America at War: The Road to World War I
The war began when Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, was assassinated and the killing was blamed on Serbia. After Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, Russia joined the conflict on Serbia’s side. In retaliation, Germany declared war on Russia and France, and then invaded Belgium. This caused England to declare war on Germany. Through the alliance system in Europe, all of the great powers entered the war. The only major nation left out at this point was America.
American involvement in the war began in the ocean. After years of neutrality, America was brought into the conflict when German U-boats, designed to overcome the British navy, attacked American ships. To become effective in the world war, America broadened its army through conscription. To transport the millions of drafted soldiers to Europe safely, America sent convoys, transport ships escorted by armed ships.
After the first 60,000 American troops finally reached France to help drive back the Germans, reinforcements began to arrive in increasing numbers. The Allied forces began a counteroffensive against the Germans. Germany was exhausted after years of fighting and in the Meuse-Argonne campaign, the German defenses were broke. Consequently, an armistice was signed on November 11, 1918 and the war was over. After all was said and done, America had lost 75,000 servicemen.
A war of such scale as World War I costs the nations involved ridiculous amounts of money. European allies paid America for military and other supplies, creating a time of American prosperity. When America entered the crisis, it found innovative ways to combat the rising costs of war. This lead to broadened governmental powers as well as social reform.
Some measures the American government took to fund the war were issuing War Revenue Bills and raising the taxes on corporations. More importantly, though, was the War Industries Board, an agency designed to mobilize American industry. Agencies associated with the WIB, such as the Fuel Administration, the Food Administration, and the Railroad War Board, effectively mobilized wartime industry and helped avoid domestic food rationing in America. When the war ended, the WIB dissolved and the powers of the federal government were once again brought down.
During the war, the National War Labor Board helped make significant improvements to working conditions such as eight-hour days and equal pay for women. Even after the war was over, the NWLB broken up, and wages lowered once again, working conditions were irreversibly improved. The economic strain that the war caused prompted the “Great Migration,” in which many black workers left the South for Northern factories. Mexican Americans also began moving from farm labor to industrial jobs.
Women also made great progress-both economically and politically. Increased activism by women and the efforts of the National American Woman Suffrage Association caused the Nineteenth Amendment to be passed. Women had finally achieved the right to vote.
When the nations involved in the war met at Versailles, excluding Germany and Russia, President Wilson intended to implement his progressive Fourteen Point plan. The points of this plan were designed to bring about progressive reforms such as open diplomacy, freedom of navigation on the seas, arms reduction, and a league of nations. Unfortunately for Wilson, European nations contradicted his plan by signing secret treaties and maintaining control over colonial territories. Furthermore, the treaty never passed in the United States Senate. Congress had multiple problems with the treaty, like the chance that it might compromise Congress’s ability to declare war. When Wilson refused to compromise even minor details in his plan, the treaty failed to pass in Congress and America was left out of the League of Nations.
After the war, America experienced domestic problems across the country. Racism towards both Germans and especially blacks erupted in the shape of lynching, rioting, and more violence. Meanwhile, millions of workers went on strike and unemployment rates rose. This labor strife was blamed on radicalism. After a large number of suspected aliens were deported from left-wing organizations, the so called “Red Scare” was over.
During World War I and the following years, America became a powerful aspect in European affairs. Back home, America’s government experienced severe expansion of federal powers. Eventually, with the help of President Wilson, the Treaty of Versailles ended the war and clearly shaped international relations in the coming years.
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