lesson 8 world war i: end of the war, seeds of the next

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Lesson 8

World War I: End of the War,Seeds of the Next

Turn off cell phones!

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Lesson Objectives

• Understand the situation Germany faced as it entered 1918.

• Be able to describe the changes in the war on the Western front in 1918.

• Understand the role the US played in the fighting in Europe.

• Be able to describe the operations of the US military in Europe in the years immediately following the armistice.

• Be able to discuss the major provisions of the Versailles Treaty and how this document sowed the seeds for World War II.

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Phases of World War I

1914 - Maneuver and Frustration

1915 - Search for New Solutions

1916 - Attrition

1917 - Desperation and Anticipation

1918 - Dénouement

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Review of the War

August 3, 1914 Germany invades Belgium; war begins

“Miracle of the Marne”; German invasion haltedSept 5-10, 1914

October 1914 Race to the Sea ends; Stalemate on Western Front

1915 Sea blockades established around UK and Germany

Feb 1915-Jan 1916 Dardanelles Campaign (Gallipoli)

1916 Germans accept futility of breakthrough on Western Front, adopt attrition strategy against French at Verdun

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Review of the War

Battle of Verdun (German Offensive)Feb - Dec 1916

Battle of the Somme (Allied Offensive)Jul - Nov 1916

Late 1916 Germany realizes it cannot win• Adopts strategy to wear down Britain

• strong defense

• stormtrooper tactics• unrestricted submarine warfare

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Review of the War



German decision for unrestricted sub warfare1 Feb 1917

Germans withdraw to Hindenburg LineMar 1917

US declares war on Germany6 April 1917

Zimmerman Telegram revealed24 Feb 1917

8Video

The Yanks Are Coming!

8:07

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The Commanders

Marshal Ferdinand Foch1851-1929

Enlisted for the Franco-Prussian War (1870)

Commissioned from École Polytechnique 1873

Cautioned against reckless attacks in writings

Corps commander in Battle of the Frontiers 1914

Appointed Supreme Commander of Allied ArmiesMarch 26,1918

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The Commanders

General of the Armies John J. Pershing1860 - 1948

West Point Class of 1886

Combat ExperienceIndian WarsSpanish-American WarPhilippine-American WarRusso-Japanese War (observer)Mexican Punitive ExpeditionWorld War I

Promoted by President T. Roosevelt (1905)Captain => Brigadier General

Commander of the American Expeditionary Force (1917-1919)

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The Commanders

French wanted to integrate US forces into their formations

Pershing insisted on US formations integrated into Allied command

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Western Front 1917

Germans retire to Hindenburg Line Mar 1917

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PasschendaeleThird Battle of Ypres July - November 1917

Strategic Objectives

Further bleed the German army

British offensive

Capture German submarine bases

Remove German bomber threat

Ghotha bomberFirst raid June 13, 1917

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Battlefield was reclaimed marshland - damp in dry weather

Area experienced heaviest rains in decades as battle started

Battlefield became a sea of mud

“Flanders Fields”

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Another bloodbath

Total Casualties *

UK Germany

508,800 348,300

* Numbers very controversial

Haig

British commander, Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haigbelieved the Germans could not tolerate the losses as well as the British could

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Western Front 1917

British breakthrough at Cambrai Nov 1917

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Eastern FrontMeanwhile, …

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Eastern Front

Huge Russian losses exacerbated social unrest

Tzar at the front;

Russian Revolution (1917) effectively took Russia out of the war

Dec 15, 1917 - Russia negotiated armistice with Central Powers

• Began negotiations for peace treaty one week later

tzarina not able to exercise control

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Treaty of Brest-LitovskMarch 3, 1918

Ended war between Russia & Central Powers

Russia ceded large territory to Germany

Most significant:

One million German troops released to Western Front

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StrumtruppenStormtroopers

Special weapons & equipment

Body Armor

Machinegewehr 18 MG18 Schmeiser

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Bypassed strong points to attack from rear

Blitzkrieghttp://www.bellum.nu/basics/concepts/blitzkrieg.htm Strumtruppen

http://www.worldwar1.com/arm011.htm

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Major impact during Offensive of 1918

but …

Too little, too late!

A

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Western Front 1917-1918

German Spring Offensive March 21 - July 18, 1918Ludendorff Offensive or Kaiserschlacht

Spring Offensive

~500,000 US troops in France by March 1918

… and increasing by 300,000/month

Last ditch effort by Germany

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Final Allied Offensive Aug-Nov 1918

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Allied offensive Aug-Nov 1918

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Americans In Europe

German Spring Offensive - March-July 1918

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Battle of Cantiny


May 28, 1918

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Battle of Cantiny


May 28, 1918

First offensive action by US troops in France

28th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division (3,500 men)

· Supported by French artillery, Schneider tanks

US took 1,000 casualties(dead, wounded, missing)

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Battle of Belleu Wood


June 1-26, 1918

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June 1-26, 1918

2nd Division

3nd Division

Allied Casualties: 1,800 dead, 8,000 wounded

French, British elements

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4th U. S. MarinesBattle of Belleu Wood - June 1918

