Lecture 8: The Great War
This lecture treats what we now call World War I, but at
the time was just called the Great War. Some called it also the "War to
End All Wars," and President Wilson said it was fought to "make the
world safe for democracy." Here we look at the origins of the war in
Europe, how the U.S. was
drawn into the fight, America's
role in winning the war, and what the war means to American democracy.
|
Introduction
|
By this time, as seen in the past two lectures, the U.S. was a
nation with international involvements and a crusading attitude. Both these qualities became evident in
the events leading up to American participation in the Great War.
|
|
War in Europe,
1914-17
|
In 1914, due to a combination of causes, the major
nations of Europe fell into the Great
War—the Central Powers versus the Allied Powers. The assassination of the Archduke of
Austria-Hungary set off the conflict, but other, underlying causes made Europe a tinder box ready for this spark.
|
|
The Perils of Neutrality
|
It was both desirable and profitable for the U.S. to remain neutral while the bloody war
dragged on Europe. The protracted stalemate in Europe, however,
made it ever more difficult for the U.S. to stay neutral. Americans, of course, had their
sympathies in the war. Moreover, the
belligerent nations began to interfere with American trade.
|
|
Are the Yanks Coming?
|
For two years, beginning in February 1915, the U.S. moved ever closer to war with Germany. The obvious problems were associated with
the German blockade and with U-boat warfare. In the end President Wilson, who
campaigned in 1916 on the slogan, “He kept us out of war,” led the nation to
war.
|
|
The Rationale for War
|
Economic interests, democratic sympathies, and U-boat
warfare all played a part in American entry into the Great War. Once in, however, President Wilson
outlined Fourteen Points the U.S. was fighting for. Prominent among these were freedom of the
seas, national self-determination, and a League of
Nations.
|
|
Contributions & Costs
|
The U.S.
put a million men into the fight under command of Black Jack Pershing. They helped the Allies turn the tide, and
Germany
sued for peace, resulting in the armistice of November 1917. Although American losses were
commensurate with the nation’s relatively brief participation in the war,
the total cost was ghastly—and made worse by the influenza epidemic of
1918.
|
|
Assignments
|
|
Tocqueville
|
In
Tocqueville read Chapter 49, “Why Democratic Nations Are Naturally Desirous
of Peace, and Democratic Armies of War.”
In 1917 President Wilson led the nation into war to "make the
world safe for democracy." The U.S. is a democratic nation, he
said, and we are fighting for democracy throughout the world. This is a
good place to talk about how democratic Americans think about war.
·
The United States
was reluctant and slow to enter the Great War. It started in 1914; the U.S.
entered the conflict in 1917. What would Tocqueville say about this?
|
|
WWW
|
Check out the American propaganda posters exhibited at First
Call. See if you can relate these to the causes of the war as discussed
in lecture.
|
HIST 104 Home Page
|