The End of WWI

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The End of WWI
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The U.S. Enters the War

• The Germans announced a policy of Unrestricted
  Submarine Warfare- sink any ship near Britain.
• The US was neutral at the time and continued
  trading with Britain, Germany upset.
• American lives were being lost- German torpedoes
  were sinking ships in the Atlantic (ex. Lusitania
  in 1915, 128 Americans died), Pres. Wilson upset.
• The sinking of these ships, plus the Zimmerman
  note, would prompt the US to join the war.

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Lusitania, British Passenger Ship
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Lusitania, Today
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Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
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President Woodrow Wilson
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Zimmerman Telegram

• The British intercepted a telegram to the German
  ambassador in Mexico.
• Telegram asked Mexico to ally with Germany and
  start a war with the US to keep them distracted.
• Germany would give Mexico money and help them
  regain lost lands
• Pres. Wilson was outraged and this was the last
  straw- asked Congress to declare war against
  Germany (April 1917).
• The US joined the side of the Allies

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Total War

• WWI was a total war- all aspects of the country
  were dedicated to the war effort.
• Rationing was a common practice- governments only
  allowed small amounts of food and supplies to be
  purchased.
• Propaganda also used to encourage people to
  support/join the war.
• Women worked the factories to make up for the men
  being gone.

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Russia Withdraws from the War

• Civil unrest due to lack of food, supplies
• Czar Nicholas abdicated the throne
• By 1917- 5.5 million casualties
• Communist leader Lenin seized power signed a
  truce with Germany (ends war March 1918)
• Germany can now focus on W. Front
• With U.S. help, the Central Powers were defeated.
• 11/11/1918 at 11 oclock- Armistice signed to end
  the war. Veterans Day

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Aftermath of WWI

• By the Numbers
• Estimated cost 338 billion
• 8.5 million soldiers died
• 21 million more wounded
• Millions of civilians were killed

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Aftermath of WWI
U.S. 117,000 France 1,385,000 Britain
703,000 Russia 1,700,000 Italy
460,000 Germany 1,718,000 Austria H 1,200,000
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Effects of WWI

• World War I had four main effects
• Millions of lives lost
• Countries bankrupted by war
• Land, towns, and villages destroyed
• The lost generation
• Those who returned were scared, insecure,
  desperate, and many questioned the meaning of life

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The Allies Meet at Versailles

• On January 18, 1919 the allies met at the Paris
  Peace Conference.
• 32 countries attended but most of
• the decisions were made by the
• Big Four
• United States- Pres. Wilson
• France- Georges Clemenceau
• Great Britain- David Lloyd George
• Italy- Vittorio Orlando
• Germany and its allies were not invited.

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The Fourteen Points

• Woodrow Wilsons plan to build a lasting peace in
  Europe
• It was a speech that he delivered to Congress in
  January 8, 1918- before the armistice
• Some believe it was part of the reason why the
  Central Powers eventually surrendered. They
  though the treaty would be a just one and based
  on Wilsons 14 points
• Very little of the 14 points were added to the
  final treaty. Britain and France thought it was
  too easy on Germany
• Wilson won a Nobel Peace Prize in 1919 for his
  efforts

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The Fourteen Points

• The key points
• End of secret treaties
• Freedom of the seas
• Free trade
• Reduced army and navy sizes
• Self-determination
• Other points were specific suggestions for
  changing borders and creating new nations

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The Allies Dictate a Harsh Peace

• Great Britain and France thought the Fourteen
  Points were too easy on Germany.
• Georges Clemenceau (Premier of France) wanted to
  punish Germany by dismantling their army and
  making them pay for the war.

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Discussion Question

• What are two reasons that France may have wanted
  to punish Germany more than the United States did?

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The Treaty of Versailles

• The Treaty of Versailles was signed in the Hall
  of Mirrors at Versailles on June 28,1919 (exactly
  5 years after the death of the Archduke)
• The treaty had four major provisions

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The Treaty of VersaillesProvision 1

• League of Nations
• -International peace organization
• membership included Allied nations as well as
  32 other ones
• -Germany and Russia were excluded

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Treaty of VersaillesProvision 2

• Territorial Losses
• Germany had to return Alsace Lorraine to
  France. Frances border was extended to the Rhine
  River.
• Germany had to give up all of its colonies in
  Africa and the Pacific.

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Treaty of VersaillesProvision 3

• Military Restrictions
• German army could be no
• larger than 100,000.
• Germany prohibited from manufacturing or
  importing weapons or war material.
• Germany forbidden to build submarines or air
  force.

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Treaty of VersaillesProvision 4

• War Guilt or War Reparations
• Responsibility for the war
• was mainly placed on Germany.
• Germany had to pay the Allies over 30 billion to
  cover the costs of the war
• Todays equivalent 442 billion US dollars
• Germany finally paid off this debt in 2010!
• War payments were not only paid in cash, but also
  resources like coal, steel and intellectual
  property such as the Aspirin patent (owned by
  German company Bayer)

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The Creation of New Nations

• To split up the Central Powers, many new
  countries were created after WWI
• New countries included
• Poland
• Czechoslovakia
• Yugoslavia

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A Peace Built on Quicksand

• The U.S. ultimately rejected the Treaty of
  Versailles, didnt get 2/3 vote of approval in
  Congress
• Many Germans were left with bitterness and hatred
• Instead of building a lasting peace, the stage
  was set for World War II