American History

World War I is one of the most pivotal events of the world. For America, the First World War also serves to be an important turning point of its history and its role to international affairs. David Kennedys exceptional book entitled Over Here the First World War and the American Society is a well-written account that evaluates and analyzes the real significance of the Great War to the transformations of the American society. Kennedys book is a well-researched document that focuses more on the domestic or home front events that also took place when America decided to join the war. It is a very informative, excellent book that helps people to understand the consequences of the war for the country and how it led to the birth of modern America. Over Here documents the strengths, weaknesses, trials, and successes of the government and the American nation during this crucial time in world history.

The First World War has really brought immense tension to the American society not only because it is a threat to the peace of the nation, but also because it signified the first intense involvement of America to international affairs. Kennedy addressed in his book the persistent confusion about Americas stake in the fighting, and about the precise causes and purposes of American Entry (46). Over Here presents the most comprehensive discussion of the impact of World War I to America, how the people struggled because of it, how the society changed due to it, and what emerged from the American society after it. The book also noted how the pressure of the Great War also hinted the possible character of the modern American nation in terms of handling issues related to politics, economics, and international relations.

The arrival of the war in America was not immediate. Although the war started in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson was apprehensive that if America joined the war, every reform they won will be lost. It was not until the spring of 1917 that President Wilson changed his mind and began planning what role should America play in the war. Prior to the announcement of the President that America will join the war in Europe, there had been threats and attacks from the German forces already. But Kennedy noted that America declined for as long as they can until it reached the point that the terrorization and the insults from Germany had at last become too many and too grievous to endure for America (10). After consulting with all of his advisers that were unanimously in favor of war with Germany, the President announced to the Congress that America will be taking part of the First World War. Kennedy details in his book how the announcement of the President would not simply concern the question of peace or war, but the ways in which America should wage the war (13). With a careful, organized discussion of all the actions and decisions committed by the American government during their entry to the Great War, Kennedy produced a wide-ranging book that really delivers the picture of the war home front in times of great peril.

In America, the First World War was packaged as a war for democracy, a war to end war, a war to protect liberalism, a war against militarism, a war to redeem barbarous Europe, a crusade (Kennedy 51). But domestic America also faced its own turmoil while the war in Europe was taking place.

Kennedy discussed the economic concerns brought by the war for the Americans and how the war had begun slowly changing all sectors of the society, even politics and labor. Different ideologies emerged, most prominently would be the debates between the radicals and the conservatives. As a whole, Over Here managed to remain objective in discussing the important experiences happening in American land during this historical period. Not all Americans were in favor of the nations involvement to the First World War. Many conservatives and isolationists spent the day pleading with Senators and Representatives not to approve the expected request for a declaration of war (Kennedy 15). In fact, the division between those who are in favor of it and those who want the nation to isolate itself from it became more intense as the days passed. Kennedy noted how the war resulted to unbridgeable chasms between those who feared and those who welcomed the consequences of American belligerency and caused more threat to the peace of the American nation (Kennedy 29).

Kennedy also discussed in the book how President Wilsons administration needed to cultivate or even manufacture public opinion that would agree to their plans and goals. The entry to war definitely resulted to an intense ambiance and amplified the different social concerns of America so the president had to utilize all measures he had to keep the nation intact and productive. The Great War was peculiarly an affair to the mind and the President knew this as well (Kennedy 46). Wilson was not like other politicians because he was a newcomer to the field and he used popular opinion to help him achieve his political purposes. The Presidents strategy was to appeal directly to the people and produce a unified convictions and perspective of the issue. Propaganda was definitely beneficial for President Wilson to convince everyone to support the war and to take part on it even on domestic level.

Over Here also discussed how President Wilson intended to keep government borrowing to a minimum, while increasing taxes and very probably revising the tax structure itself in order to finance the war (Kennedy 13). The author also noted that there had been universal military training of drafted men who would become soldiers in the war. But most importantly, Kennedys book highlighted how the President used Americanism or the repression of supposed disloyalty to make his plans of war more effective and tightly productive. The war paved way to the ideal of 100 Americanism that intends to keep the loyalty to the American flag more intact in this crucial time. The war popularized the idea of America being the melting pot of different races and paved way for schools for immigrants where people from different races would be welcomed and educated the American way. But Kennedy also noted how this ideal also resulted to a bad case of vigilantism where people related to Germany, even those who denounce it, faced sufferings in the hands of the pro-Americanism.

But the book not only noted the troubles of the war to domestic America. Kennedy also gave significant emphasis on all the positive changes that the nation needed but only became possible because of the war. The author noted all progressive reforms and decisions in social, economic, and political policies. Several provisions on the labor laws changed, one of them was that work became restrained to just eight hour per day end of child labor, right to form unions, and better wages for the people. The war also led to the eventual migration of the Blacks from the South and womens movement. Kennedy also highlighted how the Great War catapulted the role of America to become a part of the affairs of the world. Although, it did not successfully push through at once after the war because America isolate itself again after the signing of the Treaty of Versailles where the American Congress refused to ratify peace treaty due to its inclusion of the league of nations that they deemed may threaten the independence of their country. Later on, of course, America also learned from these early decisions.

And though the First World War did not actually produce the rich, powerful nation that America is now nor did it ensure that peace will be surely continuous and prevailing around the world, the Great War was able to pave way for the possibility of a prosperous, modern America. As a whole, the book significantly acknowledged how President Wilson contributed to the development of several facets of the American society and what became of the nation in the post-war world.  Kennedys book was successful in achieving its goal of describing how the changes of the First World War affected the future of the nation, how America became more involved with other countries, and what was the image of the early 20th century of the American society.