Neutrality And Intervention Timeline

While the war raged on into 1916, the United States transitioned from a “debtors nation” into a “creditors nation”. Between 1913 and 1916 American exports rose from 2 billion dollars annually to 6 billion. (Zieger, 16) While it was clear that the Allies were greatly indebted to the United States Wilson saw the opportunity to the U.S. influence to provoke peace between the warring nations. As American sentiment began rising about expanding an American army, most Americans believed that the United States had a responsibility to bring both sides together and resolve the 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]

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

Whenever war broke out overseas in 1914, many Americans had ties to countries involved. Many of citizens living here were immigrants or children of immigrants who came from Germany, France, or other countries involved in the war. Out of the 92 million citizens living in the states, one-third of them were hyphenated Americans. There was strong support of the Central Powers in the states due to the 8 million German-Americans and the 4 million Irish-Americans who disliked English rule. Yet, many Americans were pro Allies due to the language bond with Great Britain. America wanted to keep to their selves as war broke out in Europe and not get involved. President Woodrow Wilson would announce in 1914 that the Unites States would stay neutral during the war. Wilson would run by the slogan “Keep Us Out of the War” whenever he was running for re-election for presidency. Americas would trade with both parties and bankers could lend money to both sides involved in the war. Trading with Germany would eventually be blockaded and trade with Allies would increase.

August 1915: British liner the Arabic sunk. Germany agrees not to sunk unarmed, unresisting passenger ships without warning.

As soon as World War One broke out, Woodrow Wilson, the president at that time immediately declared the United States neutral to maintain the nation’s stability. President Wilson thought the United States should take no part in a war where they were not affected. But, as the war carried on it was evident that a stance of neutrality was just clearly not the case. Even though they were not fighting in World War I, the United States were definitely involved. Whether it be loaning goods to a party of the war or rising turmoil with a belligerent nation, America did take part in the war before their actual entry. Voluntary or involuntary, the United States involved themselves in the war in many ways , most definitely contradicting Wilson’s policy of neutrality.

Also, if the United States was to enter the war, national production would switch from civilian products to war materials (Economic). In the years leading up to the war, America was already in a state of recession and they did not want to spend millions of dollars on this conflict. The following quote states how much the war affected the economy of the United States. "The total cost of World War I to the United States (was) approximately $32 billion, or 52 percent of gross national product at the time" (Economic). If you were the president of the United States, would you want to put out $32 billion dollars when your country is in recession as it is? Second, another reason the United States stayed out of the war for so long was because of their policy of neutrality. On August 19, 1914, President Woodrow Wilson addressed the congress and informed them of the U.S. policy of neutrality (First). In doing this, President Wilson was saying that the United States would stay neutral during the war and not intervene. During the president’s address to congress, he states, “Every man who really loves America will act and speak in the true spirit of neutrality” (First). By saying this, the president is saying that the policy of neutrality is the absolute best choice for the United States in this situation, and any citizens that did not believe in this did not truly care for the country or its people.

Ethnicity, played a significant role in America’s neutrality from 1914-1917because roughly 30 million Americans were either born in Europe or had European parents , therefore, many Americans felt allegiance toward one side or the other. German-Americans felt that the attack by Germany was justified as the ship was secretly transporting

The Submarines were not able to sink well-organised military ships and this is probably why passenger ships were attacked. Diplomatic relations between Germany and America were broken off by Wilson when and American liner was sunk on 3 February. This act taken by Germany was a big gamble to try to relieve the stalemate situation on the Western front, but this was an important reason towards America becoming involved in the way. That same month, Alfred Zimmerman sent orders to the German Ambassador in Mexico to try to enlist support against the US.

Germany was trying to overtake the world. US could not let this happen. In the telegram, Zimmermann stated that in the event of war with the United States, Mexico should be asked to enter the conflict as a German ally. In return, Germany would promise to restore to Mexico the lost territories of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. On March 1, the U.S. State Department published the note and America was against Germany instantly. US was officially against Germany in late March. Germany sank four more U.S. merchant ships. On April 2, President Wilson appeared before Congress and called for a declaration of war against Germany. On April 4, the Senate voted 82 to six to declare war against Germany. Two days later, the House of Representatives endorsed the declaration by a vote of 373 to 50 and America formally entered World War

The United States got involved in WWI in 1917. Tensions began between the U.S. and Germany with the sinking of civilian and commercial ships using U-boats (submarines). An example of this was the sinking of a passenger liner called the Lusitania. About 1,200 people died in this incident, which included 128 Americans. These sinkings caused President Woodrow Wilson to threaten to break diplomatic relations in the case the Germans did not stop. The already existing tensions grew in 1917 when the Germans said they would sink merchant ships heading toward British or other Western European ports. To add to this, it was later discovered that the Germans had promised to help Mexico takeover the American state New Mexico if they assisted the Germans

though the United States tried to remain a neutral nation, they had no choice but to join the Allies

On April 2, 1917, President Wilson wrote and spoke one of his famous speech: War Message. President Wilson wants to ensure the people 's hope and faith from the war. As President Wilson (1917) stated in his speech "Each nation must decide for itself how it will meet it... Our motive will not be revenge or the victorious assertion of the physical might of the nation, but only the vindication of right, of human right, of which we are only a single champion."was to fix the issue the nation was in. President Wilson wants to show the people that we need to get involved war for the loss of many American lives that Germany took. Wilson persuades to Congress to go to war. President Wilson shows his persuasion effectively by using rhetorical strategies. Each strategy he used gave more persuasion to Congress to declare war on Germany. All the persuasion he used to convince Congress was put in his famous speech War Message.

Roosevelt did not expect Americans to remain emotionally neutral in regards to the conflict. Roosevelt knew that the only way the British and French would be able to beat the Germans would be if they were provided with ample supplies of weapons. Roosevelt immediately began to pressure Congress to repeal the arms embargo to effectively overturn the essence of the Neutrality Acts, which would allow America to come to the aid of its allies.

Many historians are skeptical of the importance of the Zimmermann Telegram in instigating America’s entrance into World War I. Despite the insistence of neutrality by the United States, it was inevitable that America would have to intervene in World War I as either a peace negotiator or as an ally to the French and the British. While many Americans remained committed to isolationism—President Woodrow Wilson won reelection using the slogan, “He kept us out of war”—the Zimmerman cipher now served as fresh evidence of German aggression. (Andrews) Many, such as Teddy Roosevelt, were furious at Wilson’s passivity and on April 6, 1917, Wilson signed a declaration of war against Germany. The many events leading to the declaration of war makes it difficult to determine whether the Zimmerman Telegram was a catalyst for American involvement, or simply an aggravating factor leading the United States joining World War I.