Chapter 2 - The impact of the First World War

Question 1

How did the USA react to the FWW?

Answer 1

1914 - P. Wilson - USA - neutral.
Many were of opposing descents - decision was supported by US public.
‘The preparedness programme’ 1915 - established 250,000 regular army.
Enough officers to command 1.5 million army.
US navy and military supply expansion.
Congress 1916 - Council of National Defence - advised the President on war preparation.

Question 2

Why did the USA get involved with the FWW? - 6 basic reasons

Answer 2

1. Economic ties with GB and France.
2. German U-boat attacks.
3. Breaking of diplomatic relations in 1917.
4. Concerns of German victory.
5. Zimmermann Telegram.
6. Ally support - traditional ties.

Question 3

How did economic ties lead the USA to get involved with the FWW?

Answer 3

1917 - GB and France $2.3 billion.
German loans - $27 million.
1914 - $40 million exports to GB.
1916 - $1290 million.
Showed what 'side' the USA would take.

Question 4

How did the German U-boat attacks lead the USA to get involved with the FWW?

Answer 4

1915 - German U-boats attacked shipping around British coast.
May 1915 - Lusitania attacked (British passenger liner).
128 Americans dead.
Wilson maintained peace - German guarantee to stop unrestricted submarine warfare.

Question 5

How did breaking of diplomatic relations lead the USA to get involved with the FWW?

Answer 5

January 1917 - Germans decided on USA siding despite neutral status - due to Allie loans/goods produced.
Germany plan - only way to win was to starve GB out - unrestricted U-boat campaign resumed.
February 1917 - Wilson cut off diplomatic relations with Germany.

Question 6

How did concerns over German victory lead the USA to get involved with the FWW?

Answer 6

Wilson believed German victory would undermine US liberal democracy.
He wanted the USA to be involved in determining the end of war peace, so the USA needed to enter.

Question 7

How did the Zimmermann Telegram lead the USA to get involved with the FWW?

Answer 7

Telegram sent from the German Foreign Secretary Zimmermann to the German ambassador in Washington 1917.
Stated that Germany was to resume the U-boat attacks.
Intercepted by the British - passed a copy onto Wilson - triggered US war entry.

Question 8

When did the USA enter the FWW?

Answer 8

April 1917 - speech Wilson to both houses of Congress - USA wasn’t declaring war on the German people, but German ruling.
Done to ensure that Americans of German descent supported his policies.
Both houses voted to declare war against Germany.
USA entered as an ‘Associate Power’ rather than an Ally.

Question 9

How did the FWW affect the US economy?

Answer 9

Some trade disruption, but general trade was upwards.
1916 - US trade increased to $6 billion.
1916 - GB spent $10 million a day on US goods.
GB relied on US loans raised in NY to sustain war effort.
1916 - loans raised at a rate of $4 million a day.

Question 10

What was the US army like before the FWW?

Answer 10

Small ish - 120,000 in 1914.
Selective Service Act introduced - conscription via draft.
Men 21-30 years - into a lottery.
End of war - 3 million men drafted.
Armed forces had to be supplied - economy boost.
The Council of National Defence set up the War Industries Board in 1917 - organised supplies for the army.

Question 11

How did production change due to the US entering the FWW?

Answer 11

The War Industries Board established war production priorities.
Allocated raw materials to various industries.
Company cooperation e.g. greater uniformity bike manufacturing saved 2,000 tonnes of steel.

Question 12

How much did the USA spend on the FWW?

Answer 12

Federal Government spending:
1916 - 1.5% GNP.
1918 - 24.1% GNP.
This was despite the US only being a war participant.
Total - $31 billion.

Question 13

How did the Federal Government raise funds for the FWW? 2

Answer 13

1. Taxation.

2. Liberty bonds.

Question 14

How did taxation raise funds for the FWW? (basic terms)

Answer 14

Raised 1/3 war costs.
16th Amendment ratified in 1913 allowed Congress to levy income tax.
Introduced at low rates, and only paid by the wealthiest 1% of the population with income $500,000+.
Income rose from $800 million in 1917 to $3.6 billion in 1918.

Question 15

What were the taxation acts?

Answer 15

1916 Revenue Act - rates were doubled from 2% to 15% of income.
Introduced taxes on estates and business profits.
1917 War Revenue Act - those earning $2,000 paid 2%. $40,000 paid 16%.
The top rate rose to 67%.
Taxation only on 5% of the population.
1918 Revenue Act - increased the lowest rate to 6% and the highest to 77%.

