World War I

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World War I

• The United States Goes to War

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(No Transcript)
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Front Lines November 1918
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Chateau Woods - Ypres - 1917
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Fighting the Mud as well as the Germans
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Allied Trench in Flanders
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British Trench The Somme - 1916
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The American Contribution

• Wilsons Plan
• Increased supply of materiel (arsenal of
  democracy)
• Navy would bear brunt of military participation
• No large ground forces in Europe

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The American Contribution

• The Reality
• American industry buckled under the strain
• Navy played a minor role
• A huge American army went to Europe
• Armed mostly with British and French equipment
• Inexperienced volunteers

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American Troops in Combat

• The Allied View (amalgamation)
• Building U.S. divisions was a waste of resources
• Building U.S. divisions was a waste of manpower
• U.S. had no leaders qualified to lead large
  formations
• American troops could be trained better and
  faster when placed with veteran allied units
• U.S. insistence on separate divisions might lose
  the war

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American Troops in Combat

• The American View
• Allied control was a recipe for dead Americans
• U.S. population demanded U.S. troops under U.S.
  Command
• U.S. war aims were different than Allies,
  demanded a distinct American presence.

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The German Spring Offensives of 1918

• Designed to force a negotiated settlement before
  U.S. troops arrived in decisive numbers
• Germany committed all of its reserve forces
• Between 21 March and 15 July, Germany launched
  four major (and one minor) attacks

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German Troops Under Fire
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German Offensives

• March 21, 1918
• Michael 21 Mar - 5 April
• Georgette - 9 - 11 Apr
• Blucher-York 27 Apr
• Gneisenau 9 Jun
• Marne-Rheims 15-17 Jul

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The Front Line - July 18, 1918
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The Aisne-Marne Offensive18 July - 6 August 1918
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The Oise-Aisne Offensive18 August - 11 November
1918
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The St. Mihiel Offensive12 16 September 1918
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The Meuse-Argonne Offensive26 September 11
November 1918
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American Troops Advance(Muese-Argonne) 1918
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Destroyed VillageMeuse-Argonne 1918
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Armistice Line11 November 1918
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The American Contribution

• Naval Contribution
• Reduced losses to U-boats by
• Convincing British to adopt convoy system
• Providing 79 destroyers for escort duty

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U.S. Merchant Ship Sinking After Being Torpedoed
- July,1918
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The American Contribution

• Ground Forces
• Gave Allies a decisive manpower advantage
• Presence of U.S. formations on the
  battlefield in 1918 broke the will of the
  German General Staff

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8,000,000 Dead in Four Years