Century - America "1914-1918" Lecture Notes
Introduction
May 1, 1915:
2000 passengers boarded the Lusitania in NYC
- A luxurious passenger ship in the midst of WWI
The Lusitania's Tragic End
- Approaching Irish coast, hit by a single German torpedo
- Sunk quickly, only six lifeboats launched
- 1,200 drowned, including 128 Americans
- Highlighted the dangers of transatlantic travel during wartime
The Outbreak of WWI
- June 1914: Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
- Triggered by a Serbian nationalist
- Emperors of Europe (England, Russia, Germany)
- Kaiser of Germany leveraged the assassination for war
Early Enthusiasm and Brutality
- Enthusiasm among young men to fight
- Romanticism of war quickly shattered by brutal reality
- New technologies: Machine guns, tanks, poison gas
Industrialization of War
- Mass production of weapons
- Dangers and harsh conditions in trenches
- Emergence of shell shock among soldiers
WWI Impact on America
- Initial neutrality
- Economic boom due to arms manufacturing
- European immigration halted
- Increased reliance on black labor pool from the South
Russia during WWI
- Russia's struggle and the Bolshevik Revolution
- Lenin's return and rise to power
- Russia's withdrawal from the war
US Entry Into the War
- Increased German aggression
- April 2, 1917: Wilson asked for a declaration of war
- American troops bolster Allied forces
- Entry changed the war dynamics, leading to German defeat
Final Year of War
- 1918: Allies push back against the last German offensive
- 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month: Armistice signed
Post-War Era
- American veterans faced uncertainty and economic hardship
- Devastation in Europe: Empires shattered, economies ruined
- Emotional and psychological toll on soldiers
Treaty of Versailles
- President Wilson's 14 points
- Harsh terms imposed on Germany
- Creation of future geopolitical tensions
Conclusion
- Versailles Treaty sowed seeds for future conflicts
- Legacy of WWI: led to WWII
- Industrialization of war's dark legacy
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