World War I Soldier

Joy Lisak

HIS120

March 6, 2013
Rodney Cavazo

World War I Soldier

World War I was a tremendous and horrifying event that lasted four years from 1914 to 1918. It caused the death of millions of soldiers and innocent civilians, and an unknown amount of property damage. In the beginning, America tried to stay neutral but eventually it was necessary to join the Allied troops in battle against Germany. In 1915, a German U-boat bombed the passenger ship Lusitania, and many Americans were among the victims. This event was one of the main reasons that American’s public opinion turned in favor of entering the war against the Germans. Congress declared war in 1917. The Second Battle of the Marne was fought from July 15 to August 5, 1918 on the Western Front in France. This was the turning point of World War I when the Allies gained ground against the Germans and eventually won the war. It began with a German attack at the Marne River and the Allied defense that led to a win over the Germans. The victory came from 85,000 fresh American troops joining the battle along with the British and Italians (Duffy, 2009). The presence of fresh American troops, unbroken by years of fighting, boosted the Allies resistance. The Germans were successful in crossing the river to the west of the French town of Reims, and pushed forward for nine miles before the French, American, British, and Italian soldiers stopped their advance. This loss was the first in a series for the Germans that led to their defeat. During World War I, the soldiers in the trenches used a variety of weapons that were improved upon or newly developed. Technology led to improvements in weaponry, poison gas, artillery, and grenades. There were also advancements in submarines, planes, and tanks. The British invented the grenade several years before the start