The Great War

into war. Wilson’s vowed to hold German’s in “strict accountability” (Zieger, 23) of future American rights violations. The Germans agreed to not attack ships without warning. Wilson’s harsh stance on German tactics and his non-equal treatment of Britain would lead to the resignation of his Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan and the end of the United States “true neutrality”.

The United States never wanted to join the war, but as time went on, the events that happened made it almost impossible not to join. The trouble for the U.S arose when the belligerent powers tried to stop supplies from reaching the enemy. Great Britain having the stronger navy was the first to declare a naval blockade against Germany, by mining the North Sea and seizing ships, including U.S ships – attempting to run the blockade. President Wilson protested British seizure of American Ships as a violation of a neutral nation’s right to freedom of the seas. But Germany’s supplies from America were getting cut off by the British warfare. And this was making Germany mad, that they were not getting supplies. Germany’s one hope for challenging British warfare at sea lay with a new naval weapon: the submarine. When Germany sank another five unarmed U.S merchant ships in March, Wilson was ready for

American's involvement in World War I was greatly influenced by the Zimmerman Telegram that was received from London. Prior to receiving it, the United States proceeded to be neutral, however, their stance changed. As proposed in the telegram, the Alliance Germany had with Mexico and Japan was intended to creat a new front which would distract the U.S.; this would aid in Germany's favor (document 2). Germany needed this advantage as depicted in document 3. It shows how the German u-boats we're sinking and were being defeated. Another factor that played in the change of involvement was the right of democracy. It was portrayed in Woodrow Wilson's speech that he believed the United States shouldn't be selfish

America had no intention of entering WWI as President Woodrow Wilson had declared their policy of neutrality in 1914 after the continent of Europe had erupted in conflict. President Wilson aimed to deal with all participants in the war in a fair way that did not show signs of allegiance to either side as he tried to help find a way towards peaceful resolution. Happenings in Europe soon changed Wilson’s view of neutrality. Many American lives had been lost at sea after the sinking of the Lusitania and other ships due to Germany’s unrestricted submarine attacks. Germany refused to alter their methods which forced Wilson to ask Congress for a declaration of war in 1917.

To start of the Great War from the U.S. positive perspective, in this statement it says the U.S. joined the battle “When a Germany U-boat sank the British liner on May 7, 1915, killing 1,198, including 128 Americans, President Wilson sent a strong note to berlin. The May 13 warning, Document 1, demands that Germany disavow submarine warfare and respect the rights of Americans to sail on high seas. In January 1917, Germany declared unrestricted submarine warfare, and Wilson broke diplomatic relations with Berlin…” (Merrill, Dennis, and Thomas G. Paterson pg. 29). So basically Germany didn’t want to listen or negotiate with Wilson’s offering to arbitrate the dispute. Wilson told congress by stating “The world must be made safe for democracy (Merrill, Dennis, and Thomas G. Paterson pg. 49).” President Wilson had no options but to join the war when Mexico

     On April 2nd 1917, President Woodrow Wilson of the United States of America, ??went before Congress and called for a declaration of war. Both the House and the Senate voted overwhelmingly in favor of going to war with Germany.?# This was an act that led to much resistance among the American people. Not four months earlier the American people re-elected President Wilson, partly because of his success in keeping the United States out of this European war. However, a series of events, such as the Germans continuing submarine warfare and the attacks on five American ships, led President Wilson to sever diplomatic relations with Germany and send the United States into what

America's policy of insisting on neutral rights while also trying to broker a peace resulted in tensions with both Berlin and London. US president Woodrow Wilson repeatedly warned that he would not tolerate unrestricted submarine warfare, and the Germans repeatedly promised to stop. In January 1917 the German military decided that unrestricted submarine warfare was the best gamble to choke British supplies before the American troops could arrive in large numbers. A proposal to Mexico to join the war was exposed in February, bringing war closer. (See Zimmerman telegram). After further U-boat attacks on American merchant ships, Wilson requested that Congress declare war on Germany, which it did on April 6, 1917 (see: Woodrow Wilson declares war on Germany on Wikisource). The House approved the war resolution 373-50, the Senate 82-6, with opposition coming mostly from German

