Transcript Here Comes the United States

United States
Entry into the
Great War
Androstic
2011-2012
Modern World History
Russia exits the war…
 Russia left the war with a
cease-fire in December
1917.
 Russia settles the terms of
peace with Germany in
the Treaty of BrestLitovsk in March, 1918.
 The Treaty of Brest-
Litovsk pulled Russia out
of the war, weakened the
overall force of the Allied
Powers.
Russian diplomats arriving in Brest-Litovsk,
1918.
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
German
Russian
Hungarian
Bulgarian
Turkish
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
Russia signed the treaty to exit the
war, turning over control of
Poland, Ukraine, Finland, and
the Baltic provinces.
All of these territories he expected
back when socialist revolutions
spread through Europe.
The United State’s stance in the beginning of the
war:
At the beginning of the Great War, the United States
declared their neutrality – taking no sides, and fighting
for neither side.
The U.S. would trade and sell goods to both sides.
However, they did more business with the Allied
Powers.
With Germany’s naval blockage around Great Britain,
war was inevitable.
 Woodrow Wilson,
President of the United
States.
 Wanted to remain
neutral
 But was secretly looking
for an excuse to join
war…
 he found one…
Actually, he found several
reasons to enter the Great
War.
Causes of U.S. entry into World War I.
Germany declared a “war
zone” around Great
Britain, indicating that
they would sink ships
that attempted to enter
Britain.
This strategy was meant to
cut Britain off from
supplies and choke the
life out of the people.
Causes of U.S. entry into World War I.
Germany sunk vessels that
carried the American
passengers, including:
 Lusitania (1915)
British ship
 Sussex (1916)
French ship
Was the sinking of the
Lusitania justified?
 U.S. claimed the Lusitania carried an innocent cargo
 Lusitania was in fact heavily armed;*
 1,248 cases shells
 4,927 boxes of cartridges (1,000 round/box)
 2,000 cases of small-arms ammunition
*Information from Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States
Causes of U.S. entry into World War I.
The sinking of the Sussex
brought the United
States close to declaring
war.
However, the Sussex Pledge
maintained peace. It
stated that the U.S.
would maintain contact
with Germany in
exchange for no more
attacks on merchant
ships.
Causes of U.S. entry into World War I.
Germany would later violate
the Sussex Pledge,
returning to unrestricted
submarine warfare in
January of 1917.
Causes of U.S. entry into World War I.
Lastly, the Zimmermann
note would be the final
straw, causing the United
States to declare war.
The Zimmermann Note
The Zimmermann Note
was written by Arthur
Zimmermann and sent
to the German
ambassador in Mexico
suggesting an alliance
between the two
nations.
The Zimmermann Note
The Zimmermann Note
encouraged Mexico to
attack the United
States.
They would receive support
from Germany to help
them regain the
territories that were TX,
AZ and NM.
Zimmerman Note read:
"We intend to begin on the first of February unrestricted submarine
warfare. We shall endeavor in spite of this to keep the United States
of America neutral. In the event of this not succeeding, we make
Mexico a proposal or alliance on the following basis: make war
together, make peace together, generous financial support and an
understanding on our part that Mexico is to reconquer the lost
territory in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. The settlement in
detail is left to you. You will inform the President of the above most
secretly as soon as the outbreak of war with the United States of
America is certain and add the suggestion that he should, on his own
initiative, invite Japan to immediate adherence and at the same time
mediate between Japan and ourselves. Please call the President's
attention to the fact that the ruthless employment of our submarines
now offers the prospect of compelling England in a few months to
make peace."
Signed, ZIMMERMANN.
The Zimmermann Note
• The British intercepted and decoded the telegraph
and gave it to the Americans in February.
• The American public was incensed and war is
declared in April 1917.
• Ironically, the Mexicans had turned the Germans
down because they didn’t want a full-scale war with
the U.S., they didn’t think the Germans would be
able to follow through, and the Mexicans wouldn’t
be able to effectively govern all the English-speaking
folks even if they did retake the territory.
MEXICO WOULD
GET ALL OF
THIS!
With these events, the United States
was driven to join the war, and it was
just in time. The United States
entered the war shortly before Russia
left the war. Reinforcement from the
U.S. was needed by the Allied
Powers to be successful.