Download NOTEBOOK - WWI

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N O T E B O O K #5
World War I
American History II
9th Grade
Mr. Konecke
Name:________________________________
Period:______
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Directions:
Options:
Grade:
Due Date:
On a large poster, create your own WWI propaganda poster. Propaganda uses words &
images to spread ideas, information, or rumor for the purpose of helping or injuring an
institution, a cause, or a person.
1. You may use any kind of drawing materials (pens, markers, etc.).
2. You can create an American poster (saying how bad Germany is) or a German poster
(saying how bad the Allies are).
3. You do not have to be truthful in your poster—propaganda often lies or stretches the
truth.
1. You must demonstrate significant effort into the poster and make it detailed – 30 points
2. Your poster (so it’s clear which side you are on) must contain a slogan to convince your
audience of your message – 15 points
3. The poster must be neat and original – 10 points
4. Poster must contain at least one large picture drawn or 5 pictures from Internet to
illustrate your point – 25 points
5. Poster must clearly attack either the Germans or the Americans – 10 points
6. Your message must be clear, appropriate, and historical – 10 points
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Notebook #5 – World War I
1. War Breaks Out in Europe
Ferdinand & Gavrilo

o Serbia wanted Bosnia to break away from A-H and join forces with them

o Someone throws a grenade into FF’s car
o Driver speeds away (the wrong way)
o So he stops suddenly—6 feet from Princip
o
The Great War Begins

Europe was divided in two:
o Central Powers –
o Allies –

o They threatened to go to war with Serbia

Now, the alliance system kicks in:
o Russia moves to protect Serbia
o Germany moves to help A-H
o France moves to help Russia

o So Russia prepares for war
o Germany asks Russia to stop; they refuse
o Germany declares war on Russia
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o France is ally of Russia, so Germany declares war on France too

Directions: On the map below, the countries of Europe are labeled. On the next page, write the
name of the country that matches the letter(s). The beginning of WWI is confusing, especially if
you have no idea where the countries we are talking about are located. Worth 23 points.
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A:____________________________________
M:____________________________________
B:____________________________________
N:____________________________________
C:____________________________________
O:_____________________________________
D:____________________________________
P:____________________________________
E:____________________________________
Q:_____________________________________
F:____________________________________
R:____________________________________
G:____________________________________
S:_____________________________________
H:____________________________________
AA:___________________________________
I:_____________________________________
BB:____________________________________
J:____________________________________
CC:____________________________________
K:____________________________________
DD:___________________________________
L:____________________________________
Causes of World War I
 The assassination of Franz Ferdinand started the war
 But there were several causes for the war
o 1.

 Britain & France had most colonies
 Germany wanted to change that
o 2. Nationalism

 Wanted to prove that their country was best
o 3. Militarism

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 Years before WWI, world powers built up their armies & navies
o 4. Alliances
 Many European countries formed alliances w/ each other before
1914

1. Nationalism


Having an extreme pride in your country
Before WWI, many countries had EXTREME sense of nationalism - & HATED other countries
2. Imperialism


Empire building – take over other countries
Before WWI, many countries wanted to expand their empire (made other countries jealous, angry)
3. Militarism



Building up weapons & armies
Before WWI, many countries wanted strong militaries
Everyone built up militaries to make them bigger than their rival’s
4. Alliance System



Developing friendships/alliances w/ other countries
Before WWI, many countries didn’t trust each other – looked for friends they could trust
Two main alliances were:
A. Triple Alliance – Germany, Italy, Austria-Hungary
B. Triple Entente – Britain, France, Russia, Serbia
5. Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand



Archduke assassinated June 28, 1914 by Serbian terrorist
This was the spark that began the war
Now the alliance system kicked in:
o
o
o
o
o
Austria-Hungary blamed Serbia
Russia teamed up with Serbia
Germany helped Austria-Hungary
France takes Russia’s side
Britain stays neutral (at 1st)
DIRECTIONS: Use the information above to fill in the diagram below about the causes of the First World War.
This will be the subject of the essay on your test. This diagram will help you remember the confusing start to this
terrible war. Worth 15 points.
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1. Militarism
2. Alliance System
3. Imperialism
CAUSES OF
WORLD WAR I
4. Nationalism
The Spark Igniting the War
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Trench Warfare

o They were wrong

Germany invaded Belgium on way to France – Schlieffen Plan
o Germans reached Marne River 30 miles from Paris
o

Germany’s plan destroyed (defeating France quickly to focus on
Russia)

Both sides dug series of trenches all over Europe
o
o When soldiers came out of trenches, tens of thousands died



