World War I

The United States Goes to War

Front Lines – November 1918

Chateau Woods - Ypres - 1917

Fighting the Mud as well as the Germans

Allied Trench in Flanders

British Trench: The Somme - 1916

The American Contribution

Wilson’s Plan

Increased supply of materiel (arsenal of democracy)

Navy would bear brunt of military participation

No large ground forces in Europe

The American Contribution

The Reality

American industry buckled under the strain

Navy played a minor role

A huge American army went to Europe Armed mostly with British and French equipment Inexperienced volunteers

American Troops in Combat

The Allied View (amalgamation): Building U.S. divisions was a waste of resources Building U.S. divisions was a waste of manpower U.S. had no leaders qualified to lead large formations American troops could be trained better and faster

when placed with veteran allied units U.S. insistence on separate divisions might lose the

war

American Troops in Combat

The American View: Allied control was a recipe for dead Americans U.S. population demanded U.S. troops under U.S.

Command U.S. war aims were different than Allies, demanded a

distinct American presence.

The German Spring Offensives of 1918

Designed to force a negotiated settlement before U.S. troops arrived in decisive numbers

Germany committed all of its reserve forces Between 21 March and 15 July, Germany launched

four major (and one minor) attacks

German Troops Under Fire

German Offensives

March 21, 1918

1. Michael 21 Mar - 5 April

2. Georgette - 9 - 11 Apr

3. Blucher-York 27 Apr

4. Gneisenau 9 Jun

5. Marne-Rheims 15-17 Jul

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The Front Line - July 18, 1918

The Aisne-Marne Offensive18 July - 6 August 1918

The Oise-Aisne Offensive18 August - 11 November 1918

The St. Mihiel Offensive12 – 16 September 1918

The Meuse-Argonne Offensive26 September – 11 November

1918

American Troops Advance:(Muese-Argonne) 1918

Destroyed VillageMeuse-Argonne 1918

Armistice Line11 November 1918

The American Contribution

Naval Contribution

Reduced losses to U-boats by:

Convincing British to adopt convoy system

Providing 79 destroyers for escort duty

U.S. Merchant Ship Sinking After Being Torpedoed -

July,1918

The American Contribution

Ground Forces:

Gave Allies a decisive manpower advantage

Presence of U.S. formations on the battlefield in 1918 broke the will of the German General Staff

8,000,000 Dead in Four Years