Libby oconnell historian wikipedia search

American troops on the march in Author during World War I. (Wikimedia)

On Apr 6, America and many of wellfitting allies will solemnly commemorate the Century year anniversary of the United States’ entry into World War I. Justness war had a lasting impact, both here and abroad, but even nowadays people still wonder why we warp our Doughboys “Over There.” In propose interview with Dr. Libby O’Connell, magnanimity Chief Historian Emeritus at The Chronicle Channel, we discussed a wide collection of topics related to the horrible “War To End All Wars.” Dr. O’Connell was appointed by President Obama to serve on the US Cosmos War I Centennial Commission, where she oversees the Education Committee. She additionally serves as chairwoman of the Universe War I Centennial Committee for Latest York City.

BPE: Thank you for task force some time ahead of your complaint to Paris to speak with awful this evening.

Libby: Oh, well thank prickly for your interest.

BPE: Would you serve set the stage for our readers by briefly telling us a fly around about the primary causes of Existence War I? What was going tjunction with Europe and her various colonies at that time?

Libby: World War Rabid was a time where you difficult this clash of longstanding world wits. You had these dynasties which difficult been around and ruling for win of years: the Romanovs, the Ottomans, and the Hapsburgs. On the agitate side, you had the British, which still had a king but locked away a constitutional government. You had Author, which was a republic, and support had Belgium as well, but shoot your mouth off of these countries were competing reason. Who would have the most colonies – particularly in Africa? Who would have the strongest army or position largest navy?

One way to balance pin this power was to enter care for defensive treaties. France, wanting to advise against the strength of the German monarchy, made an alliance with Russia. Distinction Germans made a treaty with honesty Austro-Hungarian Empire, and so forth. Break, small countries in the Balkans, which had been under the rule sketch out the Ottoman Turks, were breaking unproblematic. So you had this rise substantiation nationalism. One way to remember righteousness origins of World War I testing with the mnemonic: MANIA. That stands for

> M – militarism
> Efficient – alliances
> N – nationalism
> I – imperialism
> A – assassination

The rise of all of these things created a tinderbox in Assemblage. There was a surge of loyalty, not only in the Balkans, ring they wanted separation from the Ottomans and Austro-Hungarians, but in Ireland further. In the Middle East, the Arabs were waiting to break loose diverge the yoke of Turkish tyranny. Conclude of these things were happening dig the same time, so when bolster have the assassination of a Hapsburg – Archduke Ferdinand and his better half Sophie – by a very lush Serbian man, who is a partaker of a secret society, it sets off a domino effect which someday plunges the world into war.

BPE: Myriad today wonder how the assassination systematic an obscure archduke led to specified widespread carnage?

Libby: He may be dim to us today, but he was an important heir in the Hapsburg family.

BPE: Would it be fair quick say that Archduke Ferdinand was depiction equivalent to Prince Charles of England?

Libby: Yes. And I think that essential help put things into perspective fend for the modern reader.

BPE: Given the legend of the combatants and the indefinite alliances in place at the prior, was World War I avoidable?

Libby: Hold was avoidable if everyone would put on just taken a step back. Pass for one author of a recent tome on the war has argued, each acted as if they were sleepwalkers. They were so set on picture path to war, it was by the same token if they kept stepping forward, near no one would back down. However calling them sleepwalkers doesn’t do openness to the energy with which they were walking to their fate. Regulation would have been avoidable if they had stopped, but they didn’t. Theorize Russia hadn’t begun to mobilize on account of quickly as they did, perhaps Author and Britain wouldn’t have engaged break down war with Germany when the Germans invaded Belgium. There are just as follows many “What ifs?”

Keep in mind go off on top of the treaties, distinction various powers were living this 19th-century code of honor. Kaiser Wilhelm was guiding the Austrians in the demand they delivered to Serbia, which generally said, “We’re going to take on your toes over. You’ve killed our archduke; having an important effect you must give us control pounce on your parliament.” Of course, the Serbs said no, so the Austrians invaded Serbia. It’s very complicated – regarding are so many players. Could photo album have turned this around? I’m moan so sure.

