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World War I – Allied Victory
© Paul Kiem, HTA
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US Entry US
Entry
Russian Withdrawal
1918: German Spring Offensive
1918: German Spring Offensive
1918: Allied Counter‐Offensive 1918 The Armistice
1918 The Armistice Reasons for Allied Victory Treaty of Versailles
Treaty of Versailles Exam Questions
History Teachers’ Association of NSW www.htansw.asn.au
Develop a broad understanding
• 1917 the war was stalemated on the Western Front .
1917 the war was stalemated on the Western Front
• US entry and Russian withdrawal were potential turning points.
• The German Spring Offensive in early 1918 broke the stalemate but failed to win the war. The German Spring Offensive in early 1918 broke the stalemate but failed to win the war.
• The Allied Counter‐Offensive led to the Armistice in late 1918.
y
p
• Was Germany defeated or did it collapse? • What were the goals of the Versailles Treaty makers? History Teachers’ Association of NSW www.htansw.asn.au
Know enough detail – but not too much! • 1917, April US entry
• 1917, Dec
Russian withdrawal • 1918, March‐July 1918 M h J l
G
German Spring Offensive
S i Off i
• 1918, July‐Nov
Allied Counter Offensive
• 1918, 29 Oct 1918 29 Oct
German Navy mutinied
German Navy mutinied
• 1918, 11 Nov Armistice – war ends • 1919, June 1919 June
Treaty of Versailles
Treaty of Versailles Also, Also
developments in collapse of German Home
German Home Front. History Teachers’ Association of NSW www.htansw.asn.au
Prepare for source based questions
Understand Context of Sources Analyse Sources
Understanding + Knowledge
+ Knowledge
Recognise important detail in sources
Recognise important detail in sources Use some knowledge + sources History Teachers’ Association of NSW www.htansw.asn.au
1. US Entry into World War I
Background
• US neutrality favoured the Allies. See trade figures. Important in the war of attrition. US
li f
d h Alli S
d fi
I
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f
ii
• US reaction to sinking of Lusitania in 1915 limited Germany’s ability to blockade. It was forced to use ‘limited submarine warfare’.
• 31 January 1917 –
31 January 1917 Germany reintroduced ‘unrestricted submarine warfare’. Germany reintroduced ‘unrestricted submarine warfare’
A gamble – US might enter but Britain could be starved out and the war ended first. Events • 7 April 1917: US declared war after attacks on US ships and the Zimmerman Telegram. • Unrestricted submarine warfare failed. The war continued. Unrestricted submarine warfare failed The war continued
Consequences
Short term: ‐ US entry had limited impact on the ground but boosted Allied morale.
‐ A deteriorating home front & US entry put pressure on Germany. Long term: ‐ US troops and resources would benefit the Allies enormously. ‐ President Wilson would have a major role in the peacemaking. History Teachers’ Association of NSW www.htansw.asn.au
United States Trade With European Powers, 1914‐1916
1914 1916 Total Allied Powers Allied
Powers
$ 824 000 000 $3 214 000 000 $4 038 000 000 $
Central Powers
Central
Powers
$ 169 000 000
$ 1 159 000
$ 170 159 000
$
History Teachers’ Association of NSW www.htansw.asn.au
German use of submarines to blockade Britain.
Restricted U boat warfare
U
Unrestricted U boat warfare
t i t dUb t
f
© HTA Modern History Study Guide 1915 May Lusitania is sunk by German U boat, with American loss of life. 1917 Jan Jan April
Germany begins ‘unrestricted submarine warfare’.
‘Zimmermann Telegram’ intercepted.
US declares war on Germany. History Teachers’ Association of NSW www.htansw.asn.au
Destroyer Merchant Ships
Convoy System overcame the U boat threat.
