Deck 24: The Nation at War, 1901-1920

Question 1

The German sinking of the________ in 1915 cost 128 American lives and enraged the American public.

A) Sussex
B) Arabic
C) Reuben James
D) Lusitania
E) Titanic

Answer 1

Lusitania

Question 2

In terms of foreign policy, Theodore Roosevelt________ .

A) did little to foster American aims
B) reflected the influence of isolationism
C) sought to prepare the country for its role as a world power
D) sought to further isolate the United States from foreign affairs
E) was supremely concerned with world peace

Answer 2

sought to prepare the country for its role as a world power

Question 3

The Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty________ .

A) secured Colombia's permission for the building of the Panama Canal
B) gave the United States control of the Panama Canal Zone
C) transferred rights to the Panama Canal from France to the United States
D) ended hostilities with Mexico in autumn of 1914
E) gave the United States control of the Philippines

Answer 3

gave the United States control of the Panama Canal Zone

Question 4

Which prohibited foreign corporations from building or purchasing sites with military potential in the Western Hemisphere?

A) Sussex Pledge
B) Zimmermann Note
C) Roosevelt Corollary
D) Lodge Corollary
E) Foster Testimony

Question 5

In mediating the conflict between Russia and Japan, Roosevelt________ .

A) showed little real interest in the final outcome
B) sided with Russia
C) took a totally neutral stance
D) recognized the increasing importance of Japan
E) tried to play both sides against the other with disastrous results

Question 6

In the 1905 Taft-Katsura Agreement,________ .

A) the United States and Japan agreed not to attack each other for at least 50 years
B) the United States exchanged recognition of Japanese control of Korea for a Japanese pledge not to invade the Philippines
C) Japan agreed to limit emigration to the United States
D) the United States and Japan agreed to a policy of mutual free trade
E) the United States and Japan agreed to uphold the Open Door and support Chinese independence

Question 7

Taft's policy of "dollar diplomacy"________ .

A) promoted American financial and business interests abroad
B) was aimed, primarily, at helping underdeveloped countries
C) resulted in less American influence in Latin America
D) had little influence on American national security interests
E) helped establish the prestige of the United States in Asia

Question 8

In his approach to foreign affairs, Wilson could be described as what?

A) a militarist
B) a moralist
C) an economist
D) a global strategist
E) a pacifist

Question 9

Woodrow Wilson's decision to invade Mexico in 1916 followed the murder of several Americans by

A) Vittorio Zapata
B) Pancho Villa
C) Francisco Madero
D) Victoriano Huerta
E) Carlo Ponti

Question 10

President Wilson's first reaction when war broke out in Europe in 1914 was to________ .

A) declare support for the Allies
B) condemn the actions of the German army
C) praise the assassination of the Austrian archduke
D) declare U.S. neutrality
E) begin construction of a large navy

Question 11

At the beginning of World War I, Americans________ .

A) showed little interest in the conflict
B) sided strongly with the British
C) were eager to enter the conflict
D) sided strongly with the Germans
E) generally accepted neutrality

Question 12

What did Great Britain do at the beginning of World War I?

A) respected American neutrality
B) made few attempts to influence American policy
C) sought the military aid of the United States
D) sought to restrict American trade with Germany
E) briefly considered a negotiated surrender

Question 13

Compared with William Jennings Bryan, Robert Lansing________ .

A) was more idealistic
B) favored the German side in the war
C) urged a strong stand against the Germans
D) had little experience in foreign affairs
E) exemplified the philosophy "live and let live"

Question 14

In 1915, Wilson supported preparedness because of________ .

A) the need to stimulate the American economy
B) the growing German U-boat crisis
C) demands from progressives who desired to defend democracy
D) the revelation of a German plot to involve Mexico as an ally
E) his secret desire to create an empire in Latin America

Question 15

The Zimmermann Telegram________ .

A) announced Germany's European war aims
B) pledged Germany's intention to end the war peacefully
C) proposed an alliance between Germany and Mexico
D) had little effect on America's move toward war
E) was actually a piece of British war propaganda

Question 16

Who was the leader of the American Expeditionary Force?

A) Theodore Roosevelt
B) John J. Pershing
C) Alfred T. Mahan
D) Douglas MacArthur
E) Omar Bradley

Question 17

The American Expeditionary Force________ .

