Please put your phones in the hotel Wrapping up WWI Please put your phones in the hotel

BELLWORK: 4/9/18 How was trench warfare used in WWI? Why did this tactic lead to a stalemate? What weapons were created to fight WWI? How was aircraft used in WWI? Define total war. Define war of attrition. How would WWI change women’s roles and rights in society? Why does war often bring social change?

A New Kind of Warfare WWI brought about a new form of warfare on a scale never seen before in world history. Early on, the French army was not prepared to fight against the German army. The French were fighting in a traditional 18th and 19th centuries method.

A New Kind of Warfare The German army was equipped with the newest technology in warfare: The Machine Gun. A German machine gun had 50 to 100 times the firepower of one French rifle. The French had nearly 15,000 deaths a day.

WWI German Machine Gun

The First Battle of Marne Began on September 7, 1914 The German Army was within 25 miles of Paris, France. Involved more than 2 million soldiers along a 125 mile battlefront. French had pushed back the Germans 40 miles. Over 250,000 lives were lost during the battle.

Birth of Modern Warfare Technology The tank invented in 1915, was used to level areas in “no man’s land” and to enter enemy trenches. Poison gas- invented in Germany and first used in WWI. Chlorine gas would destroy the lungs of soldiers. The use of the gas masks would make poison gas less effective.

Birth of Modern Warfare Technology The first time airplanes were used in warfare was during WWI. Planes would get in air battles known as “dogfights.” They would also harass the trenches by throwing bricks and other heavy things. Airplanes were later mounted with machine guns.

The Red Baron

WWI Aircraft British Airship Zeppelin (Germany) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1oxX4Q6ndo

Aircraft was vital in supporting naval warfare & ground troops

WWI Dogfights

The United States Prior to WWI The United States had a strong tradition of isolationism. When the war broke out America began leaning towards the allies because of the harsh war tactics of Germany. Germany began using their U-boats as a weapon against the Allied powers. The US traded primarily with Great Britain during early part of WWI, because of the naval blockade they had set up to prevent Germany from trading with other powers. On May 1, 1915, the Lusitania, a British luxury liner carrying over 1900 passengers was torpedoed by a German U-Boat, killing 1200 people, including 128 Americans.

German U-boat and Lusitania

US Entry into WWI March 24, 1916- The Sussex was torpedoed once again by German U- boats. Germany issued the Sussex Pledge, telling the US they will not torpedo any merchant ship without warning. In February of 1917, Germany reassumed unrestricted submarine warfare forcing the US to cutoff diplomatic relations. The Zimmerman Note would become another sticking point for the US to go to War. The Zimmerman note was a proposal by Arthur Zimmerman to Mexico to declare war on the US.  Mexico was to reacquire its old provinces of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. It was intercepted by the British and published in American newspapers.

US Entry into WWI The Zimmerman Note and unrestricted submarine warfare, along with the uncertainty of Russia remaining in the war, pressured Wilson to ask for a Declaration of War on April 2, 1917. The United States joined the Allied Forces on April 6, 1917.

Preparing for War In order to raise an army for the war in Europe, Congress passed the Selective Service Act in May of 1917. This required men between the ages of 21 and 30 to register to be drafted into the military. If drafted, these men would enter training with little to nothing ready for them to be trained with or live in. (Conscription)

What is a war of attrition? A military strategy in which one side attempts to win a war by wearing down the enemy to the point of collapse through continuous losses in morale, personnel, supplies, etc. This is key in TOTAL WAR!

American Military Women American women played a vital role in WWI. Many French-speaking American women would work as switchboard operators known as “Hello Girls.” American women would also work as nurses, typist, bookkeepers, radio operators, electricians, and telegraphers.

Women in WWI Make a prediction  How would WWI change women’s roles and rights in society? Why does war often bring social change? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v= 7cVSjzuvThE

Video: WWI – Slaughter in the Trenches https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLEIalZiCMo (start at 1:40) Covers WWI through primary footage and stories.