1. 12.2 & 12.3 The US Enters The Great War 1917-1918

2. Unterseeboot February 1915 – German U-boat blockadeFebruary 1915 – German U-boat blockade May 7, 1915 – Lusitania crisisMay 7, 1915 – Lusitania crisis September 1, 1915 – Arabic pledgeSeptember 1, 1915 – Arabic pledge March 24, 1916 – Sussex crisisMarch 24, 1916 – Sussex crisis –Sussex pledge: warn ships before Germans attack Woodrow Wilson is pleased to have “kept us out of war.”Woodrow Wilson is pleased to have “kept us out of war.”

4. Road to War Zimmermann Telegram February 25, 1917February 25, 1917 –Telegraph from Germany to Mexico –German-Mexican alliance –Intercepted by British intelligence –Wilson asks Congress for authority to arm merchant ships. 1

5. Road to War Russian Revolution March 15, 1917March 15, 1917 –Autocratic Russia bothered Wilson. –Revolutionaries declare a republic. –(This would later turn Communist.) 2

8. Road to War Escalation of U-boat attacks First weeks of March 1917First weeks of March 1917 –German U-boats sink 5 unarmed US merchant ships. –Breaking the Sussex Pledge We break off diplomatic relations with GermanyWe break off diplomatic relations with Germany –Pro-war demonstrations all over US –Unrestricted submarine warfare was the main cause for US joining the war. 3

9. America Declares War April 6, 1917April 6, 1917 –The United States declares war on Germany. “The world must be made safe for democracy. Its peace must be planted upon the tested foundations of political liberty.”

10. Now what?

12. “Blackjack” Pershing

13. The Draft May 1917May 1917 –Selective Service Act drafts young men for military service –Any man 21-30 (later 18-45) 4.7 million Americans served as part of the AEF (American Expeditionary Force)4.7 million Americans served as part of the AEF (American Expeditionary Force) –Known as the “doughboys”

14. Alvin York Medal of Honor Recipient Pacifist before the war Killed 25 Germans, captured 125 more AT ONCE Was shouting at them to “Give up!” the whole time

15. "And those machine guns were spitting fire and cutting down the undergrowth all around me something awful. And the Germans were yelling orders. You never heard such a racket in all of your life. I didn't have time to dodge behind a tree or dive into the brush... As soon as the machine guns opened fire on me, I began to exchange shots with them. There were over thirty of them in continuous action, and all I could do was touch the Germans off just as fast as I could. I was sharp shooting... All the time I kept yelling at them to come down. I didn't want to kill any more than I had to. But it was they or I. And I was giving them the best I had."

16. Billy Mitchell Earliest American Air Strategist Many American and Foreign Decorations. Called the “Father of Air Force”. Most of his peers and commanders did not like him

17. African Americans Segregated units, rarely allowed to fightSegregated units, rarely allowed to fight Worked as cooks, laundrymen, etc.Worked as cooks, laundrymen, etc. 369 th US Infantry served with distinction369 th US Infantry served with distinction –First & longest service of any US regiment –Awarded Croix de Guerre by France

19. Protecting Paris The Argonne Offensive Spring 1918Spring 1918 –Russian-German peace treaty –German offensive toward Paris –Americans save the day!

22. Protecting Paris “We dig no trenches to fall back on. The Marines will hold where they stand.”“We dig no trenches to fall back on. The Marines will hold where they stand.” They did just that.They did just that.

23. Ending the War Central Powers collapsed 1 by 1Central Powers collapsed 1 by 1 Germans begged for peaceGermans begged for peace –The Allies refused. German sailors mutinied 10-29-18German sailors mutinied 10-29-18 Kaiser fled to Holland 11-10-18Kaiser fled to Holland 11-10-18 Armistice signed 11-11-18Armistice signed 11-11-18 –Fighting stopped at 11:00am

24. Results of the War AEFAEF –48,909 dead –230,000 wounded –112,000 more dead to influenza TotalTotal –8 million soldiers/sailors dead –Millions of civilians

25. Tomb of the Unknowns