Entry of USA and Russian withdrawal Flashcards
When was the Lusitania sunk?
7th May 1915
How many civilian lives (including American) were lost as a consequence of the Lusitania sinking?
1200 civilian lives, 124 American
When was the Sussex torpedoed?
March 1916
When was the Sussex Pledge concluded?
May 1916
What were the terms of the Sussex Pledge
Agreement between Germany and the US, that 1. Germany would refrain from attacking all passenger ships, and 2. warn crew of all enemy merchant vessels prior to attack; otherwise diplomatic relationships would be severed
When was unrestricted submarine warfare resumed?
January 1917
Why was unrestricted submarine warfare resumed?
Ludendorff, navy leaders convinced the Kaiser that resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare could result in rapid British defeat
When was the Zimmerman Telegram sent?
Mid January 1917
What were the contents of the Zimmerman Telegram?
German Foreign Minister Zimmerman sent secret telegram to German Minister in Mexico, proposing joint German-Mexican action against the US if Wilson continued strong action against Germany
What did the British do with the Zimmerman telegram?
Intercepted and passed it onto the Americans–>widespread outrage
When did Congress vote to declare war on Germany?
6th April 1917
When was the Emergency Fleet Corporation established?
16th April 1917
What did the Emergency Fleet Corporation do?
Dramatically increased naval construction. Available tonnage increased from 1->10 million; resulted in the ability of the US navy to lay mine barrages across the North Sea to inhibit movement of U-boats
How many men were inducted into service following introduction of the Selective Service Act?
3 of 24 million
When did the first AEF troops arrive in France?
June 1917
When did the first AEF troops start fighting?
Spring 1918
By July 1918, how many Americans were arriving?
10,000 per day
When did Americans begin to arrive at 10,000 per day?
July 1918
What was the impact of American entry on morale?
Increased confidence of Allies; depressed German troops–~1 million transferred from East to Western front ~10% deserted
Why was the American entry significant?
Men, morale, money (gave allies continual access to American loans and military hardware)
When was the Russian provisional government overthrown by the Bolsheviks?
November 1917
Why were the Bolsheviks under pressure to produce a rapid peace settlement?
Derived much power from promise of peace, land, and bread
When was the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk ratified?
March 1918
What was the atmosphere surrounding the signing of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk for the Bolsheviks?
Considerable internal disagreement due to its harsh and humiliating nature
What % of heavy industry was surrendered under the Treaty?
27%
How many Russians lost to German rule under the Treaty?
62 million
What territory surrendered to Germany?
Baltic states, most of modern day Poland, Finland, Ukraine
What was the impact of the Russian withdrawal for Germany?
- No longer was there a war on two fronts-transfer of troops; 2. great boost to morale; 3. engendered Spring Offensive, as Ludendorff wanted to strike before arrival of US forces in large numbers
