Americans on the European Front Notes

Angela Brown Chapter 10 Section 3 1

Learning Targets:

• Describe how the United States prepared to take part in World War 1.

• Explain how American troops helped turn the tide of the war.

• Describe German submarine tactics during World War 1.

• Describe the war’s end and its costs.

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Preparing for Action

• Despite preparedness U.S. not ready to send troops to European front in April 1917.

• Sent naval support, supplies, arms, $3 billion in loans, and a token force of 14,500 men led by General Pershing to boost allied morale.

• Pershing recommended army should number 1 million by 1918 and 3 million by 1919.

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Draftees and Volunteers

• 1917 – U.S. 120,000 enlisted men and 80,000 national guardsmen • May 1917 Congress passed a Selective Service Act authorizing a draft of young men for military services • “War to end all Wars” resulted in wide acceptance of program 6

• Nov 1918 – 24 million men registered for draft.

• A lottery picked 3 million draftees • Draftees, volunteers, National Guardsmen made up American Expeditionary Force (AEF).

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• 11,000 women volunteered in uniform as nurses, drivers, and clerks • Another 14,000 women served abroad as civilians working for the government or for private agencies.

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The Convoy System

• U.S. troops were kept separate from allied troops and the more than 300,000 African American Soldiers • (4,000 African American troops killed/wounded most never saw combat) • Marines refused African Americans completely/navy minor tasks/ Army manual labor – frustrated African Americans 10

• 369 th infantry – Harlem Hell Fighters – officers agreed to loan to French Army who integrated regiment • Received highest combat medal –French Croix de Guerre http://www.redstone.army.mil/history/integrate/harlem.jpg

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Turning The Tide of War

• Nov 1917, Bolsheviks, followers of Vladimir Lenin, violently overthrew Russia’s government.

• Lenin promised peace with Germany if in control. • Germany aided his return from Switzerland 12

• March 3, 1918 – Lenin made peace with Germany.

• Freed Germany from two- front war • turned all energy toward French • British lines (broke through – 50 miles from Paris by June 3) 13

Americans Save Paris

• Brigadier General, James G. Harbord, stated “We dig no trenches to fall back on. The marines will hold where they stand.” • Blunted edge of German advance, began to turn the tide of war – lost ½ of troops 14

Allied Counterattack

• Used new weapon… the tank • Aug. 8, Battle of Amiens, Allies stopped German advance once and for all.

• Allies insisted on total surrender.

• Allies used airplanes to drop bombs, aerial dogfights, “Aces”.

• Bombing raids would become a devastating weapon in the future.

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The Red Baron

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Rittmeister Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen

• In a time of wooden and fabric aircraft, when twenty air victories insured a pilot legendary status and the coveted Pour Le Mérite (the famous "Blue Max") , Richthofen had eighty victories, and is regarded to this day as the ace of aces. 16

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Corporal Alvin York

• York, TN mountains, turkey hunter • Applied to be classified conscientious objector. • Someone who refuses to serve in the military because of religious beliefs, denied, drafted.

• Took part in Meuse-Argonne offensive (final allied assault – 1 million AEF) 20

• Patrol tried to destroy German machine gun nest.

• lost ½ troops the remainder took cover • York continued on his own. • killed 25 and captured 132 German soldiers • (Congressional Medal of Honor – French Croix de Guerre) 21

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Ending the War

• Armistice, or ceasefire – Kaiser fled to Holland • Nov 11, 1918 guns fell silent • 500,000 Americans died in Battle • Many more of disease…Influenza • (Red Cross – nurses reduced # a great deal) 22

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• Total death toll – 8 million soldiers/sailors – averages 5,000 soldiers a day • Most of fighting took place in Europe – battles in Africa and the Middle East • Millions of civilians died – starvation, disease, or war-related injuries 24

• Genocide – organized killing of an entire people • Ottoman forces deported and murdered Armenians (suspected of disloyalty to government) continued into early 20s.

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