Download General John J. Pershing

The First World War:
• Who?
Central Powers:
Allies:
Germany
Austria-Hungary
Ottoman Empire
Bulgaria
Russia
France
Serbia
Great Britain
Italy
Japan
United States (1917)
The First World War:
• Why?
Long term 1. Imperialism
2. Militarism
3. Nationalism
4. Alliances
Short term - Assassination
of Franz Ferdinand of the
Austro-Hungarian Empire
Franz Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria and his
Wife Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg one hour
before their deaths, June 28, 1914
The Black Hand..
• The main objective of
the Black Hand was the
creation, by means of
violence, of a Greater
Serbia.
• Its stated aim was: "To
realize the national
ideal, the unification of
all Serbs. This
organization prefers
terrorist action to
cultural activities; it will
therefore remain
secret."
The spark that lit
the fuse….
• The one event that started the Great War
happened in the Balkans.
• The Archduke Franz Ferdinand (Austria) was
assassinated while visiting Serbia.
• The Black Hand was responsible….
Kaiser Wilhelm II
• Ruler of Germany
• Autocrat
How did Americans React?
I. American citizens were divided.
Many favored the Allies, due to
ties of language, history and
culture. But, many immigrants of
German, Austrian, and Irish
descent favored the Central
Powers.
II. The U.S. economy boomed.
Manufacturers and farmers were
filling orders for food and war
goods. Most of the trade was with
the Allies.
III. Both the Allies and Central
Powers waged a war of
propaganda (ideas to help a
cause) in America.
•Panama Canal was completed in
August of 1914 just a week before
WWI began in Europe.
•Woodrow Wilson became President
in 1912.
•Americans were shocked by the
outbreak of war but…………..it was
in Europe.
•US was officially NEUTRAL
Neutrality
• Neutrality was the stance taken by the
majority of Americans towards the war.
They felt that Europe was too far away
and that its conflicts were not trustworthy.
President Wilson also believed that all
Americans needed to "act and speak in a
spirit of neutrality."
What was the job of
George Creel during the war?
• His job was to sell
America the war.
• Creel tried to “whip”
up support for
Wilson’s ideas
• Help US raise money
to fight
Selective Service Act- Required all young men from
age 21 to 30 to register for the military draft. 4
million men and women joined the armed forces.
Switching to a Wartime Economy- The War Industries
Board told factories what to produce and how to divide
up limited resources.
Liberty Bonds- By buying bonds, Americans
were lending money to the Federal Government
to pay for the war. They raised $21 Billion.
Women went to work- As men went to war in Europe,
women replaced their jobs in factories. They also
worked as police officers, mail-women, and military
nurses.
league cartoon1
Why did the U.S. Finally enter the War in 1917?
I. Submarine warfare angered the U.S.! German U-Boats
torpedoed American ships trading with the Allies.
II. The Lusitania was a British passenger ship that was sunk by
the Germans. 1200 people were killed, including 128
Americans.
III. Zimmerman Telegram
A. Britain intercepted the telegram. Germany
tried to convince Mexico to declare war on the
U.S. Mexico would receive part of the U.S. if
they won the war.
IV. Russian Revolution
A. Czar Nicholas II was removed from power in
Russia. The new government promised
democratic reforms which made it easier for the
U.S. to come into the war on Russia’s side.
Vladamir Lenin
Czar Nicholas
Czar Nicholas and the Romanov Family would be
overthrown by Lenin who eventually would start the first
Communistic state……
What did it take to get the US involved?
