World War I: American Involvement

Neutrality

The Immigrant Population and Neutrality

  • About 1/3 of the U.S. population was made up of immigrants or children of immigrants who sympathized with the Central Powers.

    •     The majority of immigrants came from Germany, Austria- Hungary, and Ireland and sympathized with the Central Powers

  • •Wilson sympathized with the Allied powers:

    •     Shared language, tradition, and most Americans were British

The U.S.'s Early Involvement

  • •U.S. sought to trade with both sides

  • Britain’s blockade of Germany’s ports made trade difficult.

    •     British would search & seize U.S. ships

  • The U.S. continued to trade with Britain

  • Germany became upset with U.S.

Unrestricted Submarine Warfare

  • Feb 1915 - Germany announces it will use its U-boats to sink any vessel that enters or leaves British ports

 

The Lusitania

  • •May 7, 1915: a German U-boat sinks the British passenger ship the Lusitania

    •     138 U.S. citizens died

    •     Wilson denounced the attack

  • Later it was learned that the ship was carrying war materials

Click on the link below to read the lyrics of/hear a protest song about the Lusitania:

http://www.authentichistory.com/ww1/music/Herbert_Stuart-When_The_Lusitania_Went_Down.html

End of Neutrality

  • •Summer 1916: U.S. Congress passes legislation to build military

    •     Doubles the size of the Army

    •     Funding for warships

  • Wilson wants to continue neutrality

  • Antiwar feelings begin to split the Democrats and Republicans

On the Brink of War

  • January 1917 - Germany announces it will sink ANY ship on sight who sails to or from any Allied port.

    • U.S. cuts off all relations with Germany

  • The British intercept a telegram from German’s Foreign Minister to Mexico

    • Arthur Zimmerman offered Mexico financial and political support if they would launch an attack on the U.S. 

Revolution in Russia

  • The Russian people overthrew their monarchy

  • Russia's new government proposed free elections and vowed to defeat Germany

  • Wilson's war against autocracy:

    • With the Russians vowing the defeat of Germany, U.S. involvement in the war was justified

    • Autocracy - rule by 1 person with unlimited power

Germans Sink the Algonquin

  • March 1917: Germans sink 3 other ships, killing 36 U.S. citizens

Americans Enter the War

  • April 2, 1917: Wilson declares war on Germany in a special session of Congress

  • President has the authority to declare war for 90 days without the consent of Congress

  • Congress did not agree with the President at first because it would stop the U.S. from making a profit off of the War

The Selective Service Act

  • May 18, 1917: the U.S. establishes a military draft

  • All men ages 21- 30 would register to fight in the war

    •     24 million men registered

    •     2 million volunteered to enter the armed forces

Women & African-Americans in the War

  • •Thousands of women enlisted in non combat positions
    •     Radio operators, clerks, and nurses

  • 300,000 African-Americans enlisted in the Army & Navy

    • Low-level military jobs

    • 140,000 were sent to Europe, 40,000 saw combat

    • Many served with distinction

Supplying the Allies

  • U.S. Navy takes 2 steps in assisting the Allies:

    • Helps the British find & destroy U-boats

    • Convoys- teams- of navy destroyers escort groups of merchant ships across the Atlantic

American Expeditionary Force

  • June 1917: Americans enter the war
  • Full strength by Spring of 1918
  • Gen. John J. Pershing led the American Expeditionary Force (AEF)
  • American forces manage to push the Germans back into Germany

 

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