America Joins the Fight

World War I (1914-1918)

Chapter 24, Section 2

Essential Questions:

• Do governments have the right to draft its’ citizens? Why or Why Not?

• As a citizen, are YOU responsible to serve YOUR country?

The U.S. Army (1917)• When America

Entered WWI the US Army Had Less Than 200,000 Troops

• President Woodrow Wilson Wanted to Use Volunteer Troops

• Not Enough Troops Enlisted After U.S. Declared War in 1917

Which Poster is More Effective? Why?

Selective Service Act (1917)

• Required ALL Males Between the Ages of 21 and 30 to Join the U.S. Military

• The Draft!!!

• 3 Million Men Were Drafted by 1918

• Army Went from 200,000 to 3 Million Soldiers!

American Expeditionary Force (The AEF)

• AEF = U.S.Armed Forces Sent to Europe During WWI

• 2 Million AEF Troops Served Under General John J. Pershing in France

• Helped Win WWI!!!

John J. Pershing

• General of the AEF

• British and French Forces Asked the U.S. to Join their Armies

• Woodrow Wilson and Pershing REFUSED! WHY?

Woodrow Wilson• President Wilson Did

NOT Want the AEF to Fight With the Allied Forces

• Wanted U.S. Forces to Fight Separately

• Wilson Wanted U.S. to be the Hero and Play a Major Role at the Peace Table at the End of WWI

Women’s Roles During WWI

• Close to 50,000 Women Served in World War I:– American Red Cross– Clerical Workers in

the Navy– Marine Corps & Army– Nurses– Interpreters– Switchboard

Operators– Entertained Troops– Drove Ambulances

African Americans Serve• 400,000 African

American Men Served During WWI

• Faced Racial Discrimination from White American Soldiers (Not European Soldiers)

• U.S. Created Segregated Combat Units for African Americans (Plessy vs. Ferguson 1896)

The U.S. Convoy System• German U-Boats Were

Sinking Supply & Troop Ships Across the Atlantic Ocean!

• Convoy System:– A Heavy Guard of

Destroyers Escorted Merchant Ships Across the Atlantic in Groups

• Hut, Hut, Hike! Handoff the Football and Follow Your Blockers!

Other Military Tactics• To Protect From

German U-Boats, the U.S. Laid 70,000 Mines in the North Sea

• Minefield Was Over 180 Miles Long

• Used Magnetic and Contact Mines

• FINDING NEMO!!!

Finding Nemo Mine Scene!!!

By the Way….. Found Nemo!

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk• Ended War Between

Central Powers and Russia!

• When Russians Dropped Out of the War, Germany Sent Troops to Invade France in the West

• Wanted to Win the War Before U.S. Arrived!

The German Plan

Germans Push For France

• Germans Launch an Attack to End WWI Before American Troops Arrive

• Germany Gets to the Marne River (Again) (50 Miles Away from Paris)

• 1 Million American Troops Aid French and British Forces to STOP the German Advance!

America Arrives• May 28th, 1918 the AEF

Liberates the Town of Cantigny, France (Lifts Allies Morale!)

• AEF and French Forces STOP German Attack on the Town of Chateau-Thierry, France

• Battle of Belleau Wood:– American and French

Forces Go on the Attack!– Retake Land (Forest) in

France That Germany Had Taken

Battle of Belleau Wood

2nd Battle of the Marne River

• Germans Attacked for 3 Days Attempting to Take Paris

• The Allies & Americans STOPPED the Attack! Allies Started to Push the Germans Back!

• Why Was the 2nd Battle of the Marne the Turning Point of WWI?

The Meuse-Argonne Offensive

• The Final “Push” 1918

• Goal Was to Push German Forces BACK into Germany!

• 1.2 Million Allied Soldiers Fought

• After Months of Fighting, Germany Lost All Land it Had Gained!

Meuse Argonne Offensive

Meuse-Argonne Cemetery

26,000+ U.S. Soldiers Killed in the Meuse Argonne

Offensive

WWI American Heroes• Alvin York:

– Attempted to Avoid the Draft

– Refused to Bear Arms (Religion)

– Attacked and Killed 25 German Machine Gunners

– 132 Germans Surrendered to this 1 Man in the Trenches!

• Eddie Rickenbacker:– U.S. Pilot Who Shot

Down 26 Enemy Planes– Awarded the Medal of

Honor

Alvin York’s Grave

• 4 African American Combat Units Received Recognition:– 369th, 370th, 371st, 372nd

Regiments– Awarded France’s

Highest Honor: The Croix de Guerre

• 369th Regiment Spent More Time on the Front Lines Than ANY Other US Unit

• What Awards Did the U.S. Give Them???

African American Heroes

Reasons Why Germany Surrenders!

• Lost the Meuse Argonne Offensive (Didn’t Want the Allies to Keep Going & Take Over Germany!)

• Germany’s Navy Mutinied (Refused to Fight Any More)

• The Central Powers Dropped Out (Didn’t Want to Lose Land)

• Germany’s Kaiser (Leader) Resigned

Armistice• Comes From Latin:

– Arma = Weapons– Statium = Stopping

• Warring Countries Agreed to STOP Fighting

• Armistice Was Signed on November 11th, 1918 @ 11:00AM– 11th Hour– 11th Day– 11th Month– WWI Was OVER!

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

World War I Deaths• 8.5 Million People

Died During WWI (1914-1918)

• Approximately 21 Million Were Wounded

• Worst Death Totals/War in the History of the World (Until WW2)

World War I Casualties

WWI Casualties

• Most Casualties:– Germany

(1.8 Million)– Russia

(1.7 Million)

• Least Casualties:– US (116,000)– Why is That???

Essential Questions:

• Do governments have the right to draft its’ citizens? Why or Why Not?

• As a citizen, are YOU responsible to serve YOUR country?