Download Wilson, War, and Peace

WILSON, WAR, AND PEACE
19.3
OBJECTIVES
Understand how the United States military
contributed to the Allied victory in the war.
 Describe the aims of the Fourteen Points.
 Analyze the decisions made at the Paris Peace
Conference.
 Explain why the United States Senate refused to
ratify the treaty ending World War I.

KEY PARTS
America Gives the Allies the Edge
 Wilson Promotes Peace Without Victory
 Wilson at the Paris Peace Conference
 America Rejects the Treaty

INTRODUCTION
Read Section 19.3
 Answer critical thinking questions 5&6.

AMERICA GIVES THE ALLIES THE EDGE
The European leaders questioned whether or not
the United States would actually be dedicated to
help the war effort.
 Even if the United States was dedicated would
they even be able to mobilize in time to help.
 This unknown worried Germany, so they began
using their submarines in unrestricted warfare to
try to end the war before the United States got
involved.

CONT.
The Allies immediately felt the impact of the
submarine warfare.
 The German sank merchant ships faster than the
allies could build them, this destroyed the allied
supply chain.
 The Allies tried to counteract it by traveling in
convoys or groups of ships that were protected by
warships.

CONT..
This tactic worked extremely well the shipping
losses from U-Boat attacks fell as sharply as they
had risen. Germany’s tactic failed.
 On land the situation was in the favor of the
Central Powers. The Allies were exhausted by
years of combat.
 Russia was torn by revolutions, In March 1917 a
moderate democratic revolution overthrew Czar
Nicholas II but kept Russia in the War.

CONT…
In November 1917 radical communists led by
Vladimir Lenin staged a revolution and gained
control of Russia.
 This caused Russia to end the war between
Germany in Russia on March 3, 1918 via the
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk.
 General John J. Pershing, the Commander of
American forces in Europe arrived in France in
June 1917, with a small American Force.

CONT….
It wasn’t until early 1918 before American
Troops began to arrive in large numbers.
 The American troops were called doughboys
because of their Uniforms.
 The American Troops began to see heavy battle
beginning in the spring of 1918, they battled
along side the French and held off the German
attacks.

CONT…..
The US Soldiers battled violently and this gave
the Allied forces hope. The bravery that the US
Soldiers showed set the precedent for the
remainder of the war.
 One of the most noted war hero was Alvin York of
Tennessee. He and a group of 16 men were
trapped behind enemy lines and were facing
unbelievable machine gun fire.

CONT……

Sgt. York ran out towards the machine gun as it
was shooting at him and drew up his rifle and
shot the machine gunner, this was his last shot.
He threw down his rifle and charged the German
Position with only a pistol, and his group of
sixteen joined him charging up the hill and they
took the German position and Sgt. York was
awarded the Medal of Honor.
CONT…….
By the end of the war more than 50,000
Americans had lost their lives and about 230,000
were wounded severely.
 By the fall of 1918 the German front was
collapsing.
 Both German and Austro-Hungarian armies had
had enough. On November 11, 1918 Germany
surrendered to the Allies in a railway car in
Compiengne, France
 Deaths: Allied 5million, Central 8million,
Civilian 6.5 million

WILSON PROMOTES PEACE WITHOUT
VICTORY
Wilson’s War Aims were known as the Fourteen
Points, this outlined the concept of “peace
without victory”
 The Fourteen Points promoted openness,
encouraging independence and supporting
freedom.
 In 1919 Wilson asked for a League of Nations
and traveled to France to meet with Allied
leaders. He was the First President to Travel to
Europe for a conference.

WILSON AT THE PARIS PEACE
CONFERENCE
Wilson’s Ideas were not well received at the
conference.
 The Allies wanted Germany to pay for war
damages since they were a primary cause of the
war and they wanted to weaken Germany so that
they would never be a threat to Europe again.
 The only thing Wilson was able to accomplish
from the Treaty was an establishment of a
League of nations.

AMERICA REJECTS THE TREATY
Wilson had a very difficult time getting the
Treaty of Versailles ratified. He had created
enemies with in Congress and the senate.
 The nation was divided in many ways on the
details of the treaty and the League of nations.
 The Treaty was voted on three times and each
time it was defeated on different terms.