• Eg only 637 of 1,100,000 US troops lost crossing Atlantic in 1917‐1918. Diagram from Martin Gilbert’s
The Routledge Atlas of the First World War 3
The Routledge
Atlas of the First World War 3rd ed. 2008 ed. 2008
History Teachers’ Association of NSW www.htansw.asn.au
Ships reaching port Ships sunk
Diagram from Martin Gilbert’s The Routledge Atlas of the First World War
3rd ed. 2008 d 2008
History Teachers’ Association of NSW www.htansw.asn.au
Australian Troopship in 1917
Convoy forms in Sierra Leone Looking 
for subs Images, Images
Vasco
Loureiro, 11th Field Co. AIF
History Teachers’ Association of NSW www.htansw.asn.au
Size of Armies in 1916
Allied Powers Central Powers
British 3 516 000 German 5 470 000
F
French 2 978 000 h 2 978 000
A t i 2 750 000
Austrian 2 750 000
Russian 4 767 000 Turkish 500 000
Italian 1 676 000 Bulgarian 400 000
Others 900 000
Others 900 000
Total 13 837 000 9 120 000
American Troops Landing in Europe, 1917‐1918
1917
1917 187 928
187 928
1918 831 187
Total 1 019 115
History Teachers’ Association of NSW www.htansw.asn.au
2. Russian Withdrawal
Background • Germany dominated the Eastern Front but could not gain victory. • The Eastern Front kept Germany committed to a two front war. Events 1917 March
October D
December b
1918 March Tsar abdicates, Provisional Government continues the war.
Bolshevik Revolution B l h ik
Bolsheviks agree to armistice with Germany. i i
i hG
Treaty of Brest Litovsk – Russia withdraws from the war. Consequences
Conseq
ences
• Gave Germany a ‘window of opportunity’ before large numbers of US troops arrived OR the home front
US troops arrived OR the home front deteriorated further. • Troops were transferred from the Eastern Front to the Western Front
Eastern Front to the Western Front. History Teachers’ Association of NSW www.htansw.asn.au
3. The German Spring Offensive (Ludendorff Offensive)
21 March – July 1918
• Mobile stormtroopers.
• Rapid advance. R id d
• Stalemate broken. • Allies recovered. Allies recovered
Germans:
‐Were stopped.
Were stopped
‐ Became exhausted.
‐ Ran out of reserves.
‐ Were exposed to Were exposed to
counter‐attack. German Advance, 21 March – July 1918: History Teachers’ Association of NSW www.htansw.asn.au
4. Allied Counter Offensive July‐November 1918
• Combined Command – Foch • Effective Artillery
‐ High Concentration
g
‐ Creeping Barrage • Combined Arms
‐ Infantry ‐ Tanks ‐ Air • American Troops
• Mobile Warfare • Demoralised Enemy
Eg 8 Aug ‘Black Day of German Army’ ’
History Teachers’ Association of NSW www.htansw.asn.au
Reconnaissance & Protection All arms All
arms
coordinated offensive. Mass M
Artillery Creeping Barrage Supply Supply
Drops 1
Supply Tanks 2
Infantry Tanks y
History Teachers’ Association of NSW www.htansw.asn.au
3
5. Events Leading to the Armistice
1917 no side wanted ‘peace without victory’.
1918 Jan: President Wilson announced his Fourteen Points:
1918,
no annexations, disarmament, self-determination, an ‘association of nations’ …
- Ludendorff Offensive failed.
- Allied Counter-Offensive succeeded.
- Bulgaria
g
((Sept.),
p ), Turkey
y ((Oct.),
), Austria ((Nov.)) surrendered.
- October: German High Command advised the government to seek peace.
- October: German Navy mutinied.
- 9 Nov.: General Strike in Berlin.
- 9 Nov.: Kaiser abdicated.
- 11 Nov. new German government signed Armistice.
History Teachers’ Association of NSW www.htansw.asn.au
Two statements by German Commander Ludendorff:
Two statements by German Commander Ludendorff:
A. Advice to Reichstag, 2 October 1918.
We can carry on the war for a substantial further period, we can cause the enemy heavy loss, but we cannot win the war … We must make up our minds to abandon the war as hopeless Every day brings the enemy
our minds to abandon the war as hopeless. Every day brings the enemy nearer his goal…
B. From his book, War Memories, 1921. The civilian politicians, the Socialists and the Soldiers
The
civilian politicians the Socialists and the Soldiers’ Councils on the Councils on the
home front worked behind our backs. Their efforts undermined the efforts of our brave fighting men in the trenches. In the end Germany suffered defeat at the hands of a minority who spread discontent while
suffered defeat at the hands of a minority who spread discontent while our proud army remained undefeated in the field of battle. History Teachers’ Association of NSW www.htansw.asn.au
6. Reasons for the Allied Victory
1
1.
G
Germany
was att a strategic
t t i disadvantage
di d
t
in
i a llong war.
2.
The German Home Front collapsed.
3.
The US entered the war on the Allied side.
4
4.
The German Army was beaten on the Western Front
Front.
History Teachers’ Association of NSW www.htansw.asn.au
1.
Germany was at a strategic disadvantage in a long war.
Early advantages:
Strong economy and large, well equipped, well-trained army.
Strategic position in middle of Europe. War fought on Allied territory.
Germany could be defensive on Western Front while Allies had to make
costly attacks.
Disadvantages
Di
d
t
iin a llong war after
ft ffailure
il
off Schlieffen
S hli ff Plan.
Pl
Forced to fight a two front war until 1918.
The British Navy’s blockade of Germany was successful in a war of attrition.
By contrast,
contrast the German U boat campaign brought the US into the war
war.
While Battles like the Somme cost the Allies heavily, they also hurt Germany,
militarily and economically.
Germany’s
Germany
s allies provided limited support
support.
By contrast, the allies had support from their empires and the US.
Arguably the Allied powers had the advantage in a long war of attrition
Arguably,
attrition.
History Teachers’ Association of NSW www.htansw.asn.au
2.
The German Home Front collapsed.
• The British blockade, the war and inflation put enormous strain on the economy. • By 1916 there were shortages; by 1918 starvation. • The German High Command took workers out of agriculture and sent them to the army or industry (1916 Hindenburg Program). Led to neglect of agriculture.
• In 1914 a political truce – Burgfrieden – had been declared in Germany, with all parties offering to support the government’s war effort. With increasing hardship, the old divisions re emerged:
divisions re‐emerged:
‐ In 1917 the Reichstag supported a Peace Resolution.
‐ Revolutionary socialists emerged to lead strikes and mutinies. ‐ By late 1918 there was a political breakdown, revolution and mutiny. By late 1918 there was a political breakdown revolution and mutiny
‐ Example of strikes:
1000/month in 1915 100,000/month in 1918
100,000/month in 1918
History Teachers’ Association of NSW www.htansw.asn.au
3.
The US entered the war on the Allied side.
This was a critical factor in German defeat. American potential in resources and men was a blow to German morale. The Allies had access to millions of US draftees. The Allies had access to millions of US dollars and US industrial output. Note the impact of US forces by mid‐late 1918. Size of Armies in 1916
Size
of Armies in 1916
Allied Powers Central Powers
British 3 516 000 German 5 470 000
French 2 978 000 Austrian 2 750 000
Russian 4 767 000 Turkish 500 000
Italian 1 676 000 Bulgarian 400 000
Others 900 000
Total 13 837 000 9 120 000
American Troops Landing in Europe, 1917‐1918
1917 187 928
1918 831 187
Total 1 019 115
History Teachers’ Association of NSW www.htansw.asn.au
4.
The German Army was beaten on the Western Front.
• O
Once the Ludendorff Offensive failed, German army had exhausted its reserves and h L d d ff Off i f il d G
h d h
di
d
now faced an Allied counter offensive. • By
By 1918, Allied commanders had improved technology and tactics: 1918 Allied commanders had improved technology and tactics
‐ They coordinated infantry, machine guns, artillery, tanks and aircraft ‘all arms’ attacks.
‐ There were improvements in everything from artillery to mapping. ‐ They had aerial supremacy.
They had aerial supremacy
‐ They had a combined command under Marshal Foch. The German army suffered from declining morale. On 8 August 1918, Ludendorff
German army suffered from declining morale On 8 August 1918 Ludendorff’ss • The
‘black day’, 12,000 were taken prisoner. • Despite
Despite later claims about a later claims about a ‘stab
stab in the back
in the back’,, the High Command admitted in the High Command admitted in
October that the army had been defeated: ‘there exists no further prospect of forcing peace on the enemy ... we can no longer win.’ History Teachers’ Association of NSW www.htansw.asn.au
The answer is complex:
•
The result was close – Germany could have won at any time up to mid 1918.
