World War I: Section 3

1
World War I Section 3
Ahhhhh!!!! Were sorry. Well give up, well do
the chores, well shine your shoes...anything but
Mr. T !!!
-Things hadnt been going very well lately for
the Allies. -Luckily, the U.S. had joined their
side, and its time for us to head to Europe to
help fight the Central Powers.
2
Methinks I have a good idea!
-American troops coming over were pretty
inexperienced in fighting. -BUT, they helped
boost the MORALE of the exhausted and
demoralized Allied troops

• 1st big success Use of the CONVOY system.
• German U-Boats had been sinking British ships at
  incredible rates. The Allies were in big trouble
  thanks to the U-Boats ?
• Reenactment

Adm. William Sims

• The CONVOY system was developed by William S.
  Sims (American) He decided that instead of ships
  sailing alone, the U.S. should combine merchant
  ships and troop transports with an escort made up
  of Navy warships. (Think the flying-V)
• -Convoys ensured that Americans troops
  arrived safely in Europe

3
To Review...

• The commander of the American Expeditionary
  Forces was.???
• General John J. Pershing
• He wanted Americans to fight in separate combat
  units (not just be combined with British or
  French units that were already fighting). Why???

4
more bad news for Allies

• Russia drops out of WWI
• Riots break out in Russia because people have no
  food or fuel.
• Czar Nicholas II stepped down from his throne
• The Bolsheviks (Communists) took control in 1917
  under the leader Vladimir Lenin. 1st Communist
  govt is officially established!!!
• 1917

Russia
5

• Lenin pulls Russia out of the war to focus on
  domestic issues.
• He signs the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with Germany
  in March, 1918.
• Russia lost a bunch of land, but no longer had to
  fight.

Say, Germany You wouldnt hit a country with
glasses, would you???
Russia Rocks!
6
Russias out? SWEET!!!
Now Germany only has to fight the war on 1 front
instead of 2
7
Germany's last efforts

• Germany tries a big attack on Western Front and
  gets within 40 miles of Paris, France.
• But Americans and French drive them back

• Battle of the Argonne Forest (Largest attack in
  U.S. history)
• September 26, 1918 early November 1918
• -600,000 American troops, 40,000 tons of
  supplies, and 4,000 artillery pieces
• -Americans destroy German lines

8
Speaking of the Battle of the Argonne Forest
Alvin York
Conscientious objector person who opposes war
on moral grounds
9
York eventually fought...
Armed with a rifle revolver York killed 25
Germans , with 6 others, captured 132 prisoners
10
The war finally ends

• While fighting is going on, Austria-Hungary and
  Ottoman Turks are both pretty much useless.
  Germany forces its emperor to step down.
• On the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th
  month, 1918, the fighting stopped.
• Germany signs an ARMISTICE (cease-fire) that
  officially ends the war!!!