Chapter 29 Wilsonian Progressivism at Home and Abroad

ELECTION OF 1912 WOODROW WILSON

DEMOCRATS Background:

Progressive Governor of New Jersey

President of Princeton University

Reformer , Idealist , Elitist? , stubborn when believed was correct

ELECTION OF 1912: DEMOCRATS

Woodrow Wilson Platform: “New

Freedom” Anti-Trust Legislation Banking reform Tariff reductions Shunned social-

welfare proposals

ELECTION OF 1912: PROGRESSIVES OR “BULL MOOSERS”

Theodore Roosevelt Platform: “New

Nationalism” Trusts and Labor

unions controlled by regulatory agencies

Program of social welfare

Women’s suffrage Minimum wage Social insurance

ELECTION OF 1912: REPUBLICANS

William H. Taft Platform:

To continue moderate Progressivism

ELECTION OF 1912: RESULTS

Winner: Woodrow Wilson Wilson was a “minority”

President…no “mandate” from the people Why?

Taft and Roosevelt split the vote Taft became Chief Justice of

the Supreme Court Socialist Debs got almost a

million votes

“TRIPLE WALL OF PRIVILEGE”

“Triple Wall” Wilson wanted to attack:• The Tariff• The Banks• The Trusts

Underwood Tariff• Substantially reduced the tariff rates

The 16th Amendment• Graduated Income Tax

RESEARCHING BANKING REFORM The nation’s financial

structure, as created under the Civil War National Banking Act had proven to be glaringly ineffective, asshown by the Panic of 1907, so Wilson had Congress authorize aninvestigation to fix this. The investigation, headed

by Senator Aldrich, in effect recommended a third Bank of the United States.

Democrats heeded the findings of a House committee chaired byCongressman Arsene Pujo, which traced the tentacles of the “money monster” into the hidden vaults of American banking and business.

Louis D Brandeis’s Other People’s Money and How theBankers Use It (1914) furthermore showed the problems of Americanfinances at the time.

THE FEDERAL RESERVE ACT

Created Federal Reserve Board 12 regional banks

that issued Federal Reserve notes

Allowed for flexible money system

THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION ACT

Presidential Commission examined interstate commerce laws

Root out unfair trade practices , such as false advertising and bribery

Root out unlawful competition

CLAYTON ANTI-TRUST ACT OF 1914

Outlawed interlocking directories and pure discrimination ,

“Magna Carta” of the labor movement• Exempted labor

unions from Anti-Trust laws (as had been called by Supreme Court’s interpretation of Sherman Act)

• Legalized strikes and peaceful picketing

WILSONIAN PROGRESSIVE ACTS

Federal Farm Loan Act Federal Government credit for farmers at low

interest rates Warehouse Act of 1916

Government loans on the security of staple crops

La Follette Seaman’s Act of 1915 Living wage for merchant ships

Workingman’s Compensation Act of 1916 Disability insurance for civil service employees

Adamson Act 8 hour work day for federal employees

“BLACK PROGRESSIVISM”/ LOUIS BRANDEIS Wilson did not do

well with “Black Progressivism”

Louis Brandeis First Jewish

Supreme Court Justice

NEW DIRECTIONS IN FOREIGN POLICY

Wilson did not embrace the “Dollar Diplomacy” and “Big Stick”

Jones Act• Made Philippines a

territory, promoted independence as soon as Philippines had stable government , July 4th 1946

Wilson did not embrace the “Dollar Diplomacy” and “Big Stick”

Jones Act• Made Philippines a

territory, promoted independence as soon as Philippines had stable government , July 4th 1946

WILSON DID ACT AS AN “AGGRESSOR” A COUPLE OF TIMES

When California banned Japanese ownership of land, Wilson sent Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan to plead with legislators and tensions cooled.

When disorder broke out in Haiti in 1915, Wilson sent American Marines, and in 1916, he sent Marines to quell violence in theDominican Republic.

In 1917, Wilson bought the Virgin Islands from Denmark.

In 1913 Mexican rebels overthrew a government friendly to the United States and placed Victoriano Huerta and Carranza and Pancho Villa in positions of power in Mexico. President Wilson refused to recognize the new Mexican government.

In 1913 Mexican rebels overthrew a government friendly to the United States and placed Victoriano Huerta and Carranza and Pancho Villa in positions of power in Mexico. President Wilson refused to recognize the new Mexican government.

Moralistic Diplomacy in Mexico

Wilson ordered Marines to take Vera Cruz becauseMexicans affronted Americans. Carranza and Huerto protested bitterly. It was finally mediated by the A.B.C. Powers. Shortly after Huerto collapsed and was replaced by Carranza whom President Wilson reluctantly supported.

Moralistic Diplomacy in Mexico

MORALISTIC DIPLOMACY IN MEXICO Meanwhile, “Pancho”

Villa, combination bandit/freedomfighter, murdered 16 Americans in January of 1916 in Mexico and thenkilled 19 more a month later in New Mexico. Wilson sent General John J.

Pershing to capture Villa, and hepenetrated deep into Mexico, clashed with Carranza’s andVilla’s different forces, but didn’t take Villa.

World War I was starting in Europe

WORLD WAR ITHE WAR TO END ALL WARS

Causes of World War 1

“isms”

Nationalism Imperialism Militarism

NATIONALISM

Devotion to interests, culture of one’s nation

Nationalism leads to competition, antagonism between nations

Many fear Germany’s growing power in Europe

Various Ethnic groups resent domination, want independence

Russia sees self as protector of all Slavic peoples

IMPERIALISM MILITARISM

Germany industrializes, competes with France, Britain for colonies

Development of armed forces, their use in diplomacy

Cost of building, defending empires leads to more military spending

Great Britain traditionally had the most powerful navy in Europe. Germany began to expand her navy, which created tension between the two nations

INTRICATE AND SOMETIMES SECRET ALLIANCES IN EUROPE LED TO

OBLIGATIONS BUT ALSO DIVIDED LOYALTIES IF ATTACKED

AUSTRIA-HUNGARY HAD AN AGREEMENT WITH GERMANY

WHO HAD AN AGREEMENT WITH ITALY. OTTOMAN

EMPIRE WAS ALLIED WITH

GERMANY AGAINST RUSSIA.

SERBIA HAD AN AGREEMENT WITH RUSSIA WHO HAD AN AGREEMENT WITH FRANCE WHO HAD AN

AGREEMENT WITH GREAT BRITAIN WHO HAD AN AGREEMENT

PROTECT BELGIUM’S

NEUTRALITY

ALLIANCE SYSTEM To protect themselves from each other,

countries formed alliances These alliances held that if one nation

was attacked, the other nations would defend it

Triple Entente or ALLIES – France, Britain, Russia

Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire are CENTRAL POWERS

Alliances give security; nations unwilling to tip balance of power

EUROPEAN ALLIANCES, WWI

AN ASSASSINATION LEADS TO WAR

June 28, 1914, Franz Ferdinand the heir to the Austria-Hungarian throne travels to Serbia. He was assassinated by Gavrilo Princip, a member of an organization called Black Hand, who wanted independence for the region from Austria-Hungary.

This assassination touches off a war as it helped lead countries to avenge the murder and fulfill their alliance obligations.

ALLIANCES BRING MANY COUNTRIES INTO WAR Austria-Hungary declares war on

Serbia, expects a short war Alliance system pulls one nation after

another into warRussia came to the aid of SerbiaGermany then declared war on RussiaFrance declared war on GermanyGermany attacked Belgium (ally of France)Britain entered the war to help Belgium &

France

THE WAR BEGAN WITH THE

ALLIES VERSUS THE CENTRAL POWERS AND SIX NEUTRAL

NATIONS

CENTRAL POWERS

AUSTRIA-HUNGARY

GERMANY

BULGARIA

TURKEY

ALLIES

FRANCE

UNITED KINGDOM (AND ALL OF HER COLONIES)

ITALY RUSSIA

JAPAN ROMANIA

SERBIA GREECE

PORTUGAL

NEUTRAL NATIONS

SPAIN SWITZERLAND NORWAY SWEDEN BELGIUM DENMARK

THE FIGHTING STARTS Germany’s Schlieffen

Plan: Hook movement through Belgium, defeat France before Russia mobilizes; then defeat Russia Fight one front

Belgium held off Germany for three weeks – France and Britain mobilize to Belgium border

Britain and France on the defensive; forced to retreat to Marne River

Allies halt the German advance and both sides dig in for a long siege

TRENCH WARFARE By Spring 1915, 2 parallel systems of trenches cross France

400 miles from North Sea to Switzerland “No man’s land” barren expanse of mud between opposing

trenches Scale of killing horrific, fighting inconclusive

1.2 million casualties Armies fight to gain only yards of ground

Only 7 miles of ground will change hands

“NO MAN’S LAND”

THE AREA BETWEEN THE

TRENCHES WAS THE MOST

DANGEROUS PLACE TO BE

A PRECARIOUS NEUTRALITY Wilson, whose wife had

recently died, issued a neutrality proclamation and was promptly wooed by both the Allies and the German and Austro-Hungarian powers.

