Transcript united states entry into wwi

UNITED STATES ENTRY
INTO WWI
Causes and
Consequences
ISOLATIONISM
• United States President, Woodrow Wilson promised the people he’d keep
America out of war, partly to win the re-election in 1916- Isolationism view
point
• England was unhappy we hadn’t joined as of yet.
• Wilson had an idea to form a League of Nations, an international
organization that would push to avoid war and promote global welfare.
CAUSES
• In 1915, the German U-Boats (submarines) sank a British passenger ship
with a torpedo, the Lusitania, that carried 128 Americans on it. The ship
was actually carrying supplies and ammunition headed towards the
Allies. (1,248 cases of 3-inch shells, 4,927 boxes of cartridges and 2,000
more cases of small-arms ammunition)
• Zimmerman Telegram: sent from Germany to Mexico…promised Mexico
that if Germany won the war, it would give control of Texas, Arizona, and
N.M. back to Mexico if Mexico joined Japan to declare war on the U.S.
• Germany warned that any ship around Britain would be sunk
US• Declares
ENTERS
WWI
war on Germany in April of 1917. Wilson thought it would be good
for the US economy, which was suffering from a depression.
• JOBS CREATED!!! But who benefitted??? Robber Barons???
• US creates the Selective Service Act
• Wilson, “This will be the war to end all wars”
SELECTIVE SERVICE ACT
• Ages 18-45 had to register for the draft
• Wilson wanted 1 million soldiers, but only had 73,000 at first
Not this draft
Espionage Act of 1917
• "Whoever, when the United States is at war, shall willfully cause or attempt
to cause insubordination, disloyalty, mutiny, or refusal of duty in the military
or naval forces of the United States, or shall willfully obstruct the recruiting
or enlistment service of the U.S. .. ."
• The Espionage Act was used to imprison Americans who spoke or wrote
against the war.
• People were arrested if they handed out leaflets speaking out against the
draft or war…or if they gave speeches supporting peace. 900 people were
arrested under the Espionage Act.