•
Only
O
l hindsight
hi d i ht allows
ll
us tto see G
German mistakes:
i t k
- Failure of Schlieffen Plan
- Failure of unrestricted U boat campaign, resulting in US entry.
- Mismanagement of home front
front.
•
All home fronts were under strain.
Arguably Germany’s
Arguably,
Germany s home front collapsed only in late 1918
1918.
•
US entry only became a major factor late in 1918.
•
Recently historians have emphasised the improvement in Allied tactics and the
fact that Germany was defeated militarily.
Eg.: see Robin Prior’s ‘Stabbed in the front: German defeat in 1918’
in Ashley Elkins (ed.) 1918 Year of Victory, 2010
History Teachers’ Association of NSW www.htansw.asn.au
Der Erste Welt Krieg 1914‐1918 – German World War I Exhibition, Berlin 2014
Teaching History, December 2014 Selected Captions The War at Sea
“The U‐boat war isolated the German Empire diplomatically and accelerated the entry of the United States into the war.”
The Exhausted Metropolis
Th
E h
dM
li
“The people suffered from hunger in all the warring countries. But in Germany the hunger was more drastic than in France or Great Britain because of the British naval blockade... W
War weariness increased perceptibly in the German Empire from 1916 ... At the end of i
i
d
tibl i th G
E i f
1916 At th
d f
January 1918 a massive political strike was called, joined by a million German people.”
Victory and Defeat
Victory
and Defeat
“The German Supreme Army Command recognized that it was senseless to continue the fighting and demanded that the government should negotiate a cease fire with the Allies to end the war In this way the military shifted the responsibility for defeat on to the new
to end the war. In this way the military shifted the responsibility for defeat on to the new government of the German Reich.”
History Teachers’ Association of NSW www.htansw.asn.au
© Paul Kiem
Obliterated French Village – Verdun History Teachers’ Association of NSW www.htansw.asn.au
Georges Clemenceau Woodrow Wilson David Lloyd George
France USA
Britain Punish Germany Lasting Peace Protect Britain Protect France Internationalism Realist History Teachers’ Association of NSW www.htansw.asn.au
Wilson USA
Lloyd George BRITAIN Clemenceau FRANCE Idealist
Realist
Nationalist
War cost US little
War cost Br a great deal
War cost Fr the most Limited support at home
Elected to ‘make Germany pay’
pay
Strong anti‐German feelings in France
in France Wanted to:
Wanted to base future security on League of Nations 1) Make Britain secure 2) Offer some support to Fr.
Offer some support to Fr
Wanted to:
1) Weaken Germany 2) Secure US & Br Secure US & Br
guarantees
Insisted on League but gave way to France on treatment of Germany
Ensured Br. gained advantage. Ensured Fr. gained advantage. Limited support for League. Limited support for League. Supported some reparations.
Supported reparations. Supported harsh reparations. Result:
• The treaty was not based on Wilson’s 14 points. • Germany blamed for the war. Germany blamed for the war
• Germany required to pay huge reparations. • Germany disarmed and large areas of territory taken. • A League of Nations set up. A League of Nations set up
History Teachers’ Association of NSW www.htansw.asn.au
President Wilson Address to US Congress, 2 April 1917
The world must be made safe for democracy. Its peace must be placed upon the tested foundations of political liberty. We have no selfish ends to serve. We desire no conquest... We seek no indemnities for ourselves, no material compensation for the sacrifices we shall freely make. We are but one of the champions of the rights of mankind.
History Teachers’ Association of NSW www.htansw.asn.au
This cartoon appeared in the German satirical magazine Simplissimus,
ti i l
i Si li i
3J
3 June 1919.
Cartoon by Australian Will Dyson in London’ss Daily Herald, May 1919. London
Daily Herald May 1919
History Teachers’ Association of NSW www.htansw.asn.au
Source A: Major R. J. Donaldson History of the 11th Field Company Australian Engineers, 1919
8 August 1918
It was obvious that the enemy has lost the initiative in the failure of his attempt to force the
Marne, and that the violent battles on the French and American sectors in July marked its
definite passage to the Allies.
