Tag Archives: World War I

Wilson and Sussex Pledge

Posted on June 28, 2010 by Barry

The document that I have linked here is then President Woodrow Wilson delivering  a speech to Congress on April 19, 1916 regarding the German attack on a French passenger ship called the Sussex.

Germany had a policy of unrestricted submarine warfare on armed ships but not passenger ships.  When the German U-Boats shot down the Sussex, the US had Germany make the Sussex Pledge which said that if Germany were to continue in this manner of firing on passenger ships, then the US would have no choice but to join the war in order to stop them.

In 1917, Germany felt that they could successfully destroy British shipping boats and end the war without the US having time to respond. They were very wrong. Upon the breaking of the Sussex Pledge, and a few other actions such as the Zimmerman note, the US joined World War I on the side of the Allies and Triple Entente.

The US was trying to maintain a stance of isolationism, but the Germans forced the US’s hand, and the US helped the Allies end the war.

http://wwi.lib.byu.edu/index.php/Wilson_on_the_Sussex_Case

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Harlem Hellfighters

Posted on June 28, 2010 by Thomas

The United States officially entered World War I on April 6, 1917. One of the first infantry regiments to arrive in France was the 369th Infantry. This infantry is more commonly known as the “Harlem Hellfighters.” This infantry was entirely made up of African Americans under the command of white officers. The Harlem Hellfighters fought with the French at Chateau-Thierry and Belleau Wood. These two battles stopped the Germans from advancing which led to a counterattack on the Germans. The Harlem Hellfighters fought in combat for 191 days, longer than any other American regiment.

The United States army drafted both black and white men but served in segregated regiments. More than 200,000 African American soldiers were sent abroad during the war. Besides fighting on the front-lines, they also played an essential supporting role in building trenches, bridges, and roads.

The Harlem Hellfighters Return Home

Image taken from the National Archives.

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Jazz Age 1920 to 1929

Posted on June 26, 2010 by Jing

This song is from YouTube. It was introduced in the first recording of The Original Dixieland Jazz Band, which is generally considered as one of the bands who had their first Jazz recording in 1917. Their recordings sparked the Jazz Age of the United States.

The Jazz Age describes the period after the end of World War I, through the roaring Twenties, ending with the onset of the Great Depression. Jazz was first performed in New Orleans dating from the early 1910s. In 1920s Following World War I, African Americans in search of better employment opportunities moved to the northern part of the United States. With them, they brought their Jazz culture to big cities like New York and Chicago. During this period of time, Jazz was popular music performance in bars, dancing halls and night clubs. Jazz was also changed men’s and women’s fashion style as well.

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George Cohan’s “Over There”

Posted on June 26, 2010 by Ashraf Talukder

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/wbggEGUaE28" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]

Over There is a patriotic song during World War I written by George M. Cohan, and it was widely performed by various artists from its publication in 1917. Notable early recordings include versions by Nora Bayes, Enrico Caruso, Billy Murray, initiated by Charles King. Cohan later recalled that the words and music to the song came to him while traveling by train from New Rochelle to New York shortly after the U.S. had declared war against Germany in April 1917 (firstworldwar.com). This song was a nationwide hit in the months immediately following America’s enthusiastic entry into the war. On June 29, 1936, President Franklin D. Roosevelt awarded Cohan the Congressional Gold Medal for this and other songs.

Listen to The Song (Credit:Vintage Audio, firstworldwar.com)

Enrico Caruso – Over There by Enrico Caruso, Nora Bayes – Over There by Nora Bayes, Billy Murray – Over There by Billy Murray

Your Song–Our Song–Our Boys' Song! Over There.

Johnnie, get your gun,
Get your gun, get your gun,
Take it on the run,
On the run, on the run.
Hear them calling, you and me,
Every son of liberty.
Hurry right away,
No delay, go today,
Make your daddy glad
To have had such a lad.
Tell your sweetheart not to pine,
To be proud her boy’s in line.

Johnnie, get your gun,
Get your gun, get your gun,
Johnnie show the Hun
Who’s a son of a gun.
Hoist the flag and let her fly,
Yankee Doodle do or die.
Pack your little kit,
Show your grit, do your bit.
Yankee to the ranks,
From the towns and the tanks.
Make your mother proud of you,
And the old Red, White and Blue.

Over there, over there,
Send the word, send the word over there –
That the Yanks are coming,
The Yanks are coming,
The drums rum-tumming
Ev’rywhere.
So prepare, say a pray’r,
Send the word, send the word to beware.
We’ll be over, we’re coming over,
And we won’t come back till it’s over
Over there.

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