Major Battles U.S. Entry in the War

Global War Imperial powers brought people from their colonies to fight in Europe. – Example: Britain Canada Australia India New Zealand

Global War The war spread beyond Europe – Allied attacks on German colonies in Africa – Japan declared war on Germany Captured German colonies in China and the Pacific – Allied attacks on the Ottomans in Middle East

The Gallipoli Campaign British attacked the Ottomans to gain control of the entry way to the Black Sea – Wanted to open up supply lines to Russia – British invasion fails British supported Arab revolt against the Ottomans on the Arabian peninsula

The Western Front Front remained almost unchanged from Huge casualties suffered by both sides trying to break stalemate – Battle of Verdun 281,000 Germans 315,000 French – Battle of the Somme 420,000 British 200,000 French 450,000 Germans

The Eastern Front Russian forces faced many difficulties – Had a large army but suffered huge causalities – was not a major industrial power – Had difficulty getting supplies from allies German control of the Baltic Sea Ottoman control of the entrance to the Black Sea Germany had to split its forces between the Eastern and Western Fronts

The Russian Collapse Overthrow of the Russian Czar – Communist revolution in led by Vladimir Lenin – Czar Nicholas II is overthrown Russia pulls out of the war in Oct – Eastern Front – 2,000,000 Russians had been killed in the war War on the Eastern Front ends

U.S. Entry into War Zimmerman Note – Secret telegram from Germany to Mexico – asked Mexico to attack the U.S. – Planned to resume unrestricted submarine warfare U.S. declared war on Germany (April 1917)

U.S. Troops Arrive in France American entry in the war helped Allies win the war – American victories pushed Germans back to German border – Germans faced with invasion of Germany

Armistice Germans ask for an end to the fighting on October 14, 1918 Armistice takes effect at 11:00 a.m. on November 11, 1918 – 11 th hour of the 11 month of the 11 day – Veteran’s Day

Points for Discussion Why did the Western Front change very little during the war? What impact did Russia pulling out of the war have on the German war effort? What was the impact of the U.S. entry into the war on the eventual outcome of WWI?