WW1 Notes Chapter 11 Mr. Koehn US History

Causes of the War Alliances - Triple Entente and Triple Alliance Nationalism - belief in superiority of your country Imperialism - countries trying to gain colonies Militarism (Arms build up) –Countries spend millions on armies... International Rivalries –England & Germany –Russia & Austria –France & Germany Anarchy - No way to keep the peace - no UN Leadership - POOR

Alliances Central Powers –Germany –Austria-Hungary –Turkey Strong military tradition Early ‘favorite’ to win Allies –France –England –Russia –Serbia Democratic traditions Defensive battle

Spark That Ignites the Powder Keg Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand –Crown Prince of Austria- Hungary –Serb separatists kill him while he is visiting Sarajevo Serbia will not turn over killers Austria-Hungary makes sure Germany backs them Serbia has Russia’s backing France & Russia have mutual defense treaty England & France have treaty Austria-Hungary attacks Serbia

Eastern Front Russian armies invade Germany Early successes stopped by end of 1914 Russians serious threat to Austria Russians lose 1M casualties in 1915 Eastern Front a standstill by 1916

Western Front German Plan for Invasion –Schlieffen Plan (stopped at Marne River) Invade France in grand, sweeping advance Paris the target of invasion BUT - German’s weaken invasion force AND - French recover faster than expected AND - Belgians resist for longer than expected –Plan 17 French plan of counterattack Failed because of large number of refugees

Western Front - 1st Marne Largest reason Schlieffen Plan failed = right wing weakened Failure of both plans causes both armies to “dig in” for protection “Race to the Sea” ensues - trenches stretch 600 miles from Switzerland to North Sea

Major Battles Verdun (Feb-Jul 1916) –Germans hope to bleed France to death –Both sides pour armies into battle –Germans beaten back by French –Almost 1M killed during fighting

Major Battles Somme (Jul-Nov 1916) –British attack in northern France –Leaders with riding sticks and soccer balls –No noticeable gains –Ulster Division loses 5600 men before noon Costs of both battles –950k + 785k = 1.735M –Allies + Germans Stalemate begins

Other Fronts Balkans –War starts in this region –Austro-Hungarian invasions fail –Turkey switches sides –British invasions of Turkey failures Italy –Early 1915, Italy switches to Allies –Promised two key cities if Allies win –Little military importance, bad army –Trench warfare in mountains is very deadly

War at Sea British blockades German ports British seize German colonies in Africa Germans need to use submarines after defeat of German Navy at the Battle of Jutland Germany declares “war zone” around British Isles in warns that commercial ships in that area will be sunk

America Stays Neutral Wilson declares US should be neutral “in thought as well as in action” –1/3 of US citizens had ties to Germany, England, France or Ireland –American tradition avoided foreign wars (GW) –Under international law, neutral nations can trade with both sides $$$$ Britain was our natural ally, but blockaded Germany –Violates our freedom of the seas –Sympathy for starving German citizens –British mines cut off other neutral countries

Critical Year US Enters War (April) Russia drops out of war (starting in March) All new attacks lead to high losses and no gains French troops mutiny Defeatism in Germany, France, England Battle of Caporetto (Oct-Dec) - Italians lose 750,000 (half through desertion)

Russia Withdraws Terrible defeats since 1914 Czar’s incompetence & corruption Army disintegrating March Revolution = Karensky’s Republic November Revolution = Lenin & Communism Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (March 1918)

American Neutrality Three camps within America –Pro-Allied Americans join Lafayette Escadrille or French Foreign Legion Ambulance drivers or British Army Wilson admires Britain –Pro-Central Difficult to aid because of blockade Propaganda was the best they could do –Pro-Neutral Socialists,Quakers, Women’s movement, Progressives all opposed war

Steps Toward US Intervention Wilson’s Idealism –Attempts to negotiate peace, but is ignored –Views struggle as democracies vs. totalitarian British Propaganda –British control Trans-Atlantic Cable & all news traveling on it –Americans receive stories of German torture, mutilation & murder German sabotage against America Germany associated with aggression

Steps Toward US Intervention Economic Ties –1915: $500B loaned to Britain & France –US traded primarily with the Allies before the war –Allied defeat could have serious negative impact on US economy Diplomatic Ties –Post-Civil War: US & Britain realize cooperation benefits both countries Britain only country to side with US during Span- Am War –Britain had allowed growth of American power

Steps Toward US Intervention Submarine Warfare - Most Important Reason –British naval dominance does not allow Germany to fight ‘standard’ war –No American lives lost to blockade of Germany –May 1915 Lusitania sinks

Lusitania Sunk off S. Coast of Ireland (1915) 1198 of 1924 passengers killed –128 Americans –63 Infants WHY? –Ship was carrying 4200 cases of ammunition –Germans had warned ships to stay out of war zone –Wilson did not believe ammo was on board & referred to sinking as “Piracy” and “Mass Murder” –Modern research - portholes in 3rd class were open, allowing water to flood in Within one year Germany apologizes & pays cash to victims

Sinking of the Sussex French liner sunk in 1916, several Americans killed Germany pledges to stop sinking merchant ships without warning This satisfies Americans, until Germans restart unrestricted use of subs in 1917 Germany thought they could knock out Britain before we could get to Europe

Steps Toward US Intervention Zimmerman Telegram –Message between Germany & Mexico –Mexico to declare war on US –Mexico would gain land lost after Mexican-American War –Mexico does not take offer seriously –America outraged by plan

US at War Wilson asks for declaration of war War declared by Congress (April 1917) Raising an Army –Selective Service Act (ages 21-30) –By end of war 4.7M men serve Almost 400,000 Blacks serve –Most met with discrimination & prejudice –Given non-combat duty

US at War Wilson asks for income tax to pay for war Calls this “the war to end all war” and a war “to make the world safe for democracy” American Expeditionary Force (AEF) lead by General “Blackjack” Pershing –He led search for Villa General Douglas MacArthur leads the “Rainbow Division” - men from all states Convoys use to bring troops to Europe with no loss of life!

Last Year of the War (1917-8) Russia becomes Communist and withdraws from war March Russia signed a separate peace treaty with Germany, Brest-Litovsk, freeing its eastern front.

Wilson’s Ideals Jan Wilson before a joint session of Congress announced his Fourteen Points, guidelines for setting up a new world order after the war. –(1) No secret agreements in the future –(2) A reduction in military arms –(3) Complete freedom of the seas in peace and war –(4) Self-determination for peoples –(5) **Most important** League of Nations

Final Battles German troops brought to West to launch new offenses - most not successful Germans do get within 50 miles of Paris before being stopped by only 275,000 American troops

Armistice Kaiser abdicates – cannot control German population – starvation now a problem throughout Germany November 11th - Germany signed an armistice, not surrender -- the fighting stopped. (11th hour, 11th day, 11th month) Nov 11 was Armistice Day, although Veterans Day is celebrated now.

Failure of the League Wilson’s plans fail to move Americans –Senate wants to return to isolationism –Wilson travels the country trying to urge Americans to support League –Stress of the speeches leads to a stroke, crippling him Reasons the League failed –Germany and Russia banned from joining –Senate does not pass Treaty – US not a member

Costs of the War Casualties - Both sides suffered 20 million missing and wounded –Allies million dead –Central Powers million dead –US - of 2 million+ in uniform, 1.3 million saw action with 112,432 dead Spanish Flu Pandemic –Started in Kansas (not Spain) –Kills more people worldwide than the war –Stops, we don’t know why, or why it started