WWI- Chronology
1914-1917
• Grab a military history book off of my desk
1914- Opening moves
Schlieffen Plan, capture Paris in precisely 42 days.
Kaiser Wilhelm II proclaimed that he would have
"Paris for lunch, St. Petersburg for dinner."
The French army moved northeast to attack
Germany through the lost provinces of Alsace and
Lorraine. The French would loose 27,000 men in a
single day, proving that the machine gun and the
long-range rifle were devastating defensive
weapons against traditional warfare tactics.
As the German right flank drove towards Paris, it
separated from the rest of the invading force.
The Germans pulled up twenty-five miles short
of Paris. Now it was France's chance to attack.
French General Joffre ordered a successful stand
along the Marne.
• Meanwhile, on the Eastern Front, a Russian army
of some 350,000 men engaged Germany at the
Battle of Tannenberg. For Germany it was one of
the greatest victories of the war: one third of the
Russian troops were either killed or captured; the
rest ran for their lives in a disorganized retreat.
• Even though defeated, the Russians helped taking
pressure from the beleaguered French Army, as
two German Army corps and a cavalry division
destined for the final push to take Paris were
diverted to the Eastern Front.
• Immediately following the first Battle of the
Marne, both sides tried to out-flank one
another in an effort to swing around the
other's defensives. The resulting actions,
called by some the "race to the sea," ended
with a line of trenches that extended from
Switzerland to the English Channel. By midSeptember, stalemate had begun and trench
warfare had set in. No one suspected that the
trench lines that stretched across Western
Europe by the end of December 1914 would
not change much over the next four years.
The Move to US Involvement
May 1915
Gulfight
Arabic
Ancona
Lusitania
What problems did the USA and Britain have
during WWI?
Identify the National Defense Act
1915
• January 8: Germany forms a southern army to support the faltering
Austrians.
• January 19: First German Zeppelin raid on British mainland.
• January 31: The first use of poison gas in WW1, by Germany at
Bolimow in Poland.
• February 4: Germany declares submarine blockade of Britain, with all
approaching ships considered targets. This is the start of Unrestricted
Submarine Warfare.
• March 18: Allied ships attempt to bombard areas of the Dardanelles,
but their failure causes the development of an invasion plan.
• April 22 - May 25: Second Battle of Ypres (WF); BEF casualties are
triple those of Germans.
• April 25: The Allied ground assault begins in Gallipoli. (SF)
• April 22: Poison Gas is first used on the Western Front, in a German attack
on Canadian troops at Ypres.
• May 7: The Lusitania is sunk by a German submarine; casualties include 124
Americans passengers.
• July 13-15: The German 'Triple Offensive' begins, aiming to destroy the
Russian army.
• July 22: 'The Great Retreat' (2) is ordered - Russian forces pull back out of
Poland (currently part of Russia), taking machinery and equipment with them.
• September 1: Results in Sussex Pledge
After American outrage, Germany officially stops sinking passenger vessels
without warning.
• September 5: Tsar Nicholas II makes himself Russian
Commander-in-Chief.
• September 12: After the failure of the Austrian 'Black Yellow'
offensive (EF), Germany takes over ultimate control of AustroHungarian forces.
• December 10: The Allies begin slowly withdrawing from
Gallipoli; they complete by January 9 1916.
• December 18: Douglas Haig appointed British Commanderin-Chief; he replaces John French.
• December 20th: In 'The Falkenhayn Memorandum', the
Central Powers propose to 'bleed the French White' through a
war of attrition. The key is using Verdun Fortress as a French
meat grinder.
1916- Verdun and the Somme
July- November
Purpose: To relieve Russia and Verdun
Allies Commanded by French General Joffre and
British General Haig
June 24-June 30- pre-attack bombardment- 1.75
million shells launched against the Germans
July 1- attack day- many British troops emerged
from the trenches and walked across the first leg
of the battlefield
Soon were met by German machine gunnersAllies suffered 57,000 casualties on day one;
20,000 killed
A complete Irish and Canadian Regiment were
wiped out
36 British Tanks sent to the Somme- 18 used;
others broke down; put in place to knock down
barbed wire in no man’s land
By the end of July- the Allies had advanced three
miles and lost 200,000 casualties, Germany
160,000
By the end of the battle, Allies advanced 5 miles,
and lost 615,000 men, 650,000 for the Germans
Britain vs. USA?
