A Bloody Conflict

Chapter 9 Section 3
US History
 A Bloody Conflict
• COMBAT IN WORLD WAR 1

• MAIN IDEA
– New technologies made World War I the first
modern war.
 COMBAT IN WORLD WAR 1
• Trench Warfare
– Early offensives in 1914 demonstrated that
warfare had changed.
– Powerful Artillery guns were several miles behind
the front lines and could fire large explosive shells
onto the battle field.
– To protect themselves troops began digging
trenches
 COMBAT IN WORLD WAR 1
– On western front, French, British and Swiss dug
network of trenches that went from English
Channel to Swiss boarder
– New weapon, Machine Gun prevented enemy
from over running trenches
– Space between trenches was no-man’s-land
• Filled with craters from artillery fire and barbed wire
obstacles
 COMBAT IN WORLD WAR 1
• To break through, attacker would begin with
massive artillery fire, soldiers would then run
across no-man’s-land (avoiding machine gun
fire) and try to capture enemy trenches.
– Troops also attached bayonets to use once inside
the trenches
– Fighting inside trenches was brutal
– Both sides would lose thousands of men but not
able to break through lines
 COMBAT IN WORLD WAR 1
• New Technologies were needed to break through
enemy lines
– April 1915: German’s used first poisoned gas
• Caused vomiting, blindness and suffocation
– Allies soon began using poison gas
– To counter attacks both sides developed gas masks
– Late 1915 British introduced armored tanks
• Slow and unreliable BUT could crush barbed wire and cross
trenches
• Not enough of them and did not impact WW 1 (more use in
WW 2)
 COMBAT IN WORLD WAR 1
• World War I also was the first use of Aircraft in war
– First and last time that zeppelins were used in combat.
• Zeppelins giant rigid balloons (aka Blimps) sent to drop bombs
on British warships in North Sea
– Airplanes used as scouts, spying on enemy ships/troops
– Soon were supplied with machine guns to attack
Zeppelins
– Some carried bombs to drop on enemy lines and
eventually used to shoot down other aircraft
• Battles known as “dogfights”
– Easy to destroy, average life expectancy of pilot in World
War 1 = 2 weeks
 A Bloody Conflict
• THE AMERICANS ARRIVE

• MAIN IDEA:
– The arrival of Americans changed the course of
the war and helped the Allies win
 THE AMERICANS ARRIVE
• As American’s (nicknamed ‘doughboys’) arrived,
boosted Allies and demoralized Germans.
– No American troop ships were sunk on their way to
Europe
– Admiral William S. Sims arranged troop ships and
merchant ships into convoys
– Destroyers would protect and escort them
– If ships were attacked and destroyed, saved lives
because other ships in convoy could rescue survivors
 THE AMERICANS ARRIVE
• March 1917 riots in Russia over Czar Nicholas
II leadership in the war forces him to abdicate
– Start of Russian Revolution
– Russia had temporary government that wanted to
stay in war but gov’t couldn’t deal with problems
inside Russia like food shortage
– Bolshevic Party led by Vladimir Lenin overthrew
temporary gov’t and established Communist Gov’t
1917
 THE AMERICANS ARRIVE
• First act of new government was to take
Russia out of the war
– Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with Germany Mach 3 1918
ended their part of war
– Russia lost a lot of territory in treaty
– Germany could now focus on Western Front
 THE AMERICANS ARRIVE
• Many American’s believed we owed France for
its help in the Revolution
– Thought of France as our friends
– General John J. Pershing arrived in Paris July 4 1917
– British and France wanted to integrate American
troops to be under their command, Pershing said
no (supported by Wilson).
• Only exception was 93rd Infantry Division, First
American’s to enter combat under French.
 THE AMERICANS ARRIVE
• March 21st 1918 Germany launched massive attack
on Western Front
– Started with gas attacks, then artillery bombardment
– Germany strong with replacements from Russian front,
made it within 40 miles of Paris
• American Troops played important role in
containing German offensive
– American first major attack June 1st
– Stopped Germany from taking Paris on its last attempt
July 15
 THE AMERICANS ARRIVE
• The Battle of the Argonne Forest
– German drive stalled, French commander ordered
massive counter attacks
– American troops pushed German forces back through
another major attack near Argonne Forest
– Amer. Had 600,000 troops, 400,000 tons of supplies,
and 4000 artillery pieces
– Most massive attack in American history
– Attack began September 26 1918 and soon after all
German forces began to retreat (created a hole in their
lines).
 THE AMERICANS ARRIVE
• American Heroes
– Alvin York: Born 1887 grew up in Tennessee
• Tried to avoid draft (against war)… conscientious
objector
• October 8 1918 in battle of Argonne forest, York took
charge after 9 American men killed and charged
German machine guns, killed between 9 and 25
Germans and took 132 prisoners
• Used fame to fund Alvin York Institute, a school for
poor Tennessee Children
 THE AMERICANS ARRIVE
– Eddie Rickenbacker: Born in Ohio, was a famous
race car driver
• Combat pilot, commander 94th Aero Squadron
• Fought 134 air battles and shot down 26 aircraft
• One battle single-handedly fought 7 German Aircraft
• Awarded Congressional Medal of Honor
 THE AMERICANS ARRIVE
• The War Ends
– While fighting western front, Austria-Hungary had
revolution and split into separate countries
• Poland, Hungary and Czechoslovakia
• November 1918 Austria-Hungary surrendered to Allies
– November 3rd, German Sailors mutinied and within days
several towns were under army control
– Emperor stepped down and German became a republic
– 2 Days later gov’t signed an armistice
– At the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month 1918
fighting stopped.
 A Bloody Conflict
• A FLAWED PEACE

