American Forces 'Over There' (WWI p. 4)

​American Forces 'Over There'

• In World War I, the American army was called the American Expeditionary Force (AEF)

• It was commanded by General John J. Pershing

• American troops, often called doughboys, began arriving in Europe in June 1917

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Doughboys

• Of the 4 million Americans who served in the war, about 350,000 were African Americans

• Military units were segregated

• Most blacks were assigned to support roles, such as cooks and laborers

• About 40,000 were involved in combat. 

• One unit, the 369th infantry was honored by the French government for their bravery in battle

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Black American Soldiers

• The Communist leader Vladimir Lenin had been forced to leave Russia years before the war

• In March 1917 the Russian leader, Czar Nicholas II, was forced out of power after a revolution in his nation

Finishing the "War to End All Wars"

Finishing the "War to End All Wars"

• Germans helped Lenin return to Russia 

• In November 1917 a second revolution occurred, and Lenin took control of
  the country 

  • He ended support for the Allied cause

  • He later signed a treaty with Germany 

Finishing the "War to End All Wars"

• The Central Powers launched an all-out attack on the Western Front during the spring of 1918

• The combined American and French forces launched a counterattack and pushed the Germans back at a place on the Marne River called Château-Thierry

• Next, the American troops moved to Belleau Wood and stopped the Germans from advancing closer to Paris

Finishing the "War to End All Wars"

• On July 18 the Allies began their own attack, slowly pushing the Germans back

• The doughboys won an impressive victory at Saint-Mihiel in mid-September

• The largest American offensive began in the Argonne Forest on September 26

Finishing the "War to End All Wars"

• American forces faced a maze of barbed wire, steel, and concrete

• The Americans suffered 117,000 casualties, including 26,000 killed in action, but victories there turned the tide of the war

• The German leadership began negotiations to end the war

• On November 11, 1918—at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month—an armistice took effect

• The Great War was over

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Finishing the "War to End All Wars"

Spanish Influenza

• The deadly virus of influenza struck many American soldiers while they
  were still in training or after they arrived in Europe 

• Warring countries issued few reports about the disease

• The neutral country of Spain was more open with their stories 

• The names “Spanish flu” or “Spanish influenza” were soon used

• There is no evidence that that was where the virus originated