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World War I

World War I. The “Great War”. Why is World War I important ?. The equation of modern war: Technology Tactics Organization. U.S. Civil War: Technology gave the defense the advantage at the tactical level. World War I

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World War I

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  1. World War I The “Great War”

  2. Why is World War I important ? The equation of modern war: Technology Tactics Organization

  3. U.S. Civil War: Technology gave the defense the advantage at the tactical level. • World War I Technology gave the defense the advantage at the tactical and operational levels.

  4. The main question of the Western Front: How do we break the stalemate ?

  5. Why had the German advance bogged down? Answer: The increased lethality of modern weapons.

  6. Improved artillery • recoil systems • improved explosives (Alfred Nobel) • improved communications

  7. Indirect Fire Observer

  8. Range: 81 miles

  9. And . . . • Machine guns • Semi-automatic rifles Bottom line: Lots of bullets in the air. • Soldiers are not stupid - they hide • Trench systems develop

  10. No Man’s Land Germans Allies 200 yds - 2 miles

  11. Fokker DR-2

  12. The U.S. remains neutral

  13. America’s shifting position . . . • May 1915, Lusitania sunk by a German sub. 1,198 killed (128 Americans) • September 1915, Arabic pledge: No more unrestricted submarine warfare Question: How neutral is America ?

  14. America’s shifting position . . . • 1916, Wilson campaigns with the slogan: “He Kept us Out of War!” • 22 January 1917: “Peace without victory.” • 31 January, Germans announce: Resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare • 25 February: Zimmerman Note • 2 April: Wilson asks for war.

  15. War • Congress declares war on 6 April. • Senate: 82 / 6 • House: 373 / 50 Reasons: 1. Resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare. 2. Zimmerman Note Unspoken reason? Could we let the Allies loose?

  16. America and World War I • We are not a strong military power. • Our major contribution: • Men • $$ • Our contribution was decisive.

  17. The American Contribution • “American Expeditionary Force” qqqqqqqCommander: John J. Pershing • We were slow getting into the fight: • Pershing wanted a separate army. • We trained first. • We did a good job in combat. • Or presence (not necessarily in combat) qqqqqqqwas decisive.

  18. 28,105 men 77 guns 260 machine guns U.S. Infantry Division 1918 XX X X MG MG Signal MG Trains

  19. ( 11 / 11/ 11 1918 ) 11:00 AM, 11 November 1918 War Ends !! “Armistice Day”

  20. What had we fought for ?

  21. U.S. Strategic Objectives . . . • “Peace without victory.” • How does one achieve that ? • Wilson’s “Fourteen Points” • War is always political.

  22. Versailles Treaty • German “War Guilt.” • Economic imbalance created by the treaty. • No clear understanding by the Germans that they were defeated. • Weimar government never very strong. • Political chaos: Right vs. Left.

  23. Tactical and operational questions for the future . . . • How is maneuver possible on the modern battlefield? • What is the role of the airplane? • All of these questions will be addressed in the 1920’s and 1930’s.

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