British lost over 400,000

Germans lost over 600,000

French lost over 200,000
Verdun & Passchendaele were same


Tens of thousands dead for little ground gained
TRENCHES
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The trenches were wet and cold and at this time some of them did not have duckboards and dugouts. The battalion lived in mud and water. Altogether about 200 men were evacuated for trench
feet and rheumatism. Gum boots were provided for the troops in the most exposed positions.
Trench feet was still a new ailment and the provision of dry socks was vitally important. Part of
the trench was reserved for
men to go two at a time, at least once a day, and rub each other's feet with grease.
-Captain G. H. Impey
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1. What caused Trench Foot? (2 points)
2. Describe how you would know if you had Trench Foot. (2 points)
3. What steps did the army take to make sure soldiers didn’t catch Trench Foot? (2 points)
Many men killed in the trenches were buried almost where they fell. If a trench subsided, or new
trenches or dugouts were needed, large numbers of decomposing bodies would be found just
below the surface. These corpses, as well as the food scraps that littered the trenches, attracted
rats. One pair of rats can produce 880 offspring in a year and so the
trenches were soon swarming with them. Some of these rats grew
extremely large. One soldier wrote: "The rats were huge. They
were so big they would eat a wounded man if he couldn't defend
himself."
These rats became very bold and would attempt to take food from
the pockets of sleeping men. Two or three rats would always be
found on a dead body. They usually went for the eyes first and then
they burrowed their way right into the corpse. One soldier described finding a group of dead
bodies while on patrol: "I saw some rats running from under the dead men's greatcoats,
enormous rats, fat with human flesh. My heart pounded as we edged towards one of the bodies.
His helmet had rolled off. The man displayed a grimacing face, stripped of flesh; the skull bare,
the eyes devoured and from the yawning mouth leapt a rat."
George Coppard, With A Machine Gun to Cambrai (1969)
Rats bred by the tens of thousands and lived on the fat of the land. When we were sleeping in
funk holes the things ran over us, played about, copulated and fouled our scraps of food, their
young squeaking incessantly. There was no proper system of waste disposal in trench life. Empty
tins of all kinds were flung away over the top on both sides of the trench. Millions of tins were
thus available for all the rats in France and Belgium in hundreds of miles of trenches. During
brief moments of quiet at night, one could hear a continuous rattle of tins moving against each
other. The rats were turning them over. What happened to the rats under heavy shell-fire was a
mystery, but their powers of survival kept place with each new weapon, including poison gas.
Richard Beasley, interviewed in 1993
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If you left your food the rats would soon grab it. Those rats were fearless. Sometimes we would
shoot the filthy swines. But you would be put on a charge for wasting ammo, if the sergeant
caught you.
Frank Laird writing after the war.
Sometimes the men amused themselves by baiting the ends of their rifles with pieces of bacon in
order to have a shot at them at close quarters.
Directions: After reading the information above about trench rats, answer the following
questions. Worth 10 points.
1. Why were there so many Trench Rats during the First World War?
2. How big could the Trench Rats grow?
3. Which part of the body would the rats eat first?
4. Look at the 3rd source. How could you tell if there were rats nearby at night?
5. How did the soldiers try to get rid of the Trench Rats?
A War of New Technology

New weapons made trench warfare a nightmare
o

When left trench, soldiers faced machine gun fire (600
bullets/minute)
o Poison gas burned & blinded soldiers
o Barbed wire trapped soldiers
o
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o Airplanes were used in war for 1st time

1917, fighter planes fought each other over trenches


He shot down over 80 enemy airplanes (killed in action
April 1918)
o

U-boats had guns & torpedoes

Germans sank over 10 million tons of Allied ships
Directions:
Use the quotes from soldiers in WWI below to find out what it was like
fighting in the trenches. Then pretend you are one of those soldiers and
write a one-page letter home to your family trying to explain to them
what the conditions were like.
Options:
general, etc.
1. You can pretend to be a soldier, medic, runner, chaplain (religious),
2. You may write out the letter by hand or type it out
Grade:
1. Letter must contain multiple references to specific conditions in the trenches
(mud, rats, dead soldiers, lice, trench foot, etc.) – 15 points
2. Letter must contain several references to personal issues (homesick, scared,
worried about family, etc.) – 10 points
3. Letter must be addressed to someone specific (Dear…) & signed at bottom
(With Love…) – 5 points
4. Letter must fill the entire page – 15 points
The trench, when we reached it, was half full of mud and water. We set to work to try and drain
it. Our efforts were hampered by the fact that the French, who had first occupied it, had buried
their dead in the bottom and sides. Every stroke of the pick encountered a body. The smell was
awful.
Private Pollard
No washing or shaving here, and the demands of nature answered as quickly as possible in the
handiest and deepest shell-hole. Guy Chapman
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The stench of the dead bodies now is awful as they have been exposed to the sun for several
days, many have swollen and burst. The trench is full of other occupants, things with lots of legs,
also swarms of rats. Sergeant A Vine
The other one said to me "Chas, I am going home to my wife and kids. I'll be some use to them
as a cripple, but none at all dead! I am starving here, and so are they at home, we may as well
starve together." With that he fired a shot through his boot. When the medics got his boot off,
two of his toes and a lot of his foot had gone. But the injuring oneself to get out of it was quite
common. Charles Young
The other soldiers in the hut took their shirts off after tea. They were catching lice. We had never
seen a louse before, but they were here in droves. The men were killing them between their nails.
Henry Gregory
All we lived on was tea and dog biscuits. If we got meat once a week we were lucky, but imagine
trying to eat standing in a trench full of water with the smell of dead bodies nearby. Richard
Beasley
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.
Sergeant Harry Roberts
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America’s Path to War

o Many Americans did not want to enter the European war
o Several events, however, convinced them to join the fight
The Sinking of the Lusitania

1914, Britain blockaded German ports
o In return, German submarines sank all Allied ships near Britain
o

1198 killed (128 Americans)



Americans didn’t know that – they began to hate Germany
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o But he demanded Germans stop unrestricted submarine warfare – agreed
o Wanted freedom of seas for U.S. ships

