Unit 4 Lesson 5: Entering The War Flashcards
How did the election of 1916 go and how did it reflect the war?
In 1916, Wilson ran for reelection against Republican Charles Evans Hughes. Although Hughes also favored neutrality, Democrats were able to portray him as a warmonger, or person who tries to stir up war. At the same time, they boosted Wilson’s image with the slogan “He kept us out of war!” It was a close race but Wilison won once again
What led the US to break dipolamtic ties with Germany?
In January 1917, Wilson issued what proved to be his final plea for peace. It was too late. In a desperate effort to break the Allied blockade, Germany had already decided to renew submarine warfare. Germany warned neutral nations that after February 1, 1917, its U-boats would have orders to sink any ship nearing Britain. German leaders knew that renewed U-boat attacks would probably bring the United States into the war. They gambled that they would defeat the Allies before American troops could reach Europe. To protest Germany’s action, Wilson broke off diplomatic relations with Germany.
What was the Zimmermann telegram and how did it push Americans towards going to war?
In February, Wilson learned that Arthur Zimmermann, Germany’s foreign secretary, had sent a secret note to the German minister in Mexico. The Zimmermann telegram instructed the minister to urge Mexico to attack the United States if the United States declared war on Germany. In return, Germany would help Mexico win back its “lost provinces” in the American Southwest, which would include all of Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico. When Americans heard about the Zimmermann telegram, anti-German feeling soared.
What were 2 other events the pushed US closer to war?
Two other events in early 1917 pushed the United States still closer to war. First, German submarines sank several American merchant ships. Second, a revolution in Russia drove Czar Nicholas II from power.
How did the Russian Revolution lead to war?
For hundreds of years, czars, or Russian emperors, had ruled with absolute power. Several times in the 1800s and early 1900s, Russians revolted against czarist rule. Their efforts ended in failure. When the war in Europe began in 1914, Russians united behind the czar. However, as the war brought heavy losses at the front and economic hardship at home, discontent resurfaced. In March 1917, riots protesting the shortage of food turned into a revolution. The czar was forced to step down. Revolutionaries then set up a Provisional Government and called for democratic reforms.
President Wilson welcomed the Russian Revolution. He was a firm believer in democracy, and it was against his principles to be an ally of an absolute ruler. Without the czar, it would be easier for Wilson to support the Allied cause
The Declaration of war
Finally, President Wilson went before Congress on April 2, 1917, to ask for a declaration of war. “The world must be made safe for democracy,” he declared. His war message assured the American people that entering the war was not only just; it was noble.
On April 6, the President signed the declaration of war. It thrust Americans into the deadliest war the world had yet seen.
How did America expan its military so fast? What was the selective service Act and a draft?
Before it could fight, the United States needed to enlarge its armed forces. On May 18, 1917, Congress passed the Selective Service Act. It required all men from ages 21 to 30 to register for the military draft. A draft is a law requiring people of a certain age to serve in the military.
In the next 18 months, 4 million men and women joined the armed forces.
Did non Americans enlist in the war?
People from every ethnic group enlisted. About 20,000 Puerto Ricans served in the armed forces, as did many Filipinos. Scores of soldiers were immigrants who had recently arrived in the United States.
Many American Indians were not citizens, so they could not be drafted. Large numbers of American Indians enlisted anyway. One family of Winnebago Indians provided 35 volunteers! They served together in the same unit.
Were African Americans allowed to fight in the war?
At first, the armed forces did not allow African Americans in combat. When the government abandoned this policy, more than 2 million African Americans registered for the draft. Nearly 400,000 were accepted for duty. They were formed into segregated “black only” units that were commanded mostly by white officers.
How did joining the army benfit the people?
It was their first exposure to military authority and discipline. It was the first time most had ventured outside their farms and villages, let alone outside their country. Some had never taken regular baths or eaten regular meals before. Others had never used indoor plumbing. About 25 percent were illiterate, that is, unable to read or write. The army became a great educator. It taught millions of young Americans not only how to fight but also how to read, how to eat nutritious meals, and how to care for their daily health needs.
How did the army raise teaching standards?
Shocking rates of illiteracy and other low test scores among recruits fueled a drive to reform public education. State and local school boards lengthened the school day and required students to spend more years in school. They raised teacher-training standards. More truancy officers patrolled the streets. By 1920, nearly 75 percent of all school-age children were enrolled in school.
Who was helping oversee the war?
President Wilson set up government agencies to oversee the effort. A huge bureaucracy (byoo ROK ruh see) emerged to manage the war effort. A bureaucracy is a system of managing government through departments run by appointed officials.
Who was Herbert Hoover?
Wilson chose Herbert Hoover to be head of the Food Administration. Hoover’s job was to boost food production to feed American troops and send food to the Allies. In keeping with the nation’s democratic traditions, Hoover relied on cooperation rather than force. He tried to win support for his programs with publicity campaigns that encouraged Americans to act voluntarily. “Food Will Win the War,” proclaimed one Food Administration poster.
How did the people respond to Herbery Hoover’s claims?
Encouraged by rising food prices, farmers grew more crops. Citizens planted “victory gardens” to raise their own vegetables. People went without wheat on “wheatless Mondays” and without meat on “meatless Tuesdays.” The food they saved helped the men in the trenches.
The the War Industries Board was a response to what?
War caught the nation short of supplies. The military had on hand only around 600,000 rifles, 2,000 machine guns, and fewer than 1,000 pieces of artillery. Disorder threatened as the military competed with private industry to buy scarce materials.
To meet this crisis, President Wilson set up a new government agency, the War Industries Board.
