End of WW1

Question 1

Where Were We…?

Answer 1

Stalemate along the Eastern and Western fronts
- Stuck fighting a war of attrition since 1914
- In 1917, neither side has a clear advantage

Question 2

Where Were We…?

Answer 2

Although tactics evolved, very little territory changes hands from 1914-1917

Question 3

America Enters the War

Answer 3

Remember the Lusitania?
- Supply/civilian ship sunk by U-Boats in the Atlantic killing 1,195 people 123 of whom were American
- The sinking started to shift public opinion against Germany
- After a brief hiatus, Germany resumed unrestricted U-Boat warfare in 1917

Question 4

America Enters the War

Answer 4

The Zimmermann Telegram:
- Message proposing that Mexico form a secret alliance with Germany if America declares war on Germany
- Germany promised the return of territories lost in the Mexican-American war
- The message was intercepted and decoded by allied forces and delivered to Washington

Question 5

America Enters the War

Answer 5

Due to these factors (and others), America declared war on Germany in 1917.
- The first troops arrived in June 1917
- In 1918, 10,000 American troops
arrived each day
- By the end of the war, over 2 million
served in Europe and 50,000 were killed

Question 6

Russia Leaves the War

Answer 6

For numerous reasons, the monarchy in Russia is overthrown and after a few months with a provisional government, Bolsheviks took control of the nation
- They prioritized the creation of a socialist state
- This meant they wanted to leave the war and redirect resources to internal changes

Question 7

The End of the War

Answer 7

Knowing that American troops were on the way, Germany decided on a last ditch effort to defeat the allies before the arrival of the Americans
- At this point blockades around Germany led to mass food and supply shortages
- If they wanted to win, they would need to do it now

Question 8

The End of the War

Answer 8

Germany pushes the line deep into France, but it is just not enough…
- Allied forces, along with their new friends, the Americans, stopped the German advance

Question 9

The End of the War

Answer 9

The Battle of Amiens sets off an allied offensive that overwhelms the Central Powers and ends with the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian, German, and Ottoman Empires…
The armistice between Germany and the allies ends the war at 11am on November 11, 1918
- The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month… how poetic