Download THE AMERICAN ENTRY INTO WORLD WAR I

THE AMERICAN ENTRY INTO WORLD WAR I
04 AUG 1914: War breaks out in Europe. President Wilson declares America neutral.
06 AUG 1914: Secretary of State Bryan asks belligerents to accept the Declaration of London as a guide for
waging war and defining neutral rights. Central powers accept immediately, conditional upon
allied acceptance. France accepts, conditional upon British acceptance.
15 AUG 1914: The U.S. government announces its opposition to permitting private bankers to make loans to
belligerents, saying that allowing loans was not consistent with the true spirit of neutrality.
18 AUG 1914: President Wilson appeals to the American people to be "impartial in
thought as well as in action."
26-28 SEP 1914: U.S. protest to Order in Council which severely restricts what can be traded. A vigorous note
is drafted, insisting on respect for neutral rights, but Wilson's advisor, Col. Edward House
succeeds in having it set aside. A milder remonstrance is sent, stressing the ill effects of British
policy on American public opinion rather than neutral rights.
OCT 1914: President Wilson privately (and orally) informs bankers that the government will not oppose the
extension of credit (but still not outright loans) to the allies.
22 OCT 1914: The United States abandons its efforts to make the Declaration of London effective.
03 NOV 1914: Britain declares the North Sea a military area, and proceeds to mine it. Now no one can enter
the area without British protection. This effectively blockades the North Sea coast.
23 DEC 1914: Order in Council revives the DOCTRINE OF CONTINUOUS VOYAGE to prevent American trade
with countries near Germany. The blockade of Europe tightens.
04 FEB 1915: SUBMARINE WAR ZONE. Germany declares that British attempts to starve Germans by illegal
practices and American acquiescence in those practices have made it necessary for Germany to
take exceptional measures to protect itself.
10 FEB 1915: The U.S. government declares that Germany will be held to "STRICT ACCOUNTABILITY" for any
American lives lost in the War Zone. (read the text now)
11 MAR 1915: Britain declares a blockade of all German ports, and notes that all merchant ships bound to or
from such ports will be liable to seizure and confiscation.
01 MAY 1915: The German embassy takes out ads in the New York newspapers, warning Americans that they
might be in danger if they choose to sail on ships belonging to any nation involved in the war.
Later that day, the British passenger liner Lusitania sails from New York with 197 Americans
abroad.
07 MAY 1915: LUSITANIA is sunk by a German torpedo. 1198 persons die, 128 of them American citizens.
Although the ship was carrying 4200 cases of small arms ammunition and other contraband,
and although she was carrying secret orders to ram on sight any submarine, American rage
explodes.
12 MAY 1915: Britain releases the BOYCE REPORT on alleged German atrocities in Belgium.
13 MAY 1915: FIRST LUSITANIA NOTE. Wilson writes to Germany
a. Upholding "indisputable" right of Americans to sail the high seas.
b. Demanding that Germany disavow the sinking of the Lusitania.
c. Demanding reparations for damage involved in Lusitania sinking.
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d. Demanding that Germany abandon unrestricted submarine warfare.
e. Reiterating "Strict Accountability."
28 MAY 1915: Germany responds to the First Lusitania note by claiming that the Lusitania was really acting
more as an armed warship than as a protected passenger liner, and by justifying the sinking as
an act of "just self-defense."
06 JUN 1915: Germany issues a secret order to its submarine commanders to the effect that passenger ships,
of whatever nationality, are no longer to be attacked. NOTE THAT THIS ORDER IS NOT MADE
PUBLIC.
07 JUN 1915: Secretary of State Bryan, charging that the Second Lusitania Note then in preparation is too
strong and might trigger war, resigns.
09 JUN 1915: Second Lusitania Note.
a. Denies Germany's claim that special circumstances justified unrestricted submarine warfare.
b. Demands specific pledges of future safety of American citizens.
21 JUL 1915: Third Lusitania Note warns Germany that future sinkings involving American citizens will be
regarded as "deliberately unfriendly" acts toward the United States, requiring appropriate
response.
24 JUL 1915: The U.S. Secret Service obtains possession of German documents revealing German sabotage
activity in the United States. Publication leads to the recall of the Austro-Hungarian ambassador
and of German attaches Franz von Papen and Karl Boy-Ed.
19 AUG 1915: ARABIC AFFAIR. A German submarine, by mistake or in violation of instructions, sinks the British
passenger liner Arabic. Two American passengers are killed. Secretary of State Lansing
recommends ending diplomatic relations with Germany, but fears the country will not support
such action.
01 SEP 1915: ARABIC PLEDGE. German Ambassador to the U.S. Johann von Berstoff promises, on his own
authority and without authorization from Berlin, that "Liners will not be sunk by our submarines
without warning and without safety of the lives of non-combatants, provided that the liners do
not try to escape or offer resistance." During the rest of 1915, German submarines confine their
attacks to freighters, respecting the Arabic pledge.
SEP 1915: President Wilson lifts the ban on direct loans to belligerents by American bankers. By the time U.S.
enters the war, American investors will have purchased $2,300,000,000 in Allied bonds. U.S.
trade with the Allies rises from $800,000,000 in 1914 to $3,000,000,000 in 1916. During the same
period, trade with Austria-Hungary and Germany drops from $169,289,775 to $1,159,653.
