1. *U.S. Isolationism *To avoid alliances with foreign countries.
President Wilson had little U.S. support for war. Proclaimed the U.S. neutral & tried to become a peacemaker.

2. UNITED STATES chooses Neutrality
US declared neutrality. Americans saw war as European problem that didn’t involve us.
Traded with all.

3. NEUTRALITY Business leaders welcomed neutrality.
1. What would be the benefits of neutrality?
Should the U.S. prepare for war?
1916, W. Wilson asked Congress for $ to increase armed forces. Very late start!

5. Review Questions 1. List the new weapons used in WWI.
2. Which weapon was most responsible for the stalemate?
3. Define Isolationism.
4. Who wanted to remain an Isolationist?
5. What is propaganda? Give a current day example.
6. What weapon would you have feared the most? Why?

7. THE UNITED STATES DECLARES WAR, 1917

8. *U.S. enters WW I, April 1917* S ussex Pledge L usitania
WHY? ‘SLUTZ’
S ussex Pledge
L usitania
U nrestricted U-Boat (Submarine) Warfare
T ies with Great Britain
Z immerman Telegram

9. *Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
Unterseeboot = U-boat or (Submarine)
Initially, Germany would surface before firing but Britain began arming their ships.
*German Response: Unrestricted Submarine Warfare. Began to use their ‘stealth’ capability, stay hidden under the water & fire with-out warning.
*The U.S. entered the war to safeguard the freedom of the seas for U.S. ships.
Why would U-boats want to sink ships?
Were deployed (move into position) to prevent munitions (military supplies) & food from reaching Great Britain
U.S. saw this as an ‘uncivilized’ way to blockade shipping.

11. *TIES WITH GREAT BRITAIN
92 million Americans had immigrated from G.B. Felt personally involved.
*British newspapers published PROPAGANDA (information used to sway public opinion) promoting the Allied point of view.
1. What was propaganda called during Imperialism?

12. *LUSITANIA A British passenger liner sailing the Irish Sea.
Germany suspected it was carrying Allied weapons.
*Germans U-boats fired & sank her in 18 minutes killing 1200 passengers; 128 Americans!
*Intensifies the call for war in the U.S.
Who is this notice from? Germans
What is the notice intended to do? Warn travelers of the danger of being sunk by the Germans

14. SANK MAY 7,1915
“BOWLER BILL” TURNER WAS CAPTAIN

15. German U-BOATS
President Wilson demanded that Germany stop sinking Allied ships.
Germany responded with a promise to stop attacking if the ships would allow a search.
Is this feasible for a
U-boat?
1916, Germany sinks
French passenger ship,
the Sussex. No Americans
were on board.

16. *SUSSEX PLEDGE, 1916
*Sussex Pledge=Germans promise to stop attacking ships without warning.
1917,Germany notified the U.S. it will no longer abide by the Sussex Pledge.
*Resumes unrestricted submarine warfare.
The U.S. breaks off diplomatic relations with Germany & begins arming its merchant ships.
Germany believes it can defeat the Allies using unrestricted submarine warfare before the U.S. can mobilize.

17. *ZIMMERMAN NOTE, 1917
The British intercepted a coded telegram from German diplomat Zimmerman to Mexico.
*Germany offered Mexico all their former territory in the U.S. if they would join the Central Powers.
Mexico was in no position to attack the U.S.

18. *RUSSIAN REVOLUTION, 1917
During WWI, Russians rebelled against Czar Nicholas. Civil War erupted with the Red, Bolshevik party finally gaining control. They immediately withdrew from WWI in 1918, leaving France & Great Britain alone fighting the Central Powers.
*Americans became
more willing to join
the war after the
Russian Revolution
& their withdrawal.

19. *The U.S. Declares War
Germany used Unrestricted Submarine warfare to sink U.S. ships:
City of Memphis, Illinois, & Vigilancia
*U.S. votes to join the war, April 1917.
*Germany’s unrestricted submarine warfare had the greatest impact on the U.S. decision.
W. Wilson “The world must be safe for democracy.”

20. *U.S. enters WW I, April 1917* *Tide shifted in favor of Allies!
WHY? ‘SLUTZ’
S ussex Pledge-Germany sinks Sussex, but pledges not to sink any more passenger ships
L usitania sunk by Germany.
U nrestricted U-Boat (Submarine) Warfare
T ies with Great Britain
Z immerman Telegram - Promise to Mexico to get land back from the United States if enter WWI on Germany’s side. U.S. outraged!
*Tide shifted in favor of Allies!

21. *Who is at the desk?
What does he look like he is doing?
*What do you believe he is signing?

22. What year did the U.S. join the war?
Who was the president?
What is the acronym we use to remember why the U.S. joined the war?
Define Unrestricted Submarine warfare
Which passenger ship sank, killing Americans?
What pledge did Germany break when they resumed unrestricted submarine warfare?
How did Germany try to keep the U.S. involved so the Central Powers would win WWI?
What country had a revolution & pulled out of the war, encouraging more Americans to support joining WWI
What cause influenced the U.S. decision to join WWI more than any other?

23. THE EUROPEAN FRONT (area of war)

24. *Selective Service Act
U.S. was not ready for war in 1917!
-Only the 17th largest army in the world
-only 15,500 active Marines
-far from Europe
Resulted in:
*Selective Service Act, 1918, began to ‘draft’ 3 million young men.

25. *General John J. Pershing
*President Wilson sent General Pershing to Europe with 27,000 inexperienced American Expeditionary Force (AEF) soldiers
Currently, WWI was at a stalemate.

26. WOMEN IN THE WAR 13,000 Women served during WWI as nurses,
driver, & clerks. Others worked at home in war industries.

28. *U.S. SOLDIERS IN EUROPE
*Over 1 million fresh AEF helped turn the tide & defeat the Germans!
Known as ‘Doughboys’

29. *African American Soldiers
300,000 African Americans men volunteered.
*Served in segregated units.
Served in integrated (mixed) French units.
Most never saw combat.

32. *THE CONVOY
*Naval strategy used to protect U.S. ships traveling to Europe
Formation in which warships surrounded troop & supply ships.
Who were they being protected from?

34. German Offensive
Germany drove deep into the Western Front, trying to capture Paris, France.
Battle of Chateau-Thierry, (1 hr from Paris) American, French, & British troops defeated the Germans, saving Paris.

35. Battle of the Marne River
Last German Offensive of WWI, July-August 1918
French & Americans counter attacked the Germans, pushing
them back.
Over 1 million
AEF troops began
to expel Germany
from France.

36. *Battle of the Argonne Forest
Sept-Nov. 1918
*U.S. offensive that pushed through Belgium, into German territory

38. *Alvin York
*Congressional Medal of Honor winner (one of the most decorated soldiers of WWI)
*Captured 132 Germans & killed in the Battle of the Argonne
York attempted to re-enlist in the Army for WWII, however at 54 he was denied for health reasons. Instead he toured training camps & participated in bond drives in support of the war effort.

40. Ending the War The Central Powers slowly began to collapse.
Germany began to beg for peace.
Allies would only accept an unconditional surrender.
The new German Republic signs the armistice, (ends fighting), 11/11/1918.