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The United States Stays Neutral

The United States Stays Neutral. America’s initial position on the war and why that position changed. United States Stays Neutral. President Wilson and the United States would not intially take sides in the war American companies sold weapons to the nations at war

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The United States Stays Neutral

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  1. The United States Stays Neutral America’s initial position on the war and why that position changed

  2. United States Stays Neutral • President Wilson and the United States would not intially take sides in the war • American companies sold weapons to the nations at war • Companies sent hundreds of ships to England and France with weapons and armaments

  3. War Zones • Germany set up a “war zone” around Great Britain and attempted to stop American ships from reaching British ports • Britain also set up war zones and stopped American ships from selling goods to Germany

  4. U-boats • Germany says that its submarines would sink any ship found in their war zones • Unrestricted Submarine Warfare • Woodrow Wilson believes that all countries should be free to sail the oceans and seas of the world

  5. America Stays Neutral (con’t.) • Central Powers begin to defeat the Allied Nations • American’s fear defeat of their cross Atlantic friend, Great Britain • Shared language, government type, and customs • America was an ally of France during the American Revolution • Germany started to look cruel in the eyes of Americans

  6. Germany Sinks the Lusitania • Lusitania is a large British passenger ship • Ship traveling from New York to England (1915) • German U-boat torpedoes the Lusitania off the coast of Ireland • The ship sinks, killing almost 1,200 people (128 were Americans)

  7. The Lusitania

  8. The Lusitania

  9. Germany Sinks the Lusitania (con’t) • Americans were upset by the attack • President Wilson sends a letter of protest to Germany • Germany accuses Lusitania of carrying munitions for the Allies • Great Britain and America deny this charge • American public turns against Germany • Germany orders U-boat captains to be more careful in selecting which ships to attack • Fear of America joining the allied war effort • As a result, the war zone around Britain is less effective

  10. Election of 1916 • Woodrow Wilson runs for re-election • Dems. and Repubs. approve of Wilson’s policies • Americans are happy that the U.S. has stayed out of the war • Democrats use the campaign slogan “He kept us out of the war.” • Wilson wins a close election

  11. Election of 1916

  12. Lusitania and the Zimmerman Note

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