US Impact and the End of WWI

1
US Impact and the End of WWI

• 1918

2
US Joins WWI

• Apr. 1917 - US declared war on Germany
• Getting the Troops Ready (4 steps)
• Conscription
• Armed
• Training
• Shipped to Europe

3
Russia Surrenders(Dec. 1917)

• Russian army suffered millions of casualties
• Many unhappy with the war (in Russia)
• Blamed the Tsar (Nicholas II) for losses
• Civilians resisted the Russian govt
• Soldiers resisted fighting
• Became the Bolshevik Revolution
• Vladimir Lenin became new leader communist
  (Soviet Union)
• Soviet govt surrendered to Germany (Treaty of
  Brest-Litovsk)
• German troops can now focus on France

4
US Impact

• Trench warfare stopped Germany in the West (GB
  French)
• But Russia now gone in the East
• Germany could now focus on winning in the
  West
• U.S. added the soldiers needed to hold Germany
  back
• Mostly effective by adding numbers to Allied
  forces
• And increased war supplies

5
Europe in 1917
German forces
Allied forces
X
Britain
Russia
Germany
U.S.
1917
Austria-Hungary
France
Ottoman-Empire
6
The Central Powers Collapse

• Germany pushed back in the West
• March April 1918 20 days of fighting 110,000
  total casualties
• Other Allies made a push in the East (Greece,
  Italy, Romania)
• Ottoman-Empire surrendered on Oct. 30, 1918
• Austria-Hungary surrendered on Nov. 4, 1918
• Germany was alone
• Accepted an armistice on Nov. 11, 1918
  (Armistice Day)

• (Armistice - stoppage of fighting to create
  and agree upon a treaty)

X
X
X
7
Why Did Germany Surrender?

• German people grew tired of war (lost support)
• 6 Million casualties (760,000 civilians)
• GB blockade left Germany starving
• Economy wrecked w/o trade
• Germanys allies quit fighting
• Allied forces stronger w/ US joining

8
Peace Treaty is Signed 1919

• Allies met in Paris to create a treaty
• Central Powers not included
• Russia not included
• Versailles Treaty of 1919
• Treaty was very hard on Germany (had to agree)

9
Versailles Treaty 1919

• Germany made to accept all the blame
  for starting WWI
• AH split in two
• Germany gave up land to France, Belgium,
  Denmark
• Poland was recreated
  (from Germany and Russia)
• Germany gave up all overseas colonies
• Had to pay reparations - 33
  billion
• Army limited to 100,000 men
• Give up all tanks, planes, ships
• League of Nations was created
• The U.S. did not join the League