1. The Americans in Europe
World War I
The Americans in Europe

2. Trench Warfare
Both the French and the German troops become bogged down in the trenches craved into the landscape
Both sides will be kept in almost the same position for four years
Technology superior to tactics
Machine gun versus a human charge through "No man's land"
New technology = poison gas, airplanes
Very high death rates
Battle of the Somme = 600,000 allied and 500,000 German dead for 125 miles of land
Battle of Verdun = 700,000 killed on both sides with no gain in territory

3. Schematic Illustration of trenches from a French magazine.

4. German trenches

5. US 18th Infantry, 1st Division troops in front line trench, 20 Jan 1918

6. “Hand-grenade Combat”

7. Poison Gas
Chlorine – greenish-yellow gas (heavier than air). Gas reacted in the presence of water to cause a chemical burning effect on organic matter. Human body was susceptible because it is organic and is always covered with a film of water.
Symptoms: vomiting, difficulty breathing, burning sensation in the lungs, eyes, nasal/mouth passages, and watery eyes. Severe cases included cell damage in lung leading to fluid buildup, loss of consciousness through suffocation, and death
Phosgene – colorless, odorless, gas (heavier than air). It is highly poisonous because it will replace the oxygen in cells and quickly cause an oxygen debt within the body, leading to unconsciousness and death
Mustard Gas – Caustic gas with a distinctive mustard smell. It causes blistering and huge sores on any exposed tissue, internal, or external. This was the most commonly used gas, along with phosgene, during WWI.

8. Estimated Gas Causalities
Nation
Fatal
Non-Fatal
Russia
56,000
419,340
Germany
9,000
200,000
France
8,000
190,000
British Empire
8,109
188,706
Austria-Hungary
3,000
100,000
USA
1,462
72,807
Italy
4,627
60,000
Total
88,498
1,240,853

9. Poison Gas Attacks

10. American soldier wearing his gas mask

11. Gas attack seen from an airplane

12. Gas masks for man and horse demonstrated by American soldier

13. Effects of Mustard Gas

14. Weapons of the War

15. Machine Guns

16. Barbed Wire

17. Flamethrowers

18. Periscope Rifle

19. Phosphorus Grenade

20. US Renault tank of C Company, 327th Tank Battalion

21. Tactics of Trench Warfare
Trench warfare confused military leaders who were trained to fight wars of movement and maneuvering
Officers would sometimes order an artillery attack to flatten the enemy’s barbed wire and leave the enemy in a state of shock
After “softening up” the enemy, many soldiers would climb out of the trench with fixed bayonets hoping to work their way to the enemy
Attacks rarely worked because men would have to advance through unprotected, open fields
The French lost 700,000 men at Verdun in only a few miles of land
War of attrition  war based on wearing the other side down by constant attacks and heavy losses

22. Winning the War at Sea
No American troopships were sunk on the way to Europe because of the efforts of Admiral William S. Sims
Organized merchant ships and troop transports into groups known as convoys
If a ship was sunk, the survivors could be quickly rescued by other members of the convoy

23. Russia Leaves the War
March, 1917  Riots broke out in Russia over the government’s handling of the war
Forced the abdication of Czar Nicholas II
Bolshevik Party, led by Vladimir Lenin, overthrew provisional government and established a communist government in Russia
Russia signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk to exit the war with Germany

24. Americans Enter the War
General John J. Pershing commanded the American Expeditionary Force (AEF)
Arrived in Paris on July 4, 1917
British and French troops wanted to integrate Americans into armies headed by British/French leaders
Pershing refused
Only the 93rd Infantry Division were given to the French

25. Germany’s Last Offensive
March 12, 1918  Germans launched massive attack on the Western Front
Late May  Americans launched a counter-attack, capturing the village of Cantigny
June 1  American and French troops blocked German advance
July 15  Germans launched one last attempt on Paris, but the Americans and French pushed them back

26. The Battle of Argonne Forest
French Marshal Ferdinand Foch ordered a massive counterattack
Mid-September  American troops drove back German forces at the battle of Saint-Mihiel
General Pershing created a major offensive in the region of the Argonne Forest
Attack began on September 26, 1918
By November, Americans had destroyed the German defenses, forcing a German retreat

27. American Heroes Alvin York Eddie Rickenbacker
Opposed to war, he initially tried to avoid the draft as a conscientious objector (someone who refuses to obey the law because of his moral or religious beliefs)
October 8, 1918  German machine guns killed nine men in the same platoon as York
York killed between 9-25 Germans, captured the machine guns, and took 132 prisoners
Received the Medal of Honor and the French Croix de Guerre for his actions
Eddie Rickenbacker
Famous car driver before the war
Became commander of the 94th Aero Squadron
Fought in 134 air battles and shot down 26 enemy aircrafts
In one battle, he single-handedly fought seven German aircrafts
He received the Congressional Medal of Honor

28. The War Ends
October 1918  Poland, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia declared independence
Early November  Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman empires surrendered to the Allies
November 3  Sailors in Kiel mutinied, leading to a nation-wide rebellion
November 9  Germany became a republic
November 11  Germany signed an armistice (a truce, or agreement to stop fighting)

29. A Flawed Peace
January 1919, delegates from over 27 nations attended a peace conference in Paris
Allies and the Germans sign the Treaty of Versailles to end the war
Big Four Powers  Wilson (US), Lloyd George (UK), Clemenceau (France), and Orlando (Italy)

30. The Fourteen Points President Wilson's plan for peace
Believed that his fourteen points would establish a lasting peace for Europe
Based on “the principle of justice to all peoples and nationalities”
First five points  Proposed to eliminate the causes of the war through free trade, freedom of seas, disarmament, an impartial adjustment of colonial claims, and open diplomacy instead of secret agreements
Next eight points  addressed the right of national self-determination (the borders of countries should be based on ethnicity and national identity)
No nation should be to take territory from another nation
Fourteenth point  creation of the League of Nations
“a general association of nations” to help preserve peace by pledging to respect and protect each other’s territory and political independence

31. Treaty of Versailles
Lloyd George and Clemenceau wanted to punish the Germans for the suffering endured during the war
Britain refused to give up sizable naval advantage and France wanted to end German threat forever
Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919
Designed to punish and weaken Germany
Germany was not allowed to put troops on the Rhine River
German must take the blame for the war
Germany must pay reparations (monetary compensation for all damages of war)
Germany must give up some eastern land to Poland

32. US Senate Rejects the Treaty
The largely Republican senate refused to ratify the treaty mostly based on the League of Nations
Opponents pointed out the Congress was the only body of government to be able to declare war, but the League of Nations could require a member country to go to war
After multiple failed attempts to ratify the treaty, the United States eventually negotiated separate treaties with the Central Powers