The United States Enters the First World War (WWI)

Background For War

Competing Alliances:
Triple Alliance
- Austria-Hungary, Germany, Italy
- Began in 1882
Triple Entente
- France, Great Britain, Russia (1907)
- The system of alliances played an important part in turning the assassination into war
Nationalism in Europe was strong
Imperialist rivalries threatened peace in Europe
Assassination

June 28, 1914- Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, was
assassinated in Sarajevo

Killer:
- Gavrilo Princip; A Sebran Nationalist
Mobilization and Invasion of Belgium

Central Powers:
Austria-Hungary, Germany
- Anticipated a quick and easy victory
- Marched through Belgium to France; August 3rd invasion
200,000 Belgium troops could not stop Germany, but did slow as the other allies mobilized

 Eastern and Western battlefronts- Opposing armies dug trenches from which to fire the
enemy lines

Most extensive trench warfare took place in France

American Neutrality

Proclamation of Neutrality
Wilson- Thought the Allies could win without U.S. involvement
The U.S. adopted a Neutral position
Americans had a tough time remaining uninvolved.

Propaganda

Both sides used propaganda to try to influence public opinion

Most major American papers backed the Allies
Immigrant papers- Supported Central Powers
Allied Propaganda- Had greatest impact
Germans were portrayed as the aggressors
New German Weapons:
Submarine and Poison Gas
Economic Ties

Economic ties to the Allies made strict neutrality impossible

Military orders from the Allies created an economic boom
Trade with Allies grew
500 million in 1914
3.5 billion in 1917

 British set up a naval blockade to keep military contraband from reaching Germany
Unrestricted Submarine Warfare

1914-1915
German Submarines began attacking allied ships
International Law
Required ships to warn that it was about to sink an enemy vessel
- Subs could not do this
1915 - Germans - Ships risked attack in war zone around Britain.
May 1915- Lusitania
British Passenger ship torpedoed and sunk
1200 dead128 Americans
Pressures for Preparedness

Sussex Pledge
Germany Promised, with certain conditions, to sink no more ships without warning
Roosevelt criticized Wilson for not preparing for war
Resisted building up military (Wilson)
1916- Could not ignore the possibility of war
Doubled army
Built larger navy
Election of 1916

Nation Favored Peace

Republican Nominee: Charles Evan Hughes
Labeled as the War Candidate by democrats
Democrat Nominee: Woodrow Wilson

 Portrayed as the man to keep us out of the war

Wilson won the close election
Renewed Effort at Mediation

1917 - Germany unleashed its submarines to sink ALL ships in the war zone
Wilson then broke off relations with Germany
Zimmerman Telegram
Germany was trying to lure Mexico and Japan to its side
- Mexico may gain land back from the U.S.
April 6, 1917 - U.S. declared war on Germany
American Participation

By June 5, 1917, almost 10 million men between the ages of 21-31 had registered for the war
American Mobilization
America was caught short on supplies
Needed to make adjustments to prepare
Wartime Agencies
1. War Industries Board (WIB)

- Spur Production and coordinate war industries

- Similar efforts brought order to the shipping and railroad industries
- Led by Bernard Baruch- Prepared Industry
2. Food Administration

- Increasing American food production became a top priority

- The country came together to raise the food
- Victory gardens- Promoted by Hoover
- Wheat, Pork, and Sugar were top priorities

3. Committee on Public Information (CPI)

- 150,000 citizen lectures

- Said the war was fought for freedom and democracy
- Helped spur the sale of Liberty Bonds
American Preparation

2 million soldiers were sent to France

Slow mobilization
Fewer than 300,000 fighting troops within a year
The U.S. used convoys to get ships safely to Europe
The American Expeditionary Force

American Expeditionary Force (AEF)

American troops involved in WWI- Led by General John J. Pershing
Wanted to keep U.S. troops together
Russia - Drops out of the war - 1917
Battle of Belleau Woods
U.S. troops distinguished themselves
- Stopped the Germans, drove them back, broke through the line
Battle of the Argonne Forest
Massive American counterattack
Allies pressed on to victory- Nov 11, 1918
American troops and supplies helped turn the tide of battle
Wilsons Fourteen Points

Wilsons proposal for peace in WWI

First Five Points:

 Open treaties
Freedom of the sees
Free trade
Arms reduction
Important adjustment to colonial claims
Points six-thirteen:
National self-determination and realignment of Borders
Point Fourteen
An establishment of an international organization to settle disputes between nations and
prevent future wars

Peace Making

Big Four
Leaders of United States, Great Britain, France, Italy
Dominated the peace negotiations at Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations

European leaders
Wanted the treaty to be more selfish and vengeful
Wilson wanted the treaty to be more just and noble
Victors- Received land in secret treaties
The U.S Senate and the Treaty

The U.S. did not accept the Versailles Treaty

 The U.S. Senate most strongly opposed setting up the League of Nations
U.S. Never joined the League of Nations