Desperate, Germany continued unrestricted submarine warfare Feb. 1917
o
o But they hoped to win before that happened

o Arthur Zimmermann, German foreign minister, asked Mexico to help
Germany in war
o In return, Germany would get Texas, New Mexico, Arizona back for
Mexico
Directions: Below are two points of view. The first argues why America SHOULD enter WWI
and the second argues why America SHOULD NOT enter WWI. Read them both carefully and
then compare and contrast them below. Wilson’s arguments should go on left side & the others
should go on the right. Worth 10 points.
President Wilson's War Message
…I am not now thinking of the loss of property involved, immense and serious as that is, but only of the wanton and
wholesale destruction of the lives of noncombatants, men, women, and children, engaged in pursuits which have
always, even in the darkest periods of modern history, been deemed innocent and legitimate. Property can be paid
for; the lives of peaceful and innocent people can not be. The present German submarine warfare against commerce
is a warfare against mankind.
It is a war against all nations. American ships have been sunk, American lives taken, in ways which it has stirred us
very deeply to learn of, but the ships and people of other neutral and friendly nations have been sunk and
overwhelmed in the waters in the same way. There has been no discrimination. The challenge is to all mankind.
Each nation must decide for itself how it will meet it. The choice we make for ourselves must be made with a
moderation of counsel and a temperateness of judgment befitting our character and our motives as a nation. We must
put excited feeling away. Our motive will not be revenge or the victorious assertion of the physical might of the
nation, but only the vindication of right, of human right, of which we are only a single champion.
President Woodrow Wilson's War Message, April 2, 1917
Opposition to Wilson's War Message
…We have loaned many hundreds of millions of dollars to the Allies in this controversy. While such action was
legal and countenanced by international law, there is no doubt in my mind but the enormous amount of money
loaned to the Allies in this country has been instrumental in bringing about a public sentiment in favor of our
country taking a course that would make every bond worth a hundred cents on the dollar and making the payment of
every debt certain and sure. Through this instrumentality and also through the instrumentality of others who have
not only made millions out of the war in the manufacture of munitions, etc., and who would expect to make millions
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more if our country can be drawn into the catastrophe, a large number of the great newspapers and news agencies of
the country have been controlled and enlisted in the greatest propaganda that the world has ever known to
manufacture sentiment in favor of war.
Senator George W. Norris Opposition to Wilson's War Message, April 4, 1917
The failure to treat the belligerent nations of Europe alike, the failure to reject the unlawful "war zones" of both
Germany and Great Britain is wholly accountable for our present dilemma.
Senator Robert M. LaFollette Opposition to Wilson's War Message, April 4, 1917
PRO-WAR
ANTI-WAR
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Debate in Congress

March 1917, Germans sank 3 American ships

April 2, 1917, President Wilson asked Congress to declare war

Revolution in Russia

Events in Russia made it necessary for U.S. to enter the war
o By 1917, workers in Russia were angry about military failures, food
shortages, & inflation

They began to riot & strike
o
o Russia kept fighting until November
o

Communism – political system in which one party has power &
government controls economy

o Lenin began peace talks w/ Germany
o

Germany could now focus on Western Europe
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
The Death of Grigory Rasputin
Rasputin has been tied in the immortality of history to the ill-fated
Romanov family. Some may even say that he was the cause of their
destruction. Whatever you may think about him: powerful mystic
or drunken fruitcake, he wormed his way into the heart's of the
imperial family and stuck there like a tick on a camel.
You might think it odd that a family rich and powerful would
welcome as a close adviser and friend someone as coarse and odd
as Rasputin. He prayed with the family, referred to the Tsar and
Tsarina as "Papa" and "Mama". He fraternized with all their
friends. His every need was provided for. Why the love?
In Russia, even as recent as the first part of the 20th Century, certain people were given
misplaced respect and honor. One group was called the yurodivie. They were insane or
handicapped and wandered around talking or screaming to themselves. The other type were
called startsi (singular: starets). Both were considered holy people. Rasputin was considered the
latter.
He was adored by the royal family, loved or endured by their friends (especially if one wanted to
remain a friend), and hated by the extended family, government, and religious leaders. Rumors
about him ran wild throughout the country. He allegedly dabbled in prophecy, could heal the
Tsarovich's (Tsar's son) hemophilia, influenced policy, dictated government appointments and
sackings (directly or indirectly), and there were even rumors of him canoodling with the Tsarina
and daughters. Depending on what you have read and heard, what is truth and what is fiction is a
matter for deep speculation.
In any case, the extended family was really sick of his meddling and
dangerous influence. Therefore, some of them decided to take matters
into their own hands. On the night of December 17th, 1916, the Great
Duke Dmitri Romanov, Prince Felix Yussupov, Vladimir Purishkevich (a
member of the Russian Parliament), and Dr. Lazaret invited Rasputin to
the Yussupov palace under the pretence of meeting (and according to one
historian, to heal) Felix's wife Irina. Upon arrival, Rasputin was taken to
a dining room in the basement. He was told that Irina had some guests
and Rasputin was to rest and drink tea until the guests left.
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Rasputin was offered pastries and wine which he initially refused. This somewhat threw the
Prince into a panic. He told the other conspirators (who were waiting in another room off the
stairs), "…that animal is not eating or drinking." When Felix returned, however, Rasputin had
opened the wine and began to drink. After drinking a couple of glasses, he showed no signs of
having been poisoned. After a while, he may have started feeling something because he asked for
tea. Then stood, walked around the room, then asked Felix to play the guitar and sing. For two
hours this "nightmare" continued.
When Felix checked in with his cowas pale. He said that Rasputin had eaten
food and still nothing had happened.
returned to his guest, the only signs of the
was that he was burping and had some
Nerves were beginning to give way. Felix
took a revolver and while Rasputin was
cross, shot him in the back. Rasputin gave
the floor.
conspirators next, he
and drank the poisoned
When he again
poison affecting him
excessive salivation.
decided to end it. He
looking at a fancy
a bestial cry and fell to
Dimitry and the doctor allegedly went for
the car and to destroy
Rasputin's coat and boots (they were not
destroyed). In the
meantime, Felix wanted to see Rasputin
again, so he went and
took another look. The body was still warm with small drops of blood coming from the wound.
He lifted the body by the shirt and shook it and dropped it again to the floor. He then noticed that
the left eye started to open, then the right eye. Suddenly the Rasputin leapt from the floor with a
"devil's look" in his eyes and a wild cry and attacked Felix. Felix struggled for a moment and
broke free. Rasputin fell again to the floor.
The prince ran, calling for the revolver again. When they returned, Rasputin was crawling up the
stairs. He made it out and began to run through the snow near the fence crying, "Felix, Felix…I'll
tell everything to the tsarina!" In a panic, Purishkevich missed twice with the revolver, then
biting himself on the wrist to make himself concentrate, shot Rasputin in the back. Then again in
the head. Rasputin fell, holding his head.
Felix began to beat Rasputin with a rubber truncheon. Finally Purishkevich had him pulled off
the body. They took the body
back into the house and
discovered that Rasputin was
still alive. He wheezed with each
breath and was able to look at
them through one eye. Finally
Dimitry and the doctor returned.
The body was wrapped in a
cloth and taken by car to the
Niva river and dumped in.
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That, at least, is the version that Felix Yusupov gave in a book he wrote from exile in Paris in the
1920's. Historian's throw doubt on points of this version.
When the body was retrieved two days later from the river, it appeared as if the Rasputin had
tried to claw is way out from the ice. He died from drowning after being unsuccessfully
poisoned, shot three times and beaten. He was buried in secret to avoid desecration. Thus ended
Grigory Yefrimovich Rasputin.
1. What two groups of people in Russia were strangely given an enormous amount of
respect by people in society? And which group did Rasputin belong to?
2. Rasputin was loved by the Romanov family. But others were jealous of that love. List 4
of the rumors Russians spread about Rasputin.
3. One group of people got so sick of Rasputin that they decided to take matters into their
own hands. Name those 4 people.
4. When they invited Rasputin to the palace, the conspirators kept offering him pastries &
wine. Why?
5. Why was Felix forced to sing & play the guitar with Rasputin for 2 hours?
6. After a while, Felix got tired of waiting for Rasputin to die. What was the second method
Felix used to end Rasputin’s life?
7. When Felix went back to look at the body, what surprise was waiting for him?
8. Somehow Rasputin managed to crawl out of the palace. When the conspirators tracked
him down, what was the third way they used to kill him?
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9. Not satisfied with the third attempt, Felix began to beat Rasputin with a ___.
10. They then took the body back to the palace only to discover ___?
11. Finally, the conspirators wrapped Rasputin’s body in cloth and threw him into the ___.
12. In the end, how did Rasputin die?
2. America Prepares for War
Raising an Army & a Navy

1917, U.S. Army was not ready for war
o
o U.S. needed more people – govt. began a draft
The Selective Service Act

o By end of 1918, 3 million men had been drafted
o About 2 million soldiers went to France –

o British leaders asked AEF troops to join French & British combat units



Pershing refused – Wilson agreed
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o They faced discrimination from white American soldiers (not European
soldiers)
o Army refused to let them fight @ first, but eventually let them
Women Volunteer

o Some worked for Red Cross
o
o Women also worked as interpreters, switchboard operators, entertainers,
ambulance drivers
The Government Mobilizes the Population

World War I was a huge war

To fight this war, U.S. govt. needed the American people to help
Civilians Raise Money & Economize

To fight the war, govt. needed money
o


Civilians saved money by conserving resources

Kids collected tin cans, paper, toothpaste tubes, cherry pits


Directions:
Govt. limited civilian use of steel & other metals
You will create your own poster trying to convince Americans to buy war bonds during WWI.
You must create your own slogan on top & design a picture that will convince people to contribute
money for the war. I will show you examples to give you ideas.
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Grade:
1. Poster must have an attention-grabbing slogan on top (patriotism, fear, hunger, or some other
theme to convince people they NEED to contribute to the war) – 10 points
2. Poster must contain a picture to illustrate your theme (example: if your theme is that Americans
should be afraid of Germany, you might draw an outline of Germany with a scary face in the
middle, making the country actually appear evil) – 25 points
3. As always, the amount of time & effort you display will be taken into account.
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Controlling the Economy & Information

During the war, govt. controlled economy
o

Board ordered building of new factories, controlled wages & prices
o Wilson created Committee on Public Information to convince people to
support war


Committee used posters, pamphlets, & movies to sell the
war
Attacks on Civil Liberties & Dissent

Propaganda convinced many to support war

o German towns changed their names
o German shepherds were called “police dogs”

o Large fines & prison terms for anti-war activities (draft dodgers)
o 1000s went to jail

