End of WW1

Review of WW1 Beginnings War started by Serbian assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria- Hungary Russia defended Serbia Germany allied with Austria German “Schlieffen Plan” attacked France through Belgium Western Front & Eastern Front Trench warfare “stalemate” Naval blockades and U-Boats Zimmerman Note: US Entrance

Implications of US Entrance American troops used on western front; Russian exit made western front more important War became a “world” war with entrance of US and Latin America US needed soldiers: “Selective Service Act” created the first US draft of soldiers “American Expeditionary Force” (AEF) fought in France, but only under American control Black Americans served too, usually mixed with Whites All-Black 369 th Regiment fought under French control: highly decorated Entrance of US politicized the goals of the war -- Wilson's "14 Points" gave ideological nobility to the highly destructive war

New Technologies Machine guns: mostly mounted on land because they were heavy “Howitzer” guns (large cannons) were sometimes on railways Flamethrowers cleared trenches and rooms off trenches Aircraft first used for surveillance, later used for attack Germany’s Fokker planes timed propeller with machine gun fire Battleships and convoys of battleships to protect merchant ships Tanks: ended trench stalemate

Final Offensives Germany made final large attack in northern France, trying to take Paris French, British, and US forces defended Paris “Meuse-Argonne Offensive”: Allies pushed through German lines to take key railway used to supply troops After 6 weeks, Allies won battle Germany surrendered after lines had been broken, even though Germany was not invaded German generals agreed to an unconditional surrender, even though most Germans did not realize war had been “lost”