The time from the close of the Civil War to the outbreak of the First World War in 1914 was an era of peace in the United States, with two minor exceptions: the Spanish-American War and the Philippine War. The immediate cause of the Spanish-American War was the blowing up of the Maine, an American warship, lying in the harbor of Havana, Cuba. The destruction of the Maine was believed, though never proved, to have been instigated by the Spaniards, who were then fighting Cuban revolutionists. The United States declare war on Spain in April, 1898. The war closed in December of the same year, with the surrender of Spain.

    During the war, the United States took possession of Cuba, Porto Rico, and also the Philippines in East Asia. In the Philippines a revolt against Spain had been going on for several years. The leaders of the revolt demanded independence. This the United States would not grant immediately, and a bloody war followed. It ended in 1902. The islands were then governed by the Americans until 1946 when the Philippine Republic was established.

    Cuba became an independent republic soon after the Spanish-American War, and Porto Rico is now self-governing.

    All the American soldiers who fought in these wars, whether they were United States regulars or militia men from the states, had enlisted of their own free will. There was no draft.

    Four infantry regiments of Iowa militia, each consisting of 1,336 men, and two light artillery batteries were called to the colors. But only one Iowa regiment, the Fifty-Second, saw service n the battle front in theses wars, and this was in the Philippines. About 200 died of disease, but only one was killed in battle.

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    The belief, in spirit of these wars, was gaining strength in both Europe and America, that world peace was possible, There had been no major war in Europe since 1871. Frequently, it was said and written that the world, especially the Western world, was becoming more civilized and morally better, and that a warless world was both possible and probable. Some even believed that no one could read history without coming to that comforting conclusion.

The era of peace broken

     The shots of an assassin, killing the crown prince of Austria-Hungary and his consort, broke the era of peace. This heinous crime was the immediate cause of the outbreak of the First World War. But there were underlying and deeper causes. These were the fierce disputes between the Great Powers of Europe concerning trade, colonies, and national boundaries. And raucous militarists kept the war sentiments constantly alive.

    Though definitely a European war, the way the first World War was fought, finally brought in the United States.

    In his Farewell Address to the American people, George Washington had advised his country men against entangling alliances and mixing up in the political affairs of Europe. Probably most Americans in 1914 still considered this valid advice. And President Woodrow Wilson at one announced that the United States would be neutral. He said:"With the obscure sources from which this stupendous flood has burst, we are not concerned."

"Woe to the vanquished"

     The war was fought with unrelenting fierceness. For several years neither side would give in- neither Great Britain and France, not Germany and Austria- Hungary, even after exhausted Russia had dropped out. The other power wanted the war fought to the bitter end, and: Woe to the vanquished.

    To starve Great Britain into submission, Germany early in 1917 began her cruel unlimited submarine warfare, in the course of which American vessels were destroyed and American lives lost. Since Germany would not abandon such warfare, President Wilson asked Congress for a declaration of war against Germany, later also against Austria-Hungary. Before fighting ceased on November 11, 1918, the United States had an army of over 200,000 troops in Europe, and more than that number in training at home.

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Iowa fights

     Iowa participated fully in the war effort- buying war bonds, producing and saving food, and above all in furnishing man power. The Iowa militia, now called the Iowa guard, was merged with the guards of other states to form the National Guard. All the guardsmen were volunteers. Many other young men volunteered for the regular army forces. Others, were drafted, that is, they were compelled to serve. But there were liberal exemptions for men having dependents, and the privileges of conscientious objectors were upheld.

    One of the 32 training camps for guardsmen and the drafted soldiers, was located at Camp Dodge near Des Moines, on a 40 acre tract which had been the training ground of the Iowa militia prior to this time. In the early summer of 1917 there were only a few buildings there. Before October a city of nearly 2,000 buildings had sprung up. Besides barracks and mess-houses, there were recreation centers of the Young Men's Christian Association, the Knights of Columbus, and the Lutheran Brotherhood, a library building, several small parks, and a staff hospital. Drafted men not only from Iowa, but also the surrounding states were assembled here for military training.

