Deck 20: Americans in the Great War, 1914-1920

Question 1

Which of the following events precipitated the First World War?

A) The seizure of Shandong by Japan
B) The assassination of the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne
C) The revelation of the secret German war plan against France
D) The exposure of Russian Czar Nicholas II's affair with his German chambermaid

Answer 1

The assassination of the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne

Question 2

Which of the following caused the Wilson administration to break diplomatic relations with Germany?

A) The sinking of the Sussex
B) The decision by the German government to engage in unrestricted submarine warfare
C) A request from the British prime minister
D) The Zimmermann telegram

Answer 2

The decision by the German government to engage in unrestricted submarine warfare

Question 3

Which of the following events was the immediate cause of Great Britain's entry into the First World War?

A) The Austro-Hungarian invasion of France
B) The mobilization of the Russian army
C) The German invasion of Belgium
D) The declaration of war against Serbia by Austria-Hungary

Answer 3

The German invasion of Belgium

Question 4

The Wilson administration came to see American exports to the Allies as

A) a contradiction of American ideals.
B) necessary to the economic well-being of the United States.
C) illegal under international law.
D) evidence of the immorality of American business interests.

Question 5

The German government decided to engage in unrestricted submarine warfare for which of the following reasons?

A) The German government wanted to lure America into the war.
B) German spies had incorrectly advised the German government that the United States was mobilizing for war.
C) President Wilson had ordered armed American merchant ships to fire on sight at German ships.
D) By preventing Allied supply shipments to Great Britain, the German government believed it could win the war before American mobilization.

Question 6

In the most general sense, President Wilson decided in favor of American entry into the First World War for which of the following reasons?

A) The German-Mexican alliance threatened the security of the United States.
B) American munitions manufacturers pushed him in that direction.
C) He wanted a peace fashioned in accordance with Wilsonian, and thus American, ideals.
D) He wanted to acquire a colonial empire for the United States.

Question 7

Which of the following beliefs is part of the body of ideas known as Wilsonianism?

A) Empires must be dismantled in keeping with the principle of self-determination.
B) Democratic nations should build more arms to demonstrate their resolve against autocracy.
C) Each nation must protect its own domestic markets through tariff laws.
D) Secret agreements among nations are often necessary when national security is involved.

Question 8

The typical American soldier in the First World War was _____________________.

A) married with children
B) an African American
C) a high-school graduate
D) a draftee in his early- to mid-twenties

Question 9

President Wilson responded to the sinking of the Lusitania by ____________________.

A) calling on the German government to cease submarine warfare
B) breaking diplomatic relations with Germany
C) stopping Americans from traveling on belligerent ships
D) demanding that passenger vessels be prohibited from carrying war goods

Question 10

By 1920, the United States had become the world's leading economic power by producing what?

A) 40 percent of its coal and 70 percent of its petroleum
B) 40 percent of its gas and 70 percent of its petroleum
C) 40 percent of its coal, and 70 percent of its gas
D) 40 percent of its diesel and 70 percent of its petroleum

Question 11

Which of the following was the immediate cause of President Wilson's decision to ask for a declaration of war against Germany?

A) Pancho Villa's raid against an American town close to the Mexican border
B) The signing of a formal military alliance by Germany and Mexico
C) The initiation of terrorist acts by Germans living in the United States
D) The sinking of several American ships after Germany's decision to engage in unrestricted submarine warfare

Question 12

Who was the Commander of the American Expeditionary Forces in Europe?

A) Oswald Garrison Villard
B) John J. Pershing
C) Paul Kellogg
D) Eli Wald

Question 13

African Americans during the First World War ______________________.

A) were usually assigned to menial labor
B) served alongside whites in integrated units
C) generally opposed fighting in a white man's war
D) were excluded from the draft

Question 14

Which of the following statements best expresses President Wilson's belief about America's place in the world?

A) America has an obligation to end intolerance, racism, and bigotry within its society.
B) America has a mission to end poverty, homelessness, and unemployment within its society.
C) America has a mission to lead the world into a new era of peace based on open diplomacy, free trade, and democratic politics.
D) America has a duty to help other nations find the economic and political systems best suited to their cultures.

Question 15

In the early years of the First World War, it was difficult for America to remain neutral because

A) the United States had strong economic ties to the Allies.
B) most Americans felt the United States should enter the war at once.
C) many Wilson administration officials held pro-German sympathies.
D) Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan was decidedly pro-British.

Question 16

Which was the first woman to sit in Congress and vote against a declaration of war against Germany?

A) Jane Addams
B) Carrie Chapman Catt
C) Jeannette Rankin
D) Ida Tarbell

Question 17

Who sent a "peace ship" to Europe to propagandize for a negotiated settlement in the First World War?

A) Andrew Carnegie
B) Henry Ford
C) J.P. Morgan
D) John D. Rockefeller

Question 18

When Serbia called on its Slavic ally Russia for help, _________.

A) they hesitated
B) they declared war against Germany
C) they took advantage of the war in Europe to seize Shandong
D) they in turn looked for backing from their ally France

Question 19

American officials took the Zimmermann telegram seriously because __________________.

