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