The breaking
Th
b ki off the
th German
G
li on the
line
th 8th August
A
t marked
k d the
th end
d off the
th old
ld “sit‐down”
“ it d
”
trench warfare and to no one did this represent a bigger change than to the sappers. Instead
of settling down for a month or more at a time in a camp … and no sign or hope of an end
to proceedings,
proceedings the company now began to experience conditions approximating open
warfare, with troubles and discomforts all compensated for by victory, and at least a hope of
peace to come.
1 In Source A, trench warfare was described as 1.
In Source A trench warfare was described as ‘sit‐down’
sit‐down because:
because:
A
it was stalemated.
B
it was a boring style of warfare. C
it was planned by generals at desks
it was planned by generals at desks. D
soldiers spent most of the time seated. 2. Source A could be used as evidence to show that:
A
open warfare was enjoyable
open warfare was enjoyable. B
battles were less violent after July 1918. C
Allied troops’ morale was high in late 1918.
D
American troops took the initiative in late 1918
American troops took the initiative in late 1918.
History Teachers’ Association of NSW www.htansw.asn.au
Source B: Graph from Martin Gilbert’s The Routledge Atlas of the First World War, 3rd ed. 2008 German Prisoners British Casualties
3. What can be concluded from Source B?
A
The British suffered low casualties in late 1918.
B
British casualties peaked at 45 000 per week in 1918
British casualties peaked at 45,000 per week in 1918. C
Large numbers of Germans were captured during the Ludendorff Offensive. D
Large numbers of Germans were captured during the Allied Counter Offensive.
History Teachers’ Association of NSW www.htansw.asn.au
Short Answer Question
1. Use Sources A and B and your own knowledge to explain how fighting on the Western Front changed during 1918. 4 marks
History Teachers’ Association of NSW www.htansw.asn.au
General: There is, however, one small problem. Blackadder: That everyone always gets slaughtered in the first ten seconds? G
General: l
Th ' i h A d Fi ld M h ll H i i
That's right. And Field Marshall Haig is worried that this may be i d h hi
b
depressing the men a tadge. So, he's looking to find a way to cheer them up. Blackadder: Well his resignation and suicide would seem the obvious suggestion
Blackadder: Well, his resignation and suicide would seem the obvious suggestion. Lieutenant George: Great Scott sir, you mean, you mean the moment's finally arrived for us to give Harry Hun a darned good British style thrashing, six of the best, trousers down? Blackadder: If you mean, "Are we all going to get killed?" Y Cl l Fi ld M h l H i i b t t
Yes. Clearly, Field Marshal Haig is about to make yet another gargantuan k
t
th
t
effort to move his drinks cabinet six inches closer to Berlin. The General ‘Good‐morning; good‐morning!’ the General said
When we met him last week on our way to the line.
Now the soldiers he smiled at are most of ’em
h
ld
h
l d
f ’ dead,
d d
And we’re cursing his staff for incompetent swine.
‘He’s
He s a cheery old card,
a cheery old card ’ grunted Harry to Jack
grunted Harry to Jack
As they slogged up to Arras with rifle and pack.
*
*
*
But he did for them both by his plan of attack.
Si f i d S
Siegfried Sassoon Gary Sheffield
Gary
Sheffield
The Chief: Douglas Haig and the British Army, 2011
The war poets and Blackadder have distorted our view of World War I.
The war poets and Blackadder
have distorted our view of World War I
Haig was a competent and respected general and contributed to victory:
‐ He retrained the army.
He retrained the army
‐ The battles of 1916 and 1917 did wear down the German Army.
‐ The British Army learnt from these battles.
‐ The battles of 1918 were well planned, directed and supplied. p
,
pp
“On the eve of the battles that were to win the war, Haig’s army was very different from the one that had fought on the Somme two years before ... The BEF was more experienced, from high command down; it had evolved effective procedures for battle and staff work; and its morale was robust. Thanks in no small part to Churchill at the Ministry of Munitions, the British could now fight a rich man’s war, with unlimited supplies of material.” Recent Historiography
Recent Historiography
Meleah Hampton ‘Rise, Fall and Rise of Douglas Haig’ in Wartime, Summer 2016
,
g
g
,
Professor Buzzkill podcast # 19 Professor Richard Grayson on ‘Blackadder
Professor Richard Grayson on Blackadder and World War I
and World War I’::
http://professorbuzzkill.libsyn.com
(3 Nov 2015, check podcast archives)