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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.