A Global Conflict

A Global Conflict: America Enters America Joins the Fight

Sinking of the Lusitania – May 7, 1915○ British passenger ship carrying

128 Americans sunk by Germans

○ Outrage in U.S., but no declaration of war

Unrestricted submarine warfare○ Germany stops it after Lusitania

incident, but resumes in 1917 Zimmerman telegram

○ Germany implores Mexico to declare war on the U.S.

○ Released to the press by President Woodrow Wilson to drum up support for entering the war

April 6, 1917 - US declares war on Germany

A Global Conflict: War Affects the Home Front

Governments Wage Total War Total War = idea that the entire

nation was at war, not just the soldiers

Question: How does a government convince their entire populace to fight a war?

Answer: They force them! During war-time, freedoms were

severely restricted○ Capitalism was put on hold○ Wage and price controls,

established work days, took over factories, etc.

Use of propaganda to motivate populace

A Global Conflict: Colonial Warfare How was WWI a “global conflict?”

Where did British, French, and Germans get the men to fight the war?○ Their colonies!○ Millions from Africa, Asia, Australia, and

N. ZealandWas this just a “European War?”

○ Major players such as the Ottoman Empire, Japan, and the U.S. were not European

European powers fought battles all over the world

A Global Conflict: The Allies Win the War

Russia Withdraws March 1917 Czar steps down 5.5 million Russians dead March 1918 Treaty of Brest-

Litovsk○ Russia gives up 1/3 of its pre-

war territory, abandons the Allies Central Powers Collapse

Fresh US troops 2nd Battle of the Marne

○ Tanks○ 2 million more US troops arrive

Central Powers Mutiny○ November 9, 1918 - Kaiser

abdicates○ November 11, 1918 - Armistice

Country Men mobilized Killed Wounded POW’s + missing

Total casualties

casualties in % of men

mobilized

Russia 12 million 1.7mill 4.9mill 2.5mill 9.15mill 76.3

France 8.4 mill 1.3mill 4.2mill 537,000 6.1mill 73.3

GB + Empire 8.9mill 908,000 2mill 191,000 3.1mill 35.8

Italy 5.5mill 650,000 947,000 600,000 2.1mill 39

USA 4.3mill 126,000 234,000 4,500 350,000 8

Japan 800,000 300 900 3 1210 0.2

Romania 750,000 335,000 120,000 80,000 535,000 71

Serbia 700,000 45,000 133,000 153,000 331,000 47

Belgium 267,000 13,800 45,000 34,500 93,000 35

Greece 230,000 5000 21,000 1000 27,000 12

Portugal 100,000 7222 13,700 12,000 33,000 33

Total Allies 42million 5 million 13million 4 million 22million 52%

             Germany 11million 1.7million 4.2million 1.1million 7.1million 65

Austria 7.8million 1.2million 3.6million 2.2million 7 million 90

Turkey 2.8million 325,000 400,000 250,000 975,000 34

Bulgaria 1.2million 87,000 152,000 27,000 266,000 22

TotalCentral Powers

22.8mill 3.3million 8.3million 3.6million 15 million 67

             Grand Total 65 million 8.5mill 21million 7.7mill 37million 57%