The most important battles of

World War Iwere fought

on the Western Front.

Germantroops had

struck through

Belgium.

German troops then invaded France and attempted to capture Paris but were stopped at the Marne River.

And that’s when the trenches were dug.And that’s when the troops shot at each other across “no man’s land.”And that’s were many died!

In trenches, the men lived, fought, and sometimes died. In trenches, there wererats, lice, disease, filth, dampness, and despair.

There were machines guns, artillery,and poison gas.

On the Western Front, the war seemed to linger on with a few feet gained by oneside or the other as troops periodicallycharged onto “no man’s land.”

But on the Eastern Front, the Central Powerswon many victories. The Russians suffered greatly.

The Russian people tired of the war. Theytired of their Tsar and the decisions hehad made. A revolution occurred and thenew Communist government withdrew from the war.

When the communists came to power, theywithdrew by signing the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk.

Yet the war on the Western Front lingered on until the eventual involvement of the U.S.A.

The United States had refused to becomeinvolved in the conflict but unrestrictedsubmarine warfare by the Germansforced American officials to changetheir minds.

In addition, American officials discovered that German officials had promised Mexico land in the U.S.A. if Mexico helped Germany in the event that the United States was brought into the war.

With unrestricted submarine warfare andthe discovery of the Zimmerman telegram,the Congress of the United States declared war on Germany in 1917.

The entry of American soldiers changedthe situation. The arrival of new soldiershelped tip the balance of power on theWestern Front in favor of the Allies.

Don’t forget that Russia had withdrawn!

While U.S. President Wilson hoped thatWorld War I would be “a war to end allwars”, sadly, it would sow the seeds of future conflict in Europe and the world.

But with help from the Americans, theAllies won the war and severely punishedand blamed Germany for a conflict thatwas caused by many participants and formany reasons.

The “war to end all wars” helped sowthe seeds of the Second World War

and the devastation it

would produce.