A) was primarily made up of draftees
B) consisted largely of the existing U.S. Army
C) was primarily a volunteer army
D) was initially well prepared and trained for war
E) was a spearhead of elite commandos

Question 18

The American contribution in World War I________ .

A) was minor when compared to that of the other Allies
B) although relatively small was vital to Allied success
C) played a relatively minor role in ending the war
D) was much greater than that of the other Allies
E) came too late to be of any real assistance

Question 19

The Committee on Public Information________ .

A) had little influence on public perceptions
B) exerted a positive influence on the public
C) called for understanding from the American people
D) launched a vitriolic campaign against Germany
E) was always careful to avoid emotional appeals

Question 20

To finance the war effort, on what did the U.S. government primarily rely?

A) higher income tax rates
B) printing paper money for war debts
C) sales of "Liberty Bonds"
D) new discoveries of gold in Alaska
E) loans from foreign governments

Question 21

During World War I, the War Industries Board________ .

A) controlled the entire war mobilization effort
B) was led by Herbert Hoover
C) oversaw the production of America's factories
D) failed to lead American industry effectively
E) was concerned with building new munitions plants

Question 22

Which of the following was a major effect of the labor shortage caused by the war?

A) a dramatic rise in wages for all workers
B) a great migration of southern African Americans to northern cities
C) a worsening in government-labor relations
D) a decrease in the number of working women
E) the construction of more factories

Question 23

As a result of their participation in the war effort, African Americans________ .

A) faced even worse discrimination in America
B) became more accepting of the conditions they faced
C) found greater acceptance of their place in American society
D) were more and more inclined to fight discrimination
E) generally were allowed to remain in Europe

Question 24

What was one of Wilson's major goals at the Paris Peace Conference?

A) to punish Germany for starting the war
B) to compensate the Allies for their great losses
C) to found a League of Nations to enforce peace
D) to bring the new Russian government to the peace table
E) to collect awards and accolades from France

Question 25

Wilson hurt his chances to get the Treaty of Versailles ratified________ .

A) through his failure to ask for the American people's support
B) because he was unwilling to compromise with opponents
C) by working too closely with isolationist opponents
D) because he did not work hard enough to convince opponents
E) through his vague and hostile demands of his supporters

Question 26

How can Wilson's reaction to the sinking of the Lusitania best be characterized?

A) conciliatory diplomacy
B) forceful diplomacy
C) pessimistic diplomacy
D) minimal military
E) forceful military

Question 27

America's role in international affairs was changing in the years immediately before the outbreak of World War I because the United States________ .

A) was becoming more of a world power
B) had become the most powerful country in the world
C) was no longer an imperialist power
D) was no longer a colonial power
E) was becoming more and more isolated

Question 28

In what way was the construction of the Panama Canal, as Roosevelt said, "the most important action in foreign affairs"?

A) It gave the United States control over world trade.
B) It made the United States the world's most powerful country.
C) It kept the United States out of involvement in World War I.
D) It solidified American influence in Latin America.
E) It gave the United States power over developments in Europe.

Question 29

The signing of the Taft-Katsura Agreement was strategically important for the United States because it gave the United States free rein in________ .

A) Korea
B) China
C) Japan
D) Asia
E) the Philippines

Question 30

Why did Roosevelt announce the Roosevelt Corollary?

A) to gain power in the Pacific region
B) to keep European powers out of Latin America
C) to change the Monroe Doctrine
D) to forgive Latin American national debts
E) to gain access to Panama for the canal construction

Question 31

What were the tests of Wilson's "moral diplomacy"?

A) When a cabinet member was caught in a financial scandal, Wilson's pride in his morality was tested.
B) The exorbitant costs of moral reforms, such as Prohibition, tested Wilson's resolve to continue "purity" reforms.
C) The conflicts of Mexico and World War I demonstrated that U.S. morality would not keep militarism under control.
D) The Hawaiian and Philippine annexations demonstrated to the world that U.S. morality did not actually exist.
E) In his attitudes toward African Americans and their civil rights, Wilson demonstrated that "morality" did not mean equality.

Question 32

Wilson's treatment of Mexico was similar to Roosevelt's treatment of Colombia because both men demonstrated________ .