o Supreme Court supported Espionage Act in 1919 case Schenck v. United
States

Schenck v. United States 1919
The Case
Charles Schenck was a socialist who was against American participation in the war. Schenck printed leaflets that
called the draft a crime and urged people to work for the repeal of the Selective Service Act. Schenck was arrested
and convicted of violating the Espionage Act by trying to block military recruitment. He appealed his conviction to
the US Supreme Court. Schenck argued that the Espionage Act violated his First Amendment right to free speech.
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The Decision
On March 3, 1919 in a unanimous decision, the Court upheld Schenck’s conviction. Justice Oliver Wendell wrote
the Court’s opinion, saying that the right of free speech was not protected when it created a ‘clear and present
danger’ to the nation’s interest. Schenck’s pamphlets endangered the US war effort and therefore did not merit
protection under the First Amendment. Schenck served time in federal prison for his offense.
1) What was Schenck arrested for? How was his conviction upheld?
2) Do you think the courts would have ruled the same way if Schenck had been a pacifist (people who believe
disputes should be settled peacefully), rather than a socialist (political goal of overthrowing capitalism)?
3. Pushing the Germans Back
Directions: While we watch the film “The Lost Battalion” about the men of the American 308th Battalion in
WWI, answer the questions below. Worth 70 points.
_____1. When the U.S. entered the war, they believed they were fighting to make the world safe for ___.
A. Democracy
C. Equality
B. Freedom
D. The Future
_____2. In the first scene of the film, a wounded American soldier is trying to get to his trench. What happens
to the soldier just as he reaches Major Whittlesey and the Americans?
A. He surrenders to the Germans
C. He gets shot in the chest
B. He gets blown up by German artillery
D. He falls down into the trench
_____3. The American soldiers featured in the film are all from the ___ Division.
A. 23rd
C. 65th
th
th
B. 47
D. 77
_____4. Major Whittlesey is told that his Division (with the help of the French) are going to go in and clean out
the area known as the ___.
A. Maginot Line
C. Argonne Forest
B. Ardenne Mountains
D. Somme
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_____5. When the General tells the Major his mission, why does the Major not want to send his men into the
area?
A. He does not like the general
B. His men are low on food & ammunition
C. The French allies have already retreated
D. The Allies are not sure how many Germans are in the area
_____6. After the soldiers board the truck on their way to battle, they see a line of soldiers marching the other
way with blindfolds on. Why are these soldiers wearing blindfolds?
A. They were hit by poison gas
B. They were enemy prisoners
_____7. When the young soldiers first arrive in the trenches, two veteran soldiers teach them about “stuff.”
What do they mean by “stuff”?
A. Artillery
C. Their commander
B. Disease
D. Life
_____8. The veteran soldiers tell the new guys that they don’t have to worry about anything except the knife at
the end of the enemy’s rifle. What is that knife called?
A. Machete
C. Bayonet
B. Blade
D. Dagger
_____9. During their first attack, the Americans had to deal with all of the following German weapons except
___.
A. Rifles
C. Machine Guns
B. Artillery
D. Poison Gas
10. If Major Whittlesey thought the attack was such a big mistake, why do you think he still went ahead with it?
_____11. After the initial attack, the German officers discuss their plans for the next attack. The Germans
believe that the Americans, unlike the French, will not ___.
A. Survive the battle
C. Stand & fight
B. Retreat
D. Intimidate them
_____12. General Alexander tells the Major that his allies are ahead of him & that his men are slowing the
attack down by having to wait for him. Is this true or false?
A. True
B. False
_____13. When the American generals realize that the French are not going to be able to help them, they know
that they have to withdraw. So why doesn’t the Major pull his men back?
26
A.
B.
C.
D.
The communication lines were cut so he didn’t know about the French
The Major wants to keep fighting
He wants to disobey General Alexander
He is inexperienced as a combat leader
_____14. After the communication lines are cut, the Major has only one way to get a message to the American
generals. How does he manage to contact them?
A. He sends a fast runner to give them the message
B. He sends the message via Morse Code
C. He delivers the message personally
D. He sends a carrier pigeon with a message attached to it
_____15. On the morning of October 3rd, the Major expects the Germans to attack. He tells one of his men to
start some fires and burn some old coffee grounds to make the Germans think they are eating breakfast. Why
would he want the Germans to think that?
A. To make the German soldiers hungry
B. So the Germans will attack thinking that the Americans aren’t ready
C. So the Germans will be jealous of the Americans
D. To distract the Germans
_____16. After pushing the Germans back, the Major tells some men to go join the French on their flank. But
when the men come back to the Major, they tell him that the French are not there and that they are ___.
A. Surrounded
C. Going to die
B. In really big trouble
D. Getting out of there
_____17. On October 4th, the Americans start to cheer after they hear artillery going off. Why are they so happy
at first?
A. The French are bombing the Germans
B. The Americans are bombing the Germans
_____18. Pretty soon, the bombs start falling on the Americans. Why are the Americans bombing their own
men?
A. They’re not; it is actually German artillery
B. General Alexander wants to punish Major Whittlesey
C. They are not sure where the Major and his men are
D. The artillery officer was young & inexperienced
_____19. After the artillery officer tells everyone to stop firing, he begins to cry. Why is he crying?
A. He can’t handle the stress of war anymore
B. He was bombing his own men
C. He just received a letter from home
D. He was wounded during the battle
_____20. After the bombing, the Germans slowly move ahead for the attack. How did the Americans catch the
Germans by surprise?
A. They pretended to be dead
27
B. They hid in the bushes
C. They buried themselves in the trenches
D. They climbed into the trees
_____21. As the Major is walking through the forest that night, one of his wounded men asks him to read the
Bible to him. Why can’t the Major read the Bible?
A. It is soaked with blood
B. He doesn’t know how to read
C. The soldier dies before he can start reading
D. The soldier disobeyed his orders, which is why he got killed
22. The Major does not agree with America fighting in WWI. He believes that the U.S. should have stayed out
of the fight. So why is he in the Army fighting halfway around the world?
_____23. About halfway through the movie, we see the first airplanes of the film. What were the airplanes used
for in this scene?
A. To machine gun enemy soldiers
B. To drop bombs on enemy positions
C. To locate armies on the ground
D. To attack other airplanes
_____24. An Italian private tells another soldier that he thinks he’ll never be able to “catch up” to all of the
other men back home after the war’s over. What did he mean by that?
A. He’ll never be as fast as he used to be
B. That the war has interrupted his life and ruined his chance of success
C. He’ll never be rich
D. That there is no chance that he will ever fall in love again
_____25. When the Germans capture one of the Americans, the German Major tells the American soldier that
he envies his commander. Why is the German jealous of the American Major?
A. Because of how intelligent he is
B. Because of how much he loves his country
C. Because of the amount of supplies his men have
D. Because of the bravery of his men
_____26. The Captain tells the Major that he was with Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders in the SpanishAmerican War. What compliment does the Captain give the Major after telling him this information?
A. “Aside from Teddy Roosevelt, you’re the best officer I’ve ever met”
B. “I’ve never served with a better officer”
C. “I really like your glasses”
28
_____27. After the Americans refuse to surrender on October 6th, the Germans attack the next day with ___.
A. Stormtroopers
C. Tanks
B. Poison gas
D. Flamethrowers
_____28. After the attack, what does the German commander call the American soldiers?
A. Gangsters
C. Players
B. Supermen
D. Heroes
_____29. When General Alexander asks where the rest of the Major’s men are, what does the Major give him?
A. A punch in the face
C. Dog tags
B. Bloody rags
D. A mean look
_____30. What award did Major Whittlesey receive for his actions during WWI?
A. Distinguished Service Cross
C. Iron Cross
B. Medal of Honor
D. Medal of Valor
_____31. Major Whittlesey led over 500 men into the Argonne Forest. He left with only ___.
A. 20
C. 200
B. 115
D. 347
32. Major Whittlesey obviously felt bad for what happened to his brave men during their battle in the Argonne
Forest. How do you think the Major managed to move on with his life when he returned home to America?
Eddie Rickenbacker


