While Americans were initially reluctant to join the brewing war in Europe in 1914, public opinion began to shift the following spring after German U-boats sank the passenger liner RMS Lusitania. By the time the U.S. finally declared war on April 6, 1917, submarine warfare had only intensified. Attacks on its merchant marines were crippling the British Isles, depriving them of much needed supplies and materiel.
Regardless, American admirals remained skeptical about aiding their new allies. They feared that splitting the U.S. fleet could leave North America defenseless should Britain fall. Though the Navy loaned a few destroyers to the British Grand Fleet as a token gesture, it refused to give up any of its precious battleships. Only after months of earnest appeals by their British counterparts did the Americans relent — particularly as British losses become more dire, reaching over 600,000 tons of losses each month.
On Dec. 7, 1917, the U.S. Battleship Division Nine joined forces with the British fleet at Scapa Flow, Scotland. The American warships — New York (pictured here, leading), Wyoming, Florida and Delaware — were all older, coal-burning battleships instead of the more advanced oil-powered designs. This was by the Royal Navy’s request, as oil shipments were among the losses attributed to U-boats, while British coal was easier to come by.
In this 1920 painting from the collection of the U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command, prolific English maritime artist B.F. Gribble depicts the enthusiasm with which the crew of the dreadnought battleship HMS Queen Elizabeth greeted their Allied shipmates. Within the Grand Fleet the American division served as formidable support for Atlantic shipping and was present for the 1918 surrender of the German High Seas Fleet despite a lack of any direct confrontation between the opposing fleets. Fearing either the confiscation of his ships or a resumption of war, German Admiral Ludwig von Reuter famously ordered the scuttling of his fleet at Scapa Flow on June 21, 1919.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What happened during and after the Gulf War
The Gulf War was a historic event that forever changed the face of the world. It was the most difficult war since World War II. However, the most important aspect was the idea behind the war.
That concept was called "Shock and Awe." In short, we had two main objectives; 1) To shock the enemy into submission and 2) To awe them into submission.
Saddam Hussein was completely unaware of the plan, and it worked. He didn't know what was coming. We used his ignorance to create fear and confusion using our technology.
The next step was making sure he knew exactly where he was. We then bombed Iraq with precision guided munitions. This gave us the confidence to concentrate on the second goal.
Our strategy was to make him panic so that he would give up immediately. Our goal was to force him to give up without any bloodshed.
To do this, it was necessary to prove to him that we aren't going down. If we did, it could mean disaster for him and his regime.
We wanted to demonstrate that we are serious about our business. That we were serious about winning this war.
The bombing of Baghdad shocked the government and army of Iraq. We were able to liberate Kuwait by forcing them to retreat from Kuwait.
The war ended in defeat for the Iraqis. They did not recover from the attack. Their economy also collapsed.
Saddam Hussein was arrested and tried for crimes against humanity. He was sentenced and later released for health reasons.
Since then, Iraq's suffering has continued. Their infrastructure has been destroyed and terrorists now control it.
What is the difference of a revolution and war?
A war is when one side goes to war against the other. You fight until one side wins.
A revolution happens when your life is transformed. You overthrow your government to start over with new laws.
It's not always easy to tell the difference between these two things.
They can sometimes look alike. One example is the French Revolution. It started as a war with the King, but it became a revolution after the King was killed.
The United States fought a war on the Viet Cong (a communist organization) during the Vietnam War. But, eventually, they changed their ways.
Before becoming a democracy, the United States underwent many changes.
How much money did the U.S. spend on the Vietnam War?
We spent 6 Trillion dollars on the war. And we lost. We lost many lives.
There were likely other costs, but these were the largest.
It is not easy to estimate the cost to war because one must consider all aspects of military spending. The cost of caring and supporting our veterans is also an important factor.
There's the draft cost, which ended when the average American male reached age 21. This is an estimate of 1 million young men who served.
Many of them didn't get drafted. However, most of them had to go to college even though they weren’t required to.
It also meant that tuition fees for students went up dramatically. The cost of the GI bills is added to the total price tag, which comes in at close to $1 trillion.
The cost of living is on the rise.
In fact, the National Priorities Project estimates that the lifetime cost of caring for our disabled vets could reach $4.3 trillion.
You'd have to add to that the cost of health care for those who survived the war.
In any case, the bottom line here is that the United States spent far more money on Vietnam War combat than it did on all other wars.
Statistics
- Of all services, the U.S. Army has paid the heaviest price since 911, with almost 42,000 active, guard, and reserve soldiers killed or wounded while serving overseas, according to Department of Defense figures. (militaryhistoryonline.com)
- Fact: Kentucky provided more soldiers in the War of 1812 than any other state and suffered approximately 60 percent of the war's total casualties. (history.ky.gov)
External Links
jstor.org
- JSTOR: The Uncertain Future of Academic Military History
- JSTOR: Teetering on the Brink Of Respectability
networks.h-net.org
web.archive.org
- Documenting Shock and Awe - Researching Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom
- HELLAS:NET - Warfare
How To
What are some of the most famous battles that involved the U.S. armed forces?
Nothing can create an adrenaline rush like a war. The feeling of urgency and danger makes us feel alive.
This is the most common way to infuse these feelings. This creates a dichotomy, where we identify as either pro or contra them.
But there are also domestic wars. These are usually more difficult to explain since they do not involve a clear opposition. However, they produce similar results.
Both sides were determined to save the Union in Civil War. In World War II the Allies wanted Nazi Germany defeated, while the Axis Powers wished to preserve the peace and prevent another world war.
These internal conflicts can be difficult to explain. Let's now look at some examples external conflicts.
The Battle of Bull Run (1861), saw General George McClellan facing Confederate General Robert E Lee.
Lee won the battle but was fired as the Army of Northern Virginia commander.
There was also the Battle of Gettysburg (July 1863), when General William Rosecrans attempted to stop the advance of General Joseph Hooker's army toward Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Hooker didn't achieve his objective, however, he did capture Gettysburg (Pennsylvania).
A third example would be the Battle of Little Big Horn (June 1876). Generals Sitting Bull fought General Custer for three days. It led to the deaths of more than 300 Native American warriors as well as several soldiers from both parties.
Last but not least, the Vietnam War is the most famous battle involving the U.S. military. 1975 saw the invasion of South Vietnam by the North Vietnamese Army. Their main objective was to control Saigon.
This was an important turning point for Southeast Asia's history. The United States had withdrawn its troops by 1978. They were replaced in South Vietnam by the government.
This was one war that attracted widespread media attention. And it remains one of the bloodiest too.
It was responsible for the deaths of approximately 58,000 people. It is close to twice the number of those who were killed during the Revolutionary War.
