American History WWI and Red Scare Flashcards
(18 cards)
Why did America not want to join the League of Nations?
America does not join the League of Nations:
- We are isolationist (county does not want to get involved in world politics.
- We had economic problems, didn’t want to get involved in Europe’s economy.
- Nativism (largest KKK movement in 1920s, against not African Americans, but mostly immigrants and Catholics)
What is Nativism?
belief that native-born people are more superior and better.
What is isolationism?
pulling away from involvement in world affairs
During the Red Scare, what were the Americans afraid of?
communism
Who were Sacco & Vanzetti?
Italian anarchists that were a shoemaker and a fish peddler. Convicted of robbery and murder despite flimsy evidence, their execution was symbolic of discrimination against radical beliefs during the Red Scare.
What kind of warfare was WWI?
trench warfare
What was the space between trenches and what was it filled with?
no mans land was filled with artillery holes and barbed wire
What were the conditions of the trenches?
trenches were full of mud, flooding, rats, lice and disease
What was the Battle of Somme?
- British suffered 60,000 casualties the first day
- Totaled 1.2 million casualties, yet only 7 miles of ground was gained
Why did American want neutrality during the war?
- It was on the other side of the world
- People didn’t want their sons to experience the horror
- German-Americans supported Germany
- Other Americans supported British because of ancestry
- Most importantly, American economic interests were far stronger with the Allies
Who was America selling weapons and supplies to?
America was providing the allied forces dynamite, cannon powder, submarines, copper wire and tubing and other war material
What did Germans use to stop shipments from the North Atlantic?
U boats/submarines
Any ship found around Britain would be sunk
What ship did the Germans sink that angered America?
The Lusitania was a British passenger liner that carried 1,198 persons. A German U-boat sank the British passenger liner killing all aboard including 128 American tourists. The Germans claimed the ship was carrying Allied ammunition. Americans were outraged and public opinion turned against Germany and the Central Powers
What was the Zimmerman Note?
a telegram from the German foreign minister to the German Ambassador in Mexico, proposed an alliance. Germany promised Mexico a return of their “lost territory” in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona
Was America ready for war?
No, only 200,000 men were in service when war was declared
What act did congress pass to force people to join the military?
the Selective Service Act (the draft)
What new weaponry was used in WWI?
Machine Guns – Guns could now fire 600 rounds per minute
The Tank – New steel tanks ran on caterpillar treads
Airplanes – Early dogfights resembled dual, however by 1918 the British had a fleet of planes that could deliver bomb loads
Poison Gas – mustard gas was used to subdue the enemy
What is Imperialism?
Imperialism is when a more powerful country controls a less powerful country’s economic, political, and social life.
In US- Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Alaska
Countries imperialize countries for economy (resources like food, people, raw materials, land for expansion, trade natives and gain trade routes), political power (size=power), Military (navy, coal stations), and spread culture (“white man’s burden,” Christianity)
