

‐‐‐What were Wilson's goals upon entering World War I? Why didn't more Americans share his vision of American national interests?

‐‐‐How did World War I affect the United States at home? Who benefited? Who did not? Why?

‐‐‐How did the American government shape public opinion during the war? What can we learn from these efforts?

‐‐‐Why did the Senate reject the Versailles Treaty? What were the implications of this decision? 

‐‐‐What was the post‐war backlash? 

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1898: Spanish‐American War

1914 ‐ 1918: World War I: Europe

1917 ‐ 1918: World War I: United States

1939‐ 1945: World War II: Europe

1941‐ 1945: World War II: United States

1945 ‐ 1989Cold War

1950 ‐ 1953Korean War

1960 ‐ 1975Vietnam War

20th Century U.S. Wars

Why did we enter each war? 

What was our national interest? 

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World War I in Europe: 

Causes (Brief!)

Allies: 

Central Powers

Nature of the War

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Wilson's Neutrality Policy (1914): What is the nature of this policy? Why does this policy fail to keep us out of war?

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What factors undermined Wilson's neutrality policy? Why did the U.S. enter World War I in 1917? 

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How did World War I affect the United States at home? Who benefited? Who did not? 

Did Benefit:

• Big Business‐‐‐government guaranteed them big profits‐‐‐W.I.B.

• Farmers‐‐Food Administration‐‐‐higher prices for farm products

• Labor‐‐better working conditions, higher wages

• Women‐‐‐more equality (19th Amendment), more opportunity for jobs (temporary changes)

• African Americans‐‐‐more jobs up North‐‐Great Migration 

• Native Americans‐‐citizenship

Did Not Benefit:

• Immigrants‐‐German Americans targeted propaganda and by govt. laws

• Free thinkers, dissenters, any one who questioned the war

• Radical labor leaders‐‐I.W.W. (Wobblies)‐‐I.W.W. = radical union‐‐‐communist

• African Americans‐‐more racism in the North • Consumers‐‐higher prices 

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OUR QUESTIONS FOR THE DAY

1.) How did World War I end?

2.) What did President Wilson hope to get out of the peace?

3.) What actually happened instead and why?

4.) Why did the U.S. Senate fail to ratify the Treaty of Versailles?

5.) What were the lasting implications of this failure?

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German U Boat War Intensifies

March 1917

U.S. Declares War on Germany

April 1917 June 1917

American Forces Arrive in Europe

Nov. 1917

Bolshevik Revolution in Russia

Nov. 1918

Armistice Ends War

Turning Points in Ending World War I`

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The Peace ConferenceThe Palace of Versailles, January 1919

The Big 4: President Wilson, Prime Minister Lloyd George (England), Prime Minister George Clemenceau (France) and

Prime Minister Vittorio Orlando (Italy)

Imagine you can step in the minds of these four world leaders as they discuss their hopes for the upcoming peace

conference. What are they concerned about? What are their goals?

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What kind of peace did Wilson envision?

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How would you describe the provisions of the peace treaty?

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Internationalists

President Wilson 

27 Senate Democrats

The Senate Debate Over the League of Nations

Irreconcilables 

Senator Borah

14 Senate Republicans

1 Democrat

Strong Reservationists 

Senator Lodge

7 Senate Republicans

Mild Reservationists 

Senator Hitchcock

20 Senate Republicans

20 Senate Democrats

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Covenant of the League of NationsArticle X 

"The Members of the League undertake to respect and preserve as against external aggression the territorial integrity and existing political independence of all 

Members of the League. In case of any such aggression or in case of any threat or 

danger of such aggression the Council shall advise upon the means by which this 

obligation shall be fufilled."

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The Senate VoteNovember 19, 1919

Treaty + Lodge Reservations

Senate Democrats + Irreconcilables Voted Against = 55

Lodge Reservationists = 39 

The Senate VoteMarch 19, 1920

Treaty ­ Lodge Reservations

Still Failed!

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Lodge, Knox and Borah are Republican Senators

What issue is the cartoonist addressing? 

What's the main message of the cartoon?

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