THE WAR ENDS Chapter 26.4

The United States American Neutrality  American stayed neutral in the early years of the war  Many people openly supported the allies  President Woodrow Wilson did not want to get involved in a conflict across the Atlantic Trouble on the Seas  Germany had a policy called unrestricted submarine warfare  Germany would attack any ship leaving or coming to a British port even civilian boats because GB would use civilian boats to transport supplies to the troops  Germany would attack with submarines or “U-boats”  Useful war tactic because GB was an island  Germany attack a civilian ship The Lusitania and killed 1,200 people and 120 US citizens  they sunk 2 more ships killing more US citizens  America was angry and Germany agreed to end their policy of unrestricted submarine warfare  They feared the US would enter the war  By 1917 Germany realized they had to defeat the British Navy to win the war so they went back on their agreement with the US and began firing at civilian ships

The US Enters the War The Zimmermann Notes  The Zimmermann Notes provided the last push the US needed to enter the war  The note was between German diplomat Arthur Zimmermann and Mexico officials in which Germany proposed Mexico attack the US  In return Mexico would gain the US states of TX, AZ, and NM Which once belonged to them  Germans hoped that an American war with Mexico would keep the US out of the war in Europe  The note was discovered and the American people were angered and calling for war  The America’s not only sympathized with the Allied powers cause but they benefited financially from them by selling millions of dollars of war goods to the Allies.  April 1917 the US entered the war on the side of the Allied Powers

The End of Fighting A New German Offensive  Germany knew that the US entering the war would drastically change the chances of the Allies winning so they needed to weaken the Allies before US had time to send troops over  With Russia out of the war Germany focused on the west with France and GB  In March 1918 Germany sent all of their troops to the Western Front  Germany made great advances on this campaign and came within 40 miles of the capital of France, Paris.  By the end of June Germany lost 800,000 men in this campaign  American arrived in France by the end of June 1918 and discouraged the Germans from advancing further

The End of Fighting German Collapse  In reality the American intervention during WWI had mostly a psychological impact on the Germans, not a military one.  In the 2 nd Battle of Marne the Allied powers stopped the German defenses  Once the Americans entered the Allies began winning and making great advances pushing Germany out of France  The Allied powers went on the offensive  With the combined effect of aircrafts, tanks, and new soldiers  Many Germans gave up without a fight knowing that they were now fighting a loosing battle  In October 1918 the Allies broke through the heavily fortified Hindenburg Line  Three well developed and defended systems of trenches  From Arras to Laffaux, near Soissons on the Aisne River  After this break through the German leaders approached the Allies seeking an armistice- a truce  By this time the other Central Powers had admitted defeat Turkey October 20 th 1918 Austria-Hungary Nov 3 rd 1918  November 11 th 1918 peace terms were agreed upon and the War ended  Eyewitness account Eyewitness account

A Difficult Peace Differing Allied Goals  Even though war was easily stopped on the battle fields the countries leaders still had to come to a formal peace agreement  Before the war ended Woodrow Wilson proposed his 14 Points for world peace  Reduction of weapons  The rights of all people to choose their own gov’t  Creating an organization in which the world’s nations would join together to protect each other aggressors- League of Nations  Most of the Allie countries disagreed with Wilson and all had different plans  French leader, Clemenceau, wanted to punish Germany and make them pay for the damage they caused  GB leader, Lolyd, wanted to punish Germany but he didn’t want to weaken them so much that they couldn’t help stop Russia from spreading communism  Italian leader, Orlando, wanted to gain more land for his nations but was very much ignored by the other leaders

A Difficult Peace The Treaty of Versailles  Germany was forced to pay an enormous amount of money to the war’s victims  Germany was forced to take full responsibility for the war  Germany had to limit the size of it’s military  Germany had to return conquered land to France and Russia  German land was taken to form the new nation of Poland  Germany’s colonies around the world were given to various countries around the world  Germany was humiliated at the terms of the treaty but had no other choice to sign  They signed on June 28 th 1919  The Treaty crushed the German economy and created bitterness that would effect German politics and WWII  The Treaty created Wilson’s League of Nations  LN main goals were to encourage international cooperation and to keep and maintain peace between nations  LN excluded Germany  However, the US gov’t did not ratify the Treaty of Versailles so they did not enter into the League of Nations Largely weakened the LN in years to come

A Difficult Peace Other Treaties  Separate Treaties were made with other Central Power countries and made important changes to Europe.  Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire was spilt up forming the independent nations of Austria, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, and Turkey.  German territories in Africa and the Pacific Ocean were given to other countries to control  In the Middle East former Ottoman lands were turned into mandates- territories to be ruled by European powers. They were suppose to rule them until they could rule themselves but really they just became colonies  Syria and Lebanon became French mandates  Palestine and Iraq became British mandates  1917 Britain issued the Balfour Declaration which favored the establishment a Jewish state in Palestine  British created Transjordan from the Palestine Mandate and named Abdullah the first ruler

The Cost of the War Human Cost  WWI was one of the most devastating conflicts the world had ever seen  9 million soldiers died and 7 million civilians  Almost entire generation of men died or were wounded in war  In the spring of 1918 influenza swept across the entire globe  It was able to spread because of the crowded military conditions and the men returning home  50 million died worldwide

The Cost of War Economic Costs  Most of the fighting happened in France, Belgium, and Russia and it ruined farmland and their economies  The war cost Europe it’s place as a dominate power  US and Japan prospered in Europe's decline Political Changes  WWI caused widespread political upheaval  Germany, Austria-Hungary, Russia, and Ottoman Empire were overthrown  This would change the world in the years to come

The Cost of War Unrest in Colonies  The colonist who helped fight in the war heard the Allied leaders speak of democracy and freedom and believed they would get their freedom as well  They soon found out that they would not get their freedom and that the Allies just spilt up the Central Powers colonies amongst themselves

WWI Cause and Effect