Transcript Chapter 22 From Neutrality to War

Chapter 22 From Neutrality to War
Was it in the national interest of the United
States to stay neutral or declare war in 1917?
Introduction
 European countries had
strained relationships
 Jun 28, 1914 Archduke Franz
Ferdinand was visiting
Sarajevo, Austria-Hungary.
 Terrorist bombed their car
 Franz and wife Sophie
unharmed
 Later on the route another
terrorist shot & killed the
couple
Archduke Ferdinand Began War?
 Murders set off a chain reaction
 Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia
 Terrorists were Serbian
 Bosnia had been taken over by Austria-Hungary years
earlier
 Russia sided w/ Serbia & declared war on AustriaHungary
 Germany declared war on Russia & France
 Britain came to France’s defense & declared war on
Germany
United States Tries to Stay Neutral
 Conflict seemed distant to Americans
 Nationalism important in Europe
 Nationalism is a strong feeling of pride in and loyalty to nation or
ethnic group.
 Militarism
 Policy of glorifying military power and values.
 System of Alliances required member nations to come to one
another’s aid in case of attack
Ideological Causes of War
 Nationalism
 Nationalism is a
strong feeling of
pride in and loyalty
to nation or ethnic
group.
 EXAMPLE: Germany grew
rapidly and Kaiser Wilhelm II
wanted to be a world leader.
 Militarism
 Policy of glorifying
military power and
values.
 EXAMPLE: When Germany
modernized its army and
navy, Britain felt it had to as
well.
Central vs. Allied Powers
 CENTRAL
ALLIED
POWERS
POWERS
AustriaFrance
Hungary

Britain
Germany
Russia
Ottoman
Empire
Wilson Adopts Policy of Neutrality
 U.S. would not takes sides in conflict
 It would offer loans and sell weapons and supplies to
both sides
What problems do you
foresee w/ neutrality?
Neutrality Cont’d
 Many Americans happy w/
neutrality
 Even George Washington
had warned of the evils of
“entangling alliances”
 BUT…
 In 1914 1/3 of United
States population were
either foreign-born or the
children of foreign-born
 Many of these people had
emotional ties to countries
at war
War on Two Fronts in Europe
 Eastern Front
 Russia advanced into Germany & Austria-Hungary
 Western Front
 German troops marched into Belgium and France
 By end of 1914, war on the western front had turned into a
stalemate
 Famous book All Quiet on the Western Front
Challenges to U.S. Policy of Neutrality
 Britain blockaded ships headed to Germany
 Turned back any ships w/ weapons, food & supplies (even those
from U.S.)
 Wilson complained but did not take action
U-Boat Attacks Increase Tension
 In February 1915 Germany found a way to challenge British
blockade via submarine attacks
 Called U-boats for unterseeboot (“undersea boat”)
 International law allowed warships that ability to stop and
search merchant ships.
 Could sink ship if passengers and crew were removed first
 U-boats did not have the capacity to warn merchant ships
w/o losing element of surprise
Wilson & “Strict Accountability
 Protested sinking of merchant ships w/o protecting lives
of passengers
 Said that U.S. would hold Germany to “strict
accountability” for any American casualties in such
attacks.
 Lusitania was sunk on May 7, 1915 w/o warning.
 128 Americans killed
Sussex Pledge
 After a couple of more smaller-scale merchant ship
attacks, Germany promised to spare all lives in any
future U-boat attacks AS LONG AS the U.S. forced
Britain to end its illegal blockade
 Wilson accepted pledge but not condition
Preparedness Movement
 Teddy Roosevelt pointed out that
U.S. was ill-prepared for war
should it need to fight.
 He did not approve of neutrality
(although he didn’t advocate for
one side initially)
 Wilson heeded and began to
advocate building up the navy
Propaganda
 Propaganda: Info or rumor
spread by a group or a gov’t
to garner support for their
side.
 Both Allies & Central powers
launched propaganda
campaigns
 Allies most successful
 Alleged atrocities of German
soldiers advertised
United States Declares a “War to End
All Wars”
 Zimmermann Note Stirs up Anti-
German sentiment
 German foreign minister to Mexico
Arthur Zimmermann wrote that if
the U.S. should join the war, Mexico
and Germany should become allies
and Germany would help Mexico
regain “Lost territory in New
Mexico, Texas and Arizona.”
Czar Nicholas II in Russia
 March 1917 Czar Nicholass II was killed
 Democrats took over
 At beginning of war, Wilson hadn’t wanted to side w/ a
dictator.
 Now Russia was a “fit” partner
U.S. Enters War
 April 2, 1917
 Wilson told Congress that neutrality was no longer feasible
 On April 4, 1917:
 Senate voted 82 to 6
 House voted 373 to 50
THE UNITED STATES WAS GOING TO WAR.