Seminar 8.

Task 1. Answer the following questions.

1. How was the Alaska territory acquired by the usa? How was this purchase taken by Americans?

The United States' acquisition of Alaska from the Russian Empire was on March 30, 1867, by a treaty ratified by the United States Senate, and signed by president Andrew Johnson.

Russia wanted to sell its Alaskan territory, fearing that it might be seized if war broke out with the United Kingdom. Russia's primary activities in the territory had been fur trade and missionary work among the Native Alaskans. The transfer ceremony took place in Sitka on October 18, 1867. Russian and American soldiers paraded in front of the governor's house; the Russian flag was lowered and the American flag raised amid peals of artillery.

2.What territories were ceded to the usa after Spanish-American War?

The result was the 1898 Treaty of Paris, negotiated on terms favorable to the US which allowed it temporary control of Cuba and ceded ownership of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippine islands.

3.What were the causes of World War I?

1.  Mutual Defense Alliances

2. Imperialism

3. Militarism

4. Nationalism

5. Immediate Cause: Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

4.Why did American neutrality collide?

The majority of Americans felt that the United States should stay out of World War I because it was not a signatory to any of the agreements that had lured the European powers into conflict across the continent, so President Woodrow Wilson declared a neutrality policy, attempting instead to broker a peace agreement. Even when a German sub sank the British ocean liner Lusitania in 1915, with 128 Americans on board, the United States demanded a stop to the destruction of passenger ships, and Germany agreed, leading to continued American neutrality.

5. How did Americans contribute to the victory in the war?

1)Spring 1917 The promise of a large AEF buoys French morale when their Army has been defeated and in mutiny.

2)Late 1917 American soldiers arriving in accelerating numbers compel the German High Command to attempt to win the war in early 1918 before the American presence can be decisive.

3)May & June 1918 The AEF defends Paris on the Marne River line at Chateau Thierry.

4)July 1918 American troops play the critical role in turning back the last German Offensive of World War I

5)October 1918 55,000 Americans fighting under the 4th French Army capture Blanc Mont Ridge and force the abandonment of the Champagne by the German Army; King Albert of Belgium receives comparable American reinforcements for his assault in Flanders.

6)November 1918 The reorganized First Army, despite enormous criticism, has met all the objectives of the Meuse Argonne Offensive and is threatening the Meuse-Antwerp line, the latest defensive position of the enemy.

6.How did World War I change the life of Americans?

World War one had huge effects on America including highly productive industry that preceded the Great Depression, jobs given to woman, which helped pass the nineteenth amendment, and a new kind of diplomacy and antiwar sentiment that affected America’s entrance into World War II. Not only did the American public feel these effects, but also the loss of so many men in the war affected all of America and the all of the world. Although, America suffered some bad effects of the war, certainly it was nothing compared to Europe, where nations were divided and reformed, and entire countries scourged by warfare. Certainly, World War I was devastating to America as well as the entire world.