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Chapter 8 Section 2
The United States Enters the War
Europe on the Brink of War
Review
M
?
A
?
European Tensions
Rising caused by
I
?
N
?
Where is the
“A” in MANIA
Main Idea
• The United States helped turn the tide for an
Allied Victory
Reading Focus
• Why did the United States try to stay neutral
during the war?
• Which events showed that America was heading
into war?
• What contributions did America make in the war
in Europe?
• How did the war end?
America Remains Neutral
 United States took stance of “isolationism” but privately favored
the Allied Cause
 Wilson concerned about Germany’s war tactics and invasion of
Belgium (plus US had more ties to Britain instead of Germany)
 A British Naval blockade had blockaded German ports and
transportation routes which caused many American businesses to
not sell to Germany
 But it was easier to sell to the Alliesby 1917, GB was purchasing almost
75 million worth of war goods each week
Sinking of RMS Lusitania
-
May 1, 1915: Vessel leaves
NYC and Sets sail for Great
Britain
-
1900 passengers on board
-
Boat was believed to be too
fast for German U-Boats
-
May 7, 1915- Vessel
torpedoed by U-Boat
-
Passengers tried to survive
but many died (1200 dead
including 128 Americans)
What is Unrestricted
Submarine Warfare
Introduced in early 1915, when
Germany declared the area around
the British Isles a war zone, in which
all merchant ships, including those
from neutral countries, would be
attacked by the German navy.
Although the Lusitania was a British
ship and it was carrying a supply of
munitions—Germany used these two
facts to justify the attack—it was
principally a passenger ship, and the
1,201 people who drowned in its
sinking included 128 Americans.
Heading Towards War
Pres. Wilson demands Germany end
unrestricted submarine warfare- Agrees to only
attack supply ships
One year later, Germany attacks French
passenger ship Sussex killing 80 people on
board
Wilson threatens to end diplomatic relations
with Germany unless it suspends this type of
warfare (Germany agrees) – Issues “Sussex
Pledge”
*Pledge promises not to sink merchant vessels
without warning and without saving lives*
Feb 1917- Germany resumes unrestricted
warfare
US cuts diplomatic relations with GermanyWilson asks Congress to authorize Machine
Guns on Merchant ships
Zimmerman Note
 German Foreign secretary Arthur
Zimmerman sends coded telegram to
Mexico
 Note proposes alliance between
Germany and Mexico
 Germany promised support to Mexico
“reconquer the territories of NM, TX, AZ”
 Note intercepted by GB and sent to
America
Angered many Americans
Enough for War Yet?
Unrestricted
Submarine
Warfare
?
US
Declaration
of War?
Sinking of
Lusitania
Zimmerman
Note
United States Declares War
 1917- Things in Russia not going so well- Czar Nicholas II losing
power to rebellion
 Wilson believed US should be more supportive to Allies since
there was chance Russia could withdraw from war
 March 1917- German U-Boats sinks 3 U.S. Merchant ships
 Wilson requests declaration of War
against Germany
 April 6, 1917- United States joins War
On side of Allies
“ We shall fight for the things which we have
always carried nearest to our hearts , for
democracy, and to bring peace and safety to all
nations and make the world itself free at last….”
- Woodrow Wilson, Speech to Congress, April 2, 1917
Raising an Army in the U.S.
 May 18, 1917- Congress passes Selective Service Actrequires men between 21-30 to register for draft
 Training was intense for new recruits- many slept in tents
and awaited supplies
 Soldiers were still segregated- African-Americans were
placed in black units
 Latinos were discriminated against as well- Some had to
learn better English before deploying to the fight
Convoy System
American Soldiers who
deployed overseas
formed the AEF
(American
Expeditionary Force)
Troop movement
surrounded by
destroyers or cruisers
First U.S. troops arrivalJune 1917- France
Arriving in Europe
 Upon U. S. arrival
- Germany occupied all of
Belgium and part of Northeastern France
- Russia was trying its best to defend
on the East (famine and civil war)
- Pershing insisted his troops fight in
units and receive additional training
Allied Setback
 November 1917- Russian revolution
intensified- Bolsheviks overthrew
Czar Nicholas II
 Communist party now in powerwithdrew Russian troops from
eastern front
 Germany could now focus on
western front
 March 1918- Germany launches a
series of tremendous offensives
- 6K Big Berthas (artillery)
(could project shell 75 miles)
US Troops in Action
o Almost 1 year after arriving in
France, US Troops saw combat
o They dug trenches alongside
the allied forces
o Members of the 82 ABN very
active with digging trenches
and laying barbed wires
o US Troops- major factor in
war- June 1918> Helped
French stop German Army at
Battle of Chateau-Theirry
o US Marines fought in bloodiest
battle of war- Belleau Wood
France
Harlem Hell Fighters
First organized in 1916 as the 15th New York National
Guard Infantry Regiment and manned by black enlisted
soldiers with both black and white officers, the U.S.
Army’s 369th Infantry Regiment, popularly known as
the “Harlem Hell fighters,” was the best known African
American unit of World War I
Spending over six months in combat, perhaps the
longest of any American unit in the war, the 369th
suffered approximately fifteen hundred casualties but
received only nine hundred replacements. Unit
histories claimed they were the first unit to cross the
Rhine into Germany; they performed well at ChateauThierry and Belleau Wood, earning the epithet “Hell
Fighters” from their enemies
Women in World War 1
 US Army Signal Corps recruited
French-speaking American
women to serve as switchboard
operators “HELLO GIRLS”
 Crucial for keeping
communication between front
lines and HQ of AEF
 Approximately 20K nurses
served in WWI (home and
overseas)
 Some were bookkeepers, radio
operators, or telegraphers
The Final Offensives
 July 15, 1918- Germany launches last desperate offensive at Second
Battle of Marne
 3rd Infantry Division blew up every bridge the Germans had built
across the Marne River
 German Army retreats on August 3rd after suffering 150K casualties
 Allies launched a counterattack (trench warfare ended) defeating
Germans at several battle locations (U.S. fought as a separate Army)
By November 1918 , U.S. had
reached Sedan
US Victory
Allied Advance near
German Border
The Armistice and End to War
 By late 1918 the war had crippled German economy> Civilians lacked food and supplies
> Food riots and strikes erupted in Germany
> Revolution swept across Austria-Hungary
 Central Powers were having trouble motivating their Soldiers to fight against Allies
(some deserted)
 Central Powers began to surrender> Early November- Austria-Hungary signed treaty with allies
> Ottoman Empire would end fighting and later sign treaty in Aug 1920
 Germany- Armistice agreed upon (agreement to stop fighting) on November 11,
1918 at 11 a.m.
11/11/11/18
 Treaty of Versailles would be signed on June 28th, 1919 officially ending the war
Central Powers- Orange
Allied Powers- Green