Silent film documenting u. S. Experience in world war i. Which was made by the u. S. Army signal core. America goes over is one of silent world war i film that the National Archives have restored. This is about an hour. Welcome to reel america cspans history network. Let allison finkelstein. As we get started, how are the films been made at time. Who saw them . In the case of this film it was done by the United States government. It was a compilation of u. S. Army footage by camera men ov overseas and the idea was to propaganda to promote what america did which was help bring the war to a close on the allied side. It was released after the war was over so how would the propaganda have been intended by the government at that point in time in. This was to reassure america they fault in war this is the era when you see america retreat league of nation this kind of film would have given a boost in moral. Where are the film held today and how are they represerve issed . They are maintained by the National Archive and digitized and place on Youtube Channel so anyone with watch at any time. Is this preservation a difficult art . Yes. You have original copies that can have scratches, we have a staff to make sure each scene is clear and do a screen script so you know whats going on. Often it came with that kind of thing when it was transferred from whatever Government Agency brought it over. Were going to roll the film called america goes over. The core was communications for the u. S. Army and they were the ones responsible for Motion Picture and still photographs. The east man kodak company. Yes. I really like watching this official film because have that border around the film and the flags thats the insignificant ya of the arm core. Dont you love the guarantee. Every frame is guaranteed. Yes because so many were done with reenactment. The british did a reactment. These are footage here in the United States or overseas. Allison, tell us about decision. The entrance is interesting because scholars still debate it. This caused a lot of tensions between the u. S. And germany and some scholars equate this to u. S. Entering the war. Which is sinking of the ship. Its remarkable footage. I agree. The fact that cameras were so ante we are seeing president wilson, how controversial was the decision to go to war . In 1960 to keeping the u. S. Out of the war which some were against Theodore Roosevelt who was active, there was huge war preparedness movement, so some from saying its about time we get into the war, other were do we need to get into this war its not americas problem. Other continents but the fact that our ships merchant ships were being sunk, some of them carrying armament in the eyes of the germans they were warships. What country are they in . Im guessing this would be france. Its hard to tell because all of the western front was torn up like this. It would be belgium. The trench warfare, tell us how that was done . Trench conflict was the it did not define at least on the western front where a lot of this footage is focus. You have stalemate that both sides were using weapons that had advance where people could not go further without risking suicide attack. British you have 60,000 killed on one day. You get a type of warfare that makes difficult for people to survive. So they huddle in the trenches to get shelter. What are the germans trying to capture . Thats an interesting question. The germans are on the a few other attacks where they move forward a little bit. But i think in this case, here you see different scenery. This is the alps. This would be italian theater. Who are the allies . Great britain, france, belgium started out neutral. Then you have germany, australia, hungry, empire, world war i, you have middle eastern theater, a lot happening in places that are now part of the modern middle east. With the built up. Right. They are showing how america is prepared for the war. We started unprepared. We had to rely on the ally. From shipping to what armament to use in combat. Here you show the navy being built up. The navys roll was not so much combat, they were under stretch like the how was the war financed . War was financed well, from the american coffers but eventually there were libly drives where americans were asked to give money to help the effort for the men and women. So were men and women taken from the normal jobs and put into factories to work. How did this gear up . You had a lot of women start to take factories job. You had africanamerican migrated north to take the jobs. We see the draft, there may be the first selection of the first draft number. Right, the first draft, secretary war newton baker. Theodore roosevelt. He had three sons in the war. Quinn tin roosevelt was a pilot and he died in the war and that strongly devastated roosevelt. Three million american men were drafted. Not all of this served but the vast majority of the American Forces was made of enlisted and drafts. Here we are seeing being scripted into war, taken from homes and lives to be turned into soldiers. Yes. You can see the buildings. They were built structures by the Army Quarter Master core. There were soforts scattered an constructed in the south and southeast where the climate is warmer. You had to factor in what the weather was going to be like. How difficult was the turning of citizens into soldiers . It was difficult. One of the things you find in reading the primary sources is many soldiers did not have the training they thought they theeded. They were rushed and getting them overseas. When you look at the footage you wonders what happened to the men. You see statue of liberty. Yes. There were british and french officers who came to the United States whose transportation and housing was paid for by the u. S. War office. They seen were done. In the until they got overseas did it hit home. Once the americans joined in, how much of the war was fought on sea as possessed to land . Some attacks by you boats there was wasnt a major navial engagement that the americans were involved in. This is one of my favorite stories from world war i, what they did upon arriving in paris was visit the tomb. Here you are american troops in the socalled quiet sector where they are