Transcript Paris Gun - Cloudfront.net

AMERICA ENTERS THE WAR
Mr. Goddard | PLUSH | 2009
ERRATA - ADVANCES IN ARTILLERY
•
•
The German Paris Gun, also known as William's
Gun, was the largest rail artillery gun of World
War I. In 1918 the Paris Gun was able to shell
Paris from 120 km (75 mi) away. It used shells
about 210 pounds in weight.
“The gun was capable of hurling a 94 kilogram
(210 lb) shell to a range of 130 kilometres
(81 miles) and a maximum altitude of 40
kilometres (25 miles) — the greatest height
reached by a human-made projectile until the
first successful V-2 flight test in October 1942.”
• The German howitzer, also known as Big
Bertha, was used to shell enemy trenches
and fortifications. It was able to shell up to
7.7 miles away and used shells about
1800 pounds in weight.
AMERICAN NEUTRALITY AND
ENTRY INTO WORLD WAR I
3
EARLY STATEMENT OF NEUTRALITY
• The U.S. was determined to adopt a stance of
rigid neutrality at the start of the war, and
President Wilson announced the American
stance to this effect shortly after war broke out,
on 19 August 1914, reflecting U.S. popular
opinion.
• During his address, he warned U.S. citizens
against taking sides in the war for fear of
endangering the wider U.S. policy.
• "The effect of the war upon the United States will
depend upon what American citizens say and
do. Every man who really loves America will act
and speak in the true spirit of neutrality, which is
the spirit of impartiality and fairness and
friendliness to all concerned."
4
AMERICA AS A MEDIATOR OF PEACE
• Many American leaders felt that the proper role for the United States
was a mediator of peace, though this avenue was exhausted shortly
after the war began.
• The excerpt references a discussion between Colonel Edward House,
who was one of President Wilson’s closest confidants, and a British
Foreign Secretary, Sir Edward Grey.
• The tone is obviously one of optimism on the side of the Americans,
and reluctance from the Allied camp.
• "My suggestion is to ask the Allies unofficially, to let me know whether or
not it would be agreeable to them to have us demand that hostilities
cease. We would put it upon the high ground that the neutral world was
suffering along with the belligerents and that we had rights as well as
they"
5
INCREASING AMERICAN INVOLVEMENT
WITH THE BELLIGERENTS
• Despite official neutrality, a huge leap in loans and exports
to the Allies led to a vested interest in an Allied victory.
• Exports to Germany and its allies rapidly diminished in
parallel to a significant rise in shipping to Britain and
France.
• Such disparities in trade between the belligerents led to
increasing conflict both domestically and internationally as
many leaders at home and abroad bristled at the U.S.
seemingly favoring the Allies.
6
US CONSIDERATIONS FOR WHICH SIDE
• Central Powers
– 11 million
German
Americans
– Irish-Americans
hated Great
Britain
• Allied Powers
- Close cultural ties
- Shared
transatlantic cables
(so censored
stories)
- Big business
loaned much $ to
allies
US TRADE FROM 1914 TO 1916
• Trade was an important factor in
determining US involvement.
• The countries needed goods,
resources and food.
• Notice the increase to Britain and
France. If they lost how would we
be paid back?
• Why did the German trade drop
so dramatically? The British
Blockade?
Nations
Britain
France
Germany
1914
1915
1916
$594,271,863 $911,794,954 $1,526,685,102
$159,818,924 $364,397,170 $628,851,988
$344,794,276 $28,863,354
$288,899
MAJOR APPROACHES TO THE WAR
• Great Britain
– Prolong the war
– Naval Blockade
• Germany
– End the war quickly to
avoid a 2 – Front War
– Unrestricted
Submarine Warfare
GERMANY’S NAVY
• One of the origins of the
war was Germany’s Naval
build up.
• At the start of the war
Germany had a
considerable naval fleet.
• Yet there was only one
major naval battle
between Britain and
Germany in World War I
• Why?
Germany
Britian
Dreadnoughts
13
20
Battle Cruisers
5
8
41
102
Destroyers
144
301
Submarines
30
78
Cruisers
GERMANY’S SURFACE FLEET WAS NOT A
FACTOR
• Britain could easily
contain the German
warships between
Norway and Denmark.
• Because their surface
fleet could not break
out, Germany used
their submarines to
escape out and wreak
havoc.
Major
Bottleneck
German naval
bases
THE BRITISH BLOCKADE
• With such a large navy and the need to grind
Germany into surrender, they blockaded all of
Germany’s ports.
–
–
–
–
Started with just weapons and arms
Grew to include Food
Then blockaded neutral ports and mined the North Sea
American ships could no longer trade with Germany
• Britain violated the concept of neutrality of the seas
a long standing rule.
EFFECTS OF THE BLOCKADE
• America was angry at Britain
• Germany could not get food
or fertilizer
• Food riots broke out all over
Germany in 1916
• Over 750,000 Germans
starved as a result of the
blockade.
• Germany countered with its
submarines.
SEMI-RESTRICTED U-BOAT WARFARE
• On 4 February, the German
Admiralty issued a formal
declaration, which warned
neutral shipping to stay away
from the waters surrounding
Britain and Ireland from 18
February 1915 onwards.
• It would sink British or
Allied ships on sight in this
area.
• Six days later U.S. President
Woodrow Wilson - at that
time maintaining a neutral
stance - issued a thinly veiled
warning to the German
government.
US RESPONSE
• This excerpt is his 'Strict Accountability' message,
which made it clear that the U.S. government would
not tolerate any strategy by the German navy to sink
neutral U.S. shipping at any time.
