WWI 1914-1918

The Two Sides

Central Powers

Germany Austria-Hungary

Ottoman Empire

Allied PowersEngland,

France, Russia,

United States (1917), Italy,

Serbia,

New TechnologyGuns

The Machine Gun

It was used by both sides, hundreds of rounds a minute could be shot by one person.

Technology:Chemical Weapons

WWI was the first major war to use chemical weapons

Mustard Gas and Chlorine Gas were the two most popular weapons: They caused suffocation, blindness, and death. Over 91,000 died from poison gas

Soldiers would protect themselves using Gas Masks

Technology:The U-boat (Submarine)

Germany’s secret weapon during the war

Sank dozens of British ships, controlled the oceans.

Technology:Airpower

Both sides used aircraft for observation, limited bombing, and air battles

Airplanes were slow, clumsy, and unreliable,

Technology:Tanks

Technology:Tanks

Trench Warfare

Both sides dug long trenches that faced each other. The trenches ran for miles.

From time to time, one side would attempt to cross the “No-Man’s Land” the area in between the trenches.

Trench warfare made WWI extend from a few months of fighting to four years of fighting.

Resulted in a STALEMATE

War on the Homefront

Gov’t took over factories to make Military goods

All had to work (Women took place of men in factories)

Food Administration encouraged people to limit consumption of food and resources/goods necessary for the war effort

Propaganda- one-sided information to keep support for the war

What did the US do to help?

US provided the food, money, and fresh troops needed to win the war

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How did the War affect the US?

Women

Women filled Factory jobs

Led to the 19th Amendment after the War ( women got the right to vote)

African Americans African American

soldiers served in segregated units

Great Migration – Thousands of African Americans moved north for factory jobs.

John J. Pershing leads American Forces in Europe

American Expeditionary Force (AEF)

General John J. Pershing

First major action in spring 1918

Turning Point of the War

One of the greatest American battles of the war.

AEF shattered the German offences and opened a hole in German lines.

The Battle of the Argonne Forest

Alvin York

American hero, deeply religious, drafted at 29, he fought in the Battle of the Argonne forest. He killed 25 Germans and captured 132 prisoners.

Ending the War (1918)

11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918 Germany agrees to a cease-fire