NAME: THE GREAT WAR

Both the Allied Forces and the Central Pow-ers expected the conflict that became World War I to end quickly. Neither side understood how technology made a long, terri-ble war possible. Prior to the nineteenth century, most guns shot a single load. The inven-tion of the machine gun and rapid-fire artillery made war-fare more deadly. Conse-quently, both sides were forced to defend their territory by fighting from deep trenches.

The trenches were terrify-ing. Machine gun fire erupted whenever a soldier allowed his head or weapon to appear above the trench. Even more frightening were the large artillery guns that launched shells from behind the trenches. One soldier described the shelling as being inside a thunderclap. He said it was the only noise you felt with your entire body. The soldiers had more to fear than bullets and shells. The Great War marked the beginning of the use of chemical weapons. Tear gas caused blind-ness, while chlorine gas suffocated the soldiers. Mustard gas was an oily, sticky substance that left its victims blinded, blistered, and struggling for every breath.

Heavy rain was an additional hazard in the trenches. Thousands of soldiers drowned; many more were wounded as they fell in the mud. It was not uncommon for a soldier to stand many days in parasite-filled water as high as his chest. One result of this was a disease called trench foot. Many soldiers had to have their feet or legs amputated because of standing in the water-filled trenches.

In pervious wars, soldiers met on a battle-field and carried off their dead after the fighting ended, but trench warfare in the Great War was different. Wounded soldiers often could not be rescued. Dead bodies from both sides of the conflict became part of the landscape. The de-composing bodies attracted rats, which some-times grew to the size of small dogs. Soldiers were often afraid to sleep at night, fearing an at-tack of rats. As one soldier said, “If ever there is a true hell on earth, it is here in the trenches.”

High above the trenches another even more deadly war took place in the skies. The airplane was another new addition to warfare. The aver-age life expectancy of a new pilot was between three and six weeks, but American recruiters managed to build an air force of more than 200,000 men.

There were several reasons why many young men risked their lives as pilots in the Great War. The pilots had more control over their lives than regular soldiers. A soldier in the trenches might be killed by a bullet or shell without warning, but an agile flying “ace” might have a good chance of staying alive if he was careful. Air battles were quick and decisive, unlike life in the muddy trenches. After their missions, they re-turned to their air bases far from the enemy lines. As one American soldier wrote from the trenches, “The glamour boys are sleeping on real beds with pillows and sheets, while we wallow in the lice and vermin. I don’t begrudge them their due—I’m simply jealous as hell.”

Worst of all, the conflict that most Euro-peans thought would be brief turned into a deadly world war that dragged on longer anyone expected.

Fill in the BlanksT__c__n__l__g__c__l advances made war more deadly in the t________________ century. The

i_______________ of the m____________ gun and rapid-fire a________________ forced armies to fight

from deep t______________ dug into the e________. Thousands of s______________ drowned in the

m________ trenches. Others died from *d______________ such as trench foot. Soldiers in the

t______________ also had to fear c______________ weapons such as m____________ gas.

The battlefield moved to the s____ in the Great War. A p__l__t was far more likely to be

k__________ than a s____________, but there was never a *s______________ of *v__l__n__e__rs to

join the *a____ war. A pilot controlled his destiny in q________ and d______________ battles, while the

s______________ below faced a horrendous existence among the lice and vermin in the m________

trenches.

Answer in complete sentences*1. Why were the armies fighting in the Great War forced to dig trenches instead of fighting on a battle-field?

*2. Write a paragraph that explains why many young men risked their lives as pilots in the Great War.

*3. Many of the soldiers left young families behind. If you could make a choice, would you have chosen to be a soldier or a pilot? Would your family want you to make the same choice? Defend both decisions.

A SEPARATE PEACEThe German army fought the Great

War on two fronts. They battled the French, British and Belgians on the Western Front, while they faced Rus-sia on the Eastern Front. By 1917, the Russians were too busy solving their own problems to continue fight-ing in the Great War.

Russia had two civil wars in 1917. Russia was led by a czar (often spelled tsar), a word that derives from Caesar. The Russian Czars saw them-selves as modern day Caesars, and they ruled their nation with little re-gard for the Russian people. Living conditions were harsh for many Rus-sians during the Great War. The war had continued longer than planned and the Russian people were expected to work in dirty factories with little food to support the war effort. Food shortages caused by the war led to public unrest. Workers went on strike and riots became common in Russian cities. Czar Nicholas II was forced to

abdicate, or leave power, in March, 1917. A weak provisional government formed, but within months, a second

revolution brought the Bolshe-viks to power. The Bolsheviks were followers of Karl Marx, a nineteenth century German writer who called for a worker’s revolution. Radical forces led by Vladimir Lenin

toppled the provisional government and established a Marxist government in Russia.

The Bolsheviks had no interest in continuing the war. In March, 1918, the Russians agreed to the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. This “separate peace” with Germany had harsh terms. Rus-sia left the war, but it was forced to turn over Finland, the Baltic prov-inces, parts of Poland and Ukraine to the Central Powers. Germany could now move all of its soldiers to the Western Front, just in time to face a new opponent.