• "If such a deplorable situation should arise, the Imperial
German Government can readily appreciate that the
Government of the United States would....take any steps
it might be necessary to take to safeguard American
lives and property and to secure to American citizens
the full enjoyment of their acknowledged rights on the
high seas“
• Now the US is also mad at Germany
EFFECTS OF U-BOAT WARFARE
• During the war
Germany had about
200 U-Boats.
• They sunk
approximately 200
ships
• Killed about 4,000
people.
• Some notable
highlights:
NAIL NUMBER 1 - THE LUSITANIA
• In 1915, a German
submarine torpedoed
the Lusitania, a
British passenger
ship, killing
approximately 1,200
people, including 128
Americans.
THE UNITED STATES WAS ANGRY
THE LUSITANIA WAS CARRYING
MILITARY SUPPLIES FOR THE ALLIES
• The loading manifest listed
military goods and
ammunitions for the Allies.
• Germany defended its actions
but propaganda in the US has
turned the public opinion
against Germany
• Germany later sank the
Sussex and Arabic in similar
situations.
• Its sinking was a major NAIL
in the coffin of US neutrality.
UNITED STATES ELECTION OF 1916
• Wilson ran for re-election
in 1916.
• The Republicans
nominated Chief Justice
Charles Evans Hughes.
• T.R. used his dislike of
Wilson to stump for
Hughes.
• Wilson’s slogan “He kept
us out of the war”
1916 ELECTION RESULTS
• Wilson narrowly won
the election.
• Late returns from the
west coast made the
difference.
• His desire to keep the
country out of the war
was important.
• Notice how the
northeast, where T.R.
was from, voted….
WILSON’S SITUATION WAS DIFFICULT
AFTER THE ELECTION
• People believed that he would stay out of the war
• Businesses could no longer trade with certain
European countries because of the blockade.
• Germany was killing US citizens with its U-Boats
• T.R. and the Republicans were going nuts because they
felt Wilson was weak.
• None of the warring countries would agree to a
negotiated peace.
• In 1917, two developments would provide the final two
nails in the coffin of American neutrality for Wilson…
NAIL NUMBER TWO – GERMAN
UNRESTRICTED SUBMARINE WARFARE
• On January 31st 1917 the Kaiser
announced that it would start
attacking all vessels (BOTH
HOSTILE AND NUETRAL) in
British waters with its
submarines.
• Wilson was surprised. The
nations was upset and he had to
balance his promise to stay out
of the war with Germany’s
aggressive policy.
• He bought time by saying he
would wait and see if they did it.
NAIL NUMBER THREE - ZIMMERMAN NOTE
•
Dispatched by Arthur Zimmerman, German
Foreign Secretary to their minister in America
with the suggestion that he forward it to the
German Ambassador in Mexico. Sent Jan 16
1917 decoded by British cryptographers.
Released to the US press March 1. US declared
war on April 6.
NAIL NUMBER FOUR – THE RUSSIAN
REVOLUTION
• Russia had internal issues due
to the Tsar's harsh treatment of
its people and poor economic
conditions.
• Revolutionaries in Russia like
Maxim Gorky were well
recognized and somewhat
supported by America.
• In February 1917, what is
referred to as the First Russian
Revolution began.
• Russia began to unravel at an
alarming rate.
THE FIRST RUSSIAN REVOLUTION
• February 1917 – Riots
protesting the shortage of food
forced Russia’s Tsar Nicholas II
from power.
• The royal family was
imprisoned and for several
months while the war raged
Russia went through a series of
governments.
• October 1917 – The Bolsheviks,
led by Vladimir Lenin, seized
power in Russia and began the
communist revolution.
THE FIRST RUSSIAN REVOLUTION
• Lenin had too many issues to try
and successfully continue the
war.
• An armistice for the eastern
front was declared in December
1917. Russia stopped being part
of the war.
• Germany began moving its
troops to the western front.
• The official peace between
Russia and the Central Powers
was negotiated in the Treaty of
Brest-Litovsk.
PHILOSOPHICAL IMPLICATIONS ON
AMERICAN
• Lenin transformed Russia into a
Communist Society
• Based on Marx’s writings Communism
is a concept almost the opposite of
America’s.
• Communism is a theory that supports
the elimination of private property
and the equal distribution of goods
• Communism supports the violent
revolution of the working class against
the “bourgeois” ruling class.
• Communism is led by a single,
authoritarian political party.
THE RUSSIAN COMMUNIST REVOLUTION
ALLOWED WILSON TO SPIN US INVOLVEMENT
• Wilson had the problem that the US was being pulled into
the war despite his campaign slogan.
• While Britain and France had governments like the
United States; the monarchy of Russia presented issues.
• With its removal Wilson was able to approach the war as
one about Democracies.
• The war was no longer about old powers feuding over
ancient grievances, it was now about making the world
SAFE FOR DEMOCRACY.
• This was the change his idealism needed to enter the war.
DECLARATION OF WAR
• A resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare in 1917 convinced
American leaders that war with Germany was the only option.
• Other factors, such as suspicions of German involvement with Mexico
(via the Zimmermann Telegram), solidified popular opinion against
Germany.
• This excerpt is from Wilson's war message to Congress.
• "I have called the Congress into extraordinary session because there are
serious, very serious, choices of policy to be made, and made immediately,
which it was neither right nor constitutionally permissible that I should
assume the responsibility of making. . . .
The present German submarine warfare against commerce is a warfare
against mankind."
30
NAILS IN THE COFFIN FOR AMERICAN
NEUTRALITY
• Little Nail – Propaganda about German
atrocities in Belgium
• Big Nail One – Sinking of Lusitania
• Big Nail Two – German Announcement of
Unrestricted Submarine warfare
• Big Nail Three – Zimmerman Note
• Big Nail Four – Russian Revolution
31