Lesson #15 - World War I Comes to an End

1916 - Wearing Down Your Enemy

World War I was a war of attrition. Several major battles took place in 1916, leaving many countries near collapse.

The Battle of Verdun (February 21, 1916 to December 18, 1916) -

est. 750,000 to 1 million casualties

The Battle of the Somme (July 1, 1916 to November 18, 1916)

est. 1.2 million casualties

The Brusilov Offensive (June 4, 1916 to September 20, 1916)

est. 1.6 million casualties

1917 - U.S. Enters, Russia Exits

1917 brought major changes for World War I, as Russia exited World War I right as the U.S. joined the war.

The U.S. traded with European warring countries throughout the war. On February 3, 1917 the United States ended diplomatic relations with Germany (a precursor to declaring war) after German U-boats (submarines) re-opened unrestricted submarine warfare. After Germany sank several U.S. ships passing through the Atlantic to trade with Europe, the U.S. declared war on Germany on April 6, 1917. The U.S. army’s troops arrived in France on June 24, 1917.

As the U.S. began to enter World War I, Russia began to exit World War I. The February Revolution began on March 8, 1917 (which was February on the old style calendar) and lasted through March 16, 1917, resulting in the abdication of Czar Nicholas II and the creation of the Russian Provisional Government. The Russian Provisional Government was overthrown by another revolution, led by Vladimir Lenin (who Germany helped escape exile and return to Russia). After the October Revolution (which actually took place in November in the new style calendar), also known as the Bolshevik Revolution, Vladimir Lenin came to power in Russia (later renamed the Soviet Union) and Russia exited World War I signing the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk.

By 1917, many countries were severely weakened due to the war, including Germany. German industrial output was beginning to slow, their army was struggling to recruit soldiers to replace those lost, and the people were growing discontent. Meanwhile with the U.S. entering the war on the side of the Allies, the Allies’ industrial output began to increase, new soldiers were beginning to arrive from the U.S., and optimism that the war would end began to grow.

1918 - An End to the War

With Russia exiting the war in December 1917 and U.S. soldiers beginning to arrive in France, Germany wanted to end the war quickly before the U.S. could completely mobilize. Germany moved most of its troops from the eastern front to the western front and began the Spring Offensive (Germany’s last effort to win the war before the U.S. could become fully mobilized). In March 1918, Germany launched its first of five major offensives to win the war and was able to break out of the stalemate of trench warfare temporarily. However, German advances were stopped by June 1918. By July 1918, German soldiers began deserting the war.

In August 1918, the Allies (France, Britain and U.S.) began to launch a counterattack known as the Hundred Days Offensive eventually pushing Germany into an all out retreat. On September 27, 1918 Allied troops broke through the Hindenburg line (German fortifications). German victory now seemed impossible. Furthermore, army morale and industrial output plummeted. On the home front, anti-war marches, and hunger pushed Germany to seek peace. On November 9, Kaiser Wilhelm II (Germany’s emperor) began to abdicate and eventually fled the country. A revolution began in Germany (November Revolution) which resulted in the formation of the Weimar Republic. On November 11 at 11 a.m., Germany sought an armistice (agreement to end fighting), bringing an end to the war.

1919 - Paris Peace Conference

In January 1919, leaders from the victorious Allies began meeting to determine the terms for peace for the end of World War I during the Paris Peace Conference. The meetings were dominated by the Big 3 of France, Britain, and the United States, although some historians also include Italy in this group. Negotiations did not include Germany (or any the other Central Powers). Russia, who exited the war in 1917, was also not included in negotiations. Throughout the peace conferences, Britain continued a naval blockade against Germany, further crippling Germany. Negotiations continued until January 1920 (months after Germany agreed to the terms of peace), as the Allies could not agree on many important issues.

On June 28, 1919, Germany signed the Treaty of Versailles (the most significant peace treaty from World War I) officially ending their participation in World War I. Many blame the Treaty of Versailles for World War II, saying the treaty was too harsh against Germany. Others argue that the treaty was not harsh enough, allowing Germany to quickly rebuild its army and invade much of Europe.

In the end, compromises were made to end disputes between the winning nations and nobody seemed completely satisfied with the terms of peace. World War I had many names before being known as World War I, including the Great War and the War to End All Wars. For most of the world, World War I was seen as a war fought without a purpose and a cautionary tale about the destructiveness of war. Some members of the Allies, (particularly Russia, Italy, and Japan) left the negotiations feeling betrayed by the Big 3. Many of the problems that troubled Europe before World War I continued after the end of the war.