A) it raised the possibility that German agents might be allowed to operate out of Mexico to propagandize against the United States and even sabotage American properties
B) Mexico had a large and well-equipped army
C) intelligence information revealed that high-ranking Mexican officials had encouraged the sending of mail bombs to United States congressmen
D) Mexican Americans had recently tried to overthrow the governments of several southwestern states

Question 20

What was President Wilson's response to the news that the First World War had broken out in Europe?

A) He warned the public that a German victory would imperil United States security.
B) He issued a proclamation of neutrality and asked Americans to refrain from taking sides.
C) He privately told the warring powers that America would remain neutral but said nothing publicly.
D) He secretly told American business leaders that he would not restrict their sales to the warring powers.

Question 21

The military outcome of the First World War was decided by __________________.

A) the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia
B) the influx of American men and material into Europe
C) the strategic bombing of German factories
D) the destroyer campaign against German submarines

Question 22

President Wilson sent thousands of troops to Russia in 1918 to ____________________.

A) subvert the new Russian Bolshevik government
B) act as a peacekeeping force in the Russian civil war
C) aid the new Russian government against Japanese aggression
D) counter Russian aggression against Hungary and Czechoslovakia

Question 23

Which statement is most consistent with the Supreme Court's ruling in Schenck v. U.S.?

A) The government's seizure and operation of the railroad industry is a constitutional use of its wartime powers.
B) The government's prohibition of the manufacture and sale of distilled liquor is a constitutional use of its wartime powers.
C) The government can restrict the First Amendment right to free speech in time of war.
D) The government has the power to compel young men to serve in the armed forces during time of war.

Question 24

Which of the following is true of Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer?

A) He strongly encouraged Wilson to resign the presidency after his stroke.
B) He sought to achieve equal rights and opportunities for African Americans during the war.
C) In the "Palmer raids" of 1920, he disregarded basic civil liberties.
D) He instituted suits against corporations that had made excessive profits on war contracts.

Question 25

The Revenue Act of 1916___________________.

A) increased the tax on munitions manufacturers
B) increased the tax on low incomes
C) reduced federal taxes on large estates
D) reduced the tax on corporate profits

Question 26

Which of the following was a consequence of the northward migration of African Americans during the First World War?

A) Segregation was eliminated in the North.
B) African Americans sought and gained appointment to high political positions.
C) Northern resentment led to numerous race riots in northern cities.
D) The South suffered severe economic dislocation.

Question 27

Which of the following acts started the process of mobilizing a wartime economy by raising the surtax on high incomes and corporate profits?

A) Espionage Act of 1917
B) Revenue Act of 1916
C) Sedition Act of 1918
D) National Defense Act of 1916

Question 28

Which statement is accurate concerning organized labor during the First World War?

A) The leadership of the AFL supported the war effort and promised to deter strikes.
B) The government actively aided organized labor to ensure that workers received their fair share from excess corporate profits.
C) Union membership declined dramatically after the War Industries Board labeled organized labor as subversive.
D) The National War Labor Board encouraged management to crush existing unions and prevent the emergence of new unions.

Question 29

Which of the following contributed to the Red Scare that followed the First World War?

A) A wave of postwar strikes
B) Protests on college campuses
C) The discovery of Communist agents within the government
D) The dramatic growth of the Communist Labor Party

Question 30

Which of the following amendments to the constitution granted women the right to vote?

A) 18th Amendment
B) 19th Amendment
C) 20th Amendment
D) 25th Amendment

Question 31

What was the Balfour Declaration?

A) Great Britain's pledge to protect Lebanon and Syria
B) Great Britain's promise to create a homeland for the Jewish people in Palestine without prejudice to the rights of existing non-Jewish communities
C) Great Britain's decision to grant independence to India
D) Great Britain's promise to grant independence to all its African colonies by the end of the twentieth century

Question 32

W.E.B. Du Bois and the leadership of the NAACP supported the war against Germany for which of the following reasons?

A) The Wilson administration pledged that if they did so, America's armed forces would be racially integrated.
B) They were afraid they would be arrested under the Sedition Act if they did not publicly support the war.
C) They did so after a promise from the Joint Chiefs of Staff that African Americans would have equal access to the officer class in all branches of the armed forces.
D) They hoped their support of the war and their demonstration of patriotism would help African Americans in their quest for equality in the United States.

Question 33

Which statement is accurate concerning the steelworkers' strike in 1919?

A) The strike was an attempt by Samuel Gompers to call in the debt he felt President Wilson owed him.
B) The workers were reacting to appeals from nonunion radicals who advocated a workers' revolution.
C) The strike was an indication of Communist influence within union leadership.
D) The workers were attempting to gain the right to collective bargaining, a shorter workday, and better wages.

Question 34

What was true of American agriculture during the First World War?

A) The trend toward mechanization came to a virtual halt.
B) Farmers were forced to reduce acreage to stabilize prices.
C) Farmers sank deeper and deeper into debt.
D) Gross farm income increased dramatically.

