1. 16.3- World War I Ends

2. The Eastern Front
Germany’s central position in Europe forced them to fight a two-front war against Britain and France in the West and Russia in the East
Like the Western Front, fighting on the Eastern Front was brutal and often a stalemate, but the Germans eventually pushed Russian forces back deep into their territory
The Russians had huge numbers, but lost millions of men due to inferior leadership, training, supplies, and weapons

3. Nations Enter the War 1914- Japan joins the Allies
1914- Ottoman Empire joins the Central Powers (gave them the excuse for the Armenian Genocide)
European colonies joined the effort: Canada, Australia, New Zealand

4. What effect will Russia’s withdrawal have on the war?
Russia Withdraws
The war hit Russia particularly hard. Stories of huge military defeats and corruption ruined public confidence. Civilians in St. Petersburg participated in bread riots. Men deserted the army in waves.
In March 1917 the Russian Czar was overthrown and Lenin came to power. He signed the treaty of Brest-Litovsk with Germany, ending Russian involvement in WWI.
What effect will Russia’s withdrawal have on the war?

5. The US Joins the War

6. The Lusitania
German U-boats had a habit of targeting civilian passenger ships. In they sank the Lusitania, a British passenger ship with 128 American civilians aboard. The US threatened war until Germany agreed to surface and allow civilians to get into life boats.
In 1917, Germans announced that they would resume unrestricted submarine warfare.

7. The Zimmermann Note
In early 1917, the British intercepted a telegram from German foreign minister Arthur Zimmermann to his ambassador in Mexico
If the US entered the war, Germany asked Mexico to attack the US. In return, Germany would give back their “lost territory” in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.
Resulted in public outrage and anti-German feelings

8. War is Declared
US President Woodrow Wilson asked Congress to declare war on Germany in April 1917
After months of recruiting and training, the first US troops reached Europe in 1918
Although relatively few Americans engaged in combat, their arrival gave Allied troops a necessary morale boost

9. President Wilson
Wilson regretted having to go to war, but he saw it as an opportunity to promote peace
He issued the Fourteen Points, a list of terms for resolving this war (and future wars):
End to secret treaties
Large-scale reduction of arms
Freedom of the seas
Self-determination
“Association of nations” to keep the peace diplomatically

10. Winning the War
March Germany launches an offensive to push Allies back. They push them into France 40 miles.
July the Allies begin a slow counteroffensive with American help
By September, German generals are telling Kaiser Wilhelm that the war is lost and encourage him to step down
On November 11, 1918 the German government asks for an armistice (agreement to end fighting)

11. The Cost of War 8.5 million dead, soldiers and civilians
17 million wounded or handicapped
Famines throughout Europe (a result of all resources going to the war)
Millions of homes, farms, factories and roads are destroyed.
In 1918, the world is hit with a flu epidemic that kills nearly 20 million people
The sheer number of lives lost left the world in chaos. All the war weary parties are ready to move on and recover.

12. Paris Peace Conference
Allied leaders met in France to create peace and discuss the fate of Europe (The Central Powers and now-Communist Russia were not allowed to participate)
Three major players- “The Big Three”
President Wilson- believed in peace without victory; pushed his Fourteen Points and League of Nations
David Lloyd George- promised to create a Britain “fit for heroes”; planned for Germany to pay for the war and repairs
Georges Clemenceau- wanted to weaken Germany so it could never again threaten France

13. Treaty of Versailles
June Allies ordered Germany to sign the treaty they had created at the Palace of Versailles
Germany had to accept full responsibility for starting the war
Germany had to pay reparations to cover destruction and pensions for millions of Allied soldiers and their families (over $400B in today’s money)
Limited the German military
Returned Alsace and Lorraine to France, removed hundreds of miles of territory, and stripped Germany of its overseas colonies

14. What’s the message?

15. A New Europe
The Allies created separate peace treaties with the other Central Powers
These treaties redrew the map of Europe and effected colonial peoples around the globe
New nations:
Poland
Latvia
Lithuania
Estonia
Austria
Hungary
Yugoslavia
Czechoslovakia
1914
1920

16. The League of Nations
The Paris Peace Conference established the League of Nations
More than 40 nations joined, agreeing to negotiate disputes rather than resort to war and to take “common action” against any aggressor
Though this association of nations was Wilson’s dream, the US Senate refused to join, fearing it would drag the US into another war

17. What’s the message?