Notes #12 America in the War

Declaration of War Because the Germans did not stop unrestricted submarine warfare, and because of the Zimmerman Telegram, President Wilson asks for a declaration of war. America was officially at war with Germany on April 6, 1917.

African Americans The first Americans to fight were all African American divisions, who fought within the French army, not with the American army.

Training Both British and French forces wanted American troops to be under their command, to simply fill in the empty spaces along the trench line. The Americans refused, and created the American Expeditionary Force (AEF), and their commander would be an American, General “Black Jack” Pershing.

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk On March 3, 1918 the Russians surrender to the Germans, giving the Germans not only a lot of land, but also money for “reparations” payment for war debts.

Ludendorff Offensive 21 March – 18 July 1918 Now that the Germans don’t have to worry about the Russians, they launch a massive offensive designed to separate the British in the North and the French in the South, hopefully winning the war before all the Americans can fight.

Though the Germans made initial successes, Fresh American troops were able to stop the German advance. In battles with names like Cantigny, Belleau Wood and the Argonne Forest, American forces push back the Germans.

End of the War Though still fighting in Belgium and France, Germany looks to surrender for at home many are starving. The British naval blockade, and many years of war, have led to a famine (starvation and disease). On November 11, 1918 at 11 o’clock, the fighting stopped. The Armistice, (end of fighting) had begun.