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“Over There”: The U.S. in World War I
I. The Outbreak of the Great War—What Caused World War I?
II. American Neutrality (July 1914 to April 1917)
A. Problems with the American neutrality policy
1. Wilson vowed that the U.S. would stay neutral due to traditional non-involvement, progressivism, & immigrants
2. But, maintaining American neutrality was difficult due to:
a. European propaganda efforts & trade ties with England & France
b. Violations of the freedom of the seas
i. The English blockade of Germany violated America’s right to trade as a neutral nation
ii. But the flood of Allied orders for war supplies & loans brought the U.S. closer to the Allies
iii. Germany responded with unrestricted submarine warfare in 1915 (Lusitania, Arabic, Sussex were sunk)
3. Sussex Pledge temporarily eased tensions between U.S. & Germany; But the U.S. began “preparedness”
B. The Election of 1916
1. Wilson ran for re-election on two contradictory platforms: “He kept us out of war” & “preparedness”
2. Wilson won, vowed to protect freedoms of the seas & U.S. neutrality, & hoped for a “peace without victory”
C. America Joins the Allies
1. In 1917, renewed unrestricted submarine warfare & the Zimmerman Telegram forced the U.S. into war
2. April 2, 1917, the U.S. Congress declared war on the Central Powers to “make the world safe for democracy”
III. “Over There”—The USA Enters the War (April 1917 to November 1918)
A. The U.S. entered the war at a critical time in 1917: successful u-boat blockade, Russian withdraw, French mutinies
B. Mobilization
1. The U.S. formed an independent Allied army: The American Expeditionary Force (AEF) led by John Pershing
2. The Selective Service Act: 2.8 million were drafted, including black soldiers who fought in segregated ranks
3. The Committee on Public Information (CPI) under George Creel produced effective war propaganda
C. Fighting the War
1. U.S. troops arrived via convey in 1917, but did not see major action until 1918: American troops aided French
resistance at Chateau Thierry & helped in the Allied counter-attack to push into Germany
2. The arrival of fresh U.S. troops helped turn the tide of the war; Germany signed an armistice on Nov 11, 1918
IV. Conclusions