The First World War

THE USA IN THE XX CENTURY

LECTURE 16

16.1.1. In the summer of 1914 the First World War broke out in Europe. The war expanded to Europe's colo­nies in Africa and Asia. Nations quarreled with each other over colonies and trade. In June 1914 Archduke Francis Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary was shot and killed while visiting Serbia. The Serbs asked Russia for help and got it. Because of the alliance system, almost all of Europe was at war within a week. President Woodrow Wilson hoped that the Unit­ed States would be able to stay neutral. After a German submarine sank the British liner Lusitania near the coast of Ireland, the Congress declared war on Germany. Over 2 million American soldiers were sent to Europe, mainly to France.

16.1.2. On November 11, 1918 Germany surrendered. The war was over. Yet it left many legacies. The American experience of the Great War, albeit brief and distant from the nation’s shores, showed the United States how effectively it could mobilize its industrial might and hold its own in world affairs. At the same time, fears of radicalism, horror at Soviet bolshevism, and the impact of wartime hysteria led to a second blast of attacks on radicals. Another important legacy is the literature produced by the so-called "lost generation". The generation includes such greats as Ernest Hemingway and William Faulkner, both winners of the Nobel Prize for literature. They created some of the best known American novels and became celebrated figures in American fiction.

16.1.3. The 1920s are called the Roaring Twenties because of the great excitement caused by changes for the better in the life of many Americans. The period was considered a great time to be alive. People went out, had fun and did not worry about the future. They invented new ways to dress, new words to use and new ways to have fun. Many women cut their hair and wore their skirts short. Charleston became the most popular dance. Jazz music was all the rage at that time. The vivid picture of the time is given in The Great Gatsby by Francis S. Fitzgerald.

16.1.4. Radio became a vehicle for information and entertainment at that time. In 1926, inventor Farnsworth produced the first all-electronic television image. Cinema won the hearts of millions. Hollywood, California, became the center of America's motion picture industry. The feature film became a legitimate art form. Actors like Charlie Chaplin became stars in comedy. The actress Mary Pickford became "America's sweetheart". Powerful companies came to the fore of the film industry, and film came to reflect the changing social and moral values of America. People enjoyed watching such film stars as Charlie Chaplin, Rudolph Valentino and Gloria Swanson. The first "talking" movie was produced by Warner Brothers in 1927. Characteristically, its name was The Jazz Singer.

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