19.2 American Power Tips the Balance

They required to all men and women to fight in the War so they were obliged to train for 7 months in case of being called for war

Congress passed the Selective Service Act in 1917: where men were required to register with the government in order to be randomly selected for military service.

White men - who served in any position required

African Americans - who served in any position required

African Americans - who served in the military in segregated units and were excluded from the navy and the marines.

Women - who served in any position of their choice

Women - who served as nurses, secretaries and telephone operators with full military rank.

The government exempted many shipyard workers from the draft and gave others a “deferred” classification. Delaying their participation in the draft

They distributed service flags to families of shipyard workers and urged automobile owners to give shipyard employees rides to and from work , since streetcars were so crowded.

Government used nuclear weapons to bombard Germany to put an end to the U-Boats and the British blockade

Shipyards used fabrication techniques. Standardized parts were built elsewhere and then assembled at the yard (reduced construction time substantially)

Government took over commercial and private ships and converted them to transatlantic war use

Airplanes

Machine guns

Tanks

Yellow submarines

Strokes

Filth

Lice

Rats

Polluted water → dysentery

Poison gas

Lack of sleep

Bombardments → battle fatigue

Shell shock: emotional collapse from which never recovered

Trench foot