A) paternalistic condescension in their dealings with Latin American governments
B) abhorrence for people of color in their dealings with Latin American governments
C) their inexperience with foreign affairs in their dealings with Mexico and Colombia, respectively
D) their fear of European interference in their dealings with Mexico and Colombia, respectively
E) their respect and dependence on their neighbors in their dealings with Mexico and Colombia, respectively

Question 33

Why did the nation's progressives oppose U.S. involvement in World War I?

A) They were naturally pessimistic and knew the United States would lose.
B) They understood how financially costly the war would be for the nation.
C) They did not believe the reports sent over from Europe.
D) They opposed the Allied position because it was one of aggression.
E) They opposed all war as being an obstacle to social reform.

Question 34

What was the role of economic factors in supporting U.S. neutrality in the early years of World War I?

A) The United States was greatly weakened financially by WWI and saw entering the war as an economic necessity.
B) The United States grew rich from its neutrality during WWI and saw joining the war as a way of getting even richer.
C) U-boat attacks had increased commerce for the United States by eliminating the competition, so continued neutrality benefited the nation's economy.
D) U-boat attacks prevented the United States from trading freely with Europe and required U.S. involvement.
E) U-boat attacks cost the German government millions of dollars, making them even more eager to draw the United States into the war.

Question 35

The Sussex Pledge________ U.S. involvement in World War I.

A) escalated
B) postponed
C) eliminated
D) complicated
E) intensified

Question 36

By electing________ in 1916, Americans showed their determination to________ .

A) Roosevelt, remain neutral in WWI
B) Hughes, remain neutral in WWI
C) Wilson, remain neutral in WWI
D) Wilson, enter WWI regardless of the costs
E) Roosevelt, stay out of WWI whatever the costs

Question 37

How did U.S. neutrality in World War I finally come to an end?

A) Germany proposed an alliance with Mexico and sank five American ships in ten days.
B) Russia formed an alliance with Germany that threatened U.S. interests in the Pacific.
C) The Allied nations begged the United States to intervene on their behalf.
D) Japan attacked the Philippines and Hawaii, killing hundreds of U.S. military personnel and citizens.
E) Germany formed an alliance with Cuba, threatening to bring the war to the United States.

Question 38

How did the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia in 1917 change the course of the war?

A) Germany's own people began to revolt, leading to a weakening of the axis powers, giving the Allies an advantage.
B) The Polish people in Germany revolted, distracting German forces from fighting France and Britain and giving the Allies an advantage.
C) Socialists in the United States refused to help with the war effort, inhibiting U.S. involvement and prolonging the war.
D) Russia dropped out of the war, so Germany could concentrate on fighting in the west.
E) Russia renewed attacks on Germany from the east, so that Germany began to weaken, from fighting on both fronts.

Question 39

What attitudes about race did the American Expeditionary Force reflect?

A) All men, regardless of color, can fight equally and deserve equal opportunities for advancement.
B) Since black and white soldiers fought together in the Spanish-American War, they should do so in World War I.
C) Blacks were considered inferior and should be segregated from whites and not given positions of authority.
D) African Americans and other people of color were considered inferior and therefore not permitted to fight as soldiers but only to serve as support staff.
E) The AEF believed blacks and whites should be completely segregated, so blacks were required to command all black troops.

Question 40

What factors contributed to making World War I "the most terrible war of all time"?

A) World War I involved all areas of the world, including South America, Africa, and Asia.
B) The use of trench warfare and new technology made conditions particularly horrible for soldiers.
C) A larger number of people died in World War I than any other war in history.
D) American propaganda campaigns demonized the enemy, fueling the war's label as "most terrible".
E) Food shortages on the home front led to many U.S. civilian deaths in addition to military deaths.

Question 41

What does the number of American deaths suggest about WWI casualties?

A) Deaths from disease, famine, and other war-related causes were higher than combat deaths.
B) Civilians were often targets of military action, leading to large number of civilian deaths.
C) The lower number of non-combat deaths indicate the small impact the war had on civilian life.
D) Most causalities resulted from trench warfare, with only a small number of non-combatant deaths.
E) Better sanitary conditions in military hospitals meant military personnel received better medical care than civilians.

Question 42

What effect did U.S. involvement in the war have on American civil liberties?

