US HISTORY: SPICONARDI Causes of U.S. Entry into World War I
Transcript
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US HISTORY: SPICONARDI Causes of U.S. Entry into World War
I
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Quotes: Question: impartial in thought as well as action.
~Woodrow Wilson, 1914 He kept us out of war. ~Wilson re-election
campaign slogan, 1916 The world must be made safe for democracy.
~Wilsons request for a declaration of war, April 2, 1917 By the end
of the period, you will be able to express your opinion: Did the
U.S. policy contradict Wilsons earlier statements and therefore
involve the U.S. in the war, OR Did circumstances beyond the United
States control lead the nation to break its policy of neutrality?
From the Mouth of President Woodrow Wilson
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Neutrality At the start of the war, the official U.S. policy
was neutrality NNeutrality not favoring one side over the other in
a dispute. However neutrality isnt quite so easy when the opposing
sides are England and Germany
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Of which ethnicity can most Americans claim decent? What
language do we speak? Who founded this country? Who was are biggest
trade partner?
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The Road to U.S. Involvement Exports TThe British blockaded the
North Sea to prevent Germany from receiving goods UU.S. exports to
Germany dropped from $345 million at the start of the war to $29
million by 1916. OOn the flipside, exports to nations of the Allies
increased fourfold Loans TThe U.S. government loaned more than $2
billion to the Allies by 1917 Is this neutrality? MMost Americans
didnt think so.
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Propaganda Propaganda the spreading of ideas or beliefs to help
a particular cause and/or hurt an opposing cause The Allies
controlled the transatlantic cable, so they controlled the
information leaving Europe and entering America Lets look at some
examples
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How would this British propaganda poster appeal to
Americans?
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The Road to U.S. Involvement German Submarine Warfare (U-boats)
Germans violated international law and sank all ships in the
warzone. This is known as UNRESTRICTED submarine warfare Germans
believed this was the only way they could end the British Blockade
Wilson knew this would impede munitions shipments to England
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The Road to U.S. Involvement Sinking of the Lusitania In 1915,
a passenger liner left New York City carrying 1200 passengers, food
and 4.2 million rounds of ammunition for Remington rifles. Who do
you think the ammunition was for? Germany announced that any Allied
ships in the warzone would be sunk A German submarine sinks the
Lusitania, on which 128 Americans died
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The Road to U.S. Involvement Many Americans call for the ban of
Americans sailing on Allied ships Wilson rejects this call He
believed Americans had the freedom to sail on whatever vessels they
wanted and demanded Germans stop unrestricted submarine warfare
Germany did not want to go to war with the U.S. and promised not to
sink any more ships without warning, but
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The Road to U.S. Involvement Two other ships carrying Americans
were sunk
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The Road to U.S. Involvement The Zimmerman Telegram British
intelligence intercepted and decoded a message sent from Germany to
their ambassador in Mexico The telegram stated If the Mexican
government joined a military alliance against the U.S., the Germany
would help Mexico recover the territories it lost in the Mexican-
American War of 1848 Wilson asks Congress to arm merchant ships to
protect American lives and commerce.
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The Road to U.S. Involvement In 1917, Germany sank 4 additional
U.S. merchant ships, but that wasnt the biggest surprise of
1917
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The Road to U.S. Involvement The Russian Revolution In March of
1917, the Czar of Russia was overthrown and a new democratic
government More Americans could support entering a war on the side
of a country that no longer had a tyrant as its leader One year
later, under communist leadership, Russia would surrender to
Germany and drop out of the war
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Declaration of War On April 2, 1917, President Wilson asks
Congress for a declaration of War The world must be made safe for
democracy. Do you think this is the real reason Wilson wanted
American to enter the war?
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Quotes: Question: impartial in thought as well as action.
~Woodrow Wilson, 1914 He kept us out of war. ~Wilson re-election
campaign slogan, 1916 The world must be made safe for democracy.
~Wilsons request for a declaration of war, April 2, 1917 By the end
of the period, you will be able to express your opinion: Did the
U.S. policy contradict Wilsons earlier statements and therefore
involve the U.S. in the war, OR Did circumstances beyond the United
States control lead the nation to break its policy of neutrality?
From the Mouth of President Woodrow Wilson