He shot down a total of 26 enemy planes during war
American Troops Enter the War

1st American troops reached France June 1917
o

It would take year before all American troops reached Europe
American Ships Make a Difference

Early in war, German U-boats destroyed Allied shipping

Americans convinced Allies to protect their ships by using convoys –
29
o Germans started sinking fewer Allied ships

1918 Americans convinced Allies to put 70,000 mines in North Sea
o
o America most vulnerable to attack from Atlantic Ocean
Just in Time

o Broke through French lines – reached Marne River (50 miles from Paris)

By middle of summer, over million American troops in Europe
Americans Take Cantigny

o Took Americans 2 hours to drive Germans out
o Allied morale improved instantly

o Americans counterattacked & stopped German march toward Paris

o French told U.S. to dig trenches
o Americans disagreed: “We dig no trenches…the marines will hold where
they stand”

From September 25-November 4, 1916, British and Germans fought in Loos, Belgium. The
British sent some good troops to attack the Germans the first day. But they could not break
through the lines. On the second day, the British sent in badly-trained, exhausted, very young
soldiers to attack the Germans. The British had no choice—they were the only troops they had
left. They were sending these young men to death.
30
The young, inexperienced, tired troops had no
idea what they were doing. They had no artillery
to hit the Germans with before they attacked. So
they ended up marching bunched together down
the middle of the road straight into German
machine guns.
At first, the Germans did not shoot. They were in
shock. The Germans could not believe soldiers
would walk right into certain death. But finally,
the British got so close that the Germans had to
fire. It was a slaughter.
Even while machine gun fire was mowing most of the soldiers down, they never broke ranks.
They never retreated. They kept attacking. When they reached German barbed wire, it was too
thick to cut and too sturdy to knock down. Many men got shot while stuck in the wire. Five times
the British attacked, but they were constantly pushed back.
Finally, the British had no choice. They had to retreat. The Germans had so much respect for the
British soldiers who had attacked them so bravely that when the British finally retreated, the
Germans dropped their guns and let them go. They could not kill those courageous young men.
10,000 British soldiers attacked the Germans. Only 2,139 made it out. The Germans suffered
ZERO (0) casualties. The Germans wounded or killed 7,861 British troops while the British did
not hurt even one German soldier.
1. In what country did the Battle of Loos take place? Who fought the battle?
2. Why did the British send such tired, inexperienced troops in this battle?
3. Why did the Germans not shoot the British as soon as they saw them marching toward
them?
4. After the fifth attack, what did the British finally decide to do?
31
5. Why did the Germans put down their guns at the end of the battle?
6. How many casualties did the British suffer at Loos? How many German casualties?
The Turning Point

o Began summer 1918 – Germans attacked French
o
o Allies then pushed Germans back
o By September, Germans had lost all the ground they gained

o The war’s final battle cost Americans 26,000 dead
o By November, Germans were retreating

o In October, York attacked German machine guns, killing 25 men & taking
132 prisoner

Over 100 African Americans were recognized for their bravery (received medals
from French)
o
The War Comes to an End

Although Germans were losing ground, they still controlled lots of land

But w/ 10,000 Americans arriving every day, Germans knew it was over
Germany Stops Fighting
32

Before Meuse-Argonne defeat, Gen. Erich Ludendorff told government to ask for
armistice –
o Early November, German navy mutinied
o Its allies – Bulgaria & Austria – already quit
o November 9, Kaiser (leader) stepped down

