Download america enters war

America the Neutral
For the first three
years of World
War I, the U.S.
remained neutral
Wilson won re-election
in presidential election
of 1916, using the
slogan “He kept us out
of war.”
America the Neutral
Although most Americans did not want to be
involved in World War I, several events drew the
United States into the conflict.
German U-boat attacks
In February of 1915,
Germany announced
that it would sink any
ship located in the
waters around Britain.
Soon after, Germany
began unlimited
submarine warfare in
the Atlantic Ocean
Lusitania Sunk
In May 1915, a German U-boat sank
the British cruise ship Lusitania,
killing over 1,200 people, including
128 Americans.
Sinking of the Lusitania
While this angered many Americans, it still was
not enough to get the U.S. to enter the war.
Unrestricted U-Boat attacks
Angered by attacks on passenger ships, President
Wilson threatened to declare war with Germany
The Sussex Pledge
Germany responded by making the Sussex Pledge, a
promise not to sink merchant ships without warning
U-Boat attacks resume
But in January of 1917, Germany rescinded the
Sussex Pledge and reinstituted unrestricted
submarine warfare.
U-Boat attacks resume
It was Germany’s use of unrestricted
submarine warfare that was the major reason
that the United States entered World War I.
Zimmerman Telegram
The Zimmerman
Telegram was an
alleged telegram
from Germany to
Mexico.
It promised Mexico land
in exchange for going to
war with the U.S.
Zimmerman Telegram
The Zimmerman Telegram was the last straw for
most Americans in turning against Germany
Sinking_of_the_Lusitania_and_the_Zimme
rman_Telegram.asf
Strong ties with Britain
One last reason the
United States joined with
the Allies was its strong
cultural ties with Great
Britain
By 1917,
the U.S.
was ready
to join the
conflict
U.S. enters World War I
One day after German subs sank seven U.S. ships,
on April 6, 1917, Congress declared war on Germany
Protecting Democracy
President Woodrow Wilson
said that “The world must be
made safe for democracy.”