1. Chapter 11 Section 2 Notes The U.S. in WWI

2. Before U.S. gets in Things don’t look good for Allies
U-boats sinking many Ally ships
England low on food and supplies
Morale of Ally troops very low
Tired and worn out

3. U.S. prepares for combat U.S. military in bad shape before entering
crummy supplies
outdated equipment
few troops
only about 200,000 total
Not well trained
This needs to change quickly

4. Selective Service Act of 1917 (May 18th)
Required all men to register for a draft.
24 million registered
Used propaganda to sell the idea to citizens
Songs, Art, Posters, Public Speakers, etc…
Army rose in size to 3 million
Most with no high school education
Typical troop nickname = doughboy
African – Americans were included
in the army (not navy or marines)
Segregated units
Mostly noncombat

5. Women in WWI Not drafted volunteers All noncombat Nurses
Some army
Some volunteer
Many worked in
factories to make
“war stuff”

6. Build up and Modernize the Navy
Need ships to get troops and supplies across the Atlantic
Ships getting sunk by u-boats. What to do?
#1. Build more
don’t draft shipbuilders
#2. Promote importance of the job
Used propaganda
#3. Build parts for ships elsewhere
Increased efficiency
#4. Govt. took control of all U.S. ships
Even if Privately owned
Converted them for war use

7. Modernize equipment and supplies in the Army
Tanks (provided protection, ran over barbed wire… only went 5 mph!)
Long Range Artillery (sent shells long range… not always accurate)
Machine Guns
Up to 600 shots per minute
Chemical warfare
Poison Gas and Gas Masks
Killed 90,000… wounded roughly 1 million

8. Develop the 1st Air Force
Most planes originally designed for scouting
Finding out position of the enemy
Eventually, had guns, became fully enclosed
Eddie Rickenbacker
Most famous U.S. pilot
Shot down the most German planes
Battles in air referred to as “dog fights”
By the end of WWI, planes
travel longer distances
drop damaging bombs
War improves technology!

9. Most famous WWI pilot Baron Manfred von Richthofen (THE RED BARON)
German
Supposedly shot down 80 Allied planes before getting shot down
Known for his red plane

10. Leaders for the Allies U.S. military led by General John Pershing
(remember Mexico and Pancho Villa)
Overall, Allies led by Marshal Foch (from France)

11. Overall Conditions of WWI
Simply put: Not pretty
Lice
Polluted Water
Disease
Extreme temperatures
“Shell Shock”
Hard to describe… affected people differently… Clip on website

12. U.S. Military turns the tide
at sea = 5 things
helping to detect (primitive sonar)
and destroy (depth charges) U-boats.
Use airplanes to spot them near the coast
Using mines to help England
disrupt German shipping
Protecting Allied shipping
(convoy system)

13. on land U.S. troops were “fresh” and eager to fight
Others had been fighting
for several years
They were the difference
in numerous battles

14. The Central Powers collapse
3 Main Reasons
outnumbered and out supplied by the Allies
A revolution in Germany
Soldiers and sailors refused to fight anymore
The leader (Wilhelm II) had to give up his throne
A massive flu epidemic
affected U.S. troops too, but in smaller #’s. Better access to medicine
Estimates suggest 30 million people around the world died!

15. The end of WWI Armistice signed November, 1918
1.5 years after we enter the war
22 million war deaths (110,000 U.S)
Does not include disease or flu deaths
20 million wounded (200,000 U.S.)
NY celebrates