WILSON, WAR AND PEACE ACES.COM/HOME+PAGE

AMERICAN MOBILIZES Only 200,000 men in service when war was declared + few officers with combat experience! history/videos/the-us-in-world-war-i

AMERICA TURNS THE TIDE German U-boat attacks were a serious issue for merchant ships ∴ Vice Admiral William S. Sims convinced the Br. to try the convoy system – destroyers would escort merchant ships 230-mile barrier of mines

THE ALLIES STRUGGLE Russia pulled out of the war in 1917 ∴ Germany shifted to the western front  March 1917: Russian revolutions overthrew Czar Nicholas II and established a democracy  November 1917: Vladimir Lenin and his radical communist followers overthrew the republic and pulled Russia out. March 3, 1918: Treaty of Brest-Litovsk ended the war b/w Russia and Germany  War on the eastern front over

FIGHTING IN EUROPE When America entered, Allies were worn out and demoralized  America provided fresh troops + spirits John J. Pershing  Led American Expeditionary Force in Europe  Americans began to come in large #s by early 1918 March 1918:  Allied counterattacks + German exhaustion = end to the great German Offensive  Germans and Americans continued to battle but this began to greatly weaken the Germans

AMERICAN TROOPS DISTINGUISH THEMSELVES Doughboys: American troops that saw serious activity during the war Alvin York of TN –  American hero, he and 16 other Americans trapped behind enemy line  Able to escape due to Yorks unrelenting fire at the Germans, charged a German position w/ only a pistol  Received the Congressional Medal of Honor for his valiant service 369 th Infantry Regiment: African American troops that received the French Croix de Guerre  Saw the most active duty of any other regiment

THE FINAL TOLL -22 million deaths, ½ of them civilians -20 million injured -10 million refugees-$338 Billion -America lost 50,000 from battle, -62,000 from disease, -230,000 wounded

THE WAR ENDS Fall of 1918 – German front was collapsing largely due to the added American push German and Austria-Hungary’s armies were exhausted  Desertion, refusal to fight, mutiny ∴ their leaders had to surrender November 11, 1918 – Germany surrendered  “At the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, the Great War ends ”  This is Veterans Day

WILSON PROMOTES PEACE WITHOUT VICTORY After the war: Exposed that there were secret treaties made about the division of land after the war  Lenin argued that the entire war was a land grab BUT – Wilson sought “peace without victory” in his Fourteen Points Speech  (Response to Lenin charges)  Sought a peace that focused on noble ideals  Not to punish the enemy to harshly  Victors should not be greedy or vengeful

WILSON’S FOURTEEN POINTS  1-4 dealt with removal of trade barriers and reduction of military arms of the Central Powers (freedom of seas)  5 th point deals with a system to resolve disputes  6-13 dealt with self-determination  The right for people to decide their own political status and gov’t  14th point dealt with forming the League of Nations:  Group of nations that would  Settle disputes  Protect democracy  Prevent future wars.  League of Nations: “Mutual guarantees of political independence and territorial integrity to great and small states alike.”  American Foreign Policy: Progressive or Isolationist?

PEACE CONFERENCE IN VERSAILLES Wilson went himself in place of an American diplomat b/c so important  Senator Henry Cabot Lodge (R) left behind although he was a foreign policy expert Angered Republicans but the Europeans loved that he came!

PARIS PEACE CONFERENCE Held in Versailles w/ the object of creating a peace treaty Unlike Wilson, Allied Powers leaders wanted to severely punish Germany  Insisted Germany make reparations (payment for war damages).  Sought to weaken Germany so it could never threaten Europe like that again  (They did NOT learn from the Congress of Vienna!!!)

ALLIED LEADERS REJECT WILSON’S IDEAS David-Lloyd George (Br. Prime Minister) + Geroges Clemenceau (Fr. Priemier) wanted peace and victory  Knew their ppl did too  Skeptical of Wilson overall Clemenceau especially wanted Germany to pay for what it had done to France  Wanted to maintain the colonial status quo and for Germany to return Alsace-Lorriane to France

ALLIES CREATE A LEAGUE OF NATIONS Failed proposals:  Freedom of the seas  End to colonization  Free trade  General disarmament Wilson kept fighting for the League of Nations  Wanted countries to be able to peacefully resolve their quarrels  Delegates voted to include it in the treaty

TREATY OF VERSAILLES Allies reach an agreement.  Germany  Had to pay reparations  269 billion gold marks (Equivalent today to $393.6 Billion U.S. dollars)  Had to disarm its military.  Accept full responsibility for starting the war.  What is this called?  League of Nations would be formed.  Some ethnic groups would be allowed to form their own Nations.

WILSON FACES TROUBLES AT HOME Can Wilson Sign the Treaty? No, needs the Senate to approve it. Senate was split into 3 groups  Democrats ~ approve the treaty  Irreconcilables ~ didn’t want U.S. in the League of Nations.  Reservationists ~ would approve it if changes were made.  Henry Cabot Lodge – head of reservationists Wilson would not cooperate with the reservationists.  Went on a 22 day campaign through the U.S. traveling 8,000 miles and speaking 32 times trying to gain the publics approval  It was too much for him and he had a stroke and never fully recovered.  Wilson still continued not to compromise with Lodge

THE SENATE REJECTS THE VERSAILLES TREATY Wilson leaves office in 1921  Never got the treaty approved by the Senate. The U.S. signs separate treaties with Austria, Hungary, and Germany having never joined the League of Nations.  Without the U.S. power the League of Nations would never be able to keep the peace.