1. Essential Question: Warm-Up Question:
What was the role of the U.S. during World War I?
Warm-Up Question:
Read “Why did the U.S. Enter WWI” on the back of #2 notes
Rank order the items in terms of which events MOST brought the USA into war to LEAST
Write at least a paragraph explaining why you choose the #1 event that most lead the US into war.

2. Total War
Combatants in World War I quickly began to use total war tactics
Governments committed all their nation’s resources & took over industry to win the war
Soldiers were drafted, the media was censored, propaganda was created to support the war
The enemy became the other nation, not just its soldiers

3. Total War
New weapons were introduced, such as machine guns, tanks, airplanes, flame throwers, poison gas, blimps, heavy artillery, & submarines
To protect soldiers from enemy fire, both the Allies & Central Powers built trenches
But, trench warfare made it difficult for either side to gain an advantage

5. German u-boats patrolled the Atlantic Ocean
When the U.S. declared war in 1917, World War I had been going on for 3 years
The British, French, & Germans had fought to a bloody stalemate on the Western Front
Russia was so devastated that soldiers were sent to fight on the Eastern Front without weapons while civilians starved at home
German u-boats patrolled the Atlantic Ocean

6. When the U.S. declared war in 1917, World War I had been going on for 3 years
In Nov 1917, Vladimir Lenin & the Bolsheviks successfully overthrew the Russian gov’t & established the Soviet Union, the 1st communist nation

7. American Entry into World War I
After America’s declaration of war in 1917, America had to mobilize before it could fight in Europe
The army had only 200,000 soldiers & needed armaments
Wilson & Congress created 5,000 new bureaucratic agencies to manage & win the war

8. Developing a Bureaucratic Plan of Attack
In groups, help Wilson mobilize for war by addressing each of the following problems:
The army has only 200,000 soldiers
For 3 years, Wilson has stated that the USA will stay neutral in WWI. Now the USA has declared war. How do we keep morale high in support of this conflict?
How do we feed soldiers & civilians?
How do we get enough fuel for the military, factories, & civilians?
How do we make enough weapons?

9. Mobilization: The Military
To mobilize the military, President Wilson & Congress created:
The American Expeditionary Force led by John Pershing; The AEF was an “American” military independent of the Allied armies fighting in Europe 15

10. Mobilization: The Military
To mobilize the military, President Wilson & Congress created:
The Selective Service Act to draft men between the ages of 18 & 45 into the army
2.8 million were drafted to fight
Black soldiers were placed into segregated units 15

11. African-American Soldiers
“True Sons of Freedom”
“Colored Man is No Slacker”

12. Mobilization: The Military
To mobilize the military, President Wilson & Congress created:
War Industries Board oversaw the production of military supplies; Encouraged mass-production & set production quotas
Food Administration created food rations & encouraged Americans to grow “victory gardens”
Fuel Administration rationed coal, oil & encouraged “lightless nights” 15

13. War Industries Board

14. U.S. Food Administration

15. U.S. Fuel Administration

16. Mobilization: The Military
To mobilize the military, President Wilson & Congress created:
Committee on Public Information to create propaganda in support of the American war effort
The CPI created posters, movies, speeches & censored the press
The CPI helped encourage bond drives to raise money for the war
Anti-German sentiment in the CPI: Bach, Beethoven, & Brahms were not played in symphonies; Sauerkraut was renamed “Liberty Cabbage” & pretzels were no longer served in bars; Movie titles included: The Prussian Cur & The Kaiser, the Beast of Berlin 15

17. CPI Propaganda: Bond Drives

18. CPI Propaganda: Recruitment Posters

19. With the military & economy mobilized for war, the 1st U. S
With the military & economy mobilized for war, the 1st U.S. troops began fighting in 1918
To combat German u-boats, the USA used a convoy system to deliver soldiers & supplies to Europe
via convoy in June 1917 but did not see action until early 1918

20. The U.S. on the Western Front, 1918
U.S. soldiers saw their 1st action in May 1918 outside Paris, helped resist a German offensive, & participated in a counter-attack into Germany

21. The End of World War I
The arrival of fresh American soldiers & war supplies helped the Allies at a crucial time:
By October 1918, the German gov’t knew the war was over
The Ottomans, Austria-Hungary, & Bulgaria had surrendered
Nov 11, 1918 Germany signed an armistice with the Allies & World War I came to an end

22. The Impact of WWI on the USA
After 3 years of neutrality, the USA reluctantly entered WWI & played only a supportive role in the fighting
The American effort was far less than that of other Allied nations
America fought for only 8 months (not 4 years), had 7% casualties (not 52% like most Allied Powers)
But, the American commitment to “total war” had a huge impact on the U.S. home front