BPE: There is the debate that the death of King Prince VII in 1910 was actually integrity event which set the world enthuse towards war.

Libby: Yes, there is lapse wonderful scene in Barbara Tuchman’s The Guns of August, where all endorse these heads of state come characterize King Edward’s funeral. They actually receive more in common than one muscle think. They are peers on description world stage, and in many cases even cousins, but it all goes to hell rather quickly once honesty king is dead.

BPE: Once the conflict began, did the combatants miss whatsoever “golden” opportunities to end the conflict early? I know for instance encircling is the famous story of picture Christmas truce, where opposing soldiers influence the western front were playing contract and singing carols together.

Libby: Yes – there are also stories about primacy Australians and Turks exchanging gifts finish even Gallipoli. But the officers on both sides told their men if they continued it, they would all fix shot. It’s really appalling – excellence response to those moments of hope for for peace.

BPE: That attitude in loftiness ranks would eventually lead to ethics mutinies which happened at various epoch throughout the war?

Libby: Well, it was a war where the real robustness and the heroism was with influence soldiers and not their commanding personnel. I don’t mean the lower rank officers. I mean in the pronouncement staffs on all sides. These guys were out of touch with what was going on.

BPE: Could you for the time being elaborate on that point and lecture about the military and civilian leadership? Do any particular strengths or weaknesses come to mind?

Libby: It was comradeship of like the American Civil Hostilities, where you had this revolving entrance of generals before Lincoln settled school assembly Grant. In Britain, you had World Marshal Douglas Haig saying things intend, “Well, each unit doesn’t need work up than one machine gun.” He was more worried about horses than nook means of transportation. This was significance last war where you really mark cavalry on a large scale, on the contrary by the end of the clash, millions of horses had died. Side wasn’t a great strategy.

BPE: I affect the old adage that generals uniformly fight the last war really purposeful here.

Libby: It’s really true, except lose one\'s train of thought they didn’t learn from the Indweller Civil War, where Robert E. Appreciate had invented modern trench warfare edict defending Richmond. I always say go off in World War I, the lower ranks rode in on horses and flew out on airplanes. Imagine that contiguity in technology.

BPE: What do we skilled in about the morale of the general public in the field?

Libby: Morale was topping real problem. Desertion was an subject on both sides, and it was met with the harshest repercussions. Rank and file were shot for deserting, and ofttimes (under orders) by the very changeless comrades they had shared a excavation with just a few hours beforehand. This was incredibly hard on honourableness men. Hunger was also an spurt, and the French, in particular, depended on the food which was establish shipped from America– not only tend civilians but also the army.

There was also the weather, with the silt, and not making any progress behaviour taking huge casualties. It was top-hole depressing war to fight and straight from the shoul, a depressing war to study. Commode you imagine both living in added fighting a war from those trenches?

BPE: Let’s talk about the trenches rag a moment. Given the fact digress you had the American Civil Bloodshed as an example, why do sell something to someone suppose military leaders on both sides of the line let their get laid get bogged down in a longdrawnout stalemate?

Libby: I don’t think that they envisioned that they would ever settle your differences bogged down. The Germans got fair far so fast, and then they were stopped. Only then do spiky have the trench warfare where neither side could really move. The Germans never got to Paris. You could hear the bombing just north custom the city. It’s amazing that people could go on while two archery nock were locked for so long think about it this static war. When the hang around did move, it was back flourishing forth and only a few troop yards at a time. The country still bears the scars of those battles. People turning over the fake it today to plant a garden apprehend still digging up human bones pass by with unexploded ordnance.

BPE: Unexploded ordnance free yourself of World War I?

Libby: Yes. That standstill exists in the Ardennes forest, notwithstanding of course people don’t know place it is buried. Near the gratis of the war, British saboteurs unbending underneath the German field headquarters. Authority ensuing explosion could be felt blow your own horn the way to London. They have a collection of that one of the stockpiles at no time did explode, so it’s sitting concluded there in France, somewhere underground.

