America Wins the War

America Mobilizes

• The US not prepared for war, only 200,000 were in armed services when war declared

• Congress passed Selective Service Act – required men to register with government in order to be randomly selected for military service – 24 million men registered and 3 million men were

drafted– Most draftees did not attend HS and 1/5 were foreign

born – 13,000 women served in non-combat positions –

nurses, secretaries and telephone operators

Mass Production of Ships

• Priority of the US to enlarge the Navy to defeat the German U-Boats and protect the US shipping fleet

• Government exempted many skilled workers from the draft – including ship builders

• Along with mass production, the ship building industry used prefabricated sections increasing production speed

• The government took over commercial and private ships and converted them to transatlantic war use

Convoy System

• Convoy System – a heavy guard of destroyers escorted merchant ships back and forth across the Atlantic in Groups

• Used to protect American Ships and Economy (Trade)

Americans in Europe

• American Expeditionary Force (AEF)- US forces who fought with the Allies in Europe during World War I

• Lead by General John J. Pershing• After 2 ½ years of fighting European

forces were exhausted and demoralized – US troops brought freshens and enthusiasm

• Troops not prepared for Trench Warfare and the horrors new technology brought

New War Technology

• WWI was the first modern war – used new technology on the battlefield that would become standard in modern warfare – including biological weapons

• Two most innovated weapons of WWI were the Tank and the Airplane – Tank – First used by the British, purpose

was to clear barbed wire and make path for infantry (foot soldiers)

– Planes – at beginning of war very flimsy and only used for scouting – early dog fights consisted of pistols and rocks – by end of war technology improved and machine guns used

Hazards of War

• New weapons and tactics lead to horrific injuries and hazards

• Conditions in trenches were unsanitary – polluted water, lice, rats, and filth

• Trench Foot – rotting of the foot due to constant contact with water – resulted in amputation

• Trench Mouth – painful infection of the gums and throat

• Lack of sleep and constant bombardments lead to “shell shock”

Collapse of Germany

• On November 3, 1918 Austria-Hungary surrendered to the Allies

• Same day German sailors mutinied against government authority – mutiny spread quickly around Germany, soldiers and workers joined

• November 9th, 1918 socialist leaders established a new republic and the Kaiser gave up the Throne

• Germans too hungry and exhausted to continue war, led to revolts

• The Eleventh Hour of 11/11/1918 – Armistice (truce) went into effect and the war was ended

The Final Toll

The Final Toll • WWI was bloodiest war in history up to

that time• 22 million killed, more then half civilian • 20 million were wounded • 10 million became refugees• War cost $338 billion • US lost 110,000 soldiers