HIST 112 1st Edition Lecture 17US in World War IOutline of Last Lecture I. Causes of wwiII. Fighting wwiOutline of Current LectureI. Overview of warII. Wilson and neutralityIII. End to neutralityIV. Fighting the warV. Home frontKey Terms Unrestricted submarine warfare RMS Lusitania Sussex pledge Zimmerman telegram Meuse-Argonne Offensive Carl Von Clausewitz Total War Liberty CabbageOverview of War New technology: machine guns, tanks, airplanes, bombs, zeppelins, chlorine gas, mustard gas, flamethrowers Upped death toll Psychologically deteriorating Reshaped Europe completely 4 empires go down: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman, Russian Creates instability that leads to wwii Changes psyche of Europe The world is a cold, meaningless place Why did we even go to war? Question humanity and westernizationThese notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.Woodrow Wilson and Neutrality Wilson wins 1912 election on domestic issues Maintained trade with both sides 1916 Wilson runs for reelection on an anti-war platform: “He kept us out of the war” Germany destroys supplies coming in/out of England Unrestricted submarine warfare Only intended to destroy military targets May 7, 1915 RMS Lusitania (passenger ship) sinks Germany believed it was assisting British navy 1198 passengers dead (128 Americans) American public turns against Germany Wilson responds by pressuring Germany to restrict submarine warfare (not very successful) Germany attacks French ocean liner Sussex Wilson threatens to cut off diplomatic relations with Germany In Germany’s best interest to appease US May 4, 1916 Sussex Pledge—Germany ends unrestricted warfare Germany risks American involvement in Feb 1917 by continuing unrestricted warfareAn End to US Neutrality Zimmerman Telegram (Feb 1917) Germany tells Mexico to declare war on US and Germany will help them get back Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona Wilson and America have had enough Wilson makes war about progressivism—changing global environment to be safe for democracy Fight a war to end all wars Instead of being about Germany/shipping neutrality April 1917 US declares war on GermanyFighting the War US joins just as France and Italy stop fighting 1.4 million Americans fight Mobilization was confusing—how to merge with allied forces? 1918 favors entente Deciding factor: industrial production (mainly British) Meuse-Argonne offensive (September 26-November 11, 1918) 116,000 Americans killed (half from sickness) 200,000+ woundedHome front Most “total” war that had been fought Carl von Clausewitz Western philosopher of war “total war” can never actually be achieved War wasn’t a conflict of military, it’s a conflict of societies Passion of homefront is important Leads to propaganda Turn Americans against all things German Stop calling it “sauerkraut”; call it “liberty cabbage” instead “destroy this brute” ad—depicted Germany as King Kong trying to destroy democracy More women work on homefront Pushes women’s suffrage Increases power of federal
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