1915: Tsar Nicholas takes command of the army

Political vacuum in St. Petersburg

Provincial government created

Tsar steps down & eventually murdered

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Cossacks slaughter people of Odessa, 1905

Provisional government was short-lived

Lenin and the Soviets assume power

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk: Russia withdraws from WWI

3

Lenin at the Second Congress of the Soviets, 1917

The US armed forces trained for 3 months before sending troops to aid Britain and France.

In March 1918, Russia withdrew from the fighting after 1.8 million Russians were dead and wounded.

After the U.S. entered the war, it was quickly over. The allies defeated the Germans on land and sea.› Many Americans, including African Americans,

were regarded as heroes and awarded medals of honor for their service in the war.

Germany was out of soldiers and food.

The Central Powers were eager to get out of the war.

The Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria withdrew in the fall of 1918. Then Austria-Hungary signed a peace agreement with the Allies.

Finally, Germany agreed to an armistice, or truce, On 11/11/1918 at 11:00am. (Veteran’s Day)

November 11, 1918

Temporary agreement to stop fighting

Peace negotiations and treaty followed

6

Crowds of people celebrating the armistice

Over 8 million people were dead and over 20 million were wounded.

The US suffered over 116,000 deaths.

Many European countries had borrowed money to fund the war and now they were in debt.

The total cost was over $200 billion. US businesses had a huge boost from

the war and many countries owed the US billions of dollars.

Central Powers

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Allied Powers

A British first aid station near Cambrae, 1918

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Central Powers Allied Powers

German soldier lies dead next to his machine gun

“Big Three” (U.S., France,& England)

27 countries participated Defeated powers were not invited Six months to reach treaty agreement on

Germany10

The “Big Three + 1” at the Paris Peace Conference

Paris Peace Conference, 1919

Wilson wanted to prevent another World War from happening.

He made a list of specific proposals for postwar peace and called it Wilson’s Fourteen Points.› Some points settled national border

disputes, Military cutbacks, Lower tariffs, and banning secret agreements

The last point called for the creation of the League of Nations, an assembly of nations whose goals would be to promote democracy and settle international disputes.

European countries rejected the Fourteen Points, because they wanted Germany to pay.

Many Allied leaders met at a peace conference and drafted the Treaty of Versailles, the peace settlement of WWI.

Terms of the treaty:› Germany was held responsible for the war and forced to

pay $33 billion in damages. › German Military was limited to 100,000.› European boundaries were redrawn. Much of Germany was

given to other countries and many territories became independent. The Ottoman Empire was broken up.

› The League of Nations was created and Wilson thought this would solve some of the international problems.

› Germany resented the treaty, and they would never forget or forgive.

June 28, 1919: Weimar Republic signed treaty in utter defeat

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Yugoslav delegates at Paris Peace Conference

Hall of Mirrors during the peace signing

The US Constitution requires a 2/3 vote by the Senate on all treaties.

The Republicans in the US rejected the League of Nation’s power to use military force because it interfered with Congress’ power to declare war.

Wilson refused to negotiate and wanted the treaty accepted exactly as it was.

When the Senate voted, the treaty was defeated.

The US signed separate treaties with Austria, Hungary, and Germany. They never joined the League of Nations.

Ireland Poland Division of

Austria-Hungary1. Austria2. Hungary3. Czechoslovakia4. Yugoslavia5. Other portions

went to Romania, Poland, and Italy

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Sinn Fein members in British Parliament, 1918

Europe 1914 Europe 1918

Return to isolationism – didn’t want to be involved in European affairs again

Americans feared a communist revolution like in Russia – Red Scare

Anti-socialist, anti-communist

The Palmer raids – Led raids on suspected radicals in U.S.

Great Depression – became even more isolationist to focus on our own economic problems

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U.S. Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer