Study Tool: Chronological Events of the 1914-1921 Era

c. = circa (about)         ( ) with specific name – Name is for reference for you can find the information in the index if needed.

Allies = Britain (Br), France (Fr), Russia (Ru.)       Central Powers = Germany (Ger)., Austria-Hungary (AH), Ottoman Empire (OE) 

 

Date

Presidential Election/Event

US Official -Unofficial Actions

Allies

Central Powers

US War Actions

Issue/Organization Development

Political Party Development

1909

 

 

Prior general agreement on trade during war

Prior general agreement on trade during war

 

 

 

1914-06

 

 

 

Assassinations - Austrian archduke by Serbian Nationalist

 

 

 

1914-08 – Aug.

 

 

Declarations of War

(More)

Declarations of War

 

 

 

1914

 

Wilson –Proclamation of Neutrality

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Br: Blockade of Ger

 

 

 

 

1914-10

 

Short-term bank loans permitted to belligerents (More)

 

 

 

 

1914 – Positioning of Democrats as keeping out of war

1914-12 (c.)

 

Unofficial: Col. Edward House Mission starts

Br: Blockade of Ger extended to neighboring countries, to food; mines North Sea

(More)

 

 

 

 

1915-02

 

General loans permitted to belligerents

 

Ger: submarine/U-boat. Announces on sight destruction of merchant vessels – not rescue people

 

 

 

1915-02

 

US to Ger: “strict accountability”

 

 

 

 

 

1915-05

 

 

 

Ger: sinks Lusitania (Br) – unarmed, but manifest showed arms

 

 

 

1915-05-07

 

US to Ger: final note, “deliberately unfriendly.” Bryan resigns; Lansing in.

 

 

 

Movements begin:

- Latinos

- African Americans (Great Migration)

 

1915-06

 

 

 

 

 

Formation – League to Enforce Peace- W.H. Taft heads

 

1915-08 – 10

 

 

 

Ger: sinks Arabic: Arabic pledge, indemnity

 

 

 

1916-03-07

 
Congressional attempts, but party pressure results in tabling of bills

 

 

 

 

 

1916-03

 
Campaign into Mexico against Pancho Villa led by John J. Pershing

 

Ger. sinks Sussex (Fr)

 

 

 

1916-05

 
 

 

Ger. gives Sussex pledge. Condition: U.S. compel Allies to follow “rules of international law”

 

 

 

1916-05

 
Wilson accepts pledge, rejects condition

 

 

 

 

 

1916-11

Charles Evans Hughes vs. Woodrow Wilson
 

 

 

 

 

Democratic win -Democratic Positioning: “He Kept Us out of War”

Coalition: women, peace vote, South and West, MW farmers

1916-12

 
Wilson asks belligerents for negotiated peace

Br. rejects

Ger. rejects

 

 

 

1917-01

 
Wilson -“Peace without Victory” speech

 

 

 

 

 

1917-01-31

 
 

 

Ger. notifies US of unrestricted submarine use

 

 

 

1917-02-03

 
Wilson: end diplomatic relations with Ger.

Senate endorses

 

 

US: arms merchant vessels

 

 

1917-03

 
 

 

Zimmerrnan note (or Zimmerman telegram)

comes out

 

 

 

1917-04

 
Wilson war request; Senate passed, House concurs

 

 

US: sets up agencies & experts

(More)

 

 

1917-05

 
 

 

 

Selective Service Act of young men

 

 

1917-11

 
 

Ru: Russian Revolution

 

 

 

 

1918-01

 
Wilson: Fourteen Points – League of Nations concept

 

 

 

 

 

1918-03

 
 

Ru: Lenin’s Bolsheviks make peace with Ger

Germany: get 66M people, 500 sq. miles territory

 

 

 

1918-03-07

 
 

 

 

US: 1M soldiers to the war in the AEF

(More) led by John J. Pershing

 

1918 Elections – negative for Democrats

1918-11-11 at 11:00

 
 

Armistice

Armistice

Armistice -

 

 

1919 - general

 
Palmer Raids -
The 1st Red Scare – Look at the laws to control.

 

 

War measures: Prohibition (18th), Suffrage (19th)

In America:

Returning soldiers

Disastrous economy and high prices

Job shortages

Strikes – 20%

Farm prices down

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

1919-01-05

 
Wilson (not Senators and not Henry Cabot Lodge): to Peace Conference – Treaty of Versailles

 

Germany: war guilt clause
and reparations

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

1919-07- 11

 
Senate rejects

 

 

 

 

Dueling tours by Wilson and the opposition

1919-09

 
Wilson ill

 

 

 

 

 

1920-03 -05

 
Senate rejects;

finally war declared over by joint resolution

 

 

 

Note: we do not join the League of Nations

 

1920-11

Warren G. Harding vs. James M. Cox

 

E.V. Debs-Socialist candidate while in prison  under Espionage Act

 

 

 

 

 

Republican win -Democrats: as referendum on the war

Republicans: as back to “normalcy”

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

How Fast Did They Go to War?

Date

Allies

Central Powers

1914-08

 

Germany: declares war on Russia (Aug. 1) and France (Aug. 3)

 

Belgium: ask Br for help

 

 

 

Germany: invades Belgium (Aug 3)

 

Br: declares war on Ger (Aug. 4)

 

How Tight Is the Blockade? 

c. = circa (about)

Date

US Exports to Br/Fr

US Exports to Ger/AH

1914

c. $800M

$169M

1916

c. $3B

$116M

How Big Are the Loans by US Investors & Bond Purchases?

Date

To Br/Fr

To Ger/AH

1914

Loan $ 10M to Fr

-

1915-09

Loan $500M to Fr/Br

-

1917

Bonds $2.75B

-

How High Is the Casualty Rate?

American forces are used on the Western front.

Date

Br

Fr

Ger

Ru

US

1914

-

900K

-

-

 

1915

 73K D

240K W

330K D

1M W

170K D

680K W

-

 

Total

 

 

 

3.6M D

113K D

51K war

62K disease

Agencies & Experts & Controls in the War – Notice what has changed in government power.

$-a-year-men

Food Administration  (Herbert Hoover)

Railroads administration - took over (G. McAdoo)

War Industries Board (Bernard Baruch)

National War Labor Board – set minimum wage

 

Committee on Public Information (George Creel) – the 4 minute men

Notice the controls in addition to the Espionage Act:

·         Espionage Act – included “public criticism of the war”

·         Trading with the Enemy Act - included use of mails

·         Alien Act – deportation for advocacy of anarchism or revolution

·         Sedition Act - criticism about government/armed forces


 

Copyright C. J. Bibus, Ed.D. 2017

 

WCJC Department:

History – Dr. Bibus

Contact Information:

281.239.1577 or cjb_classes@yahoo.com

Last Updated:

2017

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