Question 16

How did liberty bonds raise funds for the FWW?

Answer 16

Issued May 1917.
Bonds sold to the public - raised war funds.
Later could be redeemed with interest.
Five Liberty Loan campaigns between 1917-1919 - raised $21 billion.
Celebrity support - Charlie Chaplin.
Federal Government borrowing money from the US public.

Question 17

What did the FWW do to the US economy regarding the industrial production?

Answer 17

Got stronger.
1916-1918 - industrial production rose by 39%.
Civilian work force grew by 1.3 million.
Virtually no unemployed civilians.
Higher quality of life - increased real wages by 1918.
Unskilled workers - 20% rise.

Question 18

What did the FWW do to the US economy regarding the agricultural production?

Answer 18

US farmers increased European food exports by 300%.

Doubled prices between 1913-1918.

Question 19

How did the damaged trade of European countries help the US economy?

Answer 19

Large lent sums to GB/Italy - earnt high interest sums.
USA from debtor to creditor nation.
1919 - investments - $10 billion.
NY - new financial centre.
GB faced war damage - USA experienced none.
Standardised assembly lines introduced - reduced production costs dramatically.

Question 20

How many Americans died in the FWW compared to Germany, Russia, France and GB?

Answer 20

Germany - 2 million.
Russia - 1.8 million.
France - 1.4 million.
GB - 880,000.
USA - 100,000.
Half US deaths due to disease - typhus and influenza.

Question 21

How did the FWW affect the US economy negatively?

Answer 21

Despite the US being a creditor nation, it had to borrow money to pay for the war costs.
National debt increased by 658% between 1916-1919 - $27 billion.
High taxes remained due to this.

Question 22

How did the US economy slow down after the FWW?

Answer 22

1918 - de-mobilization of troops.
Cancellation of all wartime contracts.
1919 - returned to normal.
1919 - 1/4 workers went on strike at some point during the year - slowed down economy.
1921 - brief recession.
Ended when US entered a phase of economic prosperity.

Question 23

How did the Federal Government use their powers of control on the railway during the FWW?

Answer 23

Railways under federal control.
Railroad Administration introduced a standardized national system - integrated timetables and a standardized track gauge.

Question 24

What did the Fuel Administration do regarding the FWW?

Answer 24

Set limits on oil/coal prices.

Regulated time - ‘daylight saving time’.

Question 25

What was the federal act of June 1917?

+ EXAMPLE?

Answer 25

Espionage Act of June 1917.
Illegal to attempt to obstruct military recruitment and to encourage disloyalty.
Film producer - given 10 years - made an anti-British film - would’ve injured war effort.

Question 26

What was the Federal Act of May 1918?

+EXAMPLE?

Answer 26

Sedition Act of May 1918.
Illegal to discourage people from buying war bonds or verbally attacking the Constitution and the war effort.
Eugene Debs - given 10 years - anti-war speech.
1,500 people locked up.

Question 27

What was the view on alcohol during the FWW?

Answer 27

Powerful pre-war temperance movement - Anti-Saloon League.
Emphasised link between alcohol and violence.
Appealed to Protestants, women’s organizations and small-town America.
Argued that alcohol ban would help war effort.
Business community - threat to workforce reliability/efficiency.
Most breweries e.g. Ruppert - German descent.
Grain use - damaging food supply.

Question 28

What did the first alcohol act do?

Answer 28

The Lever Act of 1917.
Reduced the use of grain/alcohol content in beer.
Stopped the sale of alcohol near army bases.
18th Amendment in December 1917 made this permanent.
Ratified (vilified) by several states in 1919.

Question 29

What did the second alcohol act do?

Answer 29

The Prohibition Act of 1918.

Stopped the sale and manufacture of alcoholic drinks for the duration of the war.

Question 30

What did the third alcohol act do?

Answer 30

Volstead Act of 1919.
It became illegal to sell, transport and commercially manufacture any beverage containing above 0.5% alcohol from January 1920.

Question 31

How did the FWW affect the US attitude towards foreigners?

Answer 31

Strengthened foreigner intolerance.
Patriotism quickly became prejudice.
German sounding names came under abuse.
Encouraged the anti-immigrant movement and the 1920s Red Scares.

Question 32

How did the FWW affect the US attitude towards women’s rights?

Answer 32

GB - war push to the enfranchisement of women.
Recognised war effort contribution.
Only 11 states had female suffrage before the war.
1917 - NY gave women the vote.
1918 - 19th Amendment - all women the vote - in progress.
Finally passed through House of Representatives in 1920.