Question 35

American women during the First World War ____________________.

A) worked less outside of the home
B) found that sex-segregated occupations were a thing of the past
C) moved into jobs that had previously been reserved for men
D) went on strike frequently to demand equal wages to men

Question 36

How did the federal government raise most of the money for the war effort during the First World War?

A) By raising tariff rates
B) By raising income taxes
C) By imposing a national sales tax
D) By borrowing

Question 37

Who were known as the "Wobblies"?

A) New soldiers uneasy on their feet
B) Russian immigrants
C) Radical labor activists
D) FBI informants during the Red Scare

Question 38

Which of the following is true of the 1918 congressional elections?

A) The results greatly enhanced the possibility that the Senate would accept a peace agreement based on Wilsonian principles.
B) The results clearly indicated the voting public's approval of Wilson's Fourteen Points.
C) Republicans gained control of both houses of Congress shortly before Wilson's departure for the Paris Peace Conference.
D) Because of significant Republican gains in both the House and the Senate, Wilson was practically forced to invite Republican congressional leaders to accompany him to Paris.

Question 39

The War Industries Board was created __________________________.

A) to serve as a clearing-house to coordinate the national economy during wartime
B) to act as an employment agency to direct workers into war-related industries
C) to oversee American corporations to make sure they did not violate antitrust laws
D) to oversee and coordinate the work of corporations and universities engaged in weapons research and development

Question 40

At the time of the Red Scare, the American left ___________________.

A) had virtually taken over the American Federation of Labor
B) was becoming highly organized
C) was part of a well-planned conspiracy to overthrow the United States government
D) was badly splintered

Question 41

As a result of the First World War, _____________________.

A) the American people were united behind a common vision and goal
B) American industry expanded
C) progressivism regained its foothold in the government
D) decolonization placed America at a disadvantage in the competition for foreign markets

Question 42

Examine the impact of the First World War on American women.

Question 43

Outline the provisions of the Treaty of Versailles, and explain the similarities and differences between the treaty and Wilson's Fourteen Points.

Question 44

What was the result of Paris Peace Conference?

A) The Allies applied the principle of self-determination to all former colonial empires.
B) The Allies established free trade among all of the world's industrialized nations.
C) The Allies accepted Wilson's arguments in favor of a small indemnity against Germany.
D) The Allies created a chain of pro-Western buffer states around Russia.

Question 45

Discuss the Palmer Raids in the context of each of the following: the Bolshevik Revolution; race relations in the United States; labor unions.

Question 46

Which of the following was one of the Lodge reservations to the Treaty of Versailles?

A) The provision affirming the racial equality of all people should be stricken from the treaty and from the League Covenant.
B) Any American obligation to use armed force to ensure collective security should require congressional approval.
C) The League of Nations should not have jurisdiction over the domestic matters of any member state.
D) The Monroe Doctrine should be exempt from the jurisdiction of the League of Nations.

Question 47

Who were the "Irreconcilables"?

A) Democrats who agreed to a set of compromises to prevent the Senate from rejecting the Treaty of Versailles.
B) Career diplomats who conducted a nationwide speaking tour to rally public support behind the Treaty of Versailles.
C) Senators who were determined to defeat the Treaty of Versailles with or without the Lodge reservations.
D) Wilson administration officials who were determined to prevent any concessions to opponents of the Treaty of Versailles.

Question 48

Discuss the various factors that prevented America from remaining truly neutral during the First World War, and explain how British and German naval policies eventually drew the United States into the conflict.

Question 49

Examine the impact of the First World War on African Americans and on race relations in the United States.

Question 50

Examine the assertion that the federal government and private business became partners during the First World War. What impact did this partnership have on the war effort and on the economic development of the United States?

Question 51

Explain the underlying and immediate causes of the Red Scare, and trace the course of antiradicalism in the United States in the immediate aftermath of the First World War.

Question 52

Taking all things into consideration, which of the following is the most important reason for the Senate's defeat of the Treaty of Versailles and United States membership in the League of Nations?

A) Wilson was unable to lobby effectively for the treaty because of his stroke and subsequent incapacitation.
B) Americans were unwilling to abandon the nation's traditional attachment to nonalignment and freedom of choice in international affairs.
C) Wilson's refusal to compromise with his opponents in the Senate doomed the treaty.
D) The treaty was condemned to defeat because of the bitter personal feud between Wilson and Senator Henry Cabot Lodge.

Question 53

Describe the life of a typical soldier in World War I, from draft to battlefield.

Question 54

Which of the following did Wilson believe to be the most important part of the League Covenant?

A) The agreement to outlaw war
B) The provision for collective security
C) The council of five permanent members
D) The World Court

Question 55

Discuss the nature and extent of the American peace movement, and explain its failure to prevent American entry into the First World War.

Question 56

Examine the impact of the First World War on American laborers in general and on organized labor in particular.

Question 57

Discuss the characteristics of American draftees and volunteers and their lives as soldiers during the First World War. What attempts were made to protect the virtue of American soldiers? Why? How successful were those attempts?