The United States Entry into World

War I

At the start of the war ...

•US President Woodrow Wilsondeclared a USpolicy of absoluteneutrality.

•Why did President Wilson’s decision to stay out of World War I in 1914 please many Americans?

Why Neutrality? Think past units of study!

•1/3 of the US population were either first or second generation immigrants from England, France, Germany, etc.

•American tradition (up to that point) of staying out of foreign wars – “it’s over there….”

• 2. What was the status of combat in Europe by the end of 1914?

Stalemate!

…maybe we should go to war…

•England and France have similar governments to the US

•Germany and AH are ruled by a monarchy

…and we had Pre-War Economic Ties…

•75% of all pre-war trade done with Allied Powers

•With the Allied blockade, trade was easier to coastal Allied countries, especially France and Great Britain.

…plus they owe us lots of money…

•US trade and loan totals:US trade and loan totals:Allied powers = Allied powers = $2.3 billion$2.3 billion

(plus)(plus)

•Central powers = Central powers = $275 million$275 million

•The allied blockade meant easier trade with allied coastal

countries

Submarine Warfare•British blockades of Germany

strangled the country of necessary provisions and war-related items

• Germany resorted to submarines to get around the blockades and to sink ships from any country supplying their enemy

Submarine Warfare• May 7, 1915 –German u-boats sink a

British passenger liner named the Lusitania– loaded with over

4,000 cases of small arms destined for England

– Unfortunately, 128 Americans had been on board and went down with the ship

•public opinion was that the Germans were murderers and barbarians

•President Wilson and the American public hadn’t been told that the Lusitania had been used by the British to ship weapons

•Sussex Pledge – Germany agreed to announce themselves to ships of questionable nature before firing upon them

• Germany schemes to break the stalemate by

restarting unrestricte

d submarine

warfare

And what else draws us into war?

Uh Oh . . . Something Else!

•Release of the ZimmermaZimmerman Noten Note . . .

• In exchange In exchange for for invading invading the United the United States,States, Germany Germany promises promises Mexico helpMexico help in regaining in regaining Texas, Texas, Arizona and Arizona and New New Mexico!Mexico!

Outrage!Outrage!

•…but German scheming outrages Americans!

•Germany hoped to keep the U.S. out of war…

Another obstacle removed…• Russia had suffered

more than 4 million casualties

• Russian citizens are starving and the government and military are in chaos

• In 1917 Czar Nicholas II abdicates!

Now all the allies have

similar governments!

For Now…For Now…

The Final Decision•Between March 16 and March 18, three American ships bound for the Allies were sunk by German U-Boats.

On April 6, 1917, President Wilson

signed a war resolution to join the

Allies.

PROPAGANDA

In other words . . . • Huns – a Central Asian tribe

legendary for its ferocity.

• Why would this name be applied to the Germans?

Germans as “Huns”

• A derogatory term for Germans.

• Basis: Though Attila's forces (Attila the Hun) would have contained many Goths and other Germanic peoples in addition to his Mongolian tribes people, this use of the term seems to derive from a simple desire to characterize the Germans as expansionist barbarians.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ab/Wilhelm_II._1905.jpeg

American Use of Propaganda

• George Creel, former newspaperman, heads up the Committee on Public Information

• Appointed by Woodrow Wilson after US entry into war

• Used artists, writers, and speakers to “sell” the war to Americans

Propaganda to Engage Citizens

• Posters would use images and phrasing that would be familiar to the American public

• Posters would also be specific for groups of people when necessary

THE DRAFT&

AMERICANS WHO FOUGHT

The Draft•The Selective Service Act of

May 1917 was established to draft young men for the military service

•Early on men age 21-31 were drafted – by late 1918 it extended to include men age 18-45

The Draft•By November 1918 more

than 24 million had registered for the draft

•From those a lottery selected 3 million to serve in the war

Germans in the US

• Many were discriminated against due to their German ancestry–Fired from jobs–Changed their names–Ostracized in communities–Schools stopped teaching German language

–Attacked in communities

Women in the War

•Filled a variety of roles in the war effort including caregivers (nurses) and home defense

•A small number worked in the signal corps (communications)

Telephone Operators

Navy Nurses aboard USS George Washington in 1918

African Americans in the War

•Many had no choice where to serve – only the Navy and Army accepted recruits

•Served as laborers, delivery personnel, messengers, and in the kitchen (within the navy)

African Americans in the War•Several regiments were

loaned out to the French and saw combat

•The 369th Regiment or “Harlem Hell Fighters” was cited most for their bravery and as the first to reach the Rhine River in Germany

Sergeant Henry Johnson, 369th Infantry ("Harlem Hellfighters"), who single-handedly fought off a German raiding party to save his comrade, Private Needham Roberts, 1918.

African Americans Post-War

•Frustrated at the freedoms that they experienced, but did not return to in the US

•Experience (and freedom) overseas led to the early beginnings of the Civil Rights movement