•Zimmerman Note +
the sinking of 4
unarmed American
ships led to a
declaration of war
(Lusitania, Sussex,
City of Memphis, and
Vigilancia)
General John J. Pershing, commanding general of the AEF. Referred to as the
Doughboys and Yanks. 2 million in France by Sept. 1918
When a British Army soldier was
ordered to attack the enemy on
the Western Front he carried a
total of 30 kilograms (66 lbs) of
equipment. This included a rifle,
two mills grenades, 220 rounds
of ammunition, a steel helmet,
wire cutters, field dressing,
entrenching tool, greatcoat, two
sandbags, rolled ground sheet,
water bottle, haversack, mess tin,
towel, shaving kit, extra socks,
message book and preserved
food rations. The weight of the
equipment made it difficult to
move very fast across No Man's
Land
1
towel
2
haversack
3
extra socks
4
soap
5
iron rations
6
preserved rations
7
canvas holdall
Day after day we cut down stinking bandages and exposed wounds that destroyed the
whole original plan of the body. One man had both buttocks blown off, one arm had been
amputated at the elbow, and he had a host of smaller wounds from flying metal. Another
lay propped on sphagnum moss to absorb the discharge from two large holes in each
thigh
If you have never had trench feet described to you. I will tell you. Your feet swell to two or three times
their normal size and go completely dead. You could stick a bayonet into them and not feel a thing. If
you are fortunate enough not to lose your feet and the swelling begins to go down. It is then that the
intolerable, indescribable agony begins. I have heard men cry and even scream with the pain and many
had to have their feet and legs amputated
Trench Warfare
• Central and Allied forces used deep
ditches to defend their positions
• Trenches stretched 400-500 miles across
Western Europe
• Trenches were cold, wet, and dirty
• Diseases easily spread in the trenches
• Trenches ranged from small holes to
complex networks with rooms
U-boats or Submarines
• Germany’s fleet of U-boats were the
largest and most advanced
• They attacked Allied shipping across the
Atlantic
• German attacks on Allied ships severely
hurt the supply of weapons and
ammunitions to the Allies
Tanks
• The use of tanks were introduced during
WWI
• They replaced cavalry units (horses)
• The first tanks were tough and could
cause heavy damage
– Especially trenches
• They were also slow and hard to
maneuver
Little Willie, with its Daimler engine, had track frames 12 feet long, weighed 14 tons and could carry a crew of three, at speeds of
just over three miles. The speed dropped to less than 2 mph over rough ground and most importantly of all, was unable to cross
broad trenches. Although the performance was disappointing, Ernest Swinton remained convinced that when modified, the tank
would enable the Allies to defeat the Central Powers
Machine Guns
• Machine guns were introduced during
WWI
• They were used in the trenches and on
airplanes
• Allowed for rapid fire of bullets
The Lewis Gun, a light machine gun, was developed
in the United States in 1911. At 12 kg it was far lighter
than the Vickers Machine-Gun and in 1915 the British
Army decided to purchase the gun for use on the
Western Front. Another advantage of the Lewis is that
six of these guns could be made in the time taken to
produce one Vickers gun. Although too heavy for
efficient portable use, it became the standard support
weapon for the British infantry during the First World
War
Flame
Throwers
Grenade
Launchers
Poison Gas
• Chemical warfare was introduced during
WWI
• Poison gases
– Chlorine gas
– Mustard gas
• Poison gas would destroy the lungs
– Killing the soldier slowly
• Soldiers wore gas masks to protect
themselves
The Airplane
• The use of airplanes in wartime was
introduced during WWI
• Originally, Allied and Central Powers used
airplanes for spying
• Machine guns were later added to shoot
down enemy spies
The Zeppelin
Armistice
Why Important? It ended WWI on
November 11, 1918.
On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the
11th month, hostilities officially ended.
November 1919: Armistice Day
June 1954: Veteran’s Day
Fourteen Points
What? President Wilson’s Plan
for after the war
•Fourteen promises, including
freedom of the seas & a
League of Nations to work for
peace
President Woodrow Wilson
Peace After WWI
I.
Wilson’s Peace Plan- the “Fourteen Points”
A. Wilson did not want to punish Germany- but
France and Britain did.
B. “Peace without Victory”
1. end of secret alliances
2. freedom of the seas
3. self-determination
4. *LEAGUE OF NATIONS*
C. League of Nations- to settle world disputes
The Big Four Leaders of World War I
• The Big Four
Leaders gathered at
Versailles in
January 1919 to
write a formal treaty
for peace.
David Lloyd George
• David Lloyd George was the British Prime
Minister who represented the United
Kingdom. During their talks, George put
the needs of his own nation first.
Vittorio Orlando
• Vittorio Orlando, the Italian Prime Minister,
also put the needs of his nation first during
talks.
Georges Clemenceau
• Georges
Clemenceau, the
French Premier,
wanted to make
Germany pay for the
entire cost of the
war since most of
the fighting took
place on French
soil.
II. Conflicting Goals- the final Peace Treaty
A. France and England got what they wantedGermany was punished
B. Treaty of Versailles
1. Germany forced to take full responsibility of
the war.
2. Germany pays $300 Billion in reparations
3. limited size of German army
4. Germany loses land to France
5. Germany loses colonies
6. League of Nations was created
III. U.S. rejects the Treaty
A. Isolationists were people who wanted to stay out
of world affairs- they opposed the League of
Nations.
B. The Senate rejected the Versailles Treaty
because they feared it would bring the U.S. into
future European conflicts.
Battle of Verdun
• The longest and one of the bloodiest engagements
of World War I. February 1916 – December 1916
• Two million men were engaged.
• The intention of the Germans had been a battle of
attrition in which they hoped to bleed the French
army white.
• In the end, they sustained almost as many
casualties as the French; an estimated 328,000 to
the French 348,000.
Figure 31.1: Approximate Comparative Losses in World War I
Franz Ferdinand
Kaiser Wilhem
Sen. Henry Lodge
Sergeant Alvin York
Central Powers
Allied Powers
President Wilson
Eddie
Rickenbacker
Czar Nicholas
Gen. John J. Pershing
Baron Manfred
von Richthofen
Valadir Lenin