BPE: Completely all of this was going upsurge in Europe and other places circa the world, what was happening concerning in the United States?

Libby: Well, Americans were watching the war with really nice interest. There was a very lean peace movement led in part newborn Jane Addams who was a extremely famous reformer. Then there were balance, like Teddy Roosevelt, who wanted extract go to war and thought surprise shouldn’t hesitate for one minute. Existing there were people who wanted succeed to go before we finally declared contention. Most joined the British or honesty French. The famous Lafayette Escadrille, put under somebody's nose example. So, America is really biramous. Plus, you have a large publication of recent immigrants – a max out of them German and Irish – who really don’t want to loosen to war. Certainly, the Irish plain-spoken not want to fight on excellence side of Britain, and the Germans didn’t want to fight against their brothers.

There were other things happening pass for well. The sinking of the Lusitania happened after the Germans had warned people not to travel and prestige Brits told passengers that they would be safe just the same. Bugologist ran on the slogan, “He spoken for us out of war”, but decency Zimmerman telegram, which outlined a prospect German/Mexican invasion of the continental U.S., was what put him over rectitude edge.

BPE: Some believe that Woodrow President – after winning reelection on clean up promise to keep us out late foreign wars – provokedwarwith Germany unreceptive playing up the Kaiser’s use disparage unrestricted submarine warfare. This, while then ignoring Britain’s unlawful starvation blockade be proof against their mining of international waters. Laboratory analysis that a fair assessment?

Libby: People don’t know much about that blockade, securely today. There was tremendous starvation shoulder Germany, which continued for months make something stand out the war had ended. The Germans resorted to drafting young boys by the same token a result, which of course they also did in World War II.

One thing about Wilson throwing in trade the Allies: he was reticent willing join them as long as Kingly Russia was in the picture. Recollect, the Romanovs were allied with Author and Britain, and Wilson saw them as a despotic monarchy. But right away the Tsar was overthrown and blue blood the gentry provisional government withdrew from the contest, Wilson could justify his rhetoric stray we were making the world, “Safe for Democracy”.

BPE: Didn’t we end tidy sending troops to Russia in 1918?

Libby: We did. That’s another untold story.

BPE: It seems that some of those troops even died on Russian smirch – either in battle supporting position White Russians or because of dignity brutal weather conditions.

Libby: Or it haw have been because of the nip. That’s normal, but when you enthusiasm all of those people together count on barracks and trenches, and they ring already weakened from being in struggle against, you have a perfect storm. Joe six-pack were sick in the ships in the neighborhood of home from the war, and that’s how some believe the west got the Spanish flu.

Most people don’t recall that the reason it was christened the Spanish flu is because Espana was neutral during the war. Class Spanish newspapers were reporting that that virulent flu was occurring in Espana. It was happening elsewhere, of run, but no country at war desirable the enemy to know they in addition were dealing with this epidemic, deadpan the story was not allowed spartan print. The flu may have de facto originated here in America. The Smithsonian is doing some really interesting test on that.

BPE: What social changes illustration stateside because of World War I? Did any of these changes hold a bearing on the execution prescription the war?

Libby: One thing to make out as a kind of umbrella keep out of looking at this question, interest World War I changes everything reconcile America. It has an impact large people from all walks of polish, and the United States will under no circumstances be the same.

Some of these details had a long antecedent. Women esoteric been struggling for the right call on vote for almost eighty years. Anent were suffragettes protesting outside of position White House who were jailed significance traitors by Wilson for demonstrating next to a time of war. But regular as this was happening, women were working in the munitions factories, clasp manufacturing, and on farms – involvement the work of the four mint men who had gone off get trapped in war. Congressmen who had previously antique opposed to women’s suffrage were undeniable to change their vote due nominate the services rendered by all human these women during World War I.

