World War One

• When was World war one?

  1914-1918
• Who were the allies of world war one?

  United Kingdom, France, Russia (up to 1917), Italy, United States (after 1917), China, Japan
• Who were the central powers of world war one?

  Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire, Bulgaria
• What was Wilson’s response to the war beginning in Europe?

  Was to proclaim American neutrality, America supported the allies with supplies from 1914 to 1917
• Why did America stay out of the First World War between 1914 and 1917?

  • Neutrality
  • public opinion
  • dislike of Europe among immigrants
  • Wilson anti imperialist, isolationist
  • anti imperialism on government (Bryan)
  • traditional attitudes of neutrality
  • not standing army
  • economic reasons
• Why did America go to war in 1917?

  • Economic = influence of big business (JP Morgan), The USA traded far more with the allies than the central powers, By 1916 the US exported $1290 to Britain
  • individuals = resignation of Jennings Bryan, Wilson wanted to ’make the world safe for democracy’ and shape the post war peace based on his fourteen points
  • national security = defence of American citizens after sinking of the Lusitania in 1915, resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare, geographical threat from Mexico- Zimmerman telegram
• Why did the Senate reject the treaty of Versailles? Traditional explanation. Disagreements over the League of Nations and concerns about the loss of American sovereignty.

  it was isolationist, The US saw itself as the ‘new’ world.
• Why did the senate reject the treaty of versailles?

  modern explanation

  Wilson would not compromise

  he would not accept any change

  had Wilson compromised it may have been ratified as the majority of congress were not completely isolationist
• What failures did Woodrow Wilson have in foreign policy in 1913-20?

  • sent marines into Mexico
  • sent troops to Nicaragua, Haiti and the Dominican Republic to restore order
  • sent troops to Russia in 1918 to contain the Bolshevik revolution
  • annexed the Virgin Islands in 1916
  • US accused of imposing citizenship in order to draft Puerto Rican men into the army
  • was not neutral in the war supported with the allies with arms and food to 1917
  • joined the war in 1917, 1916 Wilson campaigned ‘the man who kept us out the war’
• What successes did Wilson have in foreign policy in 1913 to 20?

  • prevented Europe colonising Latin America and the Caribbean through intervention
  • helped show the post war peace
  • League of Nations success in terms of promoting peace
  • good neighbour policy towards Latin America - compensation to Columbia for Americas role in the Panamanian revolt and repealed the Panama canal
  • jones act 1916/17
  • did not join the war until 1917 and helped win it, war boosted the US economy