US and The WW1
Uploaded by
Heidy Teresa MoralesUS and The WW1
Uploaded by
Heidy Teresa MoralesTHE UNITED STATES IN
THE WW1
(CONSEQUENCES)
Docente: Mg. Julio César Gastelo Bardales
Curso: Instituciones Británicas y Norteamericanas
Ciclo: VIII
Estudiantes:
Heidy Teresa Morales Mondragón
Karlos Ruiz Paredes
1. OVERVIEW
World War I was the deadliest conflict until that point in human history,
claiming tens of millions of casualties on all sides.
Under President Woodrow Wilson, the United States remained neutral until
1917 and then entered the war on the side of the Allied powers (the United
Kingdom, France, and Russia).
The experience of World War I had a major impact on US domestic politics,
culture, and society. Women achieved the right to vote, while other groups of
American citizens were subject to systematic repression.
2. WHY DID THE UNITED STATES ENTER THE WORLD WAR I?
US President Woodrow Wilson sought to maintain US neutrality but was
ultimately unable to keep the United States out of the war, largely because
of escalating German aggression. On May 7, 1915, the Germans sunk the
British ocean liner RMS Lusitania, which had over a hundred Americans on
board. Wilson warned that the United States would not permit unrestricted
submarine warfare or any further violations of international law.
In January 1917, the Germans resumed submarine warfare. A few days
after this announcement, the Wilson administration obtained a copy of
the Zimmermann Telegram, which urged Mexico to join the war effort on the
side of Germany and pledged that in the event of a German victory, the
territories of Arizona, Texas, and New Mexico would be stripped from the
United States and returned to Mexico. The publication of the Zimmermann
Telegram and the escalation of German submarine attacks on US merchant
vessels led the US Congress to declare war on Germany on April 6, 1917.
More than 1.3 million men and twenty thousand women enlisted in the
armed forces. Though some Americans opposed US entry into the war,
many believed they had a civic duty to support the war effort. US
government propaganda sought to mobilize the American citizenry through
appeals to patriotism and civic duty, and by linking US democracy with
support for the democracies of Western Europe.
The Selective Service Act of 1917 authorized the conscription of military
manpower for the war effort so that the United States did not have to rely
solely on volunteers, many American citizens believed it was their patriotic
duty to support the war effort, the draft was well-received and rates of draft-
dodging were relatively low.
3. REPERCUSSIONS OF WW1 IN THE UNITED STATES
The experience of the First World War was traumatizing and these were the
consequences:
Political aspect
President Wilson and his supporters, who sought an expanded role for the
United States in world affairs, and isolationists in Congress, who feared
becoming embroiled in future European conflicts. Though Wilson was the
foremost advocate of the League of Nations, an international peacekeeping
organization, the United States never officially joined the League due to
isolationist opposition.
Many people became disillusioned with the values and ideals of American
political democracy and consumer culture. The generation that came of age
during the First World War and the “Roaring 1920s” is known as the “Lost
Generation.”
Women during the WW1 in U.S.
There were many suffragette activist women managed to link the patriotic
efforts that were made by women in the war with the right to vote. By 1920,
barely two years after the war, Congress passed the Nineteenth
Amendment, which allowed women the right to vote.
U.S. society in a hyper-vigilant mode
It causes the violence against people who were viewed as disloyal to the
United States. The people who suffered the most were German-Americans,
socialists and immigrants were also threatened and harassed.
Impact on daily life of american citizens
After the United States entered the war, daily life was affected for most as
men prepared for battle, women began working, and children and families
had less time to spend together. The women and children did much more
work than they used to. Children were affected as many of their fathers were
killed or wounded in battle, and their mothers began working long hours in
the factories. As the war progressed, technology advanced and industry
boomed, enabling women to spend less time on household chores and more
time outside of the home. The American family began to change as women
started working more regularly, which affected the role of the child in
American life, The Great Depression also followed WWI.
Technology progress
On the home front, domestic appliances were being created, alleviating the
amount of time that women needed to spend on chores, so they had more
time to work outside of the home. Additionally, this lessened the need for
female servants, as things like laundry services and food preparation
services became popular. Therefore, women were able to move into more
traditionally male-dominated areas, as technology began to do the service
jobs that women primarily were responsible for. Additionally, this showed
young girls that they could eventually work outside of the home and more
opportunities were available to them after they completed their education.
Impact on Education
World War I altered education in the United States through curriculum
changes with government pamphlets and required patriotism sessions. Even
though the United States was only involved in World War I for a short period
of time, the government instituted many programs for and changes to
American education. During this war period, there was a strong focus on
nationalism and patriotism, which significantly affected education. Woodrow
Wilson and the United States government funded a series of pamphlets,
posters, bulletins, and speeches, which promoted strong nationalism and
anti-German sentiments. These forms of nationalist propaganda were used
nationwide in public school districts and influenced students to remain loyal
to the United States. These programs promoted things like volunteering with
federal organizations such as the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC)
and buying War Bonds to support the government.
Economic effects
The United States loaned large amounts of money to the allies and supplied
them with abundant war material, equipment, and supplies. It became the
largest creditor (more than 250 billion dollars) of the European countries,
which from now on entered into a close dependence on North American
loans to face economic reconstruction. The dollar became, together with the
British pound, the main instrument of exchange in international transactions
and the New York Stock Exchange achieved world leadership.