Frank Schoonover

2nd Division

Where legends were born

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Battle of Belleu Wood - June 1918

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Battle of Château-Thierry


July 16, 1918

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Battle of Château-Thierry

July 16, 1918

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Battle of Saint-Mihiel

Allied Offensive - 1918

September 12-15, 1918

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Battle of Saint-Mihiel

September 12-15, 1918

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Meuse-Argonne Offensive

Allied Offensive - 1918

September 26-November 11, 1918

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Meuse-Argonne Offensive

September 26-November 11, 1918

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Americans In Europe

US soldiers escort German prisoners

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Armistice

Armistice signed at Compiègne – November 11, 1918

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Armistice

Armistice signed at Compiègne – November 11, 1918

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Irony

French surrendered at Compiègne – June 20, 1940

Same place, same railroad car

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Occupation of Germany

Allied Occupation Zones

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Occupation of Germany

U.S. artillerymen cross the Rhine River for occupation dutyLate November 1918

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The Cost of War

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The Cost of War

US 4,744,000 126,000

Participants Deaths

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The Cost of WarAll Nations

By number of dead

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The Cost of WarAll Nations

By percent mobilized

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The Cost of War

Somme American Cemetery

Tyne Cote Cemetery (Ypres) Belgium

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The Cost of War

Douaumont OssuaryVerdun

Contains the bones of an estimated 130,000 unidentified French and German soldiers

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Seeds of the Next War

Versailles Treaty

Influences on World War II

Lessons of World War I

Great Depression

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Treaty of Versailles

Extremely harsh conditions • Significant territorial concessions

• Huge reparations

• Severe limitations on military

• German admission of responsibility for war

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Florida Holocaust Museumhttp://www.flholocaustmuseum.org/history_wing/thirdreich/treaty_versailles.cfm

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Reparations • 269 billion gold marks ( £ 24 billion)

• Later reduced to 132 B gold marks ( £ 6.6 B)

• Equivalent to $284 B (based on CPI)*

Many feel this led to the economic collapse of the 1920’s that sewed the seeds of Fascism

* 2005

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Military Provisions • German army restricted to 100,000 men (long term contract)

• No conscription or training

• No tanks or heavy artillery

• Navy limited to 15,000 men

• 6 small battleships, 6 cruisers, 12 destroyers, no U-boats

• No air force

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War Guilt Clause

``The Allied and Associated Governments affirm, and Germany accepts, the responsibility of Germany and her allies for causing all the loss and damage to which the Allied and Associated Governments and their nationals have been subjected as a consequence of the war imposed upon them by the aggression of Germany and her allies.''

Article 231

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Review of the War

August 3, 1914 Germany invades Belgium; war begins

“Miracle of the Marne”; German invasion haltedSept 5-10, 1914

October 1914 Race to the Sea ends; Stalemate on Western Front

1915 Sea blockades established around UK and Germany

Feb 1915-Jan 1916 Dardanelles Campaign (Gallipoli)

1916 Germans accept futility of breakthrough on Western Front, adopt attrition strategy against French at Verdun

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Review of the War



German decision for unrestricted sub warfare1 Feb 1917

Germans withdraw to Hindenburg LineMar 1917

US declares war on Germany6 April 1917

Zimmerman Telegram revealed24 Feb 1917

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Review of the War

First American troops arrive in FranceJune 1917

Germans Spring Offensive

3 Mar 1918 Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (Russia out of the war)

21 Mar - 18 Jul 1918

Armistice11 Nov 1918

Allies’ Hundred Days Offensive8 Aug - 11 Nov 1918

28 Jun 1919 Treaty of Versailles signed

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Review of World War I

Start Animation

Animated Maps

( 6:43 )

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Phases of World War I

1914 - Maneuver and Frustration

1915 - Search for New Solutions

1916 - Attrition

1917 - Desperation and Anticipation

1918 - Dénouement

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What Would Weinberger Do?How would US decision to enter World War I have stood up against the test of the Weinberger Doctrine?

Vital to our national interest?

Clear intent to win?

Clearly defined political & military objectives?

Objectives, forces committed continuously reassessed?

Support of the American people?

Last resort?

Lesson 9

The Interwar Years:Preparing for the Next War

Lesson Objectives

• Understand the major military lessons that each of the major combatants (Britain, France, US, Germany and Russia) took from World War I.

• Be able to describe and discuss the steps that each major combatant took to "prepare for the next war."

• Understand the military revolution that occurred during the interwar years.

• Be able to recount the major events in the 1930's that lead to war in Europe and the Pacific.

Building Support

Chorus

Over there, over there,Send the word, send the word over there -That the Yanks are coming,The Yanks are coming,The drums rum-tummingEv'rywhere.

So prepare, say a pray'r,Send the word, send the word to beware.We'll be over, we're coming over,And we won't come back till it's overOver there

Billy Murray - audio Nora Bayes - videoArthur Fileds - video

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End

lesson 8 world war i: end of the war, seeds of the next

Documents

german decision

belgium war beginsmiracle

battle startedbattlefield

francoprussian war

us formations

us military

us forces

somme allied offensivejul