World War One

Wilson wanted American immigrants not to begin “nationalism”, so he encouraged“Americanization” of all immigrant populations. This included public school, learningthe English language, and mandatory citizenship classes (War Americanization Plan). AllAmericans lost their freedoms during the war. Loyalty oaths were required, students and teacherswere required to salute the flag, journalists were threatened with imprisonment if disloyal, and left-wingnewspapers (or ethnic German papers) were shut down. Police arrested anyone performing anti-waractivities or protesting the draft. The Supreme Court supported this violation to free speech saying thatwar required extreme measures.onlyAnyone who was German-American, or deemed an “enemy sympathizer” was acted upon with violence(beating, taunting, killing). No anti-war sentiments or pro-German views were allowed. German institutions,and organizations were closed down. Orchestras were prohibited from playing Brahms or Beethoven. 14states banned teaching German, and German language teachers were called traitors (sorry, Dr. PQ). Schooltextbooks were reviewed, and pro-German sections were removed.• German names on buildings, parks, streets, and cities were changed. Most German-Americanschanged their last names: Muellers became Millers; Schmidts becameSmiths.• Sauerkraut =“liberty cabbage”; hamburger =“liberty sandwich”; dachshunds =“libertypups”; German measles = “liberty measles”; Freedom Fries anyone? Mobs lynchedGerman Americans as a “patriotic murder”PropagandaPropaganda: any information, images, or artwork, aimed at influencing the attitude of a community towards a cause or position. Eitherthis makes your country the hero or makes another country the enemy.In order to rally public support for the war, movies, news-clips, political cartoons, and posters were made tospread rumors and promote the cause. People were told of enemy atrocities, and acts of great cruelty andbrutality. Many of these were lies to cause emotions to run high. All of these lies will make peace moredifficult. Ex: the Germans were called the Huns (as in Attila the Hun) or Krauts (as in sauerkraut).All governments used propaganda to arouse enthusiasm for the war, Britain and France exaggerated theGerman atrocities in Belgium. Citizens were willing to believe anything. As the war dragged on, and moralesagged, the government had to devise new techniques to stimulate the declining enthusiasm. Posters withadorable children asked, “Daddy what did you do in the Great War?”25