December 10 - December 14 - Blogs

Monday- Wasn't in class.

We reviewed.

Zimmerman Note

Was a coded telegram sent by Germany
- January 16, 1917
It was sent to the German ambassador in the US
The note was intercepted and decoded by the British cryptographers
The contents of the letter was given to the American press
- March 1, 1917
Caused public outrage that contributed to the US declaration of war against Germany
- April 6, 1917
Summary
- Germany tried to get Mexico to declare war on the United States.
- Germany promised Mexico that they would get the Mexican Cession back if they won
- Germany wanted to keep the US out of Europe

Tuesday-

Causes for US Envolvment

Beliefs of War Hawks(Jingoes)
- Teddy Roosevelt, Leonard Wood
Trade with England increased and Germany decreased as years went on
- The US became economically tied to the war and making sure Great Britain won
- United States lent Germany 27 million dollars from 1914-1917, while it lent the United Kingdom and its allies 2.3 billion dollars during the same period
British and American Propaganda swayed public opinion against Germany
Preparedness Program (1915)

The Nye Committee(1934-1936)
- investigated reasons we got into the war
- Buisnesses and Banks wanted to make money
Reported
- 1915 and January 1917, the US lent Germany 27 million dollars,
- lent to the United Kingdom and its allies 2.3 billion dollars
These payments were made during wartime
- July 28, 1914 – November 11, 1918

Homefront

What people did in the US to help win the war
Every country has their own Homefront
What needs to happen on the Homefront to help win a war?
War Industries Board
- Headed by Bernard Baruch
- Regulated industry in U.S.
- Encouraged mass production
- Industrial production in the U.S. increased 20 percent
Food Administration
- Headed by Herbert Hoover
- Urged people to conserve food
- Had “meatless days” and “wheatless days”
- “Victory gardens” were planted by schools and homes
- Prevented hoarding of food by people
- "Food is Ammunition-Don't waste it."
National War Labor Board
- Headed by William H. Taft
- Settled disputes between workers and employers
- Discouraged strikes
- “Work or fight”
- Women hired during the war were to receive equal pay for equal work

Cost the the war

Causualties
- Military and Civilian casualties was around 40 million
- 20 million deaths and 21 million wounded
- The total number of deaths includes 9.7 million military personnel and about 10 million civilians
- The Allied Powers lost about 5.7 million soldiers while the Central Powers lost about 4 million

Wednesday-

Part 3

Paris Peace Conference

Meeting of the Allied victors
- End of WWI
- to set the peace terms defeated nations
- deal with the empires of the defeated powers
Paris in 1919
- involved diplomats from more than 29 countries
Came up with a series of treaties
- reshaped the map of Europe and the world
- imposed guilt and stiff financial penalties on Germany

Wilson's 14 Points

A speech delivered by President Woodrow Wilson to Congress
- January 8, 1918
Intended to assure the country that the Great War was being fought for a moral cause
Other Allied countries did not like them as they thought it was too easy on Germany
The speech became the basis for the terms of the German surrender
The actual Treaty of Versailles had little to do with the Fourteen Points
- was never ratified by the U.S. Senate
Summary of points
- An end to secret treaties
- Freedom of the seas
- Free trade for all countries
- Disarmament
- End to colonial claims
- Self-determination for all countries- Russia
- Restoration of Belgium
- Restoration of France
- Readjustment of Italy’s boundaries
- Austria-Hungary would be given opportunity for autonomous development
- Romania, Serbia, and Montenegro should be evacuated and restored
- The “League of Nations” would be developed
- Turkey should be sovereign (independent)
- Poland would be given their independence

Treaty of Versailles (1919)

Treaty of Versailles

Thursday-

Treaty of Versailles (Continued)

Military
- Germany's army was reduced to 100,000
  - Not allowed tanks
- Germany was not allowed an air force
- Germany was allowed only 6 capital naval ships
  - No submarines
- West of Rhineland and 50kms East of the River Rhine
  - Demilitarized Zone (DMZ)
  - No Germany soilders or weapons allowed
Financial
- The loss of industrial territory would be a severe blow to Germany's economy
  - Coal from the Saar and Upper Silesia was a vital economic loss
- Germany had to pay war preparations
  - $33 billion
- Germany was forbiddon to unite with Austria to from one upper state
General
- Germany had to admit full resposnibility for starting the war
  - Clause 231- the infamous "War Guilt Clause"
- A league of Nations was set up to keep world peace

League of Nations

Five permanent Members
- G.B.
- France
- Italy
- U.S.
- Japan
Four non-permanent members that rotated
All members must submit dusputes for investigation, arbitration, and settlement
If member nation ignored, Leage would take action
- What type of Action?
  - Economic Sanctions
    - No trade with them
France wanted an international army
- US and GB did not
Germany and the Soviet Union were not allowed to join right away
US never joined
Why did the League of Nations fail in preventing WWII?
- US never joined
- Lack of Military Force

New Countries out of WWI

US and Treaty of Versailles

Friday- We watched a video about the Christmas truce.