America Wins the War. America Mobilizes The US not prepared for war, only 200,000 were in armed...
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Transcript of America Wins the War. America Mobilizes The US not prepared for war, only 200,000 were in armed...
America Mobilizes
• The US not prepared for war, only 200,000 were in armed services when war declared
• Congress passed Selective Service Act – required men to register with government in order to be randomly selected for military service – 24 million men registered and 3 million men were
drafted– Most draftees did not attend HS and 1/5 were foreign
born – 13,000 women served in non-combat positions –
nurses, secretaries and telephone operators
• Priority of the US to enlarge the Navy to defeat the German U-Boats and protect the US shipping fleet
• Government exempted many skilled workers from the draft – including ship builders
• Along with mass production, the ship building industry used prefabricated sections increasing production speed
• The government took over commercial and private ships and converted them to transatlantic war use
Convoy System
• Convoy System – a heavy guard of destroyers escorted merchant ships back and forth across the Atlantic in Groups
• Used to protect American Ships and Economy (Trade)
Americans in Europe
• American Expeditionary Force (AEF)- US forces who fought with the Allies in Europe during World War I
• Lead by General John J. Pershing• After 2 ½ years of fighting European
forces were exhausted and demoralized – US troops brought freshens and enthusiasm
• Troops not prepared for Trench Warfare and the horrors new technology brought
• WWI was the first modern war – used new technology on the battlefield that would become standard in modern warfare – including biological weapons
• Two most innovated weapons of WWI were the Tank and the Airplane – Tank – First used by the British, purpose
was to clear barbed wire and make path for infantry (foot soldiers)
– Planes – at beginning of war very flimsy and only used for scouting – early dog fights consisted of pistols and rocks – by end of war technology improved and machine guns used
Hazards of War
• New weapons and tactics lead to horrific injuries and hazards
• Conditions in trenches were unsanitary – polluted water, lice, rats, and filth
• Trench Foot – rotting of the foot due to constant contact with water – resulted in amputation
• Trench Mouth – painful infection of the gums and throat
• Lack of sleep and constant bombardments lead to “shell shock”
• On November 3, 1918 Austria-Hungary surrendered to the Allies
• Same day German sailors mutinied against government authority – mutiny spread quickly around Germany, soldiers and workers joined
• November 9th, 1918 socialist leaders established a new republic and the Kaiser gave up the Throne
• Germans too hungry and exhausted to continue war, led to revolts
• The Eleventh Hour of 11/11/1918 – Armistice (truce) went into effect and the war was ended