Transcript US INVOLVEMENT IN WWI

Why US Got Involved
IN WWI
Causes of American Involvement
 1.
Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
 2. British propaganda
 3. Zimmerman Telegraph
 4. Russian Revolution
Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
 Germany
created new submarine
called the ”U-Boat”
 May 7th, 1915-British passenger liner
the “Lusitania” sunk off the coast of
Ireland
 Killed 128 Americans
The Lusitania
British Propaganda
 The
British sent news of the war to
US newspapers everyday
 Full of Propaganda
 Led the American public to be
sympathetic toward the British
British Propaganda
British Propaganda
British Propaganda
British Propaganda
British Propaganda
Zimmerman Telegram
 March
1917-British authorities gave
the US a telegram that was
supposedly sent to Mexico from
Germany
 It asked Mexico to declare war on
the US and they would be supported
by Germany
 Germany promised Mexico
Southwest U.S.
Russian Revolution
 March
1917-Russia left WWI due to a
Revolution in their own country
 Germany now would concentrate
totally on the Western Front
 Pleas from Great Britain and France
to join the war effort
Declaration of War
 April
2, 1917-Wilson asks Congress
to declare war on Germany
 “April 6th-Congress votes and
declares war
Mobilization
Europe needed
munitions and
supplies-immediate
action
 Encouraged people
to eat less meat
and bread
 Invented Daylight
Savings to
conserve fuel

Mobilization
Convinced
Americans to put
savings into
“Liberty Bonds”
 Increased income
tax, business tax,
and excise tax

US Propaganda
Made heroes out of
soldiers and villains
out of the Germans
 Attacked and gave
new names to
anything that
sounded German

US Propaganda
US Propaganda
Minorities
 Women-Entered
the workforce in
mass, took the jobs of soldiers
fighting in Europe
 Mexicans-immigrating in mass to get
agricultural work in the southwest
 African-Americans-400,000
volunteered for the armed services,
served in non-combat roles, and in
segregated units
Armed Forces


Thousands
volunteered
Selective Service
Act (1917)-2.8
million drafted by
lottery
Wilson’s Plan
 Called
the 14 points
 Points 1-5-Remove the Causes of
War
– Freedom of Seas
– Prohibit secret treaties
– Reduce Arms
– Reduce colonies
– Self-Determination-each person allowed
to move to country of their nationality
Wilson’s Plan
 Points
6-13-Boundary Changes
 Point 14-League of Nations
Treaty of Versailles
 January
 Big
1919-Paris
Four
– Woodrow Wilson-US
– David Lloyd George-Great Britain
– Georges Clemenceau-France
– Vittorio Orlando-Italy
Treaty of Versailles
 Wilson
wanted this to be the “war to
end all wars”
 Others wanted revenge
 Months of arguing
 Wilson compromised on all of his 14
points except one
Treaty of Versailles
Provisions
 1.
Germany was disarmed, stripped
of colonies, forced to admit guilt,
occupation of Rhineland, and had to
pay reparations (war debt) to
England and France
 2. Many boundary changes
 3. Established a League of Nations
Boundary Changes
Weakness of Treaty
 Central
Powers not invited
 Russia not invited-took land away
 Germany blamed
 Led to three wars
– WWII
– Cold War
– Vietnam War
US Rejection of Treaty
 Senate
voted twice on treaty
 Rejected both times
 Never ratified the Treaty of Versailles
or joined the League of Nations