America Joins the Allies

1
AmericaJoinstheAllies
2
US Enters war

• US attempted to stay neutral and Wilson
  encouraged neutrality.
• However in 1914 1/3rd of Americans were foreign
  born. Many of these individuals supported their
  home countries though most sided with Britain and
  France.
• 3 positions on war
• 1) Isolationists- believed it was none of
  Americas business.
• 2) Interventionists- felt US should intervene
• 3) Internationalists- believed US should play a
  role and work towards peace but not enter the war.

3
(No Transcript)
4
Which side should the US pick?
Central Powers
Allies

• Close cultural ties
• Big business loaned much to allies

• 11 million German-Americans
• Irish-Americans hated Great Britain

US Exports to both sides
5
Why did it take the us so long to get involved?
1. Blockades

• Germany attempted to block British ships carrying
  supplies in an attempt to starve out the British
  Isles

• Germany announced a submarine war around Britain

• In May, 1915 Germany told Americans to stay off
  of British ships
• They could/would sink them

6
2. Lusitania

• Lusitania torpedoed, sinking with 1200 passengers
  and crew (including 128 Americans)

• Was eventually found to be carrying 4200 cases of
  ammunition

7
3. Allied Pressure

• Britain and France nearly bankrupt
• Russian Revolution of 1917 Russia exits war

Petrograd, 4 July 1917. Street demonstration on
Nevsky Prospekt just after troops of the
Provisional Government have opened fire with
machine guns.
8
The Russian Revolution

• Russia was ill-equipped to fight the war and
  suffered great losses between 1914-1916 over 6
  million casualties - Russia also suffering
  inflation and hunger
• Tsarist regime led by Nicholas II pulled away
  from affairs a supposed Holy Man named Rasputin
  became influential to the Tsar, which upset many
  in Russia Tsar tried to hold onto autocratic
  rule

9
Romanov Rasputin
10
The Russian Revolution

• March, 1917, Peace and Bread protests in
  Petrograd
• Soldiers meant to disperse crowd joined in
• Duma assumed responsibility and Tsar abdicated
• New provisional government decided to carry on
  war to preserve Russian pride
• Opposed by soviets who wanted to end the war
  soviets largely workers and soldiers

11
The Russian Revolution

• The Bolsheviks
• Marxist Social Democrats led by Vladimir Lenin
  dedicated to violent revolution Lenin was in
  hiding until the provisional government came to
  power, then he was secretly shipped back to begin
  revolution and to seize power
• Promised end to war, redistribution of land,
  transfer of industries to worker councils, and
  government power to the soviets gained
  popularity among the soviet groups

12
The Russian Revolution

• Took control of the government on November 6,
  1917 with the help of the Petrograd soviets led
  by Leon Trotsky
• Lenin the head of the new Council of Peoples
  Commissars - communist

13
Lenin
14
The Russian Revolution

• Civil War in Russia
• Not everyone was happy with the new communist
  government and Allies wanted Russia back in the
  war
• The Bolshevik Red Army fought anti-Bolshevik
  forced known as the White Army White Army
  defeated
• Red Army a disciplined unit while White Army was
  disorganized and not unified wanted different
  ends
• Red secret police, the Red Terror known as the
  Cheka, stopped any opposition

15
The Russian Revolution

• War communism nationalized banks and
  industries, grain from peasants, and state
  centralization
• Against the foreign invaders of the Japanese,
  French, British, and American who were stationed
  in Russia appealed to Russian patriotism
• Tsar and his family murdered and burnt down in a
  mine shaft

16
4. Zimmerman Note

• US intercepted a note from Germany to Mexico,

• It promised Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona back
  in return for an alliance

• Zimmerman Note the sinking of 4 unarmed
  American ships led to a declaration of war by the
  United States

17
5. Unlimited Submarine Warfare

• 1917 Germany announced unlimited submarine
  warfare in the war zone

18
a war to make the world safe, for Democracy
We desire no conquest, no dominion. We seek no
indemnities for ourselves, no material
compensation for the sacrifices we shall freely
make. We are but one of the champions of the
rights of mankind. We shall be satisfied when
those rights have been made as secure as the
faith and the freedom of nations can make them.
President Woodrow Wilson, 1917 Asking the
Congress of the United States for a Declaration
of War against the Central Powers
19
It is a fearful thing to lead this great
peaceful people into war... But the right is more
precious then peace and we shall fight for the
things which we have always carried in our
hearts. - Wilson
20
Wilson Believed the American system would save
the world
1. American economic goods 2. America's
democratic political structure 3. America's
blend of morality and Christianity
21
Americans in the Trenches
22
The YanksAre Coming!
23
The American Expeditionary Force
Americas Army had to be built from scratch. Only
the USMC had real combat experience -and then
only in Small Wars against poorly armed
guerillas.
"90 Day Wonders"
Minimal training turned civilians into officers,
NCOs and Doughboys
AEF 4 million Overseas 2 million 126,000
Dead 234,000 Wounded
A modern military force by 1918 with advanced
logistics, tanks, bombers and artillery.
St. Mihiel
Argonne
Chateau-Thierry
Cantigny
24
(No Transcript)
25
(No Transcript)
26
(No Transcript)