UNITED STATES ENTRY INTO WWI

Causes and Consequences

ISOLATIONISM• United States President, Woodrow Wilson promised the people

he’d keep America out of war, partly to win the re-election in 1916- Isolationism view point

• England was unhappy we hadn’t joined as of yet.

• Wilson had an idea to form a League of Nations, an international organization that would push to avoid war and promote global welfare.

CAUSES• In 1915, the German U-Boats (submarines) sank a British

passenger ship with a torpedo, the Lusitania, that carried 128 Americans on it. The ship was actually carrying supplies and ammunition headed towards the Allies. (1,248 cases of 3-inch shells, 4,927 boxes of cartridges and 2,000 more cases of small-arms ammunition)

• Zimmerman Telegram: sent from Germany to Mexico…promised Mexico that if Germany won the war, it would give control of Texas, Arizona, and N.M. back to Mexico if Mexico joined Japan to declare war on the U.S.

• Germany warned that any ship around Britain would be sunk

US ENTERS WWI• Declares war on Germany in April of 1917. Wilson thought it would be good for the US economy, which was suffering from a depression.

• JOBS CREATED!!! But who benefitted??? Robber Barons???

• US creates the Selective Service Act

• Wilson, “This will be the war to end all wars”

SELECTIVE SERVICE ACT

• Ages 18-45 had to register for the draft

• