Lec 15 WW1 Begins

The Progressive Era in the United States concluded in 1917, largely due to the nation's entry into World War I. Prior to this, President Woodrow Wilson's 1916 re-election campaign notably centered on the slogan 'I kept you out of war in my first term and I'll keep you out of war in my second term,' referring to the European conflict that began in 1914. This lecture will examine the origins of World War I in Europe and how the United States eventually became involved.

Before World War I, Europe was characterized by kingdoms and empires. However, a strong sense of nationalism began to emerge in the mid-to-late 19th century. This nationalism led various ethnic groups within these empires to realize their unique identities based on shared origins, languages, and political ideas. This pride in their distinctiveness fueled a desire for self-governance and the formation of independent nations. Examples include Italy in 1860, Germany in 1871, and Serbia in 1882, all of whom unified and declared independence from larger empires. Serbia, in particular, sought to unify all territories with a shared Serbian identity, setting the stage for future conflicts.

The newly formed nations, like Germany, found themselves vulnerable between established empires. This vulnerability, coupled with the prevailing imperialist mindset of expansion for resources and markets, led to a rapid increase in militarism across Europe. These 'baby nations' began to build strong militaries to assert their power and compete globally, often clashing with existing empires in Asia and Africa. The constant competition and conflicts fostered a sense of fragility among European nations, leading to the formation of complex alliances. Europe became divided into two major blocs: the Triple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary, and initially Italy) and the Triple Entente (France, Britain, and Russia).

The underlying tensions in Europe, fueled by nationalism and militarism, reached a boiling point in June 1914. Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austria-Hungary throne, was assassinated in Sarajevo, Bosnia, by Gavrilo Princip, a Serbian nationalist. Princip's act aimed to send a message about contested territories that Serbia believed belonged to them. Austria-Hungary viewed this assassination as a direct attack by Serbia and declared war. This single event triggered a chain reaction among the entangled European alliances. Serbia sought aid from its Slavic ally, Russia, leading Russia to declare war on Austria-Hungary. Austria-Hungary then activated its alliance with Germany, which declared war on Serbia and Russia. Russia, in turn, called upon its alliance with France, bringing France into the conflict. When Germany invaded neutral Belgium to attack France, Britain, allied with France and Russia, also declared war on Germany and Austria-Hungary. Thus, a regional conflict quickly escalated into a full-scale European war.

Despite the escalating war in Europe, the United States, under President Woodrow Wilson and his Secretary of War William Jennings Bryan, initially adopted a stance of neutrality. This neutrality was driven by a desire to avoid foreign conflicts and by the economic benefits of supplying goods to warring European nations. However, two key events would challenge this position. The first was the sinking of the Lusitania in 1915. This British vessel, carrying passengers and trade goods, was torpedoed by a German submarine off the British coast while attempting to avoid a German blockade. Germany considered this a military tactic to disrupt supply lines. President Wilson had previously stated that non-war vessels should not be attacked. The sinking resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people, including 128 Americans, generating significant anti-German sentiment in the U.S. and increasing calls for intervention.

The 'straw that broke the camel's back' for U.S. neutrality was the Zimmermann Telegram in 1917. This telegram, sent from Germany's Secretary of State Arthur Zimmermann to the Mexican government, proposed an alliance against the United States. Germany offered Mexico the return of lands lost in the Mexican Cession (present-day Southwest U.S. states) if Mexico joined the war. This proposal, coming at a time when the U.S. already had tensions with Mexico from its intervention in the Mexican Revolution (including Pancho Villa's raids into New Mexico), was a direct threat to American national security. Though Mexico ultimately rejected the offer, the revelation of the telegram solidified public and political opinion in the U.S. that Germany was a hostile power. In 1917, the United States officially joined World War I, siding with Britain and France.

As the United States entered the war in 1917, Russia exited due to internal domestic issues. Facing widespread discontent over resource allocation to the war effort and a lack of proper care for its citizens, Russia underwent a revolution in 1917, emerging as a Communist state. The U.S. entry brought much-needed manpower to the Allied forces. The Selective Service Act of 1917 introduced a draft, registering 24 million men, with 3 million drafted and 2 million volunteering. The role of Black Americans in the war was a contentious issue. While civil rights leaders like A. Philip Randolph and William Trotter argued against Black Americans fighting for a country that denied them equal rights, W.E.B. Du Bois advocated for service as a means to prove their patriotism and earn first-class citizenship. 367,000 Black Americans served, often facing segregation and discrimination. Many were relegated to non-combat roles such as construction and grave digging, with few seeing frontline action. The Camp Logan Riot in Houston, Texas, in 1917, where Black soldiers rebelled against constant harassment and a false report of their corporal's death, highlighted the severe racial tensions and injustices they faced.

A small percentage of Black Americans, notably the 369th Infantry Regiment (dubbed the 'Black Rattlers' by themselves and the 'Hell Fighters' by the Germans), did see combat. Due to the refusal of American regiments to serve alongside them, the 369th fought with the French army. The French, desperate for soldiers after significant losses, welcomed them regardless of race. The 369th served a remarkable 191 days in the trenches, the longest frontline service of any American regiment, earning the French 'Croix de Guerre' (Legion of Honor) for their bravery. However, upon their return to the United States, their contributions were largely unrecognized, and they faced continued racial discrimination. No Black American received an American award for their service during World War I until decades later, with Freddie Stowers being a posthumous recipient. World War I profoundly impacted American society beyond the battlefield, a topic to be explored further.