Session 40 - 1910's, World War I, USA emerges as great power
1910- William Taft (Whig) becomes 20th POTUS
1914 – Woodrow Wilson (Democrat) becomes 21st POTUS, War breaks out amongst the European powers after Austro-Hungarian heir is assassinated. Austria-Hungary and Germany versus Serbia, Russia,and France. Germany is stopped short of Paris in fall of 1914. Britain enters war after Germany breaks Belgium neutrality. Italy, a onetime central power, is neutral. USA urges all sides to take caution as it is neutral, then offers supplies and aid to first Belgium and then France and Serbia after Austria and Germany are declared aggressors by Congress.
USA allows volunteers to join British units by traveling to Newfoundland and Victoria. USA also allows Britain to set up recruitment centers in certain cities.
1915 – Cuba becomes 53rd state, Sonora becomes 54th state. Italy and Japan joins allies while Ottoman Empire joins Central powers.
1915 – Germany declares unrestricted submarine warfare to stem flow of USA supplies to allies
June – USA enters WWI on Allies side after Lusitania is sunk, largest mobilization effort of the war results. First troops enter the trenches in France in fall and engineers and supplies to Russia to aid in logistics. Russian aid is first to Vladivostok and then to a new city Murmansk and finally the bulk through Persia. USA engineers and logistics troops are vital in increasing the rail use in Russia to handle supplies coming in.
In coming years, US forces are active on three fronts, Western Europe, Russia, and Mexico.
1916 – US troops arrive on the eastern front in spring in mass to stabilize Russian defenses. Russia remains in the war. Russian Czar promises to transform Russia into parliamentary democracy after war. Starts reforms as front stabilizes. Russians also state that referendums will occur in certain areas to establish self-rule. Russian people cheer on the fresh American troops as they pass through cities on their way to the front to protect Russia from the German hordes.
Through the reforms, Finland, Poland, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, and Ukraine (Crimea and OTL eastern and southern Ukraine are part of Russia) are created.
100,000 troops are transported to Europe per month, 67,000 are sent to Eastern front, 33,000 to western front.
1916 – Poncho Villa raids Columbus, NM
1916 – USA intervenes in Mexico to put down political turmoil after Poncho Villa raid in Columbus, NM and rumors that Germany is enlisting Mexico into the war against the USA to recover the Mexican Cession. USA will add four states, Chihuahua, Durango, Nuevo Leon and Veracruz to its realm as a result. The US insists that to stabilize Mexico and protect American citizens, annexation is necessary. Basically, the USA had had enough of the Mexican revolutionaries, incessant border war and limited insurrection in Sonora since 1910. US does not declare war on Mexico, simply moves troops across border to occupy and later annex the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Durango, and Zacatecas.
Some prominent Mexicans and a fair amount of citizens in the annexed areas actually go along with the idea of stability that would come with being annexed to the USA. They cite the fair treatment of Dominicans, Cubans, Puerto Ricans and loyal Mexicans by the USA.
1917 – Fall, Allied offensives on the Western front along with strong defenses on the Eastern front have the Central Powers on the ropes. Fall offensive of the Allies moves Germany back near to the 1914 borders.
As eastern front stabilizes, 67% of American forces are transported to western front and 33% to eastern. Transport rates are increased to 150,000 troops per month. Supplies and food keeps rolling into Russia to support the Czar and encourage the population.
1918 – WWI is over in April 1918, Austria-Hungary folds in the beginning of the month, Netherlands joins the Allies accepts US troops, allies push across into Germany to western bank of Rhine and Germany asks for peace at end of April.
Russia Empire becomes Russian Federation and releases, Finland, Poland, Baltic States and a rump Ukraine around Kiev. Russia keeps Dnieper region, Crimea, and Odessa regions.
Plebiscites in occupied Mexican states are favorable to annexation. Which USA does and provides capital to improve infrastructure in the new states. Although, seven Mexican states were annexed, they will be combined into four states when they enter the Union.
Treaty of Versailles is signed which limits German military and accesses war debt to Germany to pay. The allies exert harsh terms on Germany. (USA actually never formally joins alliance)
1918 – Wilson re-elected president, Puerto Rico (with Virgin Islands) become 55th state, Ottoman Empire is broken up and modern Turkey is born.
1918 – America joins League of Nations.
1919 – Amendment to constitution is ratified that allows for the direct election of senators
