1. A New Kind of Warfare and the War’s Outcome
WWI: Part II
A New Kind of Warfare and the War’s Outcome

2. America Turns the Tide What America brings to the war Enthusiasm
Numbers
The idea of the Convoy System
Heavy guard of destroyers that escorted merchant ships back and forth across the Atlantic Ocean in groups
Prevented German U-boat attacks

3. A New Kind of Warfare Trench Warfare
Trench warfare = fighting from trenches (ditches in the ground)
It was an old strategy that had been used in Africa, Asia, and previously in America (during the Civil War)
However, its use during WWI was different because it was of a much greater scale
Its use would create a stalemate (deadlock) between the Allies and Central Powers because neither one was able to make significant advances

4. Trench Warfare: The Scene
“No Man’s Land” : The area between opposing trenches. 1,000s were shot down here
Trench Warfare: The Scene
The Trench: where soldiers lived, surrounded by machine gun fire, flying grenades, and exploding artillery shells

5. Trench Warfare: The Scene
Opposing forces had machine guns and other weapons pointed at enemy trenches at all times, firing whenever a helmet or rifle appeared over the top
Trench Warfare: The Scene

6. Trench Warfare: The Scene
Life in the trenches was miserable. The soldiers stood in deep mud as rats ran across their feet.
Enemy planes dropped bombs, artillery shells exploded nearby, and clouds of poisonous gas floated nearby
One solider: “No one know what was going to happen next”

7. A New Kind of War Fare New Weapons of War Poisonous Gas
German military scientists experimented with gas as a weapon.
Gas in battle was risky: Soldiers didn’t know how much to use, and wind changes could backfire the gas.
Then Germans threw canisters of gas into the Allies’ trenches.
Many regretted using gas, but British and French forces began using it too, to keep things even.
Tanks
When soldiers began to carry gas masks, they still faced a stalemate.
British forces soon developed armored tanks to move into no-man’s-land.
These tanks had limited success because many got stuck in the mud.
Germans soon found ways to destroy the tanks with artillery fire.
Airplanes
Both sides used planes to map and to attack trenches from above.
Planes first dropped brinks and heavy objects on enemy troops.
Soon they mounted guns and bombs on planes.
Skilled pilots sought in air battles called dogfights.
The German Red Baron downed 80 Allied planes, until he was shot down.

8. New Warfare leads to New Hazards
Men were surrounded by filth, lice, rats and polluted water
Lack of sleep
Inhaling of poisonous gas
“Shell Shock”
Emotional collapse from which many never recovered
Term coined during WWI
Trench foot
Caused by standing in wet, cold trenches for long periods of time

9. Outcome of the War
An allied victory shortly after America joined the war
There was momentary victory after the war ended
However, there were many war tragedies:
More than 8.5 million people had been killed
European nations had lost almost an entire generation of young men
The war left some 7 million men permanently disabled
Most of Europe lay in ruins and in back economic shape

10. Outcomes of the War The Fourteen Points
A plan for peace outlined / created by Woodrow Wilson
As WWI drew to a close, the scale of destruction and massive loss of life was shocking
Wilson’s Fourteen Points was his way of trying to ensure a “just and lasting peace”
Some of what the plan called for:
Open diplomacy (negotiations)
Freedom of the seas
The removal of trade barriers
Reduction of military arms
Self-determination
The right of the people to decide their own political status
The League of Nations: an organization of nations that would work together to settle disputes and prevent future wars

11. Outcomes of the War Paris Peace Conference
The Paris Peace Conference began on January 12, 1919, with leaders representing 32 nations in attendance
President Wilson led the group of American negotiators
The leaders of the Allies dominated the negotiations
Germany and the other Central Power nations, however, were not invited to participate

12. Outcomes of the War The Treaty of Versailles
The treaty that officially ended WWI
It was created at the Paris Peace Conference, specifically at Versailles (a town in France), hence its name

14. Outcomes of the War The Treaty of Versailles:
Some of its terms called for:
Germany to pay the Allies reparations
Reparations = payments for damages and expenses caused by the war
This amount far exceeded what the German government could actually afford to pay
The League of Nations
Self-determination
The surrender of Central Power colonies to the Allies