Sumner Historical Society Speaker: The U.S. was never gung-ho about getting into World War 1
by Amber Schmitz, Sumner Newscow — During this Veteran’s Day, it is important to remember those who served, and the wars we fought. On Saturday, Nov. 5, the Sumner County Historical Society held such a program at the Wellington Public Library.
Dr. Justin Quinn Olmstead, assistant professor in the University of Central Oklahoma Department of History, presented a program on World War I.
World War I began after Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, were shot to death June 28, 1914 in Serajavo, Bosnia, by Gavrilo Princip, a Serbian nationalist.
After threats escalated and mobilization orders followed the incident, this led to the outbreak of World War I, pitting Germany, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire (Central Powers) against Great Britain, France, Russia, Italy and Japan (the Allied Powers).
Franz Ferdinand’s wife was not as high on the royalty scale as he was. When he first asked the Emperor for her hand in marriage, he was told no. After Ferdinand complained a lot, Olmstead said, he was allowed to marry Sophie, but told she would never be his equal.
Olmstead said that Ferdinand not only loved, but adored, his wife, and went out of his way to spend time with her. At most public events, she was not allowed to be by his side, but had to stand right in front of the servants when entering. In government functions, however, such as visiting troops, she was allowed to attend, so he went to as many as possible.
During the first assassination attempt, the assassin set and threw a bomb and it landed under the security detail’s car, and some of them were killed. During this attack, the Archduke threw himself over his wife to protect her, then demands to see the security detail at the hospital. The first words out of Ferdinand’s mouth were “How’s my wife?” After both of them were shot, they died side by side in a hospital room.
Between 1914-1918, there was a blockage of ships in the North Sea. Ships were put around in a circle and none were let in or out. The British then started a distance blockade, which was technically illegal, although, Olmstead said, that is not documented. This event stopped the United States from giving supplies to Germany.
Business leaders see war as an opportunity to make money by selling supplies to other countries. J.P. Morgan made a deal with the British and French and the United States started giving out loans to sell supplies overseas. Woodrow Wilson, president during that time, said the U.S. was not choosing sides, that we were going to sell supplies to all countries.
The Lusitania, a British ship, the fastest in the sea at that time, was said to be sunk by Germany. The ship had four boilers and travelers were warned it was not safe to travel on British ships at this time. As the Lusitania set sail with 128 American passengers, it was sunk on May 7, 1915.
By 1916, the nation was divided. Arthur Zimmerman, a foreign secretary, sent a telegram to Mexico trying to entice the Mexican Army to join German forces against the United States. During this time, there were about 20,000 troops in the United States Army, and about one third of them were sent to Mexico to capture the bandit, Pancho Villa.
When the United States got involved in the war, they advertised with propaganda encouraging young men and everyone to get involved. There was no big defense budget then, so the government encouraged Americans to help support the war by donating to the Red Cross War Fund or buying Liberty Bonds.
President Wilson called for war on Germany, which the U.S. Congress declared, on April 6, 1917, after the sinking of seven U.S. merchant ships by submarines and the publication of the Zimmerman telegram.
The collapse of the Central Powers came quickly in 1918. Bulgaria was the first country toi sign an armistice on Sept. 28, 1918 in Saloniki. On Oct. 30, the Ottoman Empire capitulated, by signing the Armistice of Mudros.
An Armistice with Germany was signed in a railroad carriage at Compiegne on Nov. 11, 1918 at 5 a.m. At 11 a.m. on Nov. 11, 1918, the “eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month,” a ceasefire came into effect.
For the next seven months, a formal state of war between the two sides persisted, until the signing of the Treaty of Versailles with Germany on June 28, 1919. Despite public support, the United States Senate did not ratify the treaty and did not formally end its involvement in the war until the Knox-Porter Resolution on July 2, 1921 by President Warren G. Harding.
Dr. Olmstead earned a Ph.D. in history from the University of Sheffield in England, an M.A. degree in American History from Emporia State University, a B.A. degree in history from Southwestern College in Winfield, and a B.A. degree in political science from Washburn University in Topeka. For several years, he taught at public schools in Winfield, and was an adjunct instructor at Southwestern College. He taught at Northwestern Oklahoma State University from 2013-2014. He has been teaching in the Department of History at the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond sine 2014. His research interests are World War I and Diplomatic, American and European History.