Fill in the BlanksRussia was the f________ nation to l________ the G________ War. Two c________

wars in 19____ forced the R____________ people to focus on internal problems. Rus-sia agreed to a “s______________ peace” with Germany in 1918. R__________’s new g__________________ lost a great deal of l______ in the *p________ agreement. The “separate p________” allowed G____________ to move *s______________ to their w____________ front in time to face fresh troops arriving from *A____________.

Answer in complete sentences1. Why did Russia leave the Great War?

2. Who were the Bolsheviks?

New Opportunities for African AmericansWhen the United States entered

World War I, most black Americans lived on farms in the south. They were technically “freed” after the Civil War, but most black Americans lived in extreme poverty. There were bet-ter paying jobs in factories and rail-roads in the North, but those jobs were usually filled by European immi-grants.

The flood of immigrants stopped when war broke out. The fac-tory jobs they usually filled were now open to black workers. By 1920, more than 350,000 black people moved to the North. They settled in railroad and industrial centers such as New York, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis, and Cleveland.

White farmers and business owners in the South depended on black workers to fill low paying jobs. Communities in Georgia and Missis-

sippi passed laws limiting the number of black people who could ride trains. The mayor of New Orleans made a for-mal request to the president of the Illi-nois Central Railroad to stop all north-bound trains carrying black passen-gers.

The black people found jobs in the North, but they also found re-sentment and prejudice. Almost all unions were closed to blacks. In some cases, the resentment erupted into violence.

Black men did serve in the American army, but most were only allowed to work in menial jobs. They worked as kitchen staff or dockwork-ers. There were three all-black divi-sions who fought at the front, but white officers commanded those divi-sions. The American army did not in-tegrate until after the Second World War.

Fill in the BlanksThe outbreak of the Great War caused a great *m__g__a__i__n of b________

Americans from the *r__r__l South to c__________ in the North. F____________ jobs were usually filled by i________________ from E__________, but the w____ temporarily stopped the flood of immigration, and created o_______________________ for b________ people. Many farmers and businesspeople in the South d______________ on black w____________ to fill l____ paying jobs. There were many *a______________ to keep Black A_______________ in the S________. Those B________ Americans who did reach the North found j______, but they also found *b__g__t__y. They were barred from joining most u__________, and often faced v______________ from other *w____________.

Answer in complete sentences1. Why did many Black Americans leave their homes in the rural South when the Great War broke out?

2. Why did A. Phillip Randolph oppose participation by Black Americans in the Great War?

*3. Why did W.E.B. DuBois argue that Black Americans should “close ranks” with their “white fellow citizens” during the Great War?

*4. Describe the roles of Black service members of the American army in the Great War.

America Enters the Great WarThe United States did not want to

engage in the Great War. The United States included many people of Eng-lish, French, and German ancestry, so it was difficult to choose sides. The American people had a strong feeling of isolationism, believing that they should not become entangled in foreign wars. Woodrow Wilson was re-elected to the presidency by a narrow victory in 1916 with the slogan, “He Kept Us Out of War,” but within months the United States would be drawn into the conflict.

Many Americans were enraged when a German submarine sunk the Lusitania. More than twelve hundred passengers boarded the British luxury ship sailing from New York to Liver-pool, England. The German embassy placed advertisements in New York newspapers warning passengers they were sailing into a war zone, but not a single person cancelled. On May 7, 1915, the Germans sunk the Lusitania, killing all on board, including 128

Americans. A later investigation showed the hull of the ship was filled with weapons to be used against Ger-many. Many Americans urged Presi-dent Wilson to join the war.

In the spring of 1917, the British decoded a secret message from Arthur Zimmerman, the German Foreign Sec-retary, to the government of Mexico. The Zimmerman note urged Mexico to declare war on the United States. Once America was defeated, Germany would insist on peace terms that would force the United States to return Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona to Mexico.

President Wilson spoke before a joint session of Congress on April 2, 1917, less than one month after begin-ning his second term in office. He asked Congress to declare war on Ger-many to keep the world “safe for democracy.” Great Britain and France were democracies, while a Kaiser ruled Germany and an Emperor ruled Aus-tria-Hungary.

Fill in the BlanksThe United S__________ hoped to *a__o__d entering the Great W____. Many

Americans had strong feelings of i______________________, and A___________ included many citizens of F__________, English, and G__________ ancestry. American P________________ Woodrow W________ was n_____________ re-elected by using the s_________, “He K_____ Us O___ of W____,”

Several events drew A____________ into the G________ War. A G__________ subma-rine sunk the B____________ luxury liner L________________, killing 128 A_______________. The British d____________ a m____________ from G___________’s Foreign Secretary. The “Z________________ Note” urged M__________ to declare w____ on the U__________ S__________. On April 2, 1917, President W__________ asked C______________ to d____________ war on Germany. Wilson said he wanted to keep the world “s______ for d________________.”

Answer in complete sentences1. How did the slogan “He Kept Us Out of War” help President Woodrow Wilson win re-election in 1916?

*2. Why do you think many Americans had strong feelings of isolationism in the years leading to the Great War?

