New Technology in World War 1

World War 1 brought in new technologies such as modern guns, modern artillery and airplanes to the battlefield. In 1914 the guns have improved remarkably, such as  that these guns  were gas-driven and had water-cooled machined. With such improvement in technology creating these guns , a double team of two men could fire hundreds of rounds of bullets per minute. Before the technology of these guns, the old guns use to fire few bullets and then stop them to reload them. These new guns could command the entire front of a trench line, to attack the other people at war. Clearly, improvements of guns, were a great contribution for the wars because machine guns ruled the battlefields.

In the center of the cartoon is Uncle Sam who represents the United States of America. In the four corners of the political cartoon are four of the other major countrites involved with the United States in the League of Nations: England, Japan, European nations, and other foreign nations not mentioned. The League of Nations was created as intergovernmental organization amongst these nations that was meant to serve as a possible peace making organziation that the nations can convene in with the notion of making peace and amending relationships between the countries. The League of Nations is commonly seen as a precursor to the United Nations which still exists today. This cartoon depicts deciet as each of the nations is taking care of the United States. The nations all have hold strings that are keeping the hands of United States (Uncle Sam) tied up, and unable to break free. This cartoonist is trying to show that the League of Nations isn’t accomplishing what it set it out to accomplish. By keeping their hands tied could symbolize the fact that the other countries aren’t letting the United States not have a voice. The League of Nations was meant to be a place where all the nations involved could speak their voice freely without objection, and the cartoonist believes that it is not being done. The League of Nations was created as a means to deter, and possibly cause a swift end to the war, yet many people saw it as being ineffective. Thus, it could be inferred that many people were pessimistic that an end to the war was near. The League of Nations handeled other minor issues as well, but overall was meant to be an open forum for discussion for any nation willing to participate.

Garveyism became on the rise in World War I. Started by Marcus Garvey, it is the complete, total and never ending redemption of the continent of Africa by people of African ancestry, at home and abroad. It was to encourage African Americans to stand up for themselves and the self-encourage one self towards equal rights. The UNIA (Universal Negro Improvement Association) was a big supporter of the movement. Eric Foner’s coverage on this topic is restricted though. He covers it in one paragraph.

With the end of World War I, American South came to be known as the “Southern Literary Renaissance” era. The “southern Literary Renaissance” was the reinvigoration of American Southern literature that b began in the 1920s and 1930s.

In 1945, Allen Tate wrote, “With the 1914-1918 war, the South again into the world; when it kick taken the boundary, it is a back care, this care has brought us Southern literary renaissance, brought about a consciousness in the past in the present literature”.

In fact, the major life change of South during the World War I is that changing the angle of perspective. After half century the material poverty and political impotence, the South stood up again; actively support and endorsement of the South’s “Native Son” Woodrow Wilson’s idealism and internationalism.

Among the writers of the Southern Renaissance, William Faulkner is arguably the most influential and most famous one. The above is William Faulkner’s picture.

When the first world war began, America initially declared itself as a neutral country while the fighting was going on in Europe. America was made up of people who immigrated from many different nations, some of which were involved in the war. Therefore during the time of neutrality, many different Americans had ranging opinions on which side the United States should back up. Although America was neutral, there were instances in which Americans were involved in altercations during the war. This pushed Wilson toward a policy of preparedness, expanding the American army and navy in case of war. This allowed American ships to travel freely without becoming involved in battles.

Foner covers the topic of Wilson’s policy of preparedness briefly. I feel as though he should have expanded on it more, such as the actual practices enforced to expand America’s navy and army. However I feel that it the brevity of the topic was somewhat appropriate considering there are other important parts of the war for him to have covered.