Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Teacher Appreciation Day!!

For teacher appreciation day, I would like to thank you, Mr. Hyer, for being an excellent teacher and helping me be prepared for the IB. Have a cake

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Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Woodrow Wilson Fights for Peace

1. What was Wilson's 14th Point?
Called for the creation of a League of Nations, which would be a way for nations to settle disputes without having to resort to war.

2. What terms of the treaty specifically affected Germany?
Germany was told by the treaty to drastically reduce its military, return land to France, and to pay $33 million in reparations.

3. What were the weaknesses of the treaty?
The treaty's weaknesses were that it didn't guarantee peace for long, because it placed all of the blame on Germany, and made them pay for it, and assumed no responsibility. This will leave Germany very bitter and angry. It also took land from Russia, who fought with the Allies and suffered the most casualties, and they were determined to regain that land.

4. Why did Henry Cabot Lodge object to the treaty?
Henry Cabot Lodge objected to the treaty because he was suspicious of the joined effort of the different nations, and wanted the right of Congress to declare war.

5. How did Wilson help bring about the Senate's rejection of the treaty?
He ignored the Rupublican majority in the Senate, and was stubborn and refused to compromise.

6. What circumstances at this time would eventually lead many Germans to support Adolf Hitler?
They were angry about their unfair treatment, and their social, political, and economic systems suffered massive losses. Also, there were many unresolved issues, and many Europeans longed to continue fighting.

7. Who is George Clemenceau?
George Clemenceau was the French premier. He had seen two invasions on France and was determined to prevent another.

8. Who is David Lloyd George?
David Lloyd George was the British prime minister. He had just been reelected with a campaign slogan "Make Germany Pay."

9. Describe the participation of Russia at the peace conference.
Russia, then under communist rule, did not participate in the peace conference. Although, the treaty took more land from Russia than from Germany.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

WWI - The War At Home

What were some things accomplished by the following wartime agencies and laws?

1. War Industries Board- they strongly encouraged companies to mass produce and standardize their products, and the efficiency of the economy increased by 20 percent under these ideas. Retail prices increased, though.

2. Railroad Administration- controlled the railroads

3. Fuel Administration- monitored coal supplies and regulated distribution of gasoline. Also introduced daylight savings time, first proposed by Benjamin Franklin, to take advantage of longer summer days.

4. National War Labor Board- regulated workers, and removed their exempt from the draft if they violated orders; they had to "work or fight." Also fought to get better working conditions for the laborers. Fought for an 8 hour work day, promoted safety inspections, and enforced the child labor ban.

5. Food Administration- made one day "meatless," one day "sweetless," two days "wheatless," and two days "porkless." Raised wheat prices, so farmers in turn added 40 million acres. Income increased 30 percent.

6. Committee on Public Information- Printed large amounts of Government run propaganda to support the war. Promoted patriotism, but enraged some others that opposed the war.

7. Espionage and Sedition Acts- Prevented people from speaking out against the Government and the war, and therefore stifled those opposed to the war

Briefly explain why Bernard M. Baruch and George Creel are significant historical figures.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

The U.S. Enters World War I

1. How did the United States raise an army?
The United States raised an army by passing the Selective Service Act, which required all men to register with the government to be randomly drafted for war. Of the 24 million that registered, 3 million were chosen. Then the soldiers were trained during the 8 month training period. Finally, to transport all the soldiers and supplies, they got workers and began mass producing ships, and the government took some commercial ships for transatlantic use.

2. How did U.S. soldiers help win the war?
The U.S. helped win the war by increasing the numbers and moral of the allies. This gave them newfound spirits to keep fighting, while Germany was still losing its strength.

3. What were the estimated economic costs of the war?
The estimated economic costs of the war were $338 billion.

4. What did the war cost in terms of the number of civilian deaths; military deaths?; injuries?; and refugees?
Civilian deaths: more than 11 million
Military deaths: around or almost 11 million
Injuries: 20 million
Refugees: 10 million

5. Define armistice.
An armistice is a truce, when both sides agree to stop fighting.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

World War I Begins

1. What are the four main causes of World War I? Give an example for each as to why it was a cause.
Militarism- the nations of Europe were all rushing to create more weapons and build a bigger army so they'll have more military power if they need it
Alliances- nations were making lots of alliances, so when one country goes into war, its allies are forced to go with it, and so are its allies, and its enemies allies. This drags multiple countries into the war
Imperialism- the rush for colonies and a dwindling supply of resources created a fierce competition between the European countries for colonies.
Nationalism- ethnic groups were joining together and becoming more nationalistic. Each group was demanding their independence.

2. How did the June 1914 assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand become the spark for WWI?
The Austria-Hungarian Empire had wanted to move into Serbia and take it over for a while, and when a Serbian assassinated the Archduke of the Austria-Hungarian Empire, Franz Ferdinand, that was there perfect excuse to declare war and attack Serbia.

3. What happened within the first few months of fighting?
Within the first few months of fighting, Germany, Russia, France, and Britain were pulled into the war by their alliances, and the "Great War," or WWI. had begun. Germany took Belgium, and the fighting countries began to use trench warfare.

4. Generally, why did the United States want to stay out of the war?
Generally, the United States wanted to stay out of the war because it didn't threaten American lives or property, and they didn't want their sons and families to experience the horrors of war.

5. Specifically, Why did the following groups of Americans tend to oppose U.S. participation in the war? Naturalized citizens; socialists; pacifists; parents.
Naturalized Citizens: Closely followed the war because of the ties they may have had with their background nationality. Citizens with German decent sympathized with the Germans, and those with Irish background saw the war as a chance for Irish independence. So some didn't want the allies to win.
Socialists: They criticized the war as a capitalist and imperialist struggle between European nations to control colonies and markets in other countries.
Pacifists: They believed that war was evil and that the U.S. should set an example of remaining neutral and promoting peace in the world.
Parents: They didn't want their sons to go and experience the horrors and dangers of war. They didn't want to lost their children in the war.

6. How did Germany respond to the British naval blockade of Germany’s ports? What was the U.S. response?
The U.S. got angry about the blockade, because it threatened the freedom of the seas and stopped American goods from reaching Germany, therefore the U.S. could not trade with Germany for profit. Germany's reaction was to sink the British liner Lusitania, and of the 1,198 people killed in that disaster, 128 were Americans. The Germans argued that the ship contained ammunition to defend their case, but the U.S. public opinion turned against Germany and the Central Powers.

7. What forced the United States into the war?
The United States was forced into the war because Germany was threatening to sink every ship in British waters, and it was sinking many ships with American passengers. Germany continued this unrestricted submarine warfare as much as it pleased. It also tried propose an alliance with Mexico, and promised that if war broke out with the U.S., Germany would assist Mexico in recovering land they lost to the U.S. Fortunately, Britain intercepted this telegram. Then, four unarmed American ships were sunk, and 36 lives were lost. Finally, the Russian monarchy was replaced by a representative government. Now American war supporters could say that it was a war of democracies against monarchies, and they supported joining the allies.