U.S. Entry into World War I

1. U.S. Entry into World War I • Woodrow Wilson – President • U.S. is officially “neutral” • Isolationist foreign policy (sort of)

2. Neutrality • The policy of not taking sides in a conflict • Neutral Nations at the time: • Denmark • Netherlands • Switzerland • Romania • Greece

3. Americans against the war • American socialists believed the war is an imperialist struggle between Germany and England • German-Americans did not want their adopted country to fight their home country • Pacifists believed that war in general is evil

4. Why Americans weren’t really neutral • We felt a connection with England because of our Anglo-Saxon ancestry • We felt sorry for the people in Belgium who were subjected to German cruelty • We wanted to continue to trade with our allies, especially Great Britain

5. Germans were referred to as “Huns”

6. Neutrality • We wanted to continue to trade with everybody and pretend that the war didn’t exist

7. contraband • weapons or other military supplies, usually transported by ship

8. English blockade • The first country to violate our neutrality were our friends • They blockaded European ports • The British expanded the definition of contraband to include food • They mined the North Sea

9. U-Boats = Unterseeboot • Germany announced that all cargo headed for Great Britain would be considered contraband • Any ship headed for Great Britain would be sunk

10. Lusitania • May 7, 1915- A German U-Boat sank the British liner, Lusitania off the southern coast of Ireland • 1,198 aboard (128 Americans) • The U.S. protested, but decided not to respond militarily

11. Unrestricted submarine warfare • Beginning of 1916, Germany announced policy of torpedoing ANY merchant ship (but not passenger ships) without warning

12. The Sussex • A French passenger ferry torpedoed without warning (March 24, 1916) • 50 killed • Woodrow Wilson threatens to break off diplomatic relations with Germany

13. The Sussex “pledge” • Germany feared that U.S. would enter the war, so they promised: • 1. Not to target passenger ships • 2. Not to sink merchant ships until presence of weapons was established • 3. Merchant ships would not be sunk until safety of passengers and crew was assured

14. Unrestricted submarine warfare (again) • Germany was convinced they could win the war before the U.S. entered the war by reinstating unrestricted submarine warfare • Rescinded (took back) the Sussex pledge in January, 1917

15. Alfred Zimmerman • German foreign minister (a diplomat) • Wrote message to the German ambassador (a diplomat) in Mexico

16. Zimmerman telegram • Zimmerman sent the message in the form of a coded telegram • The British Secret Service decoded the message • The Associated Press published it on March 1, 1917

17. Zimmerman telegram • Instructed German ambassador in Mexico to persuade Mexico to make war on the United States • In return, Mexico would get financial aid AND • The territories Mexico lost to the U.S. in the Mexican-American War (New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona)

19. U.S. declared war on Germany (April 6, 1917) • Major Causes: • 1. Resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare • 2. Zimmerman telegram • 3. Fear that Allies may not be able to pay back their debts to us