HIST 106 2nd Edition Lecture 15 Outline of Last Lecture I The 1912 election II Implementing new freedom III Expanding new freedom IV Racism and progressivism V African American leaders organize Outline of Current Lecture I Introduction II The origins of conflict III American attitudes IV The economy of war V The diplomacy of neutrality VI The battle over preparedness Current Lecture Introduction o Not many Americans would be prepared for the war even though it began in Europe in 1914 o Americans supported neutrality let the world deal with their own problems The origins of conflict o Intro context Tensions really flourished during this time A lot of different alliances divided Europe into different blocs Great Britain and France and Russia Austria Hungary and Germany o One assassin to ignite the world Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand Austria Hungary ignited the attack of Austria Hungary of Serbia Germany attacks France through neutral Belgium o The grave of nations Europe had huge armies and 20th century technologies intersected with battles and this intersection brought a lot of fatalities The futures of many family blood lines were eliminated in a matter of minutes The belligerence subordinated their economic tolerances and economies to help out those on the battle field American attitudes o Intro context Few Americans had expected the blood and gore on this level How could so many people have died so suddenly and for what cause Americans believed that the US would not get involved in the war because they had no interest and felt their government was listening to them o Multiple motivations Many Irish and German Americans rooted for the Germans Most Americans sympathized with the allies and many ties bound the Americans to the British and ultimately the Americans sided with the democratic nations in the war o Wilson s Anglophilia and manipulators Wilson loved everything English and sympathized with their cause and believed that a German victory would threaten America A lot of congressman secretly helped the British and got rid of protests against Britain and convinced Wilson to side with Britain o Propaganda s limitations British artists depicted the soldiers fighting for a civilized world and depicted the Germans as ruthless people who killed babies and nuns Americans did not favor getting involved in the war and the carnage from the warfare solidified their opinions The economy of war o Intro context International law permitted neutral nations to sell or ship war material to those involved in the war and with economy in the low Americans wanted to trade with those involved in the war Only could trade with the Allies and many Americans thought that this one sided trade did not agree with neutrality o USA loan shark to the world The allies borrowed millions from American bankers Initially Bryan did not want Wilson to get involved with trade with the allies because it violated the spirit of neutrality The diplomacy of neutrality o Intro context o Declaration of London o An inch given a mile taken The British prohibited food and other products that Germany had sent in neutral times and messed with neutral trading o Unrestricted submarine warfare Germany decided in February 1915 to use submarines to sink neutral ships and the British ships had been flying counterfeit flags British doing this made it okay for the Germans to sink British ships in the eyes of the Germans o Lusitania The Germans unknowingly sunk a cargo ship that carried 198 British and 128 Americans Only 6 newspapers called for warfare after this incident Wilson caught himself in a catch 22 the people wanted to be neutral as well as get Germany back for killing the Americans on Lusitania o Wm J Bryan The principled peacenik Warning that by Wilson requiring more of Germany than he did of Britain this violated neutrality and would get America involved in the war Wanted to pass a law that prohibited Americans from traveling on belligerents ships o Wilson the control freak Said that the resolutions by Bryan infringed on the power of the president If America were truly neutral would also violate neutrality by not traveling on belligerents ships o Wilson diplomacy FAIL A German torpedo sunk Sussex and killed 4 Americans The battle over preparedness o Intro context Preparedness was a program that would train military personnel incase of the event that the US were to join the war The western league supported preparedness and were against progressives o Dissent Most Americans believed that their government was with them and were against preparedness and were more for the peace movement Wilson also initially against preparedness but then switched his mind when he saw the German s submarine warfare get out of control o He kept us out of war Wilson s preparedness plans helped him win some support Democratic campaign was very much for the peace movement o GOP blunders Many people from the GOP went to the democratic because of Wilson s frantic anti neutrality Wilson s flip flopping lost him the GOP nomination for president candidacy o Results The election was one of the closest in decade South and west were for Wilson
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