Chapter 17 Section 4
The War to End All Wars
Words to Know
Communism: A economic system in which the govt. owns all property and business
Armistice: An agreement to stop fighting
Revolt in Russia
1914-1917: Russian troops important
part of allied forces Fought Germans along
Eastern Front Tsar ruled Russia:
Tsar and family were wealthy
Most of Russian people were poor
People unhappy with way war was going: Russia suffered huge
casualties
Revolt in Russia cont.
Russian revolution broke out during WWI: Nov. 1917 Communists took power:
Communists believe in communism
Communists took control of all farms, banks, and industry
Many people died during revolution: Tsar and family
murdered Russian Revolution
Revolt in Russia cont.
Communist govt. signed peace treaty with Germany and Central Powers: Meant the Allies
would not have Russia on their side
Central powers could turn most of their forces against French and the British
US Troops Arrive
US troops had to cross the Atlantic to get to Europe: Treacherous
journey 100+ German
subs Safety-US
traveled in convoys: System in which
warships traveled with ships carrying troops
US Troops Arrive cont.
First Americans arrived in France, 6/1917: More than a million
would fight in France 1918:
Germans planned to attack Paris
Broke through Allied lines; came within 50 miles
Stopped by US and French troops
Belleau Wood
Thick Forrest 24hrs per day for 2-
weeks: US troops fought way
through forest German machine guns
hidden in trees firing down on Americans
Americans took control of Belleau Wood: 8000 Americans killed
or wounded
The Argonne Forest
Large area along Western Front: German controlled Germans had:
Machine guns Barbed wire Big cannons
Sept. 26, 1918: 1million+ Americans attacked at
dawn Forest covered by heavy fog Many Americans walked into
German positions More than 100,000 American killed
or wounded Battle lasted 47 days until
Americans pushed through enemy lines: Same time Brits, French, and
Belgian forces won battles along Western Front
November 1918
German army began to retreat
Other Central Powers could not fight without the power of Germany behind them
November 11: Railroad car in northern
France Allies and Central Powers
signed an agreement to end the war
Germany accepted the terms of the armistice
The Cost of War
US in war for less than a year: US losses were great but far
fewer than other countries in the war
War took terrible toll in Europe: 13million civilians and
soldiers died Much of northern France was
destroyed Millions in Germany were
starving Between 1918-1919 more
people died from a flu epidemic: 20 million die
The Allies’ Plan for Peace
Pres. Wilson wanted WWI to be the “war to end all wars”: The Fourteen
Points: Wilson’s plan for
peace Included a League
of Nations where countries could meet to solve their problems without fighting
January 1919
Wilson meet with the leaders of: Italy GB France
Met at Palace of Versailles: Paris, France Leaders called the Big Four
Wilson and European leaders disagreed over punishment for Germany
European leaders wanted to punish Germany for the suffering they caused
Treaty of Versailles
Signed June 1919 Wilson did not like all
the parts of the treaty: Forced Germany to
take all the blame for the war
Germany had to pay billions of dollars in damages to Allied countries Germany did not have
enough money
Treaty of Versailles cont.
Treaty did include some of Wilson’s 14-points: Treaty provided a League of
Nations US Senate refused to
approve the treaty Some senators were afraid
the League would drag them into another war
US never became a member of the League of Nations
Wilson kept fighting for the League: Dies 1924
CLASS WORK
Chapter 17 Worksheets #110-113