    A large number of Iowa men also were in the training camp for reserve officers at Fort Snelling, Minnesota.

The big sacrifice

     The only all --Iowa regiment-made up largely of veteran guardsmen -- was the 168th United States Infantry. It consisted of 3,600 men. It became a part of the famous Rainbow Division. The other Iowa soldiers were scattered through many organizations.

    In France the Iowa boys were on the fighting lines on the Marne and the Meuse; in the Saint Michiel Salient, in the Argonne Forest, and before Metz.

    The big sacrifice which Iowa made was in human lives. about 3,300 Iowans were killed in battle or died of wounds or disease. This was out of a total of about 114,000 officers and men serving in the army, navy and the marine corps.

C. Hoover

     The night brings out the stars, and wars, heroes-nurses, privates, and officers. Curiously enough, the most popular Iowa war hero was a civilian, Herbert C. Hoover, who never carried a gun nor....

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� fired a shot. He was born in the cozy little town, West Branch, Iowa. During the war he organized the Belgian Relief Commission which saved many Belgians from starvation after the German invasion. After the United States entered the war, he served as its Food Administrator, saving food for Europe by "wheatless" and "meatless" days in America under the slogan of "Food will win the War." therefore "Hooverize."

    Armistice signed by the belligerents on November 11, 1918, ended the actual fighting in the First World War. The treaty of peace, the Treaty of Versailles, finished June 28, 1919, was not signed by the United States. Nor did the United States become a member of the League of Nations. Separate treaties of peace were made between the United States and Germany and Austria.

No real peace

     Strife and confusion rather than peace reigned in Europe after the Treaty of Versailles. In a few years powerful, tyrannical, totalitarian governments arose in Russia, Germany, and Italy. Germany under Hitler in defiance of the Treaty of Versailles conquered Czechoslovakia and began a war against Poland; and Great Britain, to help her ally Poland, declared war against Germany. The United States was neutral, but friendly and helpful to Great Britain until the Japanese struck at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on December 7, 1941. This brought the United States into the Second World War.

A bigger and more cruel war

     The military forces of the United States - army, navy, and air force - in the Second World War totaled 16,000,000 combatants. Iowa furnished about 286,000. Of these 4,255 were killed in battle and 8,398 more died while in the service. There were 11,724 wounded.

    During the Second World War the armed forces of the United State included two small women corps - the Wacs and the Waves, who did office work and other work for the armed forces. A training camp for Wacs was located at Fort Des Moines. Iowa also had training camp for navy fliers.

    Industrially, Iowa contributed much to the war effort. Large munition plants were maintained at Ankeny and Burlington, and a number of factories in other Iowa towns had contracts from the Federal government for war supplies.

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Police action in Korea

     Actual fighting in the Second World War ceased with the surrender of Japan and Germany. Then Russia, Great Britain, France and the United States occupied Germany; but the United States alone occupied Japan.

    The defunct League of Nations, which had the special blessing of Woodrow Wilson, was succeeded by the United Nations organization, the purpose of which is to maintain world peace.

    This had proved very difficult. In a few years the Communists in North Korea, supported by Communist China and Russia, attacked South Korea where most Koreans live. The United Nations including the United States sent troops and forced a stoppage of hostilities. But the North Korean Communists kept North Korea.

    The Korean War, 1950-1953, is sometimes referred to as a police action, but it was bloody and cruel as any war. Over 33,000 Americans were killed and many more wounded. Iowa paid its share of this great sacrifice, and because of it, there was deep sorrow in many Iowa homes. In the Korean War 508 Iowans were killed or died of disease. More than three times as many were wounded.

Questions and Exercises: To what extent did Iowa participate in the Spanish-American and the Philippine War? Why did people in Europe and America believe world peace was possible? What was the immediate cause of the First World War? Why did the United States declare war on Germany in 1917? What was the purpose of Camp Dodge near Des Moines? How many Iowans were killed in the First World War? How did the Second World War start? What put the United States into the war? How many Iowans were in the armed forces of the United States in the Second World War? How many were killed or died of disease? How many were wounded? What were the Iowa casualties in the Korean War?