Group+3+-+WWI+DBQ

An unproductive stalemate was the result of years of defensive warfare for both sides in World War I. However, different forces caused the stalemate to end, subsequently bringing about the end of the war. Two forces that saw to the end of the war were the revolution in Russia and Germany's need to end its nationwide hunger and break the British blockade.

Russia's dropping out of the war was caused by the Russian peoples dissent in their government which eventually led to Revolution. Although Russia was able to apply pressure on the eastern front of Germany from 1915-1916, the Russian military suffered millions of casualties. When no visible progress was made in the war and the casualties continued to flood in the Russian people, blaming the government for the unsuccessful war, overthrew Tsar Nicholas in the Spring of 1917. After Nicholas was thrown out of office a new, more unstable government took over, one that attempted to continue the war effort. However, these attempts were short lived because of public and military revolt. At that point Russia, pressured by revolutionaries such as Karl Liebknecht, was forced into signing a peace treaty with Germany thus ending their involvement in the war. Once Russia removed pressure from Germany as well as surrendering a portion of its land, the German military was more capable to take on Britain, and they believed, the US.

Britain’s Naval blockade of German food and resources where internally crippling. German’s felt the blows from 1915 through 1918. The number of deaths during 1915 that were related to the blockade was 88,235. This rose to 793,750 by 1918. This caused a need for justified retaliation after a certain amount of time, as the German government couldn’t watch their people starve at the hands of their enemies. German Ambassador Count Johann von Bernstorff wrote to the United States Secretary of State two and a half years into the blockade. His point was that these actions needed to be met with either negotiations or combat. After the failure of the former, the ambassador said “in order to serve the welfare of mankind in a higher sense and not to wrong its own people…now compelled to continue the fight for existence…with the full employment of all the weapons which are at its disposal”.

At the time that Germany went on the initiative and they started attacking other nations, the United States joined the war. Germany was threatening other nations and they had caused many casualties to the United States. The United States helped to end the war because they provided many men that could fight for the Allies. The United States navy was ready to fight the Germans and with the United States in the war there were a lot more soldiers fighting for the Allies. The United States brought fresh soldiers to fight in the wars and weapons which would help the Allies overcome Germany. Germany was tired of the stalemate so they went on the initiative to end the war, forcing the United States to enter the war.

The revolution in Russia and The United States entering the war were the two main forces that propelled the war out of a stalemate, and then finally led to the closing of the war. Russia's withdrawal from the war was the catalyst for German movement, and their return to submarine warfare was effective in attacking the British blockade and breaking the stalemate on the western front. However, they underestimated the power of the United State's naval forces. Their navy provided back up to the weakening British blockade, and Germany's strength began to diminish. Freedom from Russia had given Germany the momentum that they needed, and the hunger of their people gave them motivation. However, in the end Germany could not accomplish what they wanted to, and this caused the closing of World War I.