o 8.5 million soldiers died in WWI
o
o 13 million civilians died from starvation & disease
Tandey vs. Hitler
The Shot That Could Have Changed History
The annals of history are full of fateful moments which scholars refer to as the great "what if's" of history,
where if events had taken only a slight deviation the course of human affairs would have been
dramatically different. Such a moment occurred in the last moments of the Great War in the French
village of Marcoing involving 27 year old Private Henry Tandey of Warwickshire, UK, and 29 year old
Lance Corporal Adolph Hitler of Braunau, Austria.
Tandey was mentioned five times in dispatches and certainly earned his VC during the capture of the
French village and crossing at Marcoing, his regiment held down by heavy machine gun fire Tandey
crawled forward, located the machine gun nest and took it out. Arriving at the crossing he braved heavy
fire to place wooden planks over a gaping hole enabling troops to roll across and take the battle to the
Germans, the day still not over he successfully led a bayonet charge against outnumbering enemy troops
which helped bring hostilities to an end. As the ferocious battle wound down and enemy troops
surrendered or retreated a wounded German soldier limped out of the maelstrom and into Private
Tandey's line of fire, the battle weary man never raised his rifle and just stared at Tandey resigned to the
inevitable. "I took aim but couldn't shoot a wounded man," said Tandey, "so I let him go."
The young German soldier nodded in thanks and the two men took diverging paths, that day and in
history. Hitler retreated with the remnants of German troops and ended up in Germany, where he
languished in the humiliation of defeat at wars end. Tandey put that encounter out of his mind and
rejoined his regiment, discovering soon after he had won the Victoria Cross. It was announced in the
London Gazette on 14th December 1918 and he was personally decorated by King George V at
Buckingham Palace on 17th December 1919, in newspaper reports a picture of him carrying a wounded
soldier after the Battle of Ypres was published, a dramatic image which symbolized a war which was
supposed to have put an end to all wars and immortalized on canvas by Italian artist Fortunino Matania.
In 1938 Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain (1869-1940), Conservative PM from 1937-40, made his
gloomy trip to Munich to meet Chancellor Hitler in a last ditched effort to avoid war which resulted in the
ill-fated 'Munich Agreement'. During that fateful trip Hitler invited him to his newly completed retreat in
Berchtesgaden, Bavaria, a birthday present from Martin Bormann and the NAZI Party. Perched 6017 feet
up on Kehlstein Mountain it commanded spectacular views for 200 kilometers in all directions. While
there the Prime Minister explored the hill top lair of the Führer and found a reproduction of Matania's
33
famous Marcoing painting depicting allied troops, puzzled by the choice of art Hitler explained, "that man
came so near to killing me that I thought I should never see Germany again, providence saved me from
such devilishly accurate fire as those English boys were aiming at us". [2]
Chamberlain's thoughts aren't recorded, World War II irrupted soon
after and he lost power to Winston Churchill, dying of stomach cancer
within months of that event. Although I feel safe in assuming he
wished Tandey had pulled the trigger, ridding the world of a
venomous creature. Hitler seized the moment to have his best wishes
and gratitude conveyed to Tandey by the Prime Minister, who
promised to phone him on his return to London. It wasn't until that
time Tandey knew the man he had in his gun sight 20 years earlier
was Adolph Hitler and it came as a great shock, given tensions at the
time it wasn't something he felt proud about.
The story first broke in 1940 but no one gave it much thought at the
time, however in recent years it has generated greater interest.
However, the story sounds too good to be true. Hitler's regiment was
in the Marcoing region at the time although his presence cannot be
verified, a great deal of German records for the Great War were lost in
WWII due to allied bombing of Berlin which resulted in the
Chamberlain with Hitler
destruction of a significant amount of the State Archives. So
documents showing Adolph Hitler's exact whereabouts on 28 September 1918 are not available, Hitler
biographers have differing opinions. However there is irrefutable evidence that Hitler possessed a copy of
the famous Matania painting featuring Tandey as early as 1937, acquiring it from Tandey's old regiment.
"Colonel Earle said that he had heard from one Dr. Schwend that Hitler had expressed a wish to have a
large photograph of the Matania painting. Obviously one was sent because Captain Weidmann, Hitler's
Adjutant, wrote the following to Earle:
'I beg to acknowledge your friendly gift which has been sent to Berlin through the good offices of Dr.
Schwend. The Fuhrer is naturally very interested in things connected with his own war experiences, and
he was obviously moved when I showed him the picture and explained the thought which you had in
causing it to be sent to him. He has directed me to send you his best thanks for your friendly gift which is
so rich in memories.'
The Tandey family were in no doubt of the story's authenticity, they were present when Prime Minister
Chamberlain phoned, "Tandey's nephew, William Whateley, from Thomaby, calls to mind a mysterious
phone call almost 60 years ago, when the storm clouds of war were brewing and Prime Minister
Chamberlain was futilely appeasing Herr Hitler. One evening the telephone rang and Henry went off to
answer it, when he came back he commented matter-of-factly that it had been Mr Chamberlain. He had
just returned from a meeting with Hitler and whilst at Berchtesgaden had noticed the painting by Matania
of the 2nd Green Howards at the Menin Cross Roads in 1914. Chamberlain had asked what it was doing
there and in reply Hitler had pointed out Tandy in the foreground and commented, "that's the man who
nearly shot me"
1. Do you believe this story – that the most decorated British soldier in WWI had Adolf Hitler
in his sites and did not kill him? Why or why not?
2. Even if you believe this story, there are still some definite problems with it. Name 3 “facts”
in this story that just seem too good to be true.
34
3. What reason would Tandey have for going along with this story?
4. What reason would Hitler have for going along with this story?
5. How do you think the world would be different today if Tandey had shot Hitler?
6. If Hitler had been killed in WWI, do you think WWII or the Holocaust would have
happened?
7. Do you think Tandey felt guilty when he realized he could have killed Hitler? Would you
have felt guilty if you could have stopped the slaughter of millions of people but failed to
act?
The Flu Epidemic of 1918

1918-19, flu epidemic hit the world
o
o There was no cure
4. The Legacy of World War I
Woodrow Wilson’s Plans for Peace

President Wilson wanted to prevent WWI from ever happening again

Wilson’s Fourteen Points

Wilson wanted the following:
o
o End of secret treaties
35
o Freedom of the seas
o
o Changes in boundaries
o 14th Point was most important – called for League of Nations –
o Self-determination – allow people of E. Europe to form own states &
choose own form of govt.
Treaty of Versailles

Wilson was major leader at peace conference after war

But Britain, France, Italy did not agree with Wilson
o
o Treaty of Versailles:


Germany’s colonies taken away

Military could have only 100,000 soldiers total


Austria-Hungary & Ottoman Empires broken up

Czechoslovakia became new country


Also formed the League of Nations



But Congress would not let U.S. be part of it (stay out of
European problems)
Returning to isolationism
36
Many Germans were shocked when they heard the fighting was over. During the war, the
German Government had practiced strict censorship and hadn’t told their people of defeats. In
1917, Germany had even defeated the Russian Army. Many ordinary Germans believed that
Germany was winning the war even in 1918.
On 7th November 1918, the French general Marshal Foch, received a small group of German
generals at his headquarters in the Forest of Campiegne. They wanted an end to the war. Foch
told them the Allied terms: Germans to leave all occupied territory, to surrender their arms and
warships, withdraw all forces from west of the River Rhine. Marshall Foch gave the Germans 72
hours to decide their answer. He had it by the following day. On 10th November, the German
Emperor fled; next day the new Government signed the Armistice (or cease-fire). Fighting
stopped on all battlefronts at 11’O’ Clock on the 11th November 1918.
Many German soldiers felt bitterly betrayed. They said ‘they had been stabbed in the back’ by
the new Government who they called ‘The November Criminals’.
Here is one typical reaction:
So it had all been in vain. In vain all the sacrifices and privations ... in vain the hours in which,
with moral fear clutching at our hearts we nevertheless did our duty; in vain the deaths of two
millions ... had they died for this? So that a gang of wretched criminals could lay their hands on
the Fatherland?
The author was Adolf Hitler, then a German soldier recovering his sight after having been gassed
in the war. By the phrase ‘gang of wretched criminals’ he meant the new German Government
and by ‘Fatherland’ he meant Germany itself.
DIRECTIONS: Answer the following questions based on the reading & class discussion. Worth
18 points.
1. Why were so many Germans surprised when Germany lost the war?
2. What were the terms of the cease-fire?
3. How long were the Germans given to make up their minds?
4. When and at what time did the fighting stop?
5. Look at the “typical reaction.” Why did so many Germans feel bitter about the cease-fire?
37
6. Why did Adolf Hitler call the members of the German Government the ‘November
Criminals’?
The War & Social Change

The war caused many changes in America

Some of these changes led to conflict
New Jobs & the Great Migration

War provided opportunities for African Americans
o Northern factories hired black men (there was no one else)

o Wanted new jobs & to get away from racism & poverty
Women Doing “Men’s Work”

o Women replaced men in steel mills, ammunition factories, assembly lines

Strikes & the Red Scare

Workers’ wages were low during war
o
o Feb. 1919, 55,000 workers held protest in Seattle – shut down city

Americans feared communist revolution like in Russia
o
o Fears increased by bombs sent to government officials (sent by
anarchists?)

1920, Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer ordered raids on homes/businesses of
radicals
38
o

All foreigners became suspect
o
Racial Conflict

o White mobs lynched African Americans (victims had committed no
crimes)
o
o Over 20 race riots hit American cities in 1919
5. Blood & Guns
Casualties

o Central Powers – 15 million casualties
o Allies – 22 million casualties


1,000 of these committed suicide

4,000 died in accidents


Japan lost the least men—300 died
.... I wonder....
Back in the War of 1918,
When we answered the fearful Allied scream,
Off to camp with the rest of the boys,
Forsaking all of life's comforts and joys.
39
We doffed the mufti for a uniform,
And drilled 'til dark, from early dawn.
The bitter cold from all the streams,
But we drilled and hiked on Army beans.
The sound of the bugle, the roll of the drum,
We heard each day 'til the training was done.
Off to the transports, across the foam Leaving all we loved dearly back at home.
We get our gas masks, and a new British rifle,
Then we're hurried to Arras, a drive to stifle.
But the Hun is tired, postpones the attack,
Then the British take all their equipment back.
The battle grows fierce, the casualties mount,
We continue the push, forget the count.
They say "Well done; you're driving them on!"
So they hustled us off to the deep Argonne.
In that hell of a forest, ( t'would drive one mad)
We pushed and drove the frightened Hun,
'Til he began to see that the war was done.
Let's not forget near Charlevaux Mill,
Where we spent six days on that shell-torn hill.
They said "Your covered with glory" to this gallant
band,
When The Lost Battalion made its stand.
Come on home, nothing's too good!
When we came out of the Argonne Wood.
The bands played loud, the banners waved,
In old New York, for our parade.
They soon forget as the years roll by,
As we get older, you and 1.
We struggle on, try hard to smile,
While we wonder, "Was it all worth while?
-Sgt. Walter Baldwin, member of the "Lost Battalion"
There we gave the best we had,
DIRECTIONS: Because WWI was so horrifying, many of the people who experienced it could
not figure out how to explain it to future generations. Read the poem above written by a veteran
of the First World War to try to understand what it was like to fight in this war. Then write your
own poem about the horrors of WWI below. Your poem must be at least 16 lines long. Worth 32
points.
40
Weapons

World War I was deadliest war in history up until that time

Bolt-Action Rifle

15 rounds per minute

Accurate at 1400 meters

Machine Guns

4-6 men to run them


firepower of 100 rifles
Artillery



Big field guns
12 men worked them
shells weighed 900 lbs each
Chemical Warfare

Chlorine—

Mustard—odorless, skin blisters, internal bleeding, vomiting, death in 5 weeks
41
Tanks




4 mph
10 men inside
revolving turret
Could not cross trenches
Planes




Could deliver bombs
Fighter planes—machine guns, bombs, cannons
“Dogfights”
Reconnaissance