World War I:

Beginnings to

US involvement

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Germany did not want to fight a 2 Front War! So they followed the Schlieffen Plan

Schlieffen Plan

• The German Plan to launch offensive to capture Paris in 42 Days
•  They were trying to avoid French fortifications by attacking through Belgium
•  They wanted to have "Paris for lunch… Dinner in St Petersburg"

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Doesn't Work!

• The German troops moved to quickly & became physically exhausted
• They arrived before their supply lines( weapons,food, ammunition, medical supplies etc.)
• Also the German right flank gets separated...leaving them vulnerable to attack
• The Germans were stopped 25 miles before Paris

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Neutral Belgium:

Becomes an example of “German Brutality” & the subject of Yellow Journalism

Survivors flee…

Spread stories of atrocities

They Claim???

• The Germans were burning buildings
• Herding people up...using firing squads for mass execution!
• Using resources of occupied nation to support their war effort
• Relying on forced labor to push forward their war goals
• Using concentration camps to contain those who would attempt to hurt their war plans

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The spread of this info will result in propaganda

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All of the US communication went through Britain so the US Gets one sided view of the war effort...

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Creates support for the Triple Entente in the US over time

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After attacking France Through Neutral Belguim...

Germans will face French and British at the Battle of the Marne...

• forced to admit it will not be a quick victory
• Germans leave out details of the real status of the war when reporting home
• Some Historians claim that the war was lost here!
• Neither side has the resources for a long war
• Home by Christmas?
• NOT LIKELY!
• After the Battle of the Marne both sides dig in
• TRENCH WARFARE BEGINS

Germany was now fighting a 2 Front War!

What was so negative about life in the trenches?

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After stalemates and losses on the Western Front Germany makes WWI a Global War...

• They were now fighting a 2 front war
• So they have to get creative!
• Want to make sure that the US stayed out of the war
• US troops would tip the scales in favor of the Allies
• They also wanted to expand in the Pacific and the US was in the way!

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Their Plan...Operational plan "3" (Later abandoned)

• They were going to attack U.S east coast and…
• Force them to negotiate from a weak position
• They resented U.S growth in the pacific 
• Remember...Germany late to imperialism

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Germany was also willing to Gamble & bring the war to Africa!!

• Germany hoped that Britain would defend her empire at the expense of the Western Front

The War moves to Africa

• becomes a battlefield
• B & F call up reserves in colonies 
• F...600 thousand
• B...1.3 million from India alone
• Africans wonder...What are we fighting for???
• After the fighting they return to devastation at home
• Germans were ultimately unsuccessful
• Germany sacrifices all her battleships and all her African colonies
• Germany’s ew focus on submarine warfare (U boats)and..

UNRESTRICTED WARFARE!!!

Watch

They shall not grow old

Using your notes or memory of the film...They Shall Not Grow Old, your notes from the Fill-in Packet & your reading about the US during the war…

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Come up with 2-3 statements to categorize WW1 as a group

• War was brutal violent and caused the deaths of millions
• Many of the battles had little strategic value yet caused millions to be injured or lose their lives
• A decisive victory by the Germans was not achieved in France and so stalemates and trench warfare became the norm on the Western front
• Modern technology changed the way war was fought...Things became more deadly (They came in on horseback and left in tanks
• Women were awarded more opportunities during the war (volunteer work, enlisting, jobs at home, sanitary napkins)
• Memories of the brutality of war will lead to appeasement of Hitler & the outbreak of WWII

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The map changed significantly after the war (Countries and empires were reduced, new states/ mandates were created

• Yugoslavia-Finland-Czechoslovakia- Poland-Estonia- Latvia-Lithuania
• Germany reduced, Austria-Hungary (separated & loss of empire), Ottoman Empire (Turkey & loss of Empire)
• Middle East Mandates (redrew the map!!)

The

US

Is

neutral

1914-

1917

Why Was the US Neutral?

1914- 1917 US is Neutral Because...

Internal conflict

• US is made of Immigrants  (German & Russian)
• Divides the US (who to fight with)

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Inexperience In Foreign Affairs 

• Woodrow Wilson Elected on domestic Issues
• “He kept us out of war”

Domestic Issues

• Poor  Labor Practices
• Fight for Women's Suffrage etc.

Advice from the past

• George Washington (“stay away from Foreign entanglements”)
• The US should act as a model for the rest of the World (City on a Hill)

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Our army was not strong enough or well organized!

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Our isolation was also strength!

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It proved profitable to stay out of the war!

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US Neutrality

London Declaration of Neutrality was signed in 1909

• Outlined...Laws of Neutrality
• Neutral ships could not be attacked in times of war
• US Insists abide by the rules
• But there was trouble in neutrality!
• The war was not short like anticipated
• Soldiers were NOT.."Home by Christmas"
• Both Britain & Germans violate the rules
• British even start flying US flag

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Things start to Change!!

Reason 1 for US Intervention:

Sinking of the Lusitania

**Subject of Yellow Journalism

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Wilson insisted on the right of neutral passengers to travel with foreign passenger vessels...

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Secretary of state Williams Jennings Bryan feared for Americans’ safety & he was right...

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May 7, 1915 Lusitania sunk by German Submarine

• 128 Americans
• US public outraged
• TR wants war
• Wilson continued to protest German

unrestricted warfare

Reason 2 for US intervention: unrestricted Warfare

• Germans insist on continuing to attack any ship in its path

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 Reason 3 for US Intervention:

Zimmerman Telegram

Jan.1917 Britain deciphers a telegram 

• from German Foreign minister to the German minister in Mexico

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The Offer

• US territory (Arizona, New Mexico & Texas) in return for joining the German cause
• Helped draw the US into the war (April 2, 1917)

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• Internal strife forces Russia out of the war & helps convince the US that they are needed
• Germany now can send millions to the Western Front!!!

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Reason 4 for US Intervention:

The Russian Revolution

Reason 5 For US Intervention:

Economic incentive:

• 2 Billion invested in an Allied Victory
• If they lose we do not get paid Back!

Activity...What pushed the US to enter the War?

Make an argument that one of the causes listed below was the major reason for US Intervention in the War using evidence and analysis (you should take into account the other causes as well)

• Sinking of the Lusitania
• Economic incentive
• Russian Revolution
• Zimmerman Telegram
• Unrestricted warfare

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Propaganda attempted to capture the hearts and minds of the US people so that the American public would support the war

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If you can get people to support the war by capturing their hearts and their minds then they are more willing to sacrifice

Anti German Propaganda became widespread too!

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Actual US Involvement (13 campaigns)

American troops arrived in May and fought along the Marne River then...In September 1918

• They attacked the Germans in Eastern France
• Caused high casualties but--the Germans were now on the run!

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The US then fought in the Battle of Meuse-Argonne

• Large casualties but it will result in a victory for the Allies!
• 26,277 dead and almost 100,000 wounded

Goal...was to capture the railway & cut off German support lines in France & Belgium...forcing them to withdraw and surrender

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• The Allies stoped Germany’s final push to Paris even though
• Americans were inexperienced
• But They had enough men & weapons to overwhelm Germans

11am Nov 11, 1918 guns fall silent

Victory!!!

Even though the US achieves victory in WW1...Some groups remain marginalized on the homefront including Women and

African Americans.

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These groups will be empowered following the war to push for equality

Using the work you have done so far... identify some positives or negatives associated with the US involvement in WW1?