1. Objective question: Why did the U.S. enter WWI?

2. Europe at the Start of World War I

3. Main World War I Alliances 1914
Central Powers
Austria-Hungary
Germany
Turkey (Ottoman Empire)
Bulgaria
Allied Powers
Serbia
Russia
France
Great Britain
Italy
USA - 3 years later

4. Original position of U.S. regarding the war in Europe.
Officially, we were neutral, but we sold many more goods to the Allies than to the Central Powers during the early war years.

5. What were the 4 major reasons why the U. S
What were the 4 major reasons why the U.S. decided to join the war in 1917?
1.  The Sinking of the Lusitania (May 7, 1915)
Germany upset at a British blockade of food and other goods coming from the U.S.- famine in Germany
Lusitania - a British passenger ship leaving NYC for Great Britain.
sunk by German u-boat (submarine)
128 Americans died (out of  1,198 total)
Germans claimed Lusitania had live ammunition and was not an 'innocent' passenger ship.
To avoid pulling the U.S. into the war, Germany agreed not to sink any more passenger ships.      

9. 2.  The Allied Powers were losing
France, Britain and Russia were struggling against Germany - if we didn't help them in Europe and they lost, we might be next with no one to help us.

10. 3.  The Zimmermann Note
a telegram from the German foreign minister to the German ambassador in Mexico.
proposed an alliance between Germany and Mexico if war broke out with the U.S.
Germany promised Mexico the territory it lost in the Mexican-American War if Mexico joined Germany in the war.
telegram was intercepted by the British and given to the U.S.
U.S. warned Mexico to stay neutral or face an early war with us

13. 4.  Germany decided to resume unrestricted submarine warfare
   Germany said they would sink all ships - hostile or neutral-on sight
    Germany hoped this would keep us out of the war until Europe fell and then Germany could concentrate on the U.S.

14. War Is Declared
President Wilson made his war declaration on April 2, 1917 and Congress passed it a few days later
Now troops would follow our money and supplies to Europe.
Wilson wanted to make the world "safe for democracy."