TheU.S.EntersTheGreatWar
Foranationofitssizeandimportance,theU.S.hadoneofthe
smalleststandingarmiesintheworld.Normallylessthan200,000,
itsuddenlyjumpedto640,000in1917.Thatwasnotenoughto
helptheAlliedPowers,sotheSelectiveServiceActwaspassedby
Congress.Thislawrequiredmenbetweentheagesof21to30to
registerforthedraft,buttherangewouldbeexpandedtomen
between18to45bytheendofthewar.By1918about2.8million
doughboys(asU.S.soldierswerecalledinthewar)madeupthe
U.S.Army.Noonlydidthisbringenormousproblemsinsupplying
thetroops,butalsoinpreparingthesecivilianstofightahighly
trainedandexperiencedenemy.
TheAmericanshadmanythingstodobeforetheycouldhelp
theAllies.Campswerehastilyconstructedandtrainingmoved
swiftlyasfarmers,factoryworkers,andshopkeeperslearnedto
march,obeyorders,fireweapons,andusegasmasks.Insome
camps,soldierswereforcedtodrillwithbroomsticksratherthan
rifles,andbarrelshungbetweenpoleswereusedtoimitatehorsebackridingforcavalryrecruits.Although
thearmyhadmanyobstaclestoovercome,GeneralJohnJ.Pershingwasasticklerformilitaryprecisionand
wantedhismentolooklikeaprofessionalarmywhentheyarrivedinFrance.TotheAlliedPowersthis
couldnotcomequickenough.
TheAlliedPowersbegantoexperiencedifficultiesasthewarcontinuedinto1917.CzarNicholasIIwas
overthrowninRussia,andafterabrieftryatdemocracy,theBolsheviks(RussianCommunists)roseto
power.LedbyVladimirLenin,theBolshevikssignedapeacetreatywithGermanyanddroppedoutofthe
wartofocusontheinternalstruggleswithinRussia.TheGermanscouldnowthrowtheentireweightof
theirarmyagainsttheBritishandtheFrenchonthewesternfront;whosemoralehadbecomesolowthat
whenAlliedgeneralsorderedtheirtroops“overthetop”(toleavethetrenchandadvanceontheenemy),
thesoldiershadbeguntorefuse.ThesoonertheAmericantroopsarrived,thebetterthechancesthatthe
Allieswouldsurvive.
Inthemeantime,theUnitedStateshadtofigureoutawaytobreaktheGermansubmarinemenacethat
wasdestroyingtransportshipsfasterthantheycouldbereplaced.AdmiralWilliamSimsdecidedtousea
convoysystemtogettheshipsthrough.Eachgroupoftransportshipswouldbeprotectedbydestroyer
escortsallthewayacrosstheAtlanticOcean.ThisnewplanmadeitdifficultfortheGermansubmarinesto
domuchdamagebeforetheyweretrackeddownbythedestroyersand……..destroyed.
Atlast,thedoughboysarrived.Theywereclean,singing,andconfident;theylookedstrangetothegrimy
EnglishandFrenchsoldiers,buttheAlliescelebratedtheirarrivalasthedoughboysmarchedthroughthe
streetsandsang“OverThere,”and“It’saLongWaytoTiperary.”Aftermoretrainingintrenchwarfareand
gasmaskdrills,GeneralPershingsenthissoldierstothefront.
ThethreemostimportantbattlesinwhichAmericansparticipatedinwereatChateauThierry,Belleau
Wood,and(byfarthelargest)theMeuse-ArgonneCounteroffensiveCampaign.TheAmericansstruggledat
first,buteventuallytheyhelpedturnthetideofthewarinfavoroftheAlliedPowers.
DuringtheMeuse-ArgonneCampaigntheFrench,British,andAmericanforceswereusedtodelivera
seriesofrapidblowsagainsttheenemyalongalinefromVerduntotheNorthSea.Unfortunatelyforthe
AlliestheArgonneforest’sgeographymadeitaneasyplacetodefend,butdifficulttocapture.Theforestis
aboulder-strewnwildernessofgianttreesandthickunderbrush.Everytrailandridgehidanenemy
sharpshooterorcannon,astheAlliedsolderspushedintotheforest.
ManyAmericansdistinguishedthemselvesincombat,butnosoldiergarneredmorepopularityorfame
thanAlvinYork.Thethirdofelevenchildrenraisedinatworoom
cabininTennessee,Yorkwasapacifist,whoinitiallyappliedfor
conscientiousobjector(oppositiontofightingbasedonfreedomof
thought)status.Afterspeakinginlengthwithhiscommanding
officers(bothdevoutChristians),theyconvincedYorkthatGod
wantedhimtofightandwouldprotecthim.Later,whileouton
patrol,Yorktookchargeofhisplatoon(aftersufferingheavy
casualties)andkilledatleast15Germans,andcaptured132enemy
prisoners.HisactionssilencedtheGermanmachinegunsandearned
himapromotiontoSergeant;alongwiththeCongressionalMedalof
Honor.
AsGermanmoralebegantoweaken,theirarmybegantoretreat
allalongthelines.TheGermangovernmentbegannegotiationsfora
cease-fire,andtwodaysafterKaiserWilhelmIIleftGermany,the
armisticewassignedat11o’clockonNovember11,1918.
AlvinYork
Challenges
Name_______________________________
1) Foreverysoldierinthearmyin1916,howmanyweretherein1918(itisaskingforaratio)
1:_______
2)WhatwastheSelectiveServiceAct?
3)WhatwereAmericansoldierscalled?
4)Providethetwoexamplesfromthereadingthatshowedthatthesoldierswereunpreparedtogotowar?(2points)
5)WhoweretheBolsheviks?
6)WholedtheBolsheviks?
7)HowdidtheBolshevikRevolutionhurttheBritishandtheFrench?
8)GiveanexamplefromthereadingthatindicateshowlowtheBritishandFrenchsoldiersmoralewasin1917?
9)WhatproblemdidtheUnitedStatesfacegettingtheirtroopstoFrance?
10)Whatisaconvoy?(Usethecorrectcontext- youmayneedtolookupthisdefinitioninadictionaryoronthecomputer)
11)Whatwastheroleofdestroyersintheconvoysystem?
12)WhydidthegrimyFrenchandBritishsoldierscheerwhenthedoughboysarrivedinFrance?
13)WhocommandedtheAmericantroopsinEurope?
14)WhatmadefightingintheArgonneforestsodifficultfortheAlliedPowers?(2points)
15)WhobecamethemostfamousAmericansoldierofthewar?WhatdidhedoduringtheMeuse-Argonne
Campaignthatmadehimahero?
16)Whatisaconscientiousobjector?
17)Whatisanarmistice?(Youmayneedtolookthisupinadictionaryoronacomputer)
18)Whatfivenationsareshownonthemap?(Donotjustuseabbreviations)
19)WhatwerethesixmajorvictoriesfortheAlliedPowersin1918?(Usethemap)
20)Whatbattlein1918wasconsideredadeadlock?