Connection Across Time!

World War I was an incredibly important event in world history. Many new technologies were used during this time, and a huge part of the geography of Europe was changed after the peace treaty. George Washington once said, "beware of entangling alliances". This definitely applies to WWI and to today, because one of the big reasons for the war was the many different alliances that were happening all over the world. If one country is focused on the needs of another, it can lead to major complications, like war.

This may have been called "the war to end all wars" but it was far from it. The treaty of Versailles actually partly motivated World War II. Germany felt slighted by the fact that it had to take the full blame for WWI, and had to pay a huge amount of money for it. It even lost some territory, making it bitter towards the allies in the future. From this, the world could learn to spread the blame to all who actually deserve it.

US Event: Clayton Anti-Trust Act

This act was passed in 1914, and gave the US government a greater control in regulating business. It prohibited exclusive sales contracts, and legalized peaceful strikes, picketing, and boycotts. It also provided more rights for unions. The act is enforced by the Federal Trade Commission, which was also created by President Wilson at this time. This shows how important industry and the industrial workers were becoming in the United States. It also connects to Europe because they too were very concerned with their industry, though more worried about war production, and not the workers who were doing the actual producing.

Spotlight On: Sinking of the Lusitania

In 1915, the British passenger liner with 1,959 people on board was hit by torpedo from a German U-Boat. It took only eighteen minutes for the Lusitania to completely sink. Over 1,000 of the innocent passengers died from injuries, a many of them Americans. The boat was only fifteen miles from the Irish coast when it sank, but it took rescue boats almost four hours to arrive. This tragic event caused the United States to demand that Germany give up unrestricted submarine warfare, but there was little satisfaction, and Germany served no consequences for the action. The sinking of the Lusitania was also one of the major factors in the United States entering into World War I.

US Event: 1916

Jeannette Rankin was the first female to be elected to the United States Congress. She was a Republican member of the House of Representatives, even though US women did not gain the right to vote until 1920.  However, in her home state of Montana, women did have the right to vote at this time, which most likely helped her to be elected. This was a huge step for women everywhere, showing that they could take on roles previously filled by men, and do well at them. Rankin voted against the United States entering World War I just one month after she entered office. This led to much criticism, but Rankin still supported her country by selling liberty bonds and voting for the military draft. This event connects to Europe because during the war, many women there were also taking on many male jobs. During this time women were starting to become equal with men, at least in relation to careers.

Russian Propaganda Poster



This poster shows a woman in a factory, showing how every country was taking part in total war. Each country used every resource that they had to offer to contribute to the war, converting many factories to produce artillery and other war materials. The fact that there is a woman on this poster also shows that women were taking over the jobs that men left behind when they went to fight in the war. This was a huge step for many women, who had previously been expected to take more domestic roles.

"We Are Making a New World"

by Paul Nash

This painting depicts the landscape destroyed by the battles of World War I. The trees are blown to pieces showing the violence, and the ground is altered from the trenches dug during this time. The red skies also show the evils of the war and it's violence. However, the sun shining in the sky shows the hope that there is for the future, since this war was called "the war to end all wars". Wilson's idea for the League of Nations was supposed to keep peace throughout the world for the future, but unfortunately, it failed.

"The First Wounded"

by John Lavery

Lavery was appointed as an official war artist during the Great War. This painting shows a hospital where there are several wounded soldiers, and nurses caring for them. It reflects the beginning of the war, because the hospital is not overrun with the wounded. World War I had a huge amount of wounded, one of the bloodiest wars that the world has ever seen. However, the horrors of the war are portrayed in this picture. The man at the lower right of the painting has his head almost entirely covered in bandages, showing that there were serious injuries resulting from the new weaponry invented during this time.