Chapter 9 World War I & Its Aftermath

9.1 The U.S. Enters WWI

WORLD WAR I TIMELINE 1914 JUNE 28 ARCHDUKE FERDINAND ASSASSINATED JULY 28 AUSTRIA-HUNGARY DECLARED WAR ON SERBIA AUGUST 1 GERMANY DECLARED WAR ON RUSSIA AUGUST 3 GERMANY DECLARED WAR ON FRANCE AUGUST 4 GERMANY INVADED NEUTRAL BELGIUM WHICH PROMPTED BRITAIN TO DECLARE WAR THE SAME DAY AUGUST 4 PRESIDENT WILSON DECLARED POLICY OF NEUTRALITY FOR THE UNITED STATES AUGUST 6 AUSTRIA-HUNGARY DECLARED WAR ON RUSSIA AUGUST 23 JAPAN DECLARED WAR ON GERMANY OCTOBER 29 OTTOMAN EMPIRE JOINED THE WAR ON THE SIDE OF THE CENTRAL POWERS

I. WWI Begins…

I. America Declares War President Wilson claimed the U.S. was neutral in the conflict, but public opinion favored the Allies Government officials backed Britain British officials used skillful propaganda to win American support Most war news favored Britain Businesses & banks supported the Allies Wilson appealed for neutrality “in thought as well as in action.”

II. America Declares War… Germany began using their U-boats to sink ships around Britain without warning

AD PLACED IN THE NEW YORK TIMES BY THE GERMAN GOVERNMENT, 1915 NOTICE! Travelers intending to embark on the Atlantic voyage are reminded that a state of war exists between Germany and her allies and Great Britain and her allies; that the zone of war includes the waters adjacent to the British Isles; that, in accordance with formal notice given by the Imperial German Government, vessels flying the flag of Great Britain, or any of her allies, are liable to destruction in those waters and that travelers sailing in the war zone on ships of Great Britain or her allies do so at their own risk. IMPERIAL GERMAN EMBASSY WASHINGTON, D.C., APRIL 22, 1915.

II. America Declares War… C. German U-boat sunk the British passenger ship Lusitania (May 1915) killing 128 Americans Audrey Lawson-Johnston was the last living survivor of the Lusitania. She was born in 1915 and was three months old when it happened. She died at the age of 95 in January 2011. Nicknamed the “floating palace”, the Lusitania first set sail in 1907. After being torpedoed in 1915 by a German U-boat, it sank in 18 minutes, killing 1,198 of the 1,959 people aboard.

II. America Declares War… D. Sussex Pledge - Germany agreed to stop sinking merchant ships without warning; if not, they’d risk war with the U.S. (March 1916) AFTER THE GERMANS SANK THE UNARMED FRENCH SUSSEX IN MARCH 1916 (THE AMERICANS ON BOARD WERE INJURED BUT NONE WERE KILLED), PRESIDENT WILSON DEMANDED THAT THE GERMANS STOP SINKING MERCHANT SHIPS WITHOUT WARNING OR THE U.S. WOULD SEVER DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH GERMANY.

THE ELECTION OF 1916 DEMOCRAT PRESIDENT WOODROW WILSON REPUBLICAN SUPREME COURT JUSTICE CHARLES EVANS HUGHES WILSON RAN ON THE SLOGAN “HE KEPT US OUT OF WAR!” HOWEVER HE KNEW THAT THE U.S. WAS GETTING CLOSER TO ENTERING THE WAR HUGHES CHALLENGED WILSON’S UNWILLINGNESS TO STAND UP TO THE GERMANS

II. America Declares War… E. Following Wilson’s reelection, events quickly brought the U.S. to war Britain intercepted the Zimmermann Telegram (Jan. 1917) Arthur Zimmermann, German Official

Alfred Zimmermann, German Foreign Minister ZIMMERMANN TELGRAM (1917) We intend to begin on the first of February submarine warfare unrestricted. In spite of this, it is our intention to endeavor to keep neutral the United States of America. In the event of this not succeeding, we make Mexico a proposal of alliance on the following: make war together and together make peace. We shall give general financial support, and it is understood that Mexico is to reconquer the lost territory in New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona. The details are left to you for settlement. . . . You are instructed to inform the President of Mexico of the above in the greatest confidence as soon as it is certain that there will be an outbreak of war with the United States and suggest that the President of Mexico, on his own initiative, should communicate with Japan suggesting adherence at once to this plan; at the same time, offer to mediate between Germany and Japan. Please call to the attention of the President of Mexico that the employment of ruthless submarine warfare now promises to compel England to make peace in a few months. Alfred Zimmermann, German Foreign Minister

POLITICAL CARTOON ON THE ZIMMERMANN TELEGRAM

II. America Declares War… “Whereas the Imperial German Government has committed repeated acts of war against the Government and the people of the United States of America; Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress Assembled, that the state of war between the United States and the Imperial German Government which has thus been thrust upon the United States is hereby formally declared; and that the President be, and he is hereby, authorized and directed to employ the entire naval and military forces of the United States and the resources of the Government to carry on war against the Imperial German Government; and to bring the conflict to a successful termination all of the resources of the country are hereby pledged by the Congress of the United States.” 2. Germany resumed unrestricted submarine warfare (Feb. 1917) and sank 6 American ships 3. U.S. declared war on Germany (April 6, 1917) EXCERPT FROM THE WAR DECLARATION

PRESIDENT WILSON’S WAR MESSAGE TO CONGRESS APRIL 2, 1917 Opposition to Wilson’s Message

RIVALRIES OVER COLONIES LED TO BITTERNESS IN EUROPE

ALLIED POWERS & CENTRAL POWERS

HMS Dreadnought, 1906

Europe 1914

Major Causes of WWI Nationalism Military Imperialism Alliances Militarism Imperialism Nationalism Major Causes of WWI

World War I lasted from… 1900-1910 1914-1918 1920-1924 1939-1945

World War I started in… Europe United States Asia Africa

The United States fought against… Great Britain France Japan Germany

Most of the soldiers fought from… Airplanes Battleships Trenches Mountains