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Over There!

Over There!. U.S. Involvement in the Great War. War!. World War 1 (the Great War) -- July 28, 1914 Snowballed into tragedy Europe torn between the Allies and the Central Powers Would the U.S. get involved?. Stalemate!. The Great War bogged into stalemate

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Over There!

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  1. Over There! U.S. Involvement in the Great War

  2. War! • World War 1 (the Great War) -- July 28, 1914 • Snowballed into tragedy • Europe torn between the Allies and the Central Powers • Would the U.S. get involved?

  3. Stalemate! • The Great War bogged into stalemate • Russian numbers too great in the East • Trench warfare in the West • Casualties mounted

  4. Neutrality • Initial intent was to remain neutral • U.S. interests were not at risk • U.S. public opinion torn • Isolationist tendencies • U.S. militarily unprepared • Wilson as a peacemaker

  5. However . . . • U.S. drawn toward the Allies • German violation of neutral rights (Belgium) • Trade imbalance • American bank loans to the Allies • German U-Boat campaign

  6. U-Boat Campaign • World War I saw the first mass use of submarines (Unterseeboot) • Germany targeted military and supply ships

  7. U.S. Opinion inflamed • Civilians killed when passenger liners attached • Lusitania • Sussex • Wilson threatened to cut ties with Germany • Sussex Pledge (May 1916) • Germany agreed to stop targeting certain ships

  8. Preparations • Influential Americans proposed entering the war in 1915 • National Defense Act passed in June, 1916 • Saw a rapid growth of the military • Increased Army to 175,000 troops • 50 new warships for the Navy

  9. 1916 Presidential Campaign • Seen as a referendum on U.S. policy • Wilson promoted Progressive causes • Anti-War Sentiments strong • “He Kept Us Out of the War”

  10. U.S. Declares War – April 1917 • Zimmermann Telegram • Germany to start “unrestricted submarine warfare” in February 1917 • Germany attempts alliance with Mexico • Plan was for Mexico to declare war on the U.S. • U.S. Merchant ships sunk by U-boats • Spectre of U.S. economicdifficulties

  11. Not a Bang, but a Whimper • The War ended on November 11, 1918 • German troops simply gave up • Could not match numbers of the Allies • Allied troops did not set foot in Germany during the War

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