A) The federal government instituted committees and Congress passed acts to ensure the safety and rights of German Americans and war dissenters.
B) Women had more opportunities in war-related jobs, so their civil liberties increased, especially in voting rights.
C) African Americans had more opportunities in war-related jobs, so their civil liberties increased, encouraging more integration.
D) Propaganda campaigns led to programs and congressional acts that interred German Americans in work camps, denying their civil liberties.
E) Propaganda campaigns led to programs and congressional acts that denied Americans' freedom of speech.

Question 43

Wilson directed U.S. involvement during the war by________ .

A) using much of his considerable personal fortune for propaganda
B) establishing agencies to focus factory, food, and mine production to the war effort
C) instituting and then increasing personal and business income taxes
D) increasing trade with Asia, Africa, and Europe
E) establishing federal programs and congressional acts that rewarded participation in the war effort and penalized nonsupport

Question 44

How were average Americans asked to participate in the war effort?

A) The men were drafted as soldiers, and the women were drafted either as nurses or factory workers.
B) They were asked to save scraps of metal, rubber, and cloth to be turned into machines and weapons for war.
C) They were asked to conserve gasoline, meat, and wheat and encouraged to plant gardens to supplement their needs.
D) They were asked to donate a tenth of their income to the war effort, earning the name the "war tithe."
E) The men were drafted as soldiers, and women were encouraged to plant gardens in order to raise food for the soldiers.

Question 45

"Labor peace" was the term used to describe________ .

A) workers agreeing not to strike so that they might work productively for the war effort
B) the socialist union workers who were laboring or working for peace and against the war effort
C) workers striking for improved working conditions and pay in a more peaceful manner than in the past
D) the more peaceful factory environment that women and blacks created as belligerent white men went off to war
E) an alliance of government, business, and labor that benefited government and business interests, leaving labor longing for a return to peace and more normal working conditions

Question 46

Which of these from Wilson's Fourteen Points was implemented?

A) open diplomacy
B) freedom of the seas
C) removal of barriers to international trade
D) military disarmament
E) establishment of an independent Poland

Question 47

How can American foreign policy be characterized in the years between 1901 and 1920?

A) aggressive and nationalistic
B) strongly influenced by isolationist tradition
C) relatively inactive
D) not very reflective of the nation's new economic power
E) geared toward cooperation and peace

Question 48

What trend did Roosevelt hope to break by passing the Roosevelt Corollary?

A) the election of socialist governments by Latin American countries, such as Cuba and Venezuela
B) the assertion of their own power over Latin American politics by local governments in Colombia and Venezuela
C) the assertion of independence and new trade restrictions by Asian countries, such as China
D) the default on European loans by Latin American countries, such as Venezuela and the Dominican Republic
E) an increase in military power and corresponding influence of Asian countries, such as Japan

Question 49

How was Wilson's practice of foreign affairs similar to his evolution over social reforms?

A) From the beginning of his presidency, he tried to follow his predecessors' policies and managed to do so throughout most of his presidency.
B) At the beginning of his presidency, he tried to change his predecessors' policies and ended up following most of them in the end.
C) From the beginning of his presidency, he tried to follow his predecessors' policies but failed to do so throughout most of his presidency.
D) At the beginning of his presidency, he tried to change his predecessors' policies and managed to do so throughout most of his presidency.
E) Throughout his presidency, he went back and forth between supporting and then changing his predecessors' policies.

Question 50

Some congressmen opposed the formation of the League of Nations because it________ .

A) was an elitist group of nations that left out many poorer nations in the world
B) was unconstitutional according to legal scholars
C) was too expensive for the U.S. postwar economy
D) violated many existing treaties with other countries
E) was an international body that infringed upon American autonomy

Question 51

What actions marked America's emergence as the major power in the Western Hemisphere by 1920? How did Latin America respond to this?

Question 52

Evaluate the American military and naval contribution to the Allied war effort in World War I.

Question 53

How were civil liberties curtailed in the perceived interest of national security during World War I? What similar actions were taken during the administrations of John Adams and Abraham Lincoln? Have there been like actions in more recent times? Where do you think the line should be drawn?

Question 54

How was the American economy mobilized during World War I? Compare the effectiveness of voluntary cooperation with that of government coercion. How does this reflect the balance between order and security? To what extent did the economic mobilization reflect progressive assumptions?

Question 55

Summarize Wilson's plan for ensuring world peace after World War I. In reality, to what extent would his plan have worked had it been fully implemented?