Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Woodrow Wilson Fights for Peace

1. What was Wilson's 14th Point?

That A League of Nations should be established in which countries can negotiate their differences rather than go to war.

2. What terms of the treaty specifically affected Germany?

Several new colonies were established that included German land; their military was drastically cut, and they were forced to pay 33 billion dollars.

3. What were the weaknesses of the treaty?

It did not allow for lasting peace in Eurpoe because of its poor treatement of Germany, its lack of Russian intrests met, and its ignored requests for people of the colonies for self determination.

4. Why did Henry Cabot Lodge object to the treaty?

He, and many other conservative senators, feared it threatened the US's right to keep a forgin policy of isolationism.

5. How did Wilson help bring about the Senate's rejection of the treaty?

He was unwilling to listen to Republicans (who had the majority in the senate) and comprimise, so therefore they were unwilling to agree to any of his tearms.
(A president unwilling to listen to the opinion of the opposing political party on major legislation and haveing it come back to haunt him, sounds like another US president...)

6. What circumstances at this time would eventually lead many Germans to support Adolf Hitler?

The unwillingness og the "Big 4" at the meetings at Varsaillies to cut Germany any slack. The poor treatement of Germany left many Germans feeling personally attacked.

7. Who is George Clemenceau?

He was the prime minister of France during WWI.

8. Who is David Lloyd George?

The Prime Minister of Great Britain.

9. Describe the participation of Russia at the peace conference.

They were not invited because of the communist takeover of the government that had occured shortly after the end of WWI.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

WWI - The War at Home

What were some things accomplished by the following wartime agencies and laws?

1. War Industries Board
The WIB encouraged mass production which dramastically increased the production of factorys during the late 1910s.

2. Railroad Administration
It helped control railroads during WWI.

3. Fuel Administration
This federal agency monitered the use of oil, gasoline, and fule during the war in order to conserve resources. It took measures to make sure these resources were not being used unnecessarly used such as establishing daylight-saveings time.

4. National War Labor Board
This agency was established in order to deal with the growing disagreements between workers and management; it helped shut down the growing unrest among unions but also took measures to improve their working conditions.

5. Food Administration
This agency took measures to make sure food wasen't wasted during the wartime, but did not go as far as rationing food. Rather, it encouraged people only to eat as much as was necessary and to set aside cirtan days to not eat priticular types of food.

6. Committee on Public Information
This committee spread pro-American news that helped encourage the American to support and protect their soldiers so that they could effectively protect the county at war.

7. Espionage and Sedition Acts
These acts helped unify the country during the war and restricted people from distupting domestic peace by limiting their right to speak out against the government and the war.

Briefly explain why Bernard M. Baruch and George Creel are significant historical figures.

Both these figures signifigantly shaped what life was like domestically during the first world war. Bernard M. Burch led the WIB which shaped the economy during this time. George Creel helped gain domestic support for the soldiers fighting in the war.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

The U.S. enters World War I

1. How did the United States raise an army?

It instituted a draft.

2. How did U.S. soldiers help win the war?

They convinced the British to adapt the convoy system, which was immensly successful, and helped line a line of protective mines from Scottland to Norway. Also, after 2 and a half years of fighting, they brought an uplifting spitir to tired and worn allied forces, which helped them win the war.

3. What were the estimated economic costs of the war?

$338 billion.

4. What did the war cost in terms of the number of civilian deaths; military deaths?; injuries?; and refugees?

More than 11 million civilian deaths, around 11 million military deaths, 10 million refugees, and many million injured.

5. Define armistice.

truce

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

World War I Begins

1. What are the four main causes of World War I? Give an example for each as to why it was a cause.

a. Nationalism- Many ethnic groups had bitter rivalies with eachother and wanted their own independent nation.

b. Imperialism- With many countries competeing for colonies with eachother, tentions were running high in Europ.

c. Militarism- World Powers began to spend alot more money on the military in order to become stronger incase of war.

d. Alliance system- The Europien nations made alliances with eachother agreeing to back eachother if war broke out, and when Hungry declared war on Siberia, a chain reaction caused all of Europe to become involved.

2. How did the June 1914 assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand become the spark for WWI?

Hungery had wanted to go to war with Syberia because of their geographical location, a prime peninsula for shipping, and the assination by a Siberian was a perfect opprunity to declare war. Gremany eagerly backed the war effort as well, because they had intrests that a takeover of the peninsula would serve.

3. What happened within the first few months of fighting?

The Alliance System caused every major Europien power to become involved in the fighting.

4. Generally, why did the United States want to stay out of the war?

The war did not threaten US lives or property.

5. Specifically, Why did the following groups of Americans tend to oppose U.S. participation in the war? Naturalized citizens; socialists; pacifists; parents.


a. Naturalized citizens- They had divided loyalities depending on their land of desent.

b. socialists- They saw it as an imperialists war.

c. pacifists- they are against all types of war.

d. parents- they did not want their children to be killed.

6. How did Germany respond to the British naval blockade of Germany’s ports? What was the U.S. response?

Gremany Sunk any Allied boats it found, and in one instance killed innocent Americans. The US did nothing.

7. What forced the United States into the war?

Germany was gaining too much power and not allowing world peace.