On April 2, 1917 the United States entered WWI declaring war against Germany and its allies. The deciding factor for the U.S. to enter the war is due to one document, the Zimmerman Telegram. The document was sole proof to many Americans that Germany’s intentions were not only causing harm on European soil but bringing it across the seas to American soil. It stated that Germany had no intentions on slowing down its submarine warfare to which they hoped to keep the Americans neutral, but if they failed in doing so they offered an alliance among themselves and Mexico. The understanding was that Mexico would declare war on the United States and help the Germans and in return they would receive their land they had lost to America in years past,

“Every man who really loves America will act and speak in the true spirit of neutrality”.1 These are the words of President Woodrow Wilson during his “Declaration of Neutrality” on August 19, 1914. Something crazy would happen, the United States would enter The Great War a three years later. A lot of things influenced the United States to finally get to their eventual declaration of war on Germany. The two factors I thought most significant were: the United States’ economic interests favoring Great Britain and Wilson’s insatiable need to have a voice at the peace talks in Europe.

President Wilson had cautioned citizens from taking side in the war in fear of jeopardizing wider US policy, during the time of neutrality. Untied States maintained this neutrality despite increasing pressure on President Wilson after the sinking of the Lusitania. This neutrality would crumble when Germany started to introduce its unrestricted submarine

then increased trade with the Allies, Britain and France, which gave them closer ties with the Allies forces. Secondly, the German navy launched a U-boat submarine, which torpedoed the British luxury liner Lusitania and killed 128 Americans in the process. Next, the U.S. intercepted a telegram in which Germany’s foreign secretary sent to the German minister in Mexico City. The telegram was urging Mexico to join the Central Powers in the war, and Germany promised to help Mexico recover Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona in return. This threatened the territorial integrity of the U.S. The final reason for U.S. involvement in the war was when U-boats started attacking American ships without warning. This forced President Wilson to ask for a declaration of war before a special session of Congress.

By January 1917 representatives from the German navy convinced the military leadership and Kaiser Wilhelm II that a resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare could help defeat Great Britain within five months. German policymakers argued that they could violate the “Sussex pledge” because the United States was not being neutral (Office of the Historian). In January of 1917, British cryptographers deciphered a telegram from German Foreign Minister Arthur Zimmermann to Mexico, offering United States’ territory to Mexico in return for joining the German cause (Childress). Accordingly, on January 31, 1917, the German Ambassador, Count Johann von Bernstorff, presented U.S. Secretary of State Robert Lansing with a note declaring Germany’s intention to restart unrestricted submarine warfare the following day. Stunned by the news, President Wilson went before Congress on February 3 to announce that he had severed diplomatic relations with Germany (Office of the Historian). Throughout February and March 1917, German submarines targeted and sunk several American ships, and many American passengers and seamen died (Office of the Historian). On February 26, Wilson asked Congress for authority to arm American merchant ships with U.S. naval personnel and equipment.

Wilson became convinced early in the war that the best way for the United States to remain at peace would be to end the conflict in Europe. Thus, in January of 1915 and again a year later, he sent his personal adviser, Colonel Edward M. House, on peace missions to Europe to see if a peace initiative could be conducted between Germany and England with America as the intermediary. On February 22nd, 1916, the House-Grey memorandum was signed which put on paper Wilson’s plan for mediation. Unfortunately the sinking of the paddle steamer ‘Sussex’ by a U-boat on March 24th, 1916, all but ended this venture. After this incident Wilson warned that the United States would sever diplomatic relations with Germany if she did not abandon her monstrous tactics. This threat led to Germany issuing the ‘Sussex’ pledge on May4th, 1916, declaring that no more merchant ships would be sunk without warning.

President Woodrow Wilson responded by sending a set of three notes to Germany. The first note was in direct protest over the sinking of the Lusitania, which cost about 110 American lives; and defended the rights of Americans to travel on merchant vessels. The second was an argument protesting German claims that the British blockade was illegal (Germany argued because the blockade was illegal, this gave them the right to fight against it, by any means). The third note said that if such a thing happened again, the US would consider it "deliberately unfriendly." As stated by www.globalresearch.ca, “The sinking of the Lusitania was a major catalyst for America’s later entry into the World War.”

When President Wilson sought to enter the war, however, his objectives went beyond the defense of U.S. maritime interests. In his War Message to Congress, he stated that the U.S. objective was “to vindicate the principles of peace and justice in the life of the world.” The U.S. Senate voted On April 4, 1917, in support of the measure to declare war on Germany. Two days later the House concurred. [5]