End of WWI 1st Period

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Soon after the US joined the War, President Wilson ordered a force of U.S. troops, known as the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) to be sent to Europe. The AEF was put under the command of General John J. Pershing. General Pershing demanded that his troops be well trained before being sent to the Western Front. The AEF final and most important battle was “The Battle of Argonne Forest”, in which the AEF shattered German defenses. One soldier from AEF, Alvin York, was given the Medal of Honor for his bravery in the Battle of Argonne Forest. York reportedly killed 25 Germans and captured 132 prisoners. World War I ended with the Treaty of Versailles, which was very harsh to Germany and its allies. Germany was forced to give up land, disassemble the military, and accept the War Guilt Clause. The War Guilt Clause forced Germany to accept blame for the war and pay reparations for the damage done during the war. Woodrow Wilson also delivered his Fourteen Points speech which called for every country like Poland to become its own country, freedom of the seas, which was a reduction of armaments, the removal of trade barriers, and an end to the alliance system. Wilson also felt like the most important part of his speech was the creation of the League of Nations, which was an organization of nations to mediate international disputes and act against aggressors. This was in hopes to create a world of peaceful nations to avoid future world wars. President Woodrow Wilson hoped that the League of Nations would prevent future wars, but the U.S. congress argued that the country would be dragged into unnecessary military commitments. Henry Cabot Lodge was a U.S. Senator, who strongly opposed the League of Nations and believed that if the U.S. joined, it would lose its freedom of action. As a result the U.S. did not join the League of Nations. During this time most Americans saw our involvement in World War I as too costly. America, following George Washington’s advice, returned to a policy of isolationism, separating themselves from other countries’ affairs.