CH. 18-2 THE UNITED STATES IN WORLD WAR I

AMERICAN HISTORYCH. 18-2 THE UNITED STATES IN WORLD WAR IUNITED STATES STAYS NEUTRALMay 1, 1915British Cruise ship Lusitania was torpedoed by a German submarine and sank1,200+ died including 128 AmericansAmericans saw WWI as a European conflictPresident Wilson declared the USA would remain neutralUSA maintained a long-standing policy of ISOLATIONISM (a policy of not being involved in the affairs of other nations)

LEANING TOWARD THE ALLIESPrivately, Wilson favored the Allied causeUSA had greater political, cultural, and commercial ties to Great Britain and France, not GermanyA British blockade kept American businesses from selling to GermanyBy 1917Britain was buying nearly $75 million worth of war goods from Americans each week

GERMAN SUBMARINE WARFAREGermany suffered from the British blockadeGermany waged war with U-BOATS (small submarines)February 1915Germany announced the waters around G.B. would be a war zone and all enemy boats would be destroyedNeutral ships might be attacked as wellThis policy was called UNRESTRICTED SUBMARINE WARFAREPresident Wilson warned Germany that they would hold them responsible for any American lives lostTensions between Germany and the USA were risingHEADING TOWARD WARAmericans were outraged at the sinking of the LusitaniaWilson demanded an end to unrestricted submarine warfareGermany then decided to attack only supply shipsMarch 24, 1916Germany attacked the French passanger ship Sussex killing 80Germany thought USA might enter the war so they issued the SUSSEX PLEDGEA promise not to sink merchant vessels without warning an without saving human livesWILSONS RE-ELECTIONDuring the 1916 campaign, Wilson promised not to send troops to die in EuropeOpponent Charles Evans Hughes took a stronger pro-war stanceThe election was close but Wilson won by about 3% of the popular voteJanuary 1917Wilson asked the Allied and Central Powers to accept peace without victoryAllies were angered by the requestAllies blamed the Central Powers for starting the war and said they should pay for wartime damage and destructionHope for peace was lost when Germany resumed unrestricted submarine warfare on February 1, 1917Feb. 3rdUSA ends diplomatic relations with GermanyWilson asked Congress for authority to install guns on US merchant ships

THE ZIMMERMAN NOTEGerman foreign secretary Arthur Zimmerman sent a note to Mexico proposing an allianceWe shall make war together. We shall make peace together.In exchange, Mexico is to reconquer lost territory in NM, TX, and AZGermany hoped a war between Mexico and the USA would keep the Americans out of WWIThe Germany strategy backfired because Mexico didnt want to fightThe British intercepted the Zimmerman note, decoded it, and forwarded it to the USAAmerican newspapers printed part of the noteMore Americans began calling for warWilson continued to resistTHE UNITED STATES DECLARES WARMarch 1917an uprising in Russia forces Czar Nicholas II to give up absolute power. Rebel leaders set up a republican governmentPeople wondered how long Russia would continue to fight along the eastern frontUSA became more supportive of Allies and the war after Nicholas leftMid-March 1917German U-boats sank 3 American merchant shipsPresident Wilson called a meeting of his cabinetEach Secretary argued for warApril 2, 1917President Wilson asked Congress for a war declaration to make the world safe for democracyApril 6, 1917America joins the war on the side of the AlliesAMERICANS IN EUROPEUSA began to mobilize quickly for warAn army needed to be raised, new recruits needed to be trained for combat and supplies needed to be shipped to the front.

RAISING AN ARMYMay 18, 1917Congress passed the SELECTIVE SERVICE ACTRequired men between 21 & 30 to register to be drafted in the armed forcesA small number asked to be classified as CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORSMembers of certain religious groups such as Quakers that didnt believe in fighting in a warMost draft boards didnt approve their applicationsChoice of fighting or going to prisonNew recruits reported for duty but nothing was ready for themThey slept in tents until barracks could be built and there were no suppliesTraining was intense. Days were spent learning military rules and practices.African American soldiers were segregated into separate units and trained at separate campsLatinos were also discriminated againstUS Government created a program to help those people that didnt speak English learn the language so they could along side other AmericansARRIVING IN EUROPEAmericans overseas formed the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) led by Gen. John J. PershingFirst soldiers arrived in France in late June 1917The CONVOY SYSTEM was used to safely transport troops to EuropeTransport ships were guarded by destroyers or cruisers for protection.Germany occupied Belgium and NE FranceRussians were facing famine and civil warIf Russia fell, Germany would rotate more troops to FranceAllies want Americans to fight with European units as soon as they arrivedGen. Pershing wanted Americans to fight as American units and get more trainingPershing set up training in eastern France

ALLIED SETBACKSNovember 1917Bolsheviks take control of RussiaBolsheviks were COMMUNISTS (people who seek equal distribution of wealth and the end of all private property)The new Russian government, led by Vladimir Ilich Lenin, withdrew their army from the eastern front and signed a peace treaty with the Central PowersMarch 1918Germany launched a series of tremendous offensives against the alliesGermany had 6,000 artillery pieces, including Big Berthasmassive guns that could fire a 2,100-pound shell 75 milesBy late May 1918Germany had pushed the Allies back to the Marne River, just 70 miles from ParisUS TROOPS IN ACTION12 months after Americans arrived in Europe, they started seeing combatThe dug extensive trenches to protect themselves from German gunfireEx.Company A of the 82nd division dug 3,000 yards of trenches and laid 12,000 yards of barbed wireSoldiers worked during the night to avoid detectionLife in the trenches was miserableSoldiers stood in deep mud as rats ran across their feet, artillery shells exploded nearby, and clouds of mustard gas floated through the trenchesAmerican troops were a major factor in the warJune 1918Americans help the French stop the Germans at Chateau-ThierryUS Marines halted the German advance in northern France and Paris was saved

AMERICAN MILITARY WOMENA few women signed up to serve overseasThe US Army Signal Corp recruited French-speaking US women to serve as switchboard operatorsThey served a critical role keeping communications openMore than 20,000 nurses served in the US Army during the warWomen also served as typists and bookkeepers, and some became radio operators, electricians, and telegraphersTHE WAR ENDSJuly 15, 1918Germany launches its last desperate offensive at the Second Battle of the MarneThe US 3rd Division blew up every bridge the Germans had built across the MarneThe German army retreated on August 3, 1918, having suffered 150,000 casualtiesThe Allies counter-attacked in September 1918Americans fought as a separate force defeating German troops at Mihiel, near the French-German border(map p. 595)Allies moved north toward the French-Belgian borderAt the Battle of the Argonne Forest Americans suffered 120,000 casualties

THE ARMISTACELate 1918the war was crippling the German economyFood riots and strikes erupted in GermanyRevolution swept across Austria-HungaryCentral Powers had trouble encouraging their troops to fightAustria-Hungary signed a peace treaty with the AlliesNovember 7, 1918German delegation enters France to begin peace negotiationsAllies demanded Germany:1) leave all territories it occupied2) surrender its aircraft, heavy artillery, tanks, and U-boats3) allow Allies to occupy some parts of GermanyNovember 11, 1918Armistace went into effect8.5 million people had been killedPeople hoped that WWI would be the war to end all warsTHE END