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

Technology gave the defense the advantage at the tactical and operational

levels.

The main question of the Western Front:

How do we break the stalemate ?

Why had the German advance bogged down?

Answer: The increased lethality of modern weapons.

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

Indirect Fire

Observer

Wilhelmgeschtze (The Paris Gun)

Range: 120 kms. (74.5 miles)Shell: 120 kg. (264.5 lbs.)

And . . .

• Machine guns• Semi-automatic rifles

Bottom line: Lots of bullets in the air.

• Soldiers are not stupid - they hide• Trench systems develop

No Man’s Land

200 yds - 2 miles

Allies

Germans

The U.S. remains neutral

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 ?

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.

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?

America and World War I

• We are not a strong military power.• Our major contribution:

– Men– $$

• Our contribution was decisive.

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.

XX

XX

MG

MG

MG

Signal

Trains

28,105 men77 guns260 machine guns

U.S. Infantry Division1918

11:00 AM, 11 November 1918

War Ends !!( 11 / 11/ 11 1918 )

“Armistice Day”

What had we fought for ?

U.S. Strategic Objectives . . .

• “Peace without victory.”• How does one achieve that ?• Wilson’s “Fourteen Points”

• War is always political.

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.

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.