What did the public think of ww1?

What did the public think of ww1?

The American public fervently embraced the War once it was declared. There was very little descent or misgivings. Americans around the country, including the Midwest, pitched in to support the war effort. There were all kinds of patriotic displays.

Did people think World war 1 would be short?

Yet most of Europe’s military chiefs did not, in fact, expect a short war. The Chief of the German General Staff had predicted a struggle lasting between 18 months and two years. His French and Austrian opposite numbers took a similar view.

Did people expect WWI?

Yes, although not fully. Too much has been made of the idea that everyone expected a short, victorious war. This expectation was widespread only among ordinary people who had no influence on decision making.

How did America feel about ww1 at first?

When World War I broke out across Europe in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the United States would remain neutral, and many Americans supported this policy of nonintervention.

How did citizens first react to the outbreak of WWI?

The American population was divided in its attitude towards the conflict. Wilson had formally declared American neutrality at the outbreak of the conflict. In a message to the Senate on 19 August 1914, he had called upon Americans to remain neutral – “impartial in thought as well as action”.

What impact did WW1 have on society?

The First World War destroyed empires, created numerous new nation-states, encouraged independence movements in Europe’s colonies, forced the United States to become a world power and led directly to Soviet communism and the rise of Hitler.

Why did people think that ww1 would be short?

Another rationale for the belief modern wars were destined to be short centered on the economics of armed conflict. Those who considered the issue at all were essentially unanimous in their assumption that even the most financially robust nations could not long sustain the enormous expenditures modern war would entail.

What was so bad about ww1?

The loss of life was greater than in any previous war in history, in part because militaries were using new technologies, including tanks, airplanes, submarines, machine guns, modern artillery, flamethrowers, and poison gas. These trenches came to symbolize a new kind of warfare.

What would happen if US didn’t enter WW1?

Kennedy says that most historians agree that American entry into World War I tipped the scales against Germany and that without the participation of the United States the Allies would have lost, “defined as having to make a compromise peace with the Germans largely on German terms.” Things weren’t going well for the …

How did WW1 affect us?

The impact of the United States joining the war was significant. The additional firepower, resources, and soldiers of the U.S. helped to tip the balance of the war in favor of the Allies. When war broke out in 1914, the United States had a policy of neutrality.