World War IThe Great War

1914-1918

The U.S. Enters the War

• The United States tried to remain neutral

• The U.S. into the war:1. S -Sussex Pledge2. L- Lusitania 3. U -Germany’s use of unrestricted submarine warfare4. T –secret treaties 5. Z- The Zimmerman Telegram

Sussex Pledge

• Germany agrees not to sink any merchant ships

• Diplomacy fails

Unrestricted Submarine Warfare• The Germans attacked British and French ships to

cut off supplies to those countries.

• The rules of war stated that submarines were to surface, search the ship for contraband, take the captain prisoner and allow the crew to get onto lifeboats, and then sink the ship.

• The Germans, however, struck the ships without warning from below the surface using torpedoes.

The Lusitania

• The Lusitania was a British passenger ship sunk by a German U-boat– The Lusitania was carrying war materials as well as

passengers

• 1,200 people were killed, including 128 Americans

• President Wilson warned Germany and Germany cut back on submarine attacks (Sussex Pledge)

The Zimmerman Telegram• The German Foreign Minister Alfred Zimmerman thought the

U.S. was going to enter the war of the side of the British.

• He tried to create an alliance with Mexico and sent a coded telegram.– Mexico would attack the U.S.– If Germany won the war, Mexico would reclaim Texas, New Mexico,

and Arizona.

• The British intercepted the note and gave it to the U.S.

• Americans were upset and became convinced to enter the war.

The U.S. Enters the War

World War I Technology

Submarines

Submarines

Submarines

World War I

• Germans used to attack merchant ships

• British used to patrol their coast

Today

• Used to patrol the oceans

• Nuclear weapon launching platform

Sea Mines

Sea Mines

World War I

• Used by the British to close German harbors and sink German ships

Today

• Used in WWII but are not used today

Dreadnaught

Dreadnaught

World War I

• Huge warships with massive guns

• Were a symbol of a country’s power – but not very effective

Today

• Replaced by aircraft carriers

• Not used in warfare today

Machine Guns

Machine Guns

World War I

• Designed for defense because it could not be moved easily

• Fired up to 300 rounds per minute

Today

• Easy to move

• Can fire thousands of rounds per minute.

Tanks

Tanks

World War I

• Slow and difficult to move vehicles used against machine guns and trenches

Today

• Fast moving machines used to lead the attack

Gas

Gas

World War I• Used as a weapon of

mass destruction, to kill enemy soldiers before an attack

• Mustard – affected the eyes

• Chlorine – destroyed the lungs

Today

• Outlawed by an international agreement

• Used by Saddam Hussein against the Kurds

Flame Thrower

Flame Thrower

World War I

• Used to attack trenches by shooting liquid fire

• A horrible weapon to use against the enemy

Today

• Used in WWII to attack fortifications

• Not used today because troops are too mobile

Zeppelins

Zeppelins

World War I

• Used to spy on enemy positions

• Used to attack silently at night with bombs

Today

• No military use

• Sometimes used for advertising

Airplanes

Airplanes

World War I

• Used to spy on enemy positions

• Bomb the enemy behind their lines or the home front

Today

• Military and commercial use

• Unmanned drones used to spy

• Stealth technology

Total Warfare

World War I• Propaganda to motivate

the population

• Factories/machines used to make weapons

• Population will have to make sacrifices

Today

• Military spending plays a big part in the economy

• Homeland Security Color Alerts

Draft

World War I

• Used to meet the needs of the military during the war

Today

• No draft in effect today

Trench Warfare

Trench Warfare

Trench Warfare

The End of the War• When the U.S. enters the war, it is the beginning of the

end for the Triple Alliance (Central Powers).

• By 1918, the Americans are landing 1 million soldiers a month in Europe.

• American Expeditionary Forces led by General J.J. Pershing (Western Front)

• Germany retreats and the Kaiser flees to the Netherlands.– Argonne Forest

• The war ends on November 11, 1918. We celebrate this a Veterans’ Day.

Assignment

• Do the Gallery Walk in the hallway• Complete the questions from the handout.• Write a 1 page letter as if you are soldier. Use

10 of the provided terms. – This is a test grade