1. Chapter 12: The World War I Era
II. The United States Declares War

2. Bell Ringer
What makes a country one of the great nations of the world?
What domestic conditions and foreign alliances characterize a great nation?
What countries are great nations today?
Why?

3. Objectives Discover how Germany's use of Submarines affected the war.
Find out the steps the US took toward war in early 1917.

4. Setting the Scene Don’t Write!!!
War still going strong in 1916
Would the US be able to stay out of the war?
Friction between US and Germany would lead the US to join WWI

5. A) German Submarine Warfare
U-boat: Unterseeboot: submarine
Britains big navy blockaded all shipping to Germany
Germany used submarines to blockade all shipping to UK
At first Germany warned ships before they sank them – too dangerous – started to just sink them without warning
This angered US public opinion

6. Germany’s surface fleet did attack Britain once – Battle of Jutland – draw
British encouraged anti-German feelings
British cut the undersea cable from Germany to US – US had to rely on British reports only
Germany sunk the Lusitania – a passenger liner – no military value – (maybe there was?)
Germany attacked French liner – Sussex
Sussex pledge: Germany promised to warn ships before sinking them
Wilson started preparing for war

7. B) Moving Toward War
Wilson runs for re-election, “He kept us out of war” was his slogan. Wins
Germany informs us they will not follow the Sussex pledge anymore – Unrestricted submarine warfare
US starts arming merchant ships
Zimmermann note: German secret offer to Mexico; declare war on the US and Germany will help reclaim US Southwest
Not taken seriously by US or Mexico
Result - US dislikes Germany more

8. C) Revolution in Russia
By 1917 – Russia has 1.5 million killed
2.5 million prisoner
Army ill-equipped, badly led, and are being forced back
Autocrat: ruler with unlimited power – monarch
Russia Revolution: Czar Nicholas II forced to give up his throne – The Russian Republic is created
Now Russia a Republic – last stumbling block for the US to join WWI is gone
Germany sinks 3 US ships – one is the Illinois – President Wilson asks for a declaration of war
He gets it

9. Review How did Germany’s use of submarines affect the war?
What moves did the US take toward war in early 1917?