History Test 2/25/25 - World War 1, The War

WW1 - The war

Fighting the War

• Total War: Warfare placed demands on nearly every aspect of society, including the Home Front.

• Women filled traditionally male jobs and kept the economy going - The right to vote followed the war

• Trench Warfare: Goal was protection. Soldiers went “over the top” to hold battles. Rarely was any progress made, and for four years there was a stalemate.

• In between two countries trenches was known as “no man’s land".”

  Major battles and events:

• Battle of Sommes - One of the deadliest battles in human history. (because it involved 3 million troops and had close to 1 million deaths)

• Battle of Verdun - Longest campaign of World War 1 (lasted for 9 months. Very deadly, hundreds of thousands of men died)

• Battle of Gallipoli - Attempt to open up Dardenelle straits for entente supplies.

  United States Joining the War:

• 2 events sparked a change in U.S feelings on the war:

  • Sinking of the Lusitania (Germany sinks british ship, 120 americans died)

  • Zimmerman Telegram (telegram between germany and mexico that was intercepted. German diplomat trying to convince mexico to join the allied forces. Due to this, in 1917 Woodrow Wilson declares war on Germany.)

• Near the end:

  • The United States gets involved April 1917.

  • President Woodrow Wilson outlines his 14 points for peace in 1918 including:

  • Open diplomacy without secret treaties

  • Self determination for Austria - Hungary territories

  • Formation of a League of Nations