Americans On The European
Front
The United States Slowly
Gets Involved
• The U.S. at first wanted to be and associate
in the war
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–
–
–
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Naval support
Supplies
Arms
No troops
Allies insist that U.S. send troops
The United States Slowly
Gets Involved
• 1917 U.S. sends John J. “Black Jack” Pershing
with 14,500 men (This is not enough)
• Congress passes the Selective Service Act
• AEF – American Expeditionary Force
– Draftees, national guardsmen and volunteers make up
the AEF
– AEF also included women
• Worked as nurses, drivers, clerks and telephone operators
• Also worked for government and private agencies tied to the
war effort
How To Move Men and Supplies
• Convoy system
– Use quick destroyers to escort ships to Europe
– Destroyers were fast enough to mount a counter
attack on U-boats
American Soldiers in Europe
• Discrimination
– Separation between the American troops and
allied troops
– Black Troops were separated from white troops
American Soldiers in Europe
• Since Russia is out of the war Germans are
fighting a one front war
• Americans help stop Germans from taking
Paris
– This turns the tide of the war
American Soldiers in Europe
• Allied counterattack
– July 1918 allied counter offensive starts
– August 8, 1918, Battle of Amiens, the allies
stop German advance for good
Armistice
• September 26, 1918
– Allies push Germany out of France
– Allies cut German supply lines
• November 11, 1918, armistice or a ceasefire was established
The War’s Toll
• 50,000 Americans die in battle and more
from disease
• 1 million French soldiers die
• 4,000 French towns destroyed
• 900,000 British soldiers die
• 20 million European civilians die
• Many more wounded