1. America Tips Balance of Power (Ch. 11, Sec. 2) 1. America Prepares to Enter War 2. New Weapons Change Face of War 3. Casualties & Cost of World War I

2. How did America prepare for the war? Congress passed Selective Service Act (draft) & 3 million men were selected for service 13,000 women served as nurses & secretaries Government began mass production of ships & took over commercial & private ships Convoy system escorted merchant ships (heavily armed destroyers) 230-mile mine barrier (North Sea) kept German u-boats contained

5. What new weapons were introduced during WWI? Machine guns had been improved to become mass killing machines (500 rounds per minute) Tanks became an important weapon of war (clearing barbed wire defenses) Airplanes were transformed into killing machines & battled for control of the skies Long-range artillery could shower the trenches with shells from miles away Poison gas (mustard & chlorine) was used to sicken, blind, & kill enemy soldiers

7. What was the outcome of WWI? In 1918, a flu epidemic killed 500,000 Americans & 30 million people worldwide German soldiers & sailors simply decided to give up the fight, end the war, & signed an armistice Bloodiest war ever (at that time) left 22 million dead (at least half civilians) 20 million people were wounded & it left 10 million people as refugees The total estimated cost of WWI was about $338 billion