WWI- Chronology

1914-1917

• Grab a military history book off of my desk

1914- Opening movesSchlieffen Plan, capture Paris in precisely 42 days. Kaiser Wilhelm II proclaimed that he would have "Paris for lunch, St. Petersburg for dinner." The French army moved northeast to attack Germany through the lost provinces of Alsace and Lorraine. The French would loose 27,000 men in a single day, proving that the machine gun and the long-range rifle were devastating defensive weapons against traditional warfare tactics.

As the German right flank drove towards Paris, it separated from the rest of the invading force. The Germans pulled up twenty-five miles short of Paris. Now it was France's chance to attack. French General Joffre ordered a successful stand along the Marne.

• Meanwhile, on the Eastern Front, a Russian army of some 350,000 men engaged Germany at the Battle of Tannenberg. For Germany it was one of the greatest victories of the war: one third of the Russian troops were either killed or captured; the rest ran for their lives in a disorganized retreat.

• Even though defeated, the Russians helped taking pressure from the beleaguered French Army, as two German Army corps and a cavalry division destined for the final push to take Paris were diverted to the Eastern Front.

• Immediately following the first Battle of the Marne, both sides tried to out-flank one another in an effort to swing around the other's defensives. The resulting actions, called by some the "race to the sea," ended with a line of trenches that extended from Switzerland to the English Channel. By mid-September, stalemate had begun and trench warfare had set in. No one suspected that the trench lines that stretched across Western Europe by the end of December 1914 would not change much over the next four years.

The Move to US Involvement

May 1915GulfightArabic AnconaLusitaniaWhat problems did the USA and Britain have during WWI?Identify the National Defense Act

1915 • January 8: Germany forms a southern army to support the faltering Austrians.

• January 19: First German Zeppelin raid on British mainland.

• January 31: The first use of poison gas in WW1, by Germany at Bolimow in Poland.

• February 4: Germany declares submarine blockade of Britain, with all approaching ships considered targets. This is the start of Unrestricted Submarine Warfare.

• March 18: Allied ships attempt to bombard areas of the Dardanelles, but their failure causes the development of an invasion plan.

• April 22 - May 25: Second Battle of Ypres (WF); BEF casualties are triple those of Germans.

• April 25: The Allied ground assault begins in Gallipoli. (SF)

• April 22: Poison Gas is first used on the Western Front, in a German attack on Canadian troops at Ypres.

• May 7: The Lusitania is sunk by a German submarine; casualties include 124 Americans passengers. • July 13-15: The German 'Triple Offensive' begins, aiming to destroy the Russian army.

• July 22: 'The Great Retreat' (2) is ordered - Russian forces pull back out of Poland (currently part of Russia), taking machinery and equipment with them.

• September 1: Results in Sussex PledgeAfter American outrage, Germany officially stops sinking passenger vessels without warning.

• September 5: Tsar Nicholas II makes himself Russian Commander-in-Chief.

• September 12: After the failure of the Austrian 'Black Yellow' offensive (EF), Germany takes over ultimate control of Austro-Hungarian forces.

• December 10: The Allies begin slowly withdrawing from Gallipoli; they complete by January 9 1916.

• December 18: Douglas Haig appointed British Commander-in-Chief; he replaces John French.

• December 20th: In 'The Falkenhayn Memorandum', the Central Powers propose to 'bleed the French White' through a war of attrition. The key is using Verdun Fortress as a French meat grinder.

1916- Verdun and the Somme

July- NovemberPurpose: To relieve Russia and VerdunAllies Commanded by French General Joffre and British General Haig

June 24-June 30- pre-attack bombardment- 1.75 million shells launched against the Germans

July 1- attack day- many British troops emerged from the trenches and walked across the first leg of the battlefield

Soon were met by German machine gunners- Allies suffered 57,000 casualties on day one; 20,000 killedA complete Irish and Canadian Regiment were wiped out

36 British Tanks sent to the Somme- 18 used; others broke down; put in place to knock down barbed wire in no man’s land

By the end of July- the Allies had advanced three miles and lost 200,000 casualties, Germany 160,000

By the end of the battle, Allies advanced 5 miles, and lost 615,000 men, 650,000 for the Germans

Britain vs. USA?

Naval blockade of Central Powers- allowed food cargoes to rot

Refused to allow US ships to trade food and cotton products to Central Powers

National Defense Act of 1916

June- proposed to increase size of US Military; Congress squabbled over size; came to agreement when Pancho Villa shot up New Mexico US Army National Guard175,000 peace 400,000300,000 in war

NDA 1916

Industry was to comply with President’s Orders

August 1915- Arabic- 2 AmericansNovember 1915- Ancona nine AmericansJan. 1916German U-Boats sink nine ships off the coast of New England

Feb. 1916President Wilson asked Congress to respond by building the greatest navy in the world

March- Sussex Pledge- promise not to sink anymore merchants ship without warning

1917- An End to NeutralityJan.- Germany suspends Sussex Pledge- felt the crunch of Britain’s blockade

Wilson appeared before Congress to announce separation of all diplomatic relations

Feb. Britain intercepts the ‘Zimmerman Note’; does not release document until March

• Zimmerman Telegram- German official wires ambassador in Mexico and proposed Mexico ally itself with Germany and in case of war with the U.S. intercepted by British Intelligence and leaked to U.S. newspapers.

• Germans Break Sussex Pledge and sink American merchant ships.

• U.S. joins Allied cause

April 2- Wilson asked Congress for a declaration of war- USA declared war on Germany

Only 32,000 had volunteered

But instituted the Selective Service Act;

• Selective Service Act– Draft by lottery, all men between 21 and 30.– Women officially joined armed forces as nurses and clerks.

By December, 516,000 had been sent to camp337,000 dodged the draft

John Joseph "Black Jack" Pershing

He is the only person to be promoted in his own lifetime to the highest rank ever held in the United States Army—General of the Armies, six stars. Made name in Arizona, Spanish-American War, real charge up San Juan Hill, Philippines, and Mexico. Pershing led the American Expeditionary Force in World War I. His only order from Wilson was to maintain a separate American Army, not be mere replacements for French and British.

Congress waited to send a major force until Pershing made a recommendation from Europe.At first, he asked for one million men.As more disasters struck the Allies, he raised the request to three million.

“LaFayette, We are here!”

Pershing arrived first, then troops, most poorly trained, ‘Doughboys’

Most spent four months training in USA; then when assembled in Europe received more intensive trench training

And it couldn’t have been at a Better Time!

• 1) Russian Revolution• 2) Flanders Offensive Brits 245, 000 • 3) Austrian Offensive @ Caporetto- Italy lost

300,000 men and 100 miles• 4) Feb. 1917- Allies lost 781,000 tons due to

German subs900,000 in April

WWI: The US Army OverseasUse pages 39-41 to answer the questions below1) What was the ‘big picture’ plan for US troops

according to John Pershing?2) How did Pershing arrange his staff overseas?3) Comment on the ideas of Pershing to

logistically supply American troops

Use pp. 41-43 to answer the questions below4) What issue caused division between Pershing and other Allied commanders?5) How did the other Allied commanders attempt to undermine Pershing?6) Many historians say the Bolshevik Revolution hurt Allied forces in 1917. How did this actually help them on the Western Front?7) What realities did the Germans face on their home front in the beginning of 1918?8)How many soldiers did Germany send to the Western Front in 1918? What were the odds against the Allies?

Use pp. 43-47 to answer the questions below9) What were the Hutier tactics? 10) Comment on the outcome of German General Eric von Ludendorff’s offensive at the end of March 1918?11) Summarize the Lys Offensive of April 1918

Use pp. 4712) The Aisne Offensive, May 1918Name three areas where American troops stepped up and helped slow down the German Offensive13)During 1918, how many American troops arrived each month in France?

Marnehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPBHjE6MOPI&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1St. Mihel- you command

Meuse Argonne, End of the Warhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7igyozI-zXg&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1