Naval blockade of Central Powers- allowed food
cargoes to rot
Refused to allow US ships to trade food and
cotton products to Central Powers
National Defense Act of 1916
June- proposed to increase size of US Military;
Congress squabbled over size; came to
agreement when Pancho Villa shot up New
Mexico
US Army
National Guard
175,000 peace
400,000
300,000 in war
NDA 1916
Industry was to comply with President’s Orders
August 1915- Arabic- 2 Americans
November 1915- Ancona nine Americans
Jan. 1916
German U-Boats sink nine ships off the coast of
New England
Feb. 1916
President Wilson asked Congress to respond by
building the greatest navy in the world
March- Sussex Pledge- promise not to sink anymore
merchants ship without warning
1917- An End to Neutrality
Jan.- Germany suspends Sussex Pledge- felt the
crunch of Britain’s blockade
Wilson appeared before Congress to announce
separation of all diplomatic relations
Feb. Britain intercepts the ‘Zimmerman Note’;
does not release document until March
• Zimmerman TelegramGerman official wires
ambassador in Mexico and
proposed Mexico ally itself
with Germany and in case of
war with the U.S. intercepted
by British Intelligence and
leaked to U.S. newspapers.
• Germans Break Sussex
Pledge and sink American
merchant ships.
• U.S. joins Allied cause
April 2- Wilson asked Congress for a declaration of
war- USA declared war on Germany
Only 32,000 had volunteered
But instituted the Selective Service Act;
• Selective Service Act
– Draft by lottery, all men between 21 and 30.
– Women officially joined armed forces as nurses and
clerks.
By December, 516,000 had been sent to camp
337,000 dodged the draft
John Joseph "Black Jack" Pershing
He is the only person to be promoted in his
own lifetime to the highest rank ever held
in the United States Army—General of the
Armies, six stars.
Made name in Arizona, Spanish-American
War, real charge up San Juan Hill,
Philippines, and Mexico.
Pershing led the American Expeditionary
Force in World War I. His only order from
Wilson was to maintain a separate
American Army, not be mere replacements
for French and British.
Congress waited to send a major force until
Pershing made a recommendation from Europe.
At first, he asked for one million men.
As more disasters struck the Allies, he raised the
request to three million.
“LaFayette, We are here!”
Pershing arrived first, then troops, most poorly
trained, ‘Doughboys’
Most spent four months training in USA; then
when assembled in Europe received more
intensive trench training
And it couldn’t have been at a Better
Time!
• 1) Russian Revolution
• 2) Flanders Offensive Brits 245, 000
• 3) Austrian Offensive @ Caporetto- Italy lost
300,000 men and 100 miles
• 4) Feb. 1917- Allies lost 781,000 tons due to
German subs
900,000 in April
WWI: The US Army Overseas
Use pages 39-41 to answer the questions below
1) What was the ‘big picture’ plan for US troops
according to John Pershing?
2) How did Pershing arrange his staff overseas?
3) Comment on the ideas of Pershing to
logistically supply American troops
Use pp. 41-43 to answer the questions below
4) What issue caused division between Pershing
and other Allied commanders?
5) How did the other Allied commanders
attempt to undermine Pershing?
6) Many historians say the Bolshevik Revolution
hurt Allied forces in 1917. How did this actually
help them on the Western Front?
7) What realities did the Germans face on their
home front in the beginning of 1918?
8)How many soldiers did Germany send to the
Western Front in 1918? What were the odds
against the Allies?
Use pp. 43-47 to answer the questions below
9) What were the Hutier tactics?
10) Comment on the outcome of German
General Eric von Ludendorff’s offensive at the
end of March 1918?
11) Summarize the Lys Offensive of April 1918
Use pp. 47
12) The Aisne Offensive, May 1918
Name three areas where American troops
stepped up and helped slow down the German
Offensive
13)During 1918, how many American troops
arrived each month in France?
Marne
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPBHjE6MO
PI&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1
St. Mihel- you command
Meuse Argonne, End of the War
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7igyozIzXg&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1