Summary
Highlights
On May 1st, 1915, the Lusitania, a luxurious passenger ship, was sunk by a German torpedo, resulting in the loss of 1,200 lives, including 128 Americans. This event occurred almost a year into World War I, which began in June 1914 with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. European powers, including England, Russia, and Germany, quickly became involved, each seeking to expand their influence.
In the summer of 1914, many young men enthusiastically joined the war, expecting a quick victory. However, the German attack through Belgium and into France quickly shattered romantic notions of war. The introduction of ferocious new weapons led to massive casualties, with French casualties alone approaching a million in the first year. The Germans, and other nations, experienced the 'massacre of the innocents' as their best-educated young men were quickly killed on the front lines.
Initially, Americans did not believe the war in Europe would affect them, and the U.S. remained officially neutral. During this period, America experienced an economic boom. U.S. banks lent vast sums to Britain and France, who, in turn, bought arms from American factories. The war also led to a labor shortage, prompting a great migration of African Americans from the South to northern factories, further strengthening the economy.
By Christmas 1914, the war had bogged down into a system of elaborate trenches stretching 300 miles on the Western Front. This led to a desperate war of attrition, where small territorial gains cost hundreds of lives. The industrialization of war brought new, massive killing machines and terrifying weapons like the perfected machine gun, tanks, and in April 1915, poison gas. This period marked a technological night, with soldiers enduring unimaginable conditions, leading to widespread shell shock.
In the summer of 1916, the Battle of the Somme began. A massive Allied army launched an attack after a week-long artillery barrage, intended to destroy German trenches. However, the Germans emerged from their dugouts and mowed down the advancing British troops with machine guns. This resulted in the bloodiest day in British history, with 20,000 killed and 40,000 wounded. The battle continued for six months, costing a million men for a mere five miles of territorial gain, symbolizing the futility of the war.
Growing problems at home, particularly in Russia, led to revolution. In February 1917, a food riot escalated into full-scale revolution, overthrowing Tsar Nicholas and 300 years of royal rule. The Germans facilitated the return of Vladimir Lenin, who, with the Bolsheviks, aimed to create the world's first communist state. After the Bolshevik victory in October 1917, Russia withdrew from the war. Meanwhile, German attacks on unarmed ships and attempts to instigate Mexico against the U.S. forced President Woodrow Wilson to declare war on April 2, 1917, hoping it would be 'the war to end all wars'.
American troops landed in France in summer 1917, bringing enthusiasm but being poorly prepared. In March 1918, the Germans launched their last major offensive on the Western Front, nearly capturing Paris. However, combined French and newly arrived American divisions managed to stop the German advance. Spent from this desperate effort, Germany's focus shifted to peace. On November 10, 1918, Kaiser Wilhelm was forced into exile, and on November 11, 1918, at the 11th hour, the Germans formally surrendered, bringing a sudden, shocking end to the gunfire.
The war, one of the greatest calamities in human history, left Europe in ruins. Nine million men had died, and countless more were wounded or forever changed, many suffering from shell shock. American veterans returned to an uncertain future, with a shrinking economy and a lack of support for finding jobs or education. The Treaty of Versailles, meant to bring peace, was driven by revenge from Britain and France. It excluded the new Soviet Union and humiliated Germany, setting the stage for future conflicts rather than ensuring lasting peace, proving the war did not end all wars.