Bonus Marchers Analysis

They couldn't believe that their soldiers were doing this. Another reason to be anti-war was that taxes had risen to pay for the war and conscription was introduced. Many men that went to war didn't want to do what they were doing. Many men didn't even know what they were fighting for. The average age of a soldier was 19.

When the war began, it was being fought by the Americans to address their grievances toward the British. This seemed like a justifiable cause for a war, however not all of the citizens shared the same sense of unity about

The public was on board the war train for the first few years of the war, until they found out what it was actually like in Vietnam. Public view of the war immediately changed negatively. When the news reached the soldiers in Vietnam, reactions were mixed. While they could understand why the people didn't like the prospect of war, they were still killing-even when they didn't want to-for their country. Some soldiers didn't know how to respond. One solder wrote to his mother and told her that for one second he felt as if he was on vacation because it was so beautiful in Vietnam. Another one told his mom “not to worry, there is nothing I can't handle”. While the soldiers could handle the physical horrors happening to them, it was the mental stuff that was breaking them down.

They were average young people. From all over the country Blacks, Whites, and Mexicans. They felt it was their duty to go to war. It was Patriotic. They were excited for the adventure. Going to stop Communism from spreading and free the people.

In 1924, after the war, congress gave veterans of World War I certificates valid in 1945 for $1000 each. During the Great Depression, many of the service men had lost their jobs so they decided asked congress to redeem the bonus certificates early, in 1932 (11). The “Bonus Army” was formed and led by an Oregon man named Walter Waters (11). The army now contained 15,000 veterans who hitched rides, hopped trains and hiked into the Capital (11). President Hoover refused to acknowledge the veterans but Congress argued over whether or not to give into the requests (11). On June 17, the Senate declined the demands and many of the people in the Bonus Army returned home, but thousands of them had nowhere to go. Therefore, they stayed in Washington,

Many people felt a national pride at this time. They had fought against one of the strongest empires of Europe and kept up with them. They did not win, but they did not lose either. They simply put forth enough energy to get the job done, then afterwards were no more content to build up a better military then to engage in another conflict. Nothing had been lost, but nationalism had been gained. Americans saw this time as a time to expand upon their economy, and to build an empire of merchants.

The march of the Bonus Army was a group of World War I veterans and their families who travelled to Washington, D.C. in the summer of 1932. They came from all over the nation to seek economic relief from the federal government. The veterans wanted to receive money that was promised for their services in the first world war and to redeem their service certificates ahead of schedule. The Great Depression was at its height and it was a difficult time to live. Many of the veterans were poor due to a shortage of jobs. Unemployment was at 25% and everyone that went to Washington, D.C. camped out in a self-made “Hooverville”. The government tried to get them to leave, but it was not facile. They were not leaving without a fight.

Waters, a former army sergeant, the Bonus Expeditionary Force, also known to the public as the “Bonus Army”, marched in Washington D.C. , hoping to get their point across. At the beginning it looked like they would succeed, because they got the House of Representatives to vote in their favor. Unfortunately President Hoover and Congress did not feel the same way as the House of Representatives and did not approve of the Act. After Congress made their decision they wanted everyone from the “Bonus Army” to go back home. That was a problem for some people, because a lot of them did not have anything to go back to. The people that came with the “Bonus Army” built a Hooverville in Washington, D.C. and by doing this it provides them with temporary housing. It also helped break down racial barriers, for once whites and blacks came together and helped each other instead of hating each other. Still they had to leave and the Military Chief Douglas MacArthur and his men had to force them out. MacArthur went overboard. He was not supposed to cross the bridge where the veterans were living, but he did. The shanty town was burned and the soldiers threw tear gas at the people to try and force them out. By doing this he ruined President Hoover's chances of being reelected, which helped our Roosevelt win

As the weather got colder, there were less resources available to soldiers and their families. Usually, they were able to enjoy some good liquor and remain in the comforts of their homes, but the soldiers appeared to share a little more importance over the slaves. Because their time enlisted had come to an end, they were not allowed to go home because economically, they had to stay. They remained at war due to the awful standards back where they lived and being in the barracks was much better (Doc D). According to Document G, the government was trying to get the Stamp Act repealed, adding more taxes and laws on the people of the colonies. This was another cause to the tension because economically, the people of America could not afford to pay. So the government stated that if you cannot pay, than remain loyal and respectful, which took away the money looking to earn through the taxes. In addition to altered relations due to economical and political issues, ideologically, it differed as

For three years from 1914 to 1917 the U.S sent supplies over to help with fighting the war. We sent things like food and bombs. The total american deaths during that time was only in the hundreds. I feel like if we had just kept sending supplies instead of sending our soldiers, than not as many americans or U.S. soldiers would have died. I think it would have saved our country a lot of money by not joining the war. They had things called War Bonds back then. People could buy War Bonds to send money to help with war efforts and then gain profit from the bonds after the war was over. The U.S would have saved a lot more money just sending supplies and buying war bonds, than all the extra money spent sending all those soldiers over to join

The army was small and ill equipped, and many of the officers knew little about warfare. There were few regular troops, so the government had to rely on volunteers. The volunteers were bribed to fight by congress saying they would give them money and land. Most of them gave up after a few months, especially because they were poorly trained and had little experience in battle.

World War II had a great toll on the nation’s economy. It hurt many Americans, and a lot of them had to leave their education to serve as soldiers and sailors. The war used many of the already shorted resources, and with a lot of the men who ran farms, bakeries, and meat providers being taken into war, this led to a shortage of cash flow and resources. During WWII Roosevelt talked over the matter with President George F. Zook and other leaders of the American Council of Education. He believed the federal government had a responsibility and an important role in helping returning veterans get an education. Several Bills branched off the GI Bill including a Vocational Rehabilitation Bill. This bill provided federal funds to retrain and rehabilitate veterans who had been disabled in the civilian defense industry. In a quote from history.com, “In his speech at the signing of the bill, Roosevelt acknowledged the sacrifices of

People were fleeing for their lives during the march. This brought the war to all of America instead of just the soldiers. Women and children had to work tirelessly, day and night to keep their families

All of the years following World War I, half of the world was anti- war. When soldiers enlist into the army they are never told the truth. Being a witness to a close friend in the army or to a family member actually fighting in World War II they didn’t think they would actually be fighting in a war. Guys and Girls normally enlist into the army for the money and the benefits, thinking that they will eventually come home to their love ones. When the soldiers signed up and experienced a war both sides were screaming they wanted to go home and they would never go through this again.

Of the films that addressed this subject, the majority seemed to advocate that young men volunteered for the War out of how of duty and loyalty to their nice country. One