05 OCT 1915: The Arabic Apology.
a. Germany apologizes for the sinking of the Arabic.
b. Germany offers to pay damages to the families of the killed Americans.
c. Germany announces that submarine commanders have received orders "so stringent that a
recurrence of incidents similar to the Arabic case is considered out of the question."
21 NOV 1915: Germany issues a secret order to submarine commanders to regard all ships in the English
channel as troop transports, which could be sunk legally.
08 FEB 1916: Germany declares publicly that all armed enemy merchant ships will be sunk without warning,
beginning 1 MAR 1916.
22 FEB 1916: HOUSE-GREY MEMORANDUM
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a. "On hearing from France and England that the moment was opportune," President Wilson will
summon a peace conference.
b. Should the Allies agree to come to the conference, and the Germans refuse, the United States
will "probably enter the war against Germany."
24 FEB 1916: Responding to the McLemore Resolution, Wilson informs the Senate Committee on Foreign
Relations that he could not consent to "any abridgement of the rights of American citizens in any
respect."
25 FEB 1916: The Gore Resolution is introduced in the Senate.
a. would deny passports to Americans seeking passage on armed belligerent vessels.
b. demands protection of American trade in noncontraband items from Allied restrictions.
03 MAR 1916: The Gore Resolutions is tabled. Wilson declares that US nationals whould not be restricted on
what ships they can travel on. Americans should keep their rights.
06 MAR 1916: Wilson endorses the House-Grey Memorandum.
24 MAR 1916: SUSSEX INCIDENT. The Sussex, an unarmed French passenger ship, is sunk in the English
channel, causing injury to several Americans. Lansing again recommends a break in relations.
18 APR 1916: SUSSEX ULTIMATUM. Wilson tells Germany that unless that nation immediately abandons its
present methods of submarine warfare, the U.S. will break relations with it.
04 MAY 1916: SUSSEX PLEDGE: Germany agrees to stop sinking unresisting liners and merchantmen without
warning and with "proper humanitarian precautions," but assumes that Washington will now
insist that other belligerents enforce the "laws of humanity" and respect "the rules of
international law." (The reference is to the British "starvation" blockade.) Should the relaxation of
the blockade not occur, Germany "would then be facing and new situation in which it must
reserve to itself complete liberty of decision."
08 MAY 1916: Wilson accepts the Sussex Pledge, but rejects the attached condition.
18 JUL 1916: The British publish a blacklist of 85 American individuals and firmswhich, because of suspected
dealings with the Central Powers, are to be denied the use of British banking, shipping, and cable
facilities. American resentment rises.
08 SEP 1916: The largest peacetime naval appropriation in American History is passed, authorizing the United
States to build a "navy second to none."
08-09 JAN 1917: PLESS CASTLE CONFERENCE. German generals, admirals, and government officials decide to
resume unrestricted submarine warfare. This decision is not made public.
19 JAN 1917: ZIMMERMAN NOTE. Note sent in code by telegram from German foreign Secretary Arthur
Zimmerman to Heinrich von Eckhardt, German minister to Mexico.
a. If war breaks out, von Eckhardt is to propose a German-Mexican alliance against the United
States.
1) The two sides to make war and peace together.
2) Germany to give "generous financial support" to Mexico
3) Mexico to "reconquer the lost territory in New Mexico, Texas, and
Arizona."
4) Mexico to urge Japan to join the Central Powers.
b. Message is immediately intercepted and decoded by British Intelligence.
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22 JAN 1917: "PEACE WITHOUT VICTORY" SPEECH: In a speech to the Senate, Wilson depicts his program for a
desirable peace settlement:
a. "Peace without victory" to stop the war without arousing the need for revenge in any nation.
b. A League of Nations to guarantee an enduring world peace.
31 JAN 1917: Germany announces that, beginning 01 FEB 1917, unrestricted submarine warfare against all
shipping, neutral as well as belligerent, will be resumed. The U.S. will be permitted to send one
ship each week to England, provided it meets certain conditions established by the Germans.
Lansing again requests a break in relations.
03 FEB 1917: U.S.S. Housatonic sunk by submarine, after being warned.
24 FEB 1917: The British give U.S. Ambassador to England Walter Hines Page a copy of the Zimmerman note.
He immediately transmits it to Washington.
25 FEB 1917: British ship Laconia sunk by a German submarine. Two Americans killed.
01 MAR 1917: The Zimmerman note is released to the American press.
12 MAR 1917: On the advice of Lansing, Wilson announces that he is legally able to order the arming of
merchantmen on his own authority, and so orders.
12 MAR 1917: S.S. Algonquin, an unarmed American merchantman, sunk without warning. On the 16th
American ships City of Memphis, Illinois, and Vigilancia sunk.
16 MAR 1917: Russia comes under the control of a liberal democratic Provisional Government upon abdication
of the tsar. The new regime proclaims civil liberties for all and recognizes equality of all citizens
without social, racial, or religious discriminations.
20 MAR 1917: Wilson's cabinet unanimously recommends war with Germany.
21 MAR 1917: Wilson calls for a special session of Congress to convene on 02 APR.
02 APR 1917: Congress meets. Wilson asks for a resolution for war.
04 APR 1917: War resolution passes Senate, 82-6.
06 APR 1917: War resolution passes House, 373-50. Wilson immediately declares war on Germany.
The United States is now a full participant in the war, but note that it never signs a formal alliance with the
anti-German forces. Allied Powers now become known as the "Allied and Associated Powers," with the United
States being the principal associated power.
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