Transcript World War I - WordPress.com

WORLD WAR I
The Great War, The War to End All Wars
http://militaryhistoryus2.wordpress.com
THREE ISMS AND AN ENTANGLEMENT
• Three –isms causing WWI
• Imperialism—one country taking over another; can be
direct (military takeover), economic, or cultural (think
McDonalds and Hollywood)
• Militarism—nations investing heavily in their militaries;
an international arms race occurred during the
previous decade before WWI
• Nationalism--The belief that your nation is superior to
others; unyielding faith and allegiance to the concept
of a Nation
• Entangling alliances—when two countries have pacts to have each
others backs, and one goes to war, it drags the other in…
BELLIGERENTS
Allies
Central Powers
• Serbia
• Austria-Hungary
• Russia (under the Tsar
and Provisional Govt.)
• Germany
• France
• England and the Weight
of her Empire
• Italy
• U.S.
• Ottoman Empire
PRE WAR AIMS
• France—reconquer Allsaince-Lorraine from Germany
• Russia—conquer Poland and lands in Central Europe; pushback
Ottomans on southern border and extend land claims in Central
Asia
• England—strengthen colonial hold in Southwest Asia; maintain
status as world’s leading superpower
• Serbia—gain more land and freedom from Austria-Hungary
• Italy—gain back territory lost to Austria-Hungary in previous
wars
• United States: to make sure the billions in loans to allies are
able to be paid back! To make the world “safe for democracy;” to
ensure the rights of people to self-govern (the destruction of
large, multi-ethnic empires)
PRE WAR AIMS
• Austria-Hungary: expand territory on the Yugoslav
peninsula, Italian Peninsula, Russia
• Germany: MittelEuropa Plan (to control central Europe
and its vast fertile land and to settle German people
across it)
• Ottoman Empire: Expand territory on the Yugoslav
Peninsula; Expand territory in Central Asia; Expand
territory in North Africa and SW Asia
BEFORE THE U.S. GETS INVOLVED
•
Germany invades Belgium, pushes on to nearly Paris
•
1st Battle of the Marne (the Miracle at the Marne): 5-12 September 1914, taxis ferry
men from Paris to the front. Allied victory as Germany is pushed back and stalemate
on the Western front sets in.
•
Near Ypres, Belgium (1915): Germany uses poison gas—first use in warfare
•
Battle of the Somme (1916): England rolls out tanks—first use in warfare
•
Stalemate on the Eastern Front leads to revolt in Russia
•
The Russian Revolution: the Tsar is deposed, a provisional government chooses to
stay in the war.
• As conditions worsen: Germany sends Lenin from exile in Switzerland back to
Russia and the Bolsheviks take power
• Russia signs the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk which cedes massive lands claims
to Germany but ends the external conflict between Russia and its enemy
neighbors
• Germany will send all its troops to the Western Front
US SOLDIERS WEARING GAS MASKS
GERMAN TANK
LT. COL. GEORGE S. PATTON: 1 ST U.S. TANK
BRIGADE
U.S. used French Renault Tanks (lighter and faster, but penetrable). The Americans used about
500 tanks and were vital to Pershing’s Meuse-Argonne Offensive driving the Germans out of
THE ZIMMERMAN TELEGRAM
Berlin, January 19, 1917
On the first of February we intend to begin submarine warfare unrestricted. In
spite of this, it is our intention to endeavor to keep neutral the United States of
America.
If this attempt is not successful, we propose an alliance on the following basis with
Mexico: That we shall make war together and together make peace. We shall give
general financial support, and it is understood that Mexico is to reconquer the lost
territory in New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona. The details are left to you for
settlement....
You are instructed to inform the President of Mexico of the above in the greatest
confidence as soon as it is certain that there will be an outbreak of war with the
United States and suggest that the President of Mexico, on his own initiative,
should communicate with Japan suggesting adherence at once to this plan; at the
same time, offer to mediate between Germany and Japan.
Please call to the attention of the President of Mexico that the employment of
ruthless submarine warfare now promises to compel England to make peace in a
few months.
Zimmerman
(Secretary of State)
AMERICA MOBILIZES FOR WAR
• When U.S. declares war (April 1917) the regular Army numbers
133K w 185K National Guardsman and 17K officers in federal
reserve forces
• May 18, 1917 Selective Service Act: The Draft! 3 million called
to service (1/3 found unfit and 1/3 dismissed on other grounds);
500K were drafted into service (90% single; 70%
farmers/manual labors)
• By end of 1917: 700K volunteers
• Late May 1917: AEF (American Expeditionary Force) leaves for
France
• U.S. will eventually put 4.8 million men in uniform (1/25 people)
THE U.S. COMES TO THE RESCUE
• With fresh soldiers on the Western Front, Germany stakes all of its hopes on
a major offensive 1917-1918Germany reconquers the most land since the
1st offensive of the War (get nearly to Paris again!)
• The U.S. provide a fresh supply of troops to push back the Central Powers
• May 28, 1918 Battle of Cantigny: (first U.S. led victory)
• June 1918: U.S. Marines repel the German advance at Belleau Woods
“Retreat? Hell, we just got here!” --Marine Capt. Lloyd Williams (when being
encouraged to retreat by French/British officers); the U.S. suffers approx.
10K casualties (approx. 3K Marines of 9K total in theater!)
• Battle of Saint Mihiel: General John Pershing leads AEF forces (500K)
• Muese-Argonne Offensive: Gen. Pershing leads 1 million troops in final push
to clear France/Belgium of Germans (September 26-Nov. 11, 1918); Over
26K American killed: 100K wounded
• The beginning of a legend: the U.S. comes in to the war late to rescue the
democracies of Europe
U.S. GENERAL JOHN J. PERSHING
ADVANCING TOWARD
CANTIGNY
Belleau Woods: The site of fierce conflict. The U.S. Marines prevail….
BATTLE OF
BELLEAU-WOOD
ST. MIHIEL OFFENSIVE
AFRICAN-AMERICANS ON THE MARCH
ON THE LINE
INFANTRY UNDER FIRE
HOTCHKISS HEAVY MACHINE-GUN
U.S. SOLDIER WITH CHAUCHAT
Browning Automatic Rifle: Saw use at end of WWI, relied upon heavily in WWII, Korean War, and
in Vietnam. Replaced by the M60. Shoots standard 30-06 round.
U.S. SOLDIER WITH BAR
WWI CASUALTIES
CASUALTY COMPARISONS
ALL MAJOR U.S. WARS
WWI OUTCOMES
• Treaty of Versaille: Ends war with Germany. Germany held
responsible for war. Germany cedes territory; Military
restrictions; Germany pays 32 Billion DM in reparations ($450
Billion dollars today). Some say too harsh; others not harsh
enough…
• Treaty of Sevres: Ends WWI w Ottoman Empire. Ottoman
Empire broken up—most notably British Palestine and Iraq, and
French Syria now exist. Military restrictions, reparations,
International loans must be approved by the Allied Powers, the
end of an empire… Far more punitive than Versaille.
• Treaty of Trianon: ends WWI w Austria-Hungary. The empire
hacked up into smaller, independent countries. “War of the
Pygmies” –Winston Churchill’s description of the smaller wars
which broke out following WWI in central, south, and eastern
Europe (over new territorial disputes).
WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER AS WWI’S LEGACY?