training to fight. You can see they have gas masks on. Even though trenches are se nom mouse with world war i, they leave from aboveground sorry, under the ground through the woods so forth. He was fearful because the french and the british was using the this would go on and on. He felt the only way to defeat the german was to attack by going over the top. What are they depicting here . These are just scenes of camp life. They are young, they are between 18 and 25. They are playing cards. Trying to do laundry. Living life on the front. What they are showing is they are jumping ahead to the spring of 1918, the germans realize now the americans are in the war, they launched offensive against british and french in hopes to drive those allies force away and capture paris before more americans get into the war. Can can you talk about the use of gas during world war i. It started by germans in 1915 in the belgium. And slowly the allies caught up, and can the idea of gas was a choking element. It didnt kill soldiers but it made you miserable. It could get into throat and your skin that you could not fight any more. The suffering that soldiers had after the war was horrible. It was psychological. They fear gas attacks and it it made them jumpy at the front. Despite the pack we are in modern age of mechanicalized fight, it rains quite a bit in this part of europe, you still needed horses carrying litters with wounded and bringing this is motorized trucks could not handle. You see the firing of the artillery which was an important component during the war. Here is general per shig, a quit shot of him. That was commander. The scene before that where they showed the casualties in the trenches. General per shig was adamant that they did not show deceased or wounded american soldiers. Because it would be harmful at home . Is. Yes. He had had sensored before it was printed. We see the overwhelmingly force. You see military was segregated so this africanamerican were working labor baal yon, its a interesting and sad yet heroic story of their service. Yes. Roughly 200 africanamerican steved. Half were labor battalion or infantry. Harlem hell fighters who were in combat longer than any other american unit. The germans were aware of the american build up so they wanted to destroy the ships as they we were crossing the sea . Absolutely. Two ships were sunk during the course of the war. This is why we see this traveling in convoys protected by other naval ships. Amazing footage. What is study hand by the photographer. Yes. In the midst of battle. Im not aware of any photographers getting killed during the war. We see the destruction of the boats and the air ships. Yes, which would have been navy air ships. 40 men, eight hours. Many were purchased from the french we you have a mascot over. Dogs from not allowed on the troop transfer. You have american entering france for the first time in letters i read were astonishing pause often they would see women dressed in black, widows or daughters of father who have been killed. The european must have been floored at the number of americans who came over. They are jumping ahead. This is the americans being put into line to help stop the germans who are in this spring and early summer of 1918. Here you see artillery, 75 millimeter. Americans did not have own guns to bring over so we borrowed this from the french. One was the captain true man was a commander in the 35th division from kansas. Germans from hoping to over take paris . Yes. They got close. But logistic and other problems, they were hundred bring and eager, when you go there today you dont recognize there had been a war there. No, the towns are small villages left on to. You can see the ruins or where the buildings may have been restored. Theres some americans with some captured pows. You will see them in museum or up on ebay. The boys love souvenirs. Ten thousand came to aide in world war i. Right. Americans didnts have enough. The british lent us transport ships but it would have taken a longer to get over. The second battle is where the germans were stopped in their effort to get into paris. This would last through most of the summer. These were engagements where the americans were starting to jump in more. You can see places become symbol of the american roll. In fact its a prominent american monument there. You can see the conditions under which the troops advancements are made. The battlefields today is farm fileds and they find its miraclous that they are able to grow produce because theres so much metal on the ground. Farmer are killed when there was unfired or then you have Second World War. This landscape was defini devastated. In you wonder you can find trench lines, ghost of the americans and the british and all of the combatants are there on the land. These are shown, there was wireless, it was used but also wire was laid for telephone to relay messages. Then you had messages all the way in the back handled by the u. S. Army sigma core. The female operators known as the hello girls. Theres little protections for the troops without protections for their ears. If if you looked at their uniforms today, how much compared to the kind of hightech equipment we have, how much protest did they provide for the soldiers . Not a lot. There was thin material. They didnt have bullet proof vests so. One of the reasons why casualties were high. Im sure the metal in the helmets is nothing like we have today. Nothing like we have today. Here we see the pod two bridges building built so they can cross bridges easy. The gas mask is important part of the uniform. You see them in the front part of the uniform so they can access them easily. Once occupied they would use it it forehead quarters. Look at that destruction. Europe had been at war before that. By the time United States got there, there was not much left in parts of france and belgium. This is mobile field kitchen, i believe. They are marrying the story going back. Making sure equipment was in good order, you can see the soldiers cleaning the uniform, getting their haircut. Shaved. Yes. Delousing station. Thats one of the soldiers complaining about the lice, the poor conditions, having wet feet. You see members working with them, doughnuts, women