Week 6: The Great War

Apologies for not getting these questions and reading guide posted sooner; the insanity of Monday’s move plus the lack of internet at our new house are almost entirely to blame. In any event, as the syllabus promises, this week is devoted to the first World War. Your background reading should be fairly self-explanatory — read what you can on the American experience with that conflict. The Digital History chapter is OK, though you’ll be served better by finding a regular text or examining one of those on reserve.

Questions for the week:

1. What were the major causes of World War I, and how did Woodrow hope to prevent those causes from taking root again?
2. Why did the United States pursue a policy of neutrality from 1914-1917? Why did the policy of neutrality fail?
3. How did World War I highlight the contradictions between the ideals of the United States and the political realities for many Americans (including African Americans and women)?
4. What reasons did Woodrow Wilson eventually offer in promoting American involvement in WWI?
5. How did World War I affect civil liberties in the United States?
6. Why did the proposed League of Nations fail to gain political support in the US?