Download Lusitania - Joshua ISD

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The United States Declares War
TEKS
3(B), 24(A), 26(A)
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Listen
• As World War I continued in Europe, tensions between the United States and Germany increased.
Much of the conflict resulted from a new German weapon, the U-boat, a submarine that changed
the rules of naval warfare. The U-boat would remain hidden and fire on ships without warning.
German U-boats attacked British ships at will as well as neutral American ships suspected of
carrying weapons. In 1915 a U-boat torpedoed a British ship, the Lusitania, rightly suspected of
carrying weapons. Included among the dead were 128 Americans.
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Lusitania
U-Boats
Propaganda
Listen
• As U-boats continued to attack Allied ships, President Wilson demanded that
Germany agree to the Sussex Pledge, a promise not to attack ships without warning.
Then in 1917 Germany withdrew its promise and continued unrestricted submarine
warfare. Wilson’s hopes of remaining neutral were fading.
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Listen
• Germany did refrain from attacking American ships for a time, but the British
intercepted a telegram from the German foreign secretary, Arthur Zimmermann, to
the Mexican government promising the American Southwest to Mexico if it declared
war on the United States. Most people did not take this Zimmermann Note
seriously, but it pushed America closer to war.
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Zimmerman Note
Listen
• In 1917 the Russian Revolution overthrew the Czar. Americans had always used the
non-democratic Russian government as an excuse for not allying themselves with the
Allies. With the Czar gone, Americans were now more willing to join the Allies. The
final straw came when Germany sank three more American ships. President Wilson
officially declared war on the Central Powers on April 6, 1917.
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Russian Revolution
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The United States Declares War
Begin Taking Notes
1.How did Germany’s use of submarines affect the war?
2.What moves did the United States take toward war in early 1917?
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German Submarine Warfare
• To break a stalemate at sea, Germany began to employ U-boats, short for Unterseeboot, the
German word for submarine. U-boats, traveling under water, could sink British supply ships with no
warning.
• When the British cut the transatlantic cable, which connected Germany and the United States,
only news with a pro-Allied bias was able to reach America. American public opinion was therefore
swayed against Germany’s U-boat tactics.
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The Lusitania and the Sussex Pledge
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The Sinking of the Lusitania
• On May 7,1915, a German U-boat sank the British passenger liner Lusitania, which had been carrying both passengers
and weapons for the Allies.
• Since 128 American passengers had been on board, the sinking of the Lusitania brought the United States closer to
involvement in the war.
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The Sussex Pledge
• More Americans were killed when Germany sank the Sussex, a French passenger steamship, on March 24,1916.
• In what came to be known as the Sussex pledge, the German government promised that U-boats would warn ships
before attacking, a promise it had made and broken before.
Moving Toward War
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Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
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The Zimmermann Note
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On January 31, 1917, Germany announced its intent to end the Sussex pledge and return to unrestricted submarine warfare.
This action caused the United States to break off diplomatic relations with Germany.
Despite this announcement, the German navy did not attack any American ships in February, causing the United States to continue to hope for peace.
During this time, Britain revealed an intercepted telegram to the government of Mexico from Germany’s foreign minister, Arthur Zimmermann.
In this telegram, known as the Zimmermann note, Germany offered to return American lands to Mexico if Mexico declared war on the United
States.
Neither Mexico nor President Wilson took the Zimmermann note seriously, but it brought America closer to entering the war.
The War Resolution
• When the Russian Revolution replaced Russia’s autocratic czar with a republican government in March 1917, the United
States no longer needed to be concerned about allying itself with an autocratic nation. This removed one more
stumbling block to an American declaration of war.
• As Germany continued to sink American ships in March, President Wilson’s patience for neutrality wore out. On April
6, 1917, the President signed Congress’s war resolution, officially bringing the United States into the war.
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The United States Declares War—Assessment
What was the significance of the Lusitania?
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
Its sinking brought America closer to entering the war.
The weapons it carried helped Britain gain an advantage.
Its crew delivered the Zimmermann note.
It inspired the Sussex pledge.
Why did the Russian Revolution help bring America into the war?
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
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It helped the German navy sink British ships.
It caused the deaths of many Americans.
It set up a republican government in Russia, an Allied nation.
It promised American lands to Mexico in exchange for an invasion.
The United States Declares War—Assessment
What was the significance of the Lusitania?
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
Its sinking brought America closer to entering the war.
The weapons it carried helped Britain gain an advantage.
Its crew delivered the Zimmermann note.
It inspired the Sussex pledge.
Why did the Russian Revolution help bring America into the war?
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
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It helped the German navy sink British ships.
It caused the deaths of many Americans.
It set up a republican government in Russia, an Allied nation.
It promised American lands to Mexico in exchange for an invasion.
Work
Look over your notes from today.
1. Answer the 2 questions from today’s lecture.
2. In five sentences, write a brief summary of what we went over in class today. Use the highlighted key terms in your
summary!
• Title the paper the same as the Lecture Notes.
• Make sure to put your Name, Date, and Period in the upper right hand corner of your page.
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• Turn this in at the beginning of class tomorrow – put it in the hand-in/collection basket.
• Worth 25 out of 100 points for this week’s Daily grade.
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