In 1916 Woodrow Wilson ran for re-election as the Democratic candidate for

president on the promise of continued neutrality in WWI and in Mexico…unless

the U.S. was threatened…

“I kept us out of war!”

Wilson narrowly defeated Charles Evans Hughes on the basis of his campaign

promise of neutrality…despite his belief that the U.S. was likely to be brought into the war

So…why neutrality?

Or, in reality,“Is America neutral?”

U.S. Neutrality• Planned to trade with both sides• Isolationism – a policy of avoiding political or military

involvement with other countries• Most Americans favored Britain and France

– Historical and cultural connections– Economic ties– Honored Britain’s illegal blockade of the continent– British had cut the Trans-Atlantic Telegraph Cable so all news

filtered through Britain and was anti-German• British Propaganda flooded into the US• By 1917, the U.S. had loaned $2.25 billion to the Allies and

nothing to the Central Powers

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Torpedo_narrow_miss.jpg

The British Naval Blockade

• British Navy cuts off German trade• Crop failures led to food shortage in

Germany• German survival threatened by lack of US

trade• The Germans respond with unrestricted

submarine warfare

The American public was outraged. Some blamed

the British, but most blamed Germany.

The Germans promised to stop attacking neutral

ships, but some people in the U.S. government did

not believe them.

Sec. of State William Jennings Bryan urged

Wilson to prohibit Americans from traveling

on belligerent ships. When Wilson refused,

Bryan resigned.

The U-Boat Response

• German attacks violated rules of war• May 7th, 1915 a German U-boat torpedoed a British

passenger ship – The Lusitania– 128 Americans among 1198 dead– Americans were outraged; Germany promised not to

attack neutral ships– Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan resigned after

Wilson refused to prohibit Americans from traveling on belligerent ships

• Unrestricted submarine warfare resumed in 1917

Zimmermann Telegram

• Sent to Mexico by German official– Germans ask Mexico to attack U.S.– In exchange, Germans promise Mexico

control of U.S. territory after the war– Mexican-American relations at an all time low

• British intercepted the message and made it public

The February Revolution

Tsar Nicholas II is forced to abdicate the throne

(Rasputin = Crazy)

The October Revolution

Bolsheviks led by Lenin come in to power

March 3, 1918 – The Russians signed a separate peace with Germany: The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

The Allies feared thebalance of power inEurope would tip tothe Central Powers

Russian Revolution(Feb. – Nov. 1917)

• March 1917: Tsar Nicholas II forced to abdicate; Russia effectively out of WWI

• Bolsheviks come to power as a result of the October Revolution

• New Russian government signed a separate peace with Germany– Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (Mar. 3, 1918)

• Tip in the balance of power in the war which could potentially end the European stalemate

In April of 1917 Wilson asked Congress

to declare war on the Central Powers

to“make the world

safe for democracy!”

The fresh American troops boosted morale in Europe

The U.S. provided supplies, financial aid, and troops

U.S. Declaration of War (April 6th, 1917)

• Unrestricted U-Boat warfare resumed in 1917

• Wilson asked Congress for a declaration of war

• Fresh troops boost morale of weary European soldiers

• US provided supplies, financial aid, and troops

The Espionage and Sedition Actsbanned all sorts of things

Prohibited “insubordination, disloyalty and refusal of duty in the military services.”

The Postmaster General could ban

select magazines

It was illegal to slander the government, uniform, or flag

Punishment for violations was up to 20 years in jail

The Creel Committee was created to produce and distribute propaganda

The age range for eligible draftees was set at 18-45

“A man who can’t lend his government $1.25 per week at the rate of 4 percent interest is not entitled to be an American citizen”

- Secretary of the Treasury William Gibbs McAdoo 

Mobilization and Shift in Policies

• Espionage and Sedition Acts (1917)– Prohibited “insubordination, disloyalty and refusal of duty in the

military services.”– Postmaster General could ban select magazines.– Could not slander the government, uniform or flag.– Punishment of up to 20 years in jail for violations

• Committee on Public Information (or Creel Committee) formed to distribute propaganda

• Selective Service Act (1917)– Set age for service in military (18‑45)

• War Bonds issued

Increased the tax rate for the wealthy

Encouraged rationing by the American public

The government became directly involved in business by building ships, assuming national control of factories and railroads, and regulating prices

Some people criticized this as “War Socialism”

During this period radical labor (IWW) was wiped out and AFL membership soared to 4 million

Changing Role of Government

• War Revenue Act of 1917 - Increased the tax rate for the wealthy

• Food Administration - Encouraged rationing by the American public– “Meatless Mondays” and “Wheatless Wednesdays”

• War Industries Board – Government directly involved in business– Built ships, nationalized railroads, and set prices– Criticized as “war socialism.”

• Labor– Radical labor (IWW) wiped out– AFL membership increased to 4 million

Anti-German Sentiment

• Germans were violently attacked for speaking German or participating in cultural traditions; a German‑American was bound in an American flag and lynched by a St. Louis mob in 1918

• Germans changed their names (e.g. Schmitz to Smith)• German books were burned in front of libraries• Beethoven was banned from symphonies• German street names, landmarks, etc. were renamed• Sauerkraut renamed "Liberty Cabbage"; other German

food removed from menus• Prohibition movement driven by anti-German feelings