Transcript WORLD WAR I TO ENTER OR NOT TO ENTER?

WORLD WAR I
ENTER OR NOT TO ENTER?
This PowerPoint presentation will detail the tensions facing the
US before their participation in WWI.
WHY THE UNITED STATES DID
NOT WANT TO GO TO WAR
My Poor Baby
Everyday we hear of the millions who have been killed and can
only imagine the pain I would feel if my young son would enter
into this brutal war. These senseless killings only strengthen
support for. Everyday we see chilling newspaper articles about
young men who were killed in attack using chemicals of which
most have never heard. To think that people are being
murdered in such a horrific manner is overwhelming to think
about. Innocent lives are being taken away everyday by
constant bombings and vicious attacks using these poisonous
gases. Imagining a beloved one out on those fields enduring
the horrible living conditions (rats, lice, disease), lack of
supplies, and regular bombings sends a tear through my heart.
I pray that our country stays on its track but live in fear of the
possibility of war for the men, children, and wives of this
country.
Economics
I am a banker living here in the United States and it is my belief
that we must not get ourselves involved in the war and all the
chaos, that plagues Europe. As the sizes of the Armies have
expanded they have grown to sizes never heard of before in
history. With such huge armies the demands on the economy
are obvious, we will need to supply them with food, clothing,
guns and ammunition, places to train, and the means of
transportation. We were economically not ready to enter war.
American Neutrality
There have been many occasions that have occurred throughout
United States history which have tested the country as a
whole. The fighting, suffering, and carnage of WWI was one of
those occasions.
Should the US intervene to help restore order, or should
we choose to remain neutral using the safety provided by
our two great oceans?
 Should we dedicate ourselves political neutrality, while
also maintaining economic involvement in Europe, or
should we break all ties with Europe, even at the risk of
hurting our economy?
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Choosing the route of neutrality not only secures the safety of
the US, but it also improves our standing on the world scene
overall as we will not be seen as meddlers in yet another
European war
Sussex Pledge
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The suffering that America has experienced at sea
due to German U-boat attacks is, without a doubt,
tragic. However, with the Sussex pledge Germany
is now promising to end surprise attacks as long
as ships are willing to let German soldiers search
their ships when approached.
WILSON ANTI-WAR: Early 1917
As president of the United States it is in my and the country’s
best interest to stay out of any impending wars. Within this
dedication to our countries neutrality, we can insure our
national security and improve our relations with all nations.
My opinions may enforce my "man of peace" persona which I
could credit my Father with, who was a Presbyterian minister.
I believe that as the strong country we have the opportunity to
make a difference and help mediate any global issues that
come forth. These beliefs and this neutrality is something that
has led to my reelection in 1916. Hopefully these powerful
nations will respect and honor our decisions. I have made no
promises but am willing and ready to do anything to make sure
this will not be compromised, and neutrality is currently our
best option.
REASONS FOR U.S. ENTERING
WWI
Economics
I am a banker living here in the United States. We the United
States have huge investments with the British and the French.
If they do not succeed in the war, then they would not be able
pay their debt to us back. It amounts to about two billion
dollars while Germany has only borrowed a mere 27 million
from us. If the British and French can not / do not pay back
all of the loans that they have borrowed then we could be
facing economic ruin.
France and Britain are financing the war with our loans, while
also buying massive amounts of arms from our country
through credit. If we want to make sure that we get it all paid
back, then we need to make sure that our British and French
allies are victorious.
Sinking of the Lusitania
It was supposed to be another ordinary day. I was on the Lusitania and on my
way to Ireland. I remember the date exactly; it was May 1, 1915. The Lusitania was
one of the fastest ships and I felt extremely relaxed on it. It was a long journey ahead,
but I had no worries and no idea of what was lying ahead in the future. On the 7th of
May as the ship was nearing Ireland, at exactly 2:10 pm a torpedo was fired into the
Lusitania. The German submarine U 20 had fired it at the side of the ship. Before we
knew it there was another explosion and it ripped the liner apart. Everyone was
terrified and had no idea what was happening. The torpedo was so bad that the
lifeboats were crashing into the passengers aboard on the deck. I was one of the very
few people who were able to survive this horrible tragedy. After only 18 minutes the
ship was completely under the sea. 1,119 out of 1,924 people died and 114 of those
people were Americans. I thank God every night that I was one of the lucky ones to
survive.
Zimmerman Telegram
British spies were able to intercept and decode a secret telegram
between Germany and Mexico. The telegram encouraged Mexico to
declare war on the US. Even though the US was still considered
neutral German officials believed it was only a matter of time before
US forces joined in the fighting of WWI. Germany stated their
intention to resume unrestricted U-boat attacks in the Atlantic,
which would in turn force the US to join in the fighting. Once
victorious Germany promised to help Mexico regain all land they had
to lost to the US during the US Mexican war of 1848.
Zimmerman Telegram
Telegram Decoded
Wilson Pro-War: Late 1917
During the election of 1916 I stressed the importance of neutrality
and keeping our country safe. I believed that staying neutral would
have brought even more peace between us and other parts of the
world. Even though we had strong bonds with Britain, I felt like it
was my responsibility to protect those in our country from European
battlefields.
However, the actions of Germany have left us with no other choice
than to declare war. They are actively trying to turn our Mexican
neighbors against us. They are killing innocent Americans every
week as they continue their sneaking U-boat attacks. With Russia’s
recent surrender, we have no choice but to intervene on Britain and
France’s behalf as a German victory looks more and more likely. We
cannot allow dictators such as Kaiser Wilhelm in Germany spread
across Europe and it is our duty to “make the world safe for
democracy
Summary
Several reasons led to America finally joining World War I. Woodrow
Wilson wanted to follow through with his policy of neutrality, but
after certain events he had to take action. Some of those reasons
included the Zimmerman Telegram and the sinking of the Lusitania.
Numerous Americans died on the Lusitania and Wilson was not going
to take it. The Zimmerman Telegram hit another of Wilson's nerves.
Even though its intention was to get Mexico to go into war against
the U.S., it backfired and was one of the main reasons the U.S. joined
"the great war".
Prompt: Using the previous slides,
you are to decide if the United States
was justified in going in declaring
war against Germany during WWI.
Explain your reasoning in detail.
Use complete sentences
 Paragraph Minimum
List MULTIPLE examples in this PowerPoint to support
your position to earn a 4.
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