What was the U.S. doing while Europe was fighting WWI?

Some Americans supported the ALLIES while others supported the CENTRAL POWERS. The U.S. believed that WWI was Europe’s Problem. President Wilson Declared the U.S. would remain neutral.

CENTRAL POWERS SUPPORTERS: Mostly German, Turkish Austrian and Hungarian backgrounds. Irish Americans because Ireland was fighting for independence from Great Britain. ALLIES SUPPORTERS: Mostly French (Supported the U.S. in the American Revolution) British (Because of our common history)

UNRESTRICTED WARFARE German decides to use its U-boats (submarines) against Great Britain’s supply lines. U-boats sink ANY ship in the war zone around Great Britain, even ships from neutral countries.

Unrestricted submarine Warfare sinks the cruise liner Lusitania off the Irish coast Killing 1,260 people, including 128 Americans. This angers President Wilson.

Germany pledges to stop unrestricted submarine warfare (The Sussex Pledge) but it begins it again.

THE ZIMMERMAN NOTE- The British intercept a note (telegraph) sent from Germany to Mexico. The note wants Mexico to attack the U.S. In return Germany will give Mexico the southern part of the U.S. once it wins the war. This telegraph angers the U.S.

#3 Invasion of a neutral country (Belgium) by Germany is unacceptable. #4 The U.S. helps the Allies with money and supplies. Great Britain owes the U.S. a great deal of money. If the Allies lost the war, the U.S. would not be paid back.

#5 The Russian Revolution takes Russia out of the war on the Eastern Front. The Central Powers could now focus only on the Western front against France and England. (The U.S. government really wanted the Allies to win)

April 1, 1917 The U.S. declares war. President Wilson says the U.S. enters the war “To make the world safe for democracy”.