World War 1 Effects On Society

World War I had significant impacts on the population in our society. Its effects were felt by many different groups of people. Many people also had concerns of how the war would impact the international community. In this broadcast, we will attempt to unveil and explain some of the effects the war had on those groups of people as well as how the war impacted the international community. We will also discuss some of the changes that occurred because of the movement from isolationism to expansionism. So, sit back, relax, and discover what impacts World War I had on our society. World War 1 began in 1914 when Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary was assassinated by a Bosnian extremist, Gavrilo Princip. Because of alliances that
had been created over many years, the assassination was of Ferdinand was the only thing necessary to cause a territorial dispute which eventually led to a world conflict. For many years America felt that if it did not get involved in foreign issues it would keep the country from being drawn into dangerous conflicts and wars. President Woodrow Wilson also shared this same ideal. Therefore, he was reluctant to get involved with the European Alliances. However, in the early 1900’s, the German army, under the leadership of Kaiser Wilhelm II, began attacking British and American ships with their submarines. In 1917, the U.S. intercepted a letter sent by Germany’s Foreign Secretary Arthur Zimmerman, asking Mexico to declare war on the U.S (The Zimmerman Telegram. (2017). This provocation forced President Wilson to join forces with its allies and participate in World War 1 to protect itself and the countries that were within its territories. This was the start of the move from isolationism to expansionism for the U.S.
The war had a direct impact on the social, economic, and political future of African Americans. Prior to the war, most black farmers labored in the fields, lived in poverty, and eventually were stripped of their right to vote. In 1896, segregation came in view by the passage of the Plessy vs. Ferguson Supreme Court ruling. This ruling forced black people to use “separate and usually inferior facilities” than white people (African Americans and World War I., n.d.). Because black people were so oppressed, many African Americas saw the war as an opportunity to bring democracy for all to the United States. Many blacks participated in the war believing if they did their part, the government would have no choice but to grant them civil rights. African Americans who were called to fight, “dug ditches, cleaned latrines, transported supplies, cleared debris, and buried rotting corpses” (African Americans and World War I, n.d), even though most of them wanted to fight on the front lines. It quickly became obvious that black soldiers were not treated equally with white soldiers. “After World War 1, racial tensions in the United States became severely strained” (Davis, D.A., 2008).
Many southern African Americans migrated north because of the racial unrest and to help fill labor needs. It was during this time that W.E.B. Du Bois mobilized the NAACP and demanded that African Americans receive equal treatment (78.02.02: Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. DuBois: The Problem of Negro Leadership. (n.d.). Another key figure during this time was Booker T. Washington. Washington is remembered from his work with building the Tuskegee University. He often had a different viewpoint from Du Bois in that he believed equality demanded effort and not entitlement just because of the color of the skin (78.02.02: Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. DuBois: The Problem of Negro Leadership. (n.d.). It appears the aftermath of World War 1 was clearly the start of the Civil Rights movement in the United States as African Americans began organizing and fighting for equal rights. The war not only impacted African Americans, but women also. Prior to the war, most women’s lives centered around their farms and families, while the men did most of the outside work. Women would take the harvested crops and preserve them, and they also kept the inside of the living quarters intact. During this time, women had no political power, nor the right to
vote. After World War 1 began, a lot of industries suffered labor shortages as male employees left their jobs to fight.
Because of this, many women had to leave their farms and homes and began working “as streetcar conductors, radio operators, and in steel mills and logging camps during the war” (02.03.09: How War Changed the Role of Women in the United States. n.d.). Women also played other key supporting roles during the war such as growing food, washing clothes of the soldiers, sewing clothing for uniforms, and working in ammunition factories. Most of the time women were paid less than their male counterparts doing the same work ((02.03.09: How War Changed the Role of Women in the United States.
n.d.). After the war, the push for support for women’s suffrage and the right to vote began to rise. After all, “Women worked as hard as men making a new home, so how could they be denied the right to vote?” (Jennings, C. 2015). Because of their work, and the increasing support for women’s suffrage, in 1920, the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified and women once again had the right to vote (History.com Staff. 2010).
The war also created opportunities for expansion of the American economy as many factories had to be converted to produce ammunition and war supplies. This resulted in numerous opportunities for employment and new business development. The U.S. involvement in the war helped our allies to survive and therefore laid the groundwork for the U.S. Foreign Trade Policy. This would prove to help the American economy grow even more. Due to the rapid growth of the U.S. economy, the U.S. had acquired a lot of territories around the world. This economic growth and the acquisition of additional territories eventually gave the U.S. the status of a global power and it helped position it to become a superpower. However, not all was good that came from the war. The war also had a devastating effect on local communities as some communities lost a lot of young men in battle.
Although World War 1 brought about civil unrest and many deaths to America, it also had some positive results. One positive result was the economic growth it brought to America and the Foreign Trade Policies that were created. It was also the early beginnings of the civil rights movement which, in later years would benefit the African American community. The war also sparked a movement that would give women more freedom in society, equality the workplace, and eventually give them the right to vote.