*3. Did the Germans make the correct decision when they sunk the Lusitania in 1915? Defend your answer.

4. What did the Zimmerman note promise Mexico in return for joining the Great War against the United States?

*5. What do you think might have happened if Mexico agreed to the provisions of the Zimmerman note?

The DoughboysAmerica declared war, but sev-

eral months passed before soldiers reached the front. First, Americans had to be persuaded to join the war. The idea of conscription, drafting soldiers to fight, was unpopular with many Americans, but 2.8 mil-lion Americans were ultimately called to duty. Once drafted, the soldiers were quickly trained and dispatched to Europe.

The war weary French people were thrilled to see American sol-diers march through the streets of Paris on July 4, 1917. The soldiers were treated as celebrities. Many French people threw candy or ciga-rettes to the soldiers to show their appreciation. An American officer announced Nous voici, Lafayette! (Lafayette, we are here!) The Mar-quis de Lafayette helped train

George Washington’s troops in the American Revolutionary War. The phrase suggested that America was ready to repay an old debt to an old friend.

The British and French planned to use the Americans as reinforce-ments for their fallen forces, Gen-eral John J. Pershing, the leader of the American forces, disagreed. Pershing insisted that the Ameri-cans fight together and not be spread among other Allied Forces. He understood the importance of the spirits of the soldiers. George M. Cohan captured the feelings of many sol diers in “Over There,” a song popular in the United States during the war, and proudly sung by soldiers on their way to the front.

Over there, over there,

Send the word, send the word, over thereThat the Yanks are coming,the Yanks are coming,And we won’t be back‘Till it’s over over there.

The American soldiers fighting

the Great War were often called “doughboys.” The meaning of the term is obscure, but the spirit of that nickname and many others helped build a sense of camaraderie among the fighting men. The eager doughboys helped lead the Allied Forces to victory in the Great War.

Fill in the Blanks

The first A______________ soldiers reached France two m__________ after C______________ declared w____ in 1917. The weary F__________ people were *d__l__ght__d to see A________________ march through the s____________ of P________; many showed their g__a__i__ude by throwing c________ or c__________________. When the Parade reached the tomb of the M____________ de L__________________, Col. Charles Stanton announced in French, “L___________________, W__ A____ H______.” The phrase suggested that A______________ was about to r________ an old d______ to the F__________ nobleman who helped t________ George W__________________’s troops almost 150 *y________ earlier. The A_______________ forces fought under the direction of General John J. P______________, who insisted that A________________ fight t________________ and not be s___________ among A__________ forces. The American “d______________’s” fighting s__________ helped the A__________ forces to v____________ in the G________ War.

Answer in complete sentences

*1. Why do you think many Americans had to be persuaded to join the Great War?

*2. Approximately how long has France been at war when the American soldiers arrived?

*3. Why did General Pershing insist that American soldiers fight together instead of being used as “replacements” for fallen British and French soldiers?

Allied VictoryOver the course of many years, the na-

tions supporting the soldiers at the front lost their will to continue the war. Russia was the first to leave, but the rest of the Allies remained. The Central Powers left the fighting one by one, leaving only Ger-many to fight the Allies.

Bulgaria left the war, followed by the Ottoman Empire. The Turks were forced to accept terms that whittled their empire to approximately the borders of modern Turkey. The British took possession of Mesopotamia. Mustafa Kemal became the leader of Turkey. Kemal urged his people to modernize in order to strengthen his nation and keep any for-eign powers from attacking in the future. In 1934, the Turkish assembly gave Mustafa Kemal the name Ataturk, or “Fa-ther of the Turks.”

The various ethnic groups within Aus-tria-Hungary forced the empire to crum-

ble. Many minorities deserted the Austro-Hungarian army and joined the Allied forces. By 1918, independence move-ments formed in Czechoslovakia, Poland, Yugoslavia, and Romania. Hungary left the empire at the end of the summer, fol-lowed by Austria. When the imperial gov-ernment surrendered to the Allies, the empire no longer existed.

Germany was left alone to fight the Al-lies, but the weary German people had lost their strength. Strikes and civil disor-der were common by 1918. Germany no longer had the industrial capability or the money to continue fighting. After months of negotiations, Germany and t he Allied Forces agreed to end the fighting. On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918, the fighting ended and the Western Front was quiet for the first time in more than four years.

Fill in the Blanks The Great W____ lasted far longer than anyone expected; by 1918, many of the

nations had lost the w______ to fight. R________ was first to leave, followed by B______________ and the O_____________ Empire. The many e__________ groups within A____________-H____________ caused that e__________ to dissolve into several *i__d__p__n__e__t nations. Germany continued to fight the A__________ Forces alone, but by the fall of 1918, they no longer had the i__________________ capability or the m________ to continue fighting. Germany and the A__________ Forces agreed to an armistice that ended the G________ W____ on *N______________ 11, 1918.

Answer in Complete Sentences*1. What did Mustafa Kemal believe would happen to his nation if he did not begin a modernization program?

2. Why did Austria-Hungary and Germany leave the Great War?