Struggle against subversion and espionage: the United States during the First World War experience

Yulia Honchar, Ph.D. in History, Associate Professor, M.P. Dragomanov National Pedagogical University, Kyiv, Ukraine.

Abstract

The article analyzes the importance of studying the US experience after joining the First World War for the modern Ukrainian society. The American historiography of the problem of the US government measures in ensuring of national security and social stability in war time is characterized. The challenges faced by the US government in 1917 are analyzed; the main measures of the authorities on struggle against subversion and espionage are characterized.

Trying most accurately to reveal tasks the author focuses on the events and circumstances that come out of the overall geopolitical situation during the First World War. The important factors that actualize research problems in the field of world history for the author are the presence of the similarity of the current historical situation with the circumstances of the past and the need to involve the experience of other countries to solve modern problems. At the same time the researcher points out that the mentioned issues did not become a theme of special studies of the Soviet and post-Soviet scientists. The attention of the Americanists was and is focused primarily on the motives, geopolitical ambitions, successes and failures of foreign policy and diplomacy of the United States. The interior policy of the American authority during 1917 – 1918, as the social situation in general, was stereotypically describing for a long time as repressive and reactionary.

Key words: US, World War I, The Selective Service Act, Espionage Act.

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DOI http://doi.org/10.17721/2521-1706.2016.01.175-183