1. Why Did America Enter WWI?

2. AGAIN! Causes of War  1. Nationalism: belief that your nation is best place ahead of global concerns  2. Imperialism: competing for land and power  3. Militarism: huge military budgets due to tensions and fear  4. Alliance System: all interconnected protect at first then lead to war

3. Schlieffen Plan  Germany begins fighting using this plan – Deal with Russia later…for now go to France and head West  Thought that it would take Russia awhile to mobilize and get here anyway…France will be easy

4. Trench Warfare develops in France  France takes longer than expected due to trench warfare – Led to stalemate for years

5. American Neutrality  Nation was divided on whether or not to enter war  Opposition: from isolationists US should be peaceful and avoid European Imperialism  Supporters: sympathy for Allies. Many Americans still had strong ties to their homelands and economic ties to Allies

6. Blockade  British set up a naval blockade not allowing German imports and exports  Try to starve out Germans – Couldn’t even get products like fertilizers for their own land and crops

7. U-Boat Response  Germans responded to British blockade by using their Unterseeboot or U-boat to sink any ship around Great Britain – Would not give warning to passengers or crew  Yellow journalist capitalized on image of “drowning victims” and made everyone hate Germany

8. Lusitania  May 7, 1915 U-boat sank the British Liner killing 1,198 people – 128 were Americans. – United States furious!  Germany said the liner was carrying ammunition and explosives – Still debated today

9. US stays neutral  Wilson protested German actions  July 1915 Germans sank British Arabic  US said “No More!”  March of 1916 Germans torpedoed French passenger boat Sussex – Didn’t sink but 80 were killed or injured

10. Sussex Pledge  Germany would stop their attacks if the US could convince Great Britain to lift their blockade  If not….Germany would use Unrestricted Submarine Warfare

11. End of American Neutrality  President Wilson advocated for “Peace of Equals” where no winner or loser. – All join in a league for peace to extend democracy (speech on Jan. 22, 1917)  9 days later Germany resumes Unrestricted Sub Warfare. Kaiser announces they will sink all British ships on sight.  Wilson still waiting for peace before step in.

12. Germany vs. US  Germany goes too far to ignore – Zimmermann note was sent from German foreign minister to German ambassador to Mexico (British intercepted it) – Wanted an alliance with Mexico…said would help them gain back Texas, N.Mexico, Ariz. – Sunk 4 Unarmed US merchant ships 36 Americans died

13. US enters the war  April 4th the Senate met and passed a resolution for war.  April 6th the resolution was passed by the House.  Wilson wanted to make the world… “safe for democracy”