• MAIN IDEA
– The United States Senate refused to ratify the
Treaty of Versailles and rejected the League of
Nations
 A FLAWED PEACE
• Although fighting stopped, World War I was
not over
– Peace treaty had to be negotiated and signed
– January 1919 delegates from 27 countries traveled
to France for Peace Conference
– Peace Treaty with Germany known as Treaty of
Versailles
– Treaty with Austria-Hungary known as Treaty of
Saint-Germain
 A FLAWED PEACE
• Negotiations for Versailles Treaty lasted 5
months
– Most important “Big Four” participants
• Pres. Wilson (USA)
• Prime Minister David Lloyd George (Great Britain)
• Georges Clemenceau (France)
• Prime Minister Vittorio Orlando (Italy)
– Russia not invited, Allies refused to recognize new
communist gov’t
 A FLAWED PEACE
• The Fourteen Points
– Pres. Wilson brought his peace plan known as
“Fourteen Points”
• Believed if implemented would have long lasting peace
in Europe
– First 5 points eliminate causes of the war through
free trade, freedom of seas, disarmament ,
impartial adjustment of colonial claims and open
diplomacy
 A FLAWED PEACE
– Next 8 points addressed national self-determination
• Boarders of countries based on ethnicity and national identity
• This also meant no country could keep territory claimed from
another nation (Central Powers give up what had taken during
the war)
– 14th point was most important, called for creating
League of Nations
• Help preserve peace by pledging to protect and respect each
other’s territory and political independence
• Wilson wanted this most and willing to give up other points
 A FLAWED PEACE
• The Treaty of Versailles
– Wilson popular in Europe, helped with negotiations going
his way … adopted 14 points
– France and Britain not happy, wanted Germany Punished
for war
– Despite 14 points and Wilson hopes, peace terms were
harsh against Germany
• Armed Forces greatly reduced
• Not allowed to put troops west of Rhine River
• Blamed Germany for the war
– Treaty Signed June 28 1919
 A FLAWED PEACE
• Germany accepted guilt of war by signing treaty
– Allies could now demand reparations
– Decided that Germany should pay $33 Billion (intended to keep
Germany economy weak)
• National Self-determination was more successful
– Dismantled Austro-Hungarian Empire, Russian Empire, German
Empire and Ottoman Empire
– Nine New Nations in Europe due to peace treaty
• Austria, Czechoslovakia, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania,
Poland and Yugoslavia
– This did not apply to Germany (many Germans living outside
Germany boarders).. Set stage for 1930 crisis
 A FLAWED PEACE
• Treaty did not address
– Freedom of seas or Free trade
– Ignored goal of fair settlement of colonial claims
• Treaty did create League of Nations
– Members promised
• Reduce armaments
• Submit all disputes to arbitration if endangered peace
• Come to the aid of any member who was threatened
with aggression by another state
 A FLAWED PEACE
• The US Senate did not ratify the peace treaty even
though Wilson was confident they would
– Needed Republican support but refused to take
republican leaders to conference (Wilson was democrat)
– Opposition focused on League of Nations (thought as
another “entangling alliance” and did not like that US
might go to war without congress approval
– Even after going to the people with the treaty (causing
his illness) congress refused to ratify treaty and Wilson
Refused to compromise.
• After Wilson left office, US negotiated separate peace treaty
with Central powers and did not join League of Nations
 EXIT TICKET
• On A Half Sheet of paper answer the following
questions in complete sentences.
1. What new technologies were introduced in
World War 1?
2. Why would Pershing want to keep US soldiers
in their own units?
3. What was national self-determination and why
did Wilson think it would help prevent war?