The War EndsFrom Stalemate to Armistice: The Last Years of World War I

Stalemate on The Western Front

• By 1918, neither side managed to make any big inroads into winning the war

• Soldiers on both sides wondered why they were involved in this “hell on earth”

• The fighting offered little hope and almost certain death

• People became desperate

The Russian Revolution• The Russians revolted

against the Czar Nicholas II in 1917

• They demanded “Land, Bread and Peace”

• Russian soldiers and sailors mutinied and refused to fight

• Vladimir Lenin took over the country establishing a Communist Regime

The Russian Revolution• The Czar and his family were

executed during the Russian Revolution ending the reign of Russian royalty

• In March of 1918 the Russians signed a peace treaty with Germany known as The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

• Germany was then able to re-allocate its forces to The Western Front

The United States Enters The War

• When Germany announced unrestricted warfare against neutral ships in April of 1917, the US declared war

• The president at the time was Woodrow Wilson

• They entered on the side of the Triple Entente

• This meant that the Triple Entente would have a new supply of soldiers and weapons

Germany’s Last Stand• To prevent the US from

swinging momentum to the side of the Triple Entente, the Germans decided to launch one final offensive in April 1918

• Over 3,000,000 soldiers attacked supported by a massive artillery barrage

• The Germans advanced over 60km

Germany’s Last Stand• The British, French and

Canadian forces fell back to new defensive positions that slowed down the German defences

• This allowed the Triple Entente to assemble reinforcements including thousands of American soldiers

• They started a counterattack in July of 1918

• By August the German Army was in total retreat

Things Fall Apart• When it became obvious that

the Germans were losing, it led to riots and protests against continuing the war

• There were food shortages in Germany

• Some members of the German Navy mutinied and refused to set sail

• By October it was obvious that Germany and its allies had lost the war

The Armistice• The Armistice was signed on

November 11, 1918 at 11am• The war officially came to an

end• Over 13 million soldiers

were dead• More than 20 million were

wounded or suffered from shell shock

• An equal number of civilians were victims of war

The Treaty of Versailles• In January of 1919, the

victorious powers set up a meeting in Versailles, France to impose a peace treaty

• There were strong differences of opinion on how Germany should be punished for their role in the war

Great Britain And FranceThe Treaty of Versailles

• Clemenceau, the Premier of France and Prime Minister Lloyd George of Great Britain wanted Germany to be punished for their invasion of France in 1870 and 1914

• Wanted the Germans to pay retribution for the damage done to France during the war

• Wanted to reduce their military might to prevent them from attacking again

The United States• President Wilson wanted a

more generous settlement based on his “14 Points”

• His ideas included:– National determination for all

peoples– Freedom of the seas– Open peace treaties rather

than secret agreements– The establishment of a

League of Nations to maintain world peace

The Terms of The Treaty• Germany expected a

treaty based on the 14 points

• The treaty was instead a compromise agreement

• This included many of the harsher terms set out by France and Great Britain

The Terms of The TreatyGeographical Terms- Germany lost control of its colonies-Alsace-Lorraine was transferred back from Germany to France-The rich Saar coal region was to be run by France fro 15 years-Part of eastern Germany was given to Poland

Reparations-Germany was to pay money and goods to Great Britain, France and Belgium to repair damages of the war

Military Controls-The German Army was restricted to 100,000 people and was to have no tanks or heavy guns-Germany was not to have an air force-The German Navy was to include only small ships

War Guilt Clause (Article 231)-Germany was forced to sign a statement that it had been the primary cause of the war

New Map of Europe

French and British Reaction• Considered the Treaty to be

for the most part fair and just

• Both sides had lost a significant portion f their youth on The Western Front

• Wanted to prevent another war by making it impossible for Germany to field an army

German Reaction• Shocked by what they

considered to be harsh and unfair terms

• Payment of reparations threatened to crush their fragile industries

• The loss of lands offended their sense of nationality

• The limitations on their army offended their national dignity

• The war guilt clause offended their sense of justice

German Reaction• In the years after 1919 a

myth developed that the Germans had been stabbed in the back by people within their country

• Many waited for a leader that would restore their nation to glory

• 15 years later, Hitler appeared to be that leader and pledged to avenge The Treaty of Versailles