The Germans and Austro-Hungarians counted on their relatives inAmerica for support, but the U.S. was mostly anti-German from theoutset, as Kaiser Wilhem II made for a perfect autocrat to hate.

German and Austro-Hungarian agents in America further tarnished the Central Powers’ image when they resorted to violence in Americanfactories and ports, and when one such agent left his briefcase in aNew York elevator, the contents of which were found to contain plansfor sabotage.

HOW DID MOST AMERICANS FEEL ABOUT JOINING THE WAR IN EUROPE?

MOST PEOPLE WANTED TO REMAIN NEUTRAL BECAUSE:

THEY FELT THAT IT WAS NOT OUR FIGHT

EUROPE WAS TOO FAR AWAY

WAR WAS EXPENSIVE

DIVIDED LOYALTIES SINCE WE TRADED WITH BOTH GERMANY AND GREAT BRITAIN (AND FRANCE) AND DID NOT WANT TO SEVER TIES WITH EITHER ONE BY FIGHTING AGAINST THEM

I Didn't Raise My Boy to Be a SoldierThis popular song of 1915 conveys the antiwar sentiment that swept America after the European war began in 1914.

AMERICANS QUESTION NEUTRALITY Socialists, pacifists, many ordinary people

against U.S. in war Naturalized citizens concerned about effect

on country of birth Many feel ties to British ancestry, language,

democracy, legal system U.S. has stronger economic ties with Allies

than with Central Powers Allies are depicted as victims of German

aggression Many join French & British militaries

REALLY NEUTRAL???

President Wilson declares America should be “neutral in fact as well as in name and impartial in thought as well as in action”.Americans trade 23 billion with Allies and

only 29 billion with Central Powers. Largely this occurred because of close socio-cultural connection with allies and easier trade routes to England. (Morgan Loans)

Lafayette Escadrille

THE HISTORY OF THE LAFAYETTE ESCADRILLE

The Lafayette Escadrille was a French unit comprised mainly of American soldiers who volunteered to fight before the United States entered World War I.  The group was originally known as the American Escadrille , but changed name to maintain neutrality.

REALLY NEUTRAL??? Moral Diplomacy

Wilson believed in freedom of the seas, open trade, self determination for ethnic groups, no secret alliances, arms reductions and Constitutionalism.

Because Wilson pressed freedom of the seas his Secretary of State, William J. Bryan resigned.

REALLY NEUTRAL ??? Wilson’s acts towards

war before election: Council on National

Defense Act Federal board to prepare

for war National Defense Act of

1916 Increased army size

1916 Navy Act Expanded Navy

1916 Revenue Act Surtax on high incomes/

tax on corporate profits for war

1916 Navy Act: authorized 50 destroyers built over a

three year period.

GERMAN SUBMARINE WARFARE

To break England’s control of the Atlantic, Germany depended on their new weapon: the Submarine (U-Boat in German).

WARNINGS ISSUED TO TRAVELERS

“Neutral Seas” may Not Be Safe

WAR ON THE HIGH SEAS

On May 7, 1915 the Germans sank the Lustiana with 128 Americans on board. This outraged many Americans. Wilson, who believed in freedom of the seas, did not want war. Instead, after the Germans sank the British liner The Arabic he got the Germans to agree to the Arabic pledge which stated not to sink ships without warning. After the French ship The Sussex was sunk, Germany agreed to the Sussex pledge which said the same thing as long as England did the same. England would not agree or stop their naval blockade of Europe.

Left: The LuistaniaRight: The

Sussex

TOUGH TIMES FOR CENTRAL POWERS Central powers feeling

impact of England’s naval blockade

Russia ready to leave war ( Bolshevik Revolution )

Germany public is getting war weary

Perhaps Central Powers need one last devastating blow…especially if neutral America joins cause of Allies

1916 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

Democrats: Woodrow Wilson Campaign Slogan:

“He Kept us Out of War”

Republicans: Charles E. “Evasive” Hughes

Wilson wins because of Solid South and Midwest areas voting for him