Download Unit 1: Imperialism and Progressivism

Mrs. Magyar
USHC Standard 5: The student will demonstrate an understanding of domestic and foreign
developments that contributed to the emergence of the United States as a world power in the
twentieth century.
USHC 5.4: Analyze the causes and consequences of United States involvement in World
War I, including the failure of neutrality and the reasons for the declaration of war, the role
of propaganda in creating a unified war effort, the limitation of individual liberties, and
Woodrow Wilson’s leadership in the Treaty of Versailles and the creation of the League of
Nations.
President Woodrow Wilson declared the U.S. neutral, in order to keep the country out of
“Europe’s war”
• Many Americans took sides anyway
Support for the Central Powers
• Many German Americans supported their homeland
• Many Irish Americans supported the Central Powers because they’d endured
centuries of British rule in Ireland
Support for the Allies
• In general, American public opinion favored the Allies
• Many Americans valued the heritage, language, and political ideals they shared
with Great Britain
• American politicians, military leaders, and business men supported the Allies
because of their strong ties politically and economically to the Allied powers
There were several reasons for the U.S. entering WWI:
1. Investment in Allied Victory
 Many American banks began to invest heavily in Allied victory
 Some banks also invested in the Central Powers
 Most foreign loans required the approval of the secretary of Treasury, who was strongly
pro-British
 If the Allies won, the money would be paid back; if not, the money might be lost forever
2. The British Blockade
 The United States was unable to send supplies and food to Germany, because the British
navy set up a blockade to keep Germany from receiving supplies
 The U.S. was therefore only sending supplies and food to Great Britain and the other
Allies
 The blockade also kept any news about the war from Germany from reaching the United
States
 War news that reached the U.S. was almost entirely British news
3. German U-boats
 Germany decided they needed to starve France and Great Britain out of the war, by
cutting off the supplies and food coming from the United States
 They sent U-boats, which are submarines, to sink without warning any ship they found in
British waters
 Americans were outraged by Germany’s stance
 The British passenger liner Lusitania was sunk, killing 128 Americans on May 7,1915
Mrs. Magyar

The French passenger ship Sussex was torpedoed, injuring several Americans on board,
in March 1916
 Germany signed the Sussex Pledge, agreeing, with certain conditions, to stop sinking
merchant ships without warning
 Woodrow Wilson was re-elected president, running of the slogan, “He kept us out of the
war”
4. The Zimmerman Telegram
 In January 1917, German official Arthur Zimmerman telegraphed the German
ambassador to Mexico, asking him to make Mexico an offer
 Zimmerman proposed that Mexico side with Germany if the U.S. entered the war against
Germany and the other Central Powers
 Zimmerman promised Mexico that they would regain “lost territory in Texas, New
Mexico and Arizona” after the war
 British intelligence intercepted the Zimmerman telegram
 Shortly after, the letter was leaked to American newspapers
 Americans were outraged, and many concluded war with Germany was necessary
On February 1, 1917 Germany resumed unrestricted submarine warfare, violating the Sussex
Pledge
 Between February 3 and March 21, German U-boats sank 6 American merchant ships
without warning
President Woodrow Wilson appeared before a special session of Congress on April 2, 1917
to ask for a declaration of war against Germany
 The Senate passed the resolution on April 4
 The House of Representatives passed the resolution on April 6, and President Wilson
signed it
America was now at war