Chris Matthew Scobarra Wartime Collectivism Summary

1)

2) Making War Locomotives by Joseph Pennell demonstrates how industrialization and the American war culture influenced the role and success of America in World War I.

3) Annotated bibliography in the separate page below.

4) It was difficult to come up with a connection of each individual source to the thesis because while each source did talk about the American war culture and industrialization, it mainly talked about how the American war culture came to be or how industrialization came to intensify the war. Though it was a bit easier to find the connections between how American war culture and industrialization influenced the success of American troops in World War I, the sources did not have an obvious connection as to how it shaped

the role of America itself in World War I. As a result, tying everything together to strongly support the thesis required me to be more analytical when reading each source. What I need to remember to elaborate more on are the responsibilities of America in World War I, which is fighting for the Allies and transporting supplies for the troops to the war front with its locomotives.
Annotated Bibliography
Artifact:
Pennell, Joseph. Making War Locomotives, 1917, lithograph, San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose.
The lithograph is a sketch of people building a locomotive for war purposes. The background is empty, except for the big windows, which indicates that they are in a factory, and the large pulley above the locomotive on the right of the image. On the left, there are people working on machinery. In the middle of the image, there is a large locomotive, that takes up most of the image. There are a number of people working on it, from the back to the front. There is a man on top of the locomotive, either cleaning it or assembling it, and several men standing by the locomotive’s wheels, most likely inspecting it. In front of the locomotive are men working in the engine; there is a man on a ladder and a man in the control room. On the locomotive reads: “U.S. 5002.”

Texts:
Parkinson, Stuart. “The Industrialisation of War: Lessons from World War I.” SGR Newsletter
no. 44, 5 Apr. 2016. www.sgr.org.uk/resources/industrialisation-war-lessons-world
-war-i. Accessed 13 Mar. 2018.
In this article, Stuart Parkinson inspects the nature of the weapons used in World War I and the devastation it brought in casualties. He discusses the key technological developments before and during World War I that resulted in the high number of casualties, such as machine guns, military aircraft, and British tanks. Aside from this, he also mentions how the Industrial Revolution contributed to the rapid development of such technology. This article is useful in introducing the technological advancements and setting up the background and foundation of my essay regarding industrialization.

Sciabarra, Chris Matthews. “Wartime Collectivism.” “Government and the Railroads During
World War I: Political Capitalism and the Death of Enterprise.” Historian: The Undergraduate Journal of Research and Scholarship, Vol. 20. May 1980. Libertarian Alliance, 2003, pp. 31-45. www.libertarian.co.uk/lapubs/histn/histn045.htm. Accessed 13 Mar. 2018.
In Chris Matthew Sciabarra’s “Wartime Collectivism,” from his essay, “Government and the Railroads During World War I: Political Capitalism and the Death of Enterprise,” he addresses the importance of the railroads resolving political and economic conflicts.

He describes how the railroads were used for war, as there was a war transportation crisis, and how the industry was attempting to offset its shortcomings by strategic mobilization. Furthermore, he goes into detail as to how the government took measures to assume control of transportation systems for the war effort. This essay will be used to describe the responsibility of railroads and locomotives during World War I and give insight to the American war culture, as the government passed legislation to ensure that the railroads will put themselves at service of the nation for war. This will then lead into how locomotives and the American war culture shaped America’s role at the war

front.

Popular Media:
Green, John. “America in World War I: Crash Course US History #30.” Youtube, uploaded by
Crash Course, 19 Sep. 2013. www.youtube.com/watch?v=y59wErqg4Xg. Accessed 13 Mar. 2018.
In this video, John Green gives a rundown of America’s participation in World War I.

He goes into detail about how the government began to increase its control on nation’s economy for war, as well as shape the public’s opinions through the use propaganda and the establishment of new committees. He defines what it meant to be an American during World War I and briefly goes over the opportunities that the war introduced to women and African Americans. This video is useful in providing insight as to how glorifying war became integrated into the American character through government actions. Furthermore, it demonstrates how the American war culture led to nationwide cooperation towards a changed economy that was primarily focused on supporting those at the front, resulting in America’s success in World War

I.