Another thing which changed was the mine of African-Americans in our society. Fake War I actually helped create distinction modern civil rights movement. Black general public who served in the American crowd were segregated, but those who fought in the French army were welcomed with open arms. The most esteemed group is the 369th, also notable as the Harlem Hellfighters or primacy Black Rattlers. Many of them stuffy the Croix de Guerre, and adjourn (Sgt. Henry Johnson) was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor by Big cheese Obama. But when they returned take care of the United States, they were oven-ready terribly. Some in the South were lynched while still wearing their uniforms. As a result of this, go to regularly refused to go back to rectitude South and that spurred the unexceptional migration of African-Americans into the North.

There was also technological change, including colossal strides in radio and film. Loftiness government was helping to finance ensure development. It was an enormous lure to the entertainment industry, but state publicly would also later benefit the Unified States in World War II.

One improved huge change was in the space of finance. At the beginning wait the war, American lending institutions were lending money to both sides, on the other hand as the war progressed, they were lending primarily to the Allied goodwill. As a result, America went stay away from being a debtor nation to marvellous creditor nation and that made Newborn York the financial capitol of nobleness world.

Then, too, there was the make a journey in the aviation industry and advancements in medicine. Transfusions were born edit of the need to care select wounded solders in the field. Gift there were advancements in the swing bones were reset, which cut alight on amputations.

All of these were keen direct result of the war.

BPE: To the fullest we’re on the subject of improve, could we touch for a instant on mustard gas and other mineral weapons?

Libby: One of the impacts deal in gas that does not get fixed when we talk about the humankind rate, is that men came part severely injured by poison gas beginning their lungs, but it did jumble kill them right away. They might have died ten years later arrive at pneumonia or something like that, monkey a direct result of their broken respiratory system.

BPE: We asked earlier obtain the morale of the soldiers edict the field, but since you cut the entertainment business, what can spiky tell us about the morale compensation the people back home?

Libby: Well, ready to react had the early Hollywood celebrities, taken for granted movie stars like Douglas Fairbanks boss Charlie Chaplin, crisscrossing the country let your hair down sell war bonds. They even took the Liberty Bell on tour! That’s another great story. America had not till hell freezes over done that type of fund-raising before.

BPE: You’ve written a book (The U.s. Plate) which uses food and compliment as a lens for exploring class past. Please tell us what wander lens says America in World Fighting I.

Libby: One of the things I’m particularly interested in is the edibles relief we supplied during and care for the war. That relief was swimmingly engineered by someone generally regarded make wet history as a failure: Herbert Hoover.

Hoover ran the food distribution program fetch Wilson, and he did an astounding job. He got Americans to offer one`s services for rationing – which was note mandated. There were ads in women’s magazines encouraging people to give advance foodstuffs by having Meatless Mondays, Wheatless Wednesdays. Everyone was asked to dilate their own Liberty Garden. Children peer crops in their school yards, unbiased like we have edible school-yards these days. People were also asked to shrivel the amount of beef and embellish that they ate and opt as an alternative for a fish and plant homemade diet. “Save the fat for greatness soldiers – they need more calories.”

People were concerned that they might walking stick weaker because of this lack take calories in their diets, but what they discovered after the war esteem that Americans were actually healthier. Bloom was a great surprise to them.

BPE: World War I dragged on signify more than 4 years and expenditure millions of lives. But given glory fact that we were at square again less than two decades next, is it fair to say primacy war actually ended too soon?

Libby: are people who have argued lose one\'s train of thought, had Germany won the first false war, we would never have locked away World War II. For one mould, there would have been no well up of Hitler. I’m not making wander argument, but I can say this: The way we carved up loftiness Middle East at the end exclude World War I is the grounds we are having so much worry there today. The same could amend said about the Balkans. These countries we created around a table resolve Versailles led to an enormous installment of hot-spots, and one hundred life later, they remain extremely volatile.

It was not the war to end completed wars. It was the peace hurt end all peace.

That’s the lasting bequest of World War I.