trying to give them enjoyment on their few breaks. The Salvation Army supplied paper, they encouraged soldiers to write letters. Which they did. You can see that in museums and can archives. The letters were censored. If you say 40 men went out across the river, it would have been redacted. Despite the fact u. S. Got into the war late, despite the fact we had little infrastructure to bring, we built up tremendous. We had bay sections where supplies came in on daily basis or transported by rail. You see hot loaves of bread being baked and shipped out to the various front line. You want to talk about general pershing as we go into this. He was a goodlooking guy, had a lot of experience. He had control over everything and for example, if you go to National Archive, youll see his initials jjp because he read everything. The americans would fight under american command. He did not want the entire army to be come mamanded by the brit or the ger mans. This was the Americans First army. Which had been captured in 1914 and peshings want americans to show what they could do. Here we saw before is the sight of the memorial today. Theres a cemetery nearby where m many of the men are buried. 1 million shells fired in an hour. Its amazing. They didnt exactly know when and where. They were starting withdraw but they were caught by surprise. These are french guns, 75 or 110 that would hit the front of the lines or the rare area. A lot of it it was for moral to shakeup the troops on the other side. One of the interesting things as you watch the artillery pieces, you can see they have automatic recoil so they go back on their own. Earlier wars people had to physically move them. Here we have the artillery was supposed to break through the wire but they didnt. The clip their way through. Its a dangerous task. Jump off, which is a term for world war i, leaving the trenches or the open ground and heading forward. Amazing footage. Wow. Theres no cover there at all. Tanks, the french provided the americans although he was not incharge of the tank, the most was george pat ton who fought. The army was there was no air force it was army air core. How significant was their contribution . It depended on the battle. Plains did n planes did not get up into the air because it was so low. Planes would have been use for reconnaissance, alerting the troops. The idea of the bothat the bs artillery would go ahead of the troops and they would move forward but it did not move that way, you did have instances of friendly fire. A lot had been used for years by the germans and french before United States got there. They were devastated. They have already seen battle of the and many of the trenches are german trenches. We talked about advance of medic medical technology and treatment. They roefl paragraprofession therapist, to hospitals and base hospitals to get more sophisticated treatment. You had skilled surgeons and doctors. Advance ally effort in that part of france . It was a complete success for the americans. All the objectives were captured on september 12. This was a great morale booster for the americans. The other allies commanders were skeptical by the americans and how well they would do on their own but the fact that the americans the American First Army under peshings leadership. This was a great moral booster. The only problem was the next two weeks were going to be greater offensive. Here you see activity behind, you see kitchen patrol, the doe boys. When feeding the populist. Yes. The french were thankful and french living in sellers for months on end, not having food or water. German pows, used to bring wound to rare. The camps were setup, pow camps they called them cages, they played Musical Instruments it was not a bad situation for them once they were captured. They did. This was primarily americans support from the french. Plus the air power was used by the italians and british and and the french. Here is a different theater which is socalled hinder burg line north of paris where divisions had spent time with the british, 27 and 30th and they would attack the strongest german defensive position late in september. Complimented by the australia. Yes. Australians lover the americans. They felt like kinship to them. Looking at the roads, you get the sense how much the landscape had to be manipulated to get everything across. There was so much infrastructure as part of world war i. When the ger mans built defensive system in 1917 and increased in this 1918, they used tunnel for communications and it was massive structure that stands today. Were going into americas greatest battle. That would be 47 days and more than one million american troops. Do you know the number of losses . There were roughly a little more than 26,000 americans who died during the battle. Something like 100,000 that were wounded. Worse of the conditions it looks like . If you ever been to in part of the france, the battle started 26 of september. It rained every day. The roads had been used in previous battles had been fought over numerous time, they were not in the best. They were trying to fill in holes with lumber, courses were the best way to get transportation to the front. You had massive traffic jams and officers and troops focused on figuring out how to get their men from one place to another. This became another port part of the battle. The americans had what they Call Division the main fighting force. Almost 28,000 officer, twice the size above the british and french and moving troops toward became a problem. You can imagine a job of being hot air balloon over the battlefield. No. You see the eclepic techniques used in the first world war. Here is american troops that are in french trenches waiting for the jump off on the 26th. Can you imagine how nervous they must have been. These are 18, 19yearold. Yes. Some of them had fought previously in the war but a large majority had not seen service yet or combat. The first war is hideous as the day. What are they saying . The fighting started at 1 00 a. M. Thousands lit up the nights sky. The artillery was such an important part of preparing the battlefield for the soldiers to advance across it. The germans were making ability. They were the best troops o