“The US in World War I | History.” Youtube, uploaded by History, 22 May 2014.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHn1Egt6Xdg. Accessed 13 Mar. 2018.
In this video snippet of a documentary from History, historians explain how the United States became involved in World War I, despite being such isolationists. They explain that America was reluctant to enter the war because politicians feared fighting for foreign ends and the United States was primarily made of immigrants who came to avoid war in Europe. In addition, the historians address the triggering events that led to the involvement of the United States in World War I, such as Germany’s decision to resume unrestricted submarine warfare and the Zimmermann Telegram. This video is useful in giving background information as to how America came to fight in World War I.

“US Troops Enter WW1 - Timewatch - BBC.” Timewatch: Body Hunters - The Unknown
Soldiers. Youtube, uploaded by BBC Worldwide, 24 Jun. 2010. www.youtube.com/ watch?v=PTyJTmxkZcQ. Accessed 13 Mar. 2018.
The video snippet of a documentary from BBC gives insight into the training regimes that enlisted soldiers had to follow through with and the statistics of how many American men were enlisted into the army for World War I. The narrator reads aloud a soldier’s journal, who claims that the Americans trained until they were experts in English, American, and French-styled warfare. He states that Americans were the most efficient in throwing grenades in the Allied troops, thanks to their avid love for baseball. This video is useful in providing evidence of how the American culture (baseball) and their willingness to go to war and suffer through terrible training hours shaped the role of American troops in World War I.

AMS Lectures:
English, Karen. “The New American Empire: Does the Constitution Follow the Flag?” AMS 1B:
American Civilization. San Jose State University. 19 Feb. 2018.
In this lecture, Professor English discusses how America went from expansionism in the early 19th century to imperialism in the late 19th to the early 20th century. She defines militarism and explains how militarism is critical in shaping the American character. Furthermore, she addresses the American support and opposition towards war with ideas such as pacifism, racism, isolationism, and idealism. She briefly goes into how the media affected the population’s opinion on war as well. This lecture is useful in defining the American war culture and how people’s overwhelming support for war will lead them in devoting their lives for victory in World War I.

English, Karen. “Total War, 20th Century Style — Act One.” AMS 1B: American Civilization.
San Jose State University. 5 Mar. 2018.
In this lecture, Professor English defines war as a social institution created by societies engaged in it and explains the types of war (total war, limited war, just war, and modern total war). She addresses how countries go from one type of war to another, such as just war to limited war, and discusses war terms and theories, such as absolute war and the “sharp war” theory. Additionally, she talks about America’s total war practices, going into detail about actions the government takes place to ensure the nation’s total war status. This lecture is useful in introducing how industrialization and the American war culture allowed America to partake in total war and influence the nation’s role and success in the war.

AMS Primary Texts:
Adams, Henry. “The Dynamo and the Virgin.” The Education of Henry Adams 1906. The Norton
Anthology of American Literature, 9th ed., edited by Nina Baym, et al. Vol. C. Norton
2017, pp. 364-372.
In this text, Henry Adams is at the Paris Exposition of 1900, where he comes to compare the dynamo, which is a generator of electricity, and the Virgin, which is the Virgin Mary. Using what he knows about history, he finds the relationship between the two. While one is a product of science and technology and the other is a figure from religious beliefs, Adams discovers the same concept of morality between the two subjects; both the dynamo and the Virgin have the moral power to make a difference in society. The question that is brought up is: what do we do with that power? This text is useful in demonstrating the critical power of technology and electricity (industrialization) used in the war, both strategically and ethnically, resulting to the American’s success on the war front.

Twain, Mark. “The War Prayer.” Europe and Elsewhere. Published by Harper & Brothers, 1923.
The Norton Anthology of American Literature, 9th ed., edited by Nina Baym, et al. Vol.
C. Norton 2017, pp. 340-342.
In this text, Mark Twain writes about Americans celebrating war and praying for the victory of the soldiers that will be sent into the Philippine American War. The community is holding patriotic celebrations and people are boosting each other’s morale; those who do not agree with the war are hushed. After a long prayer in one of the churches, there is a man who comes up and talks about the double-edged sword in victory and war; if you pray for one side’s victory, you are wishing misfortune on the other. This text is useful in demonstrating the American war culture and how Americans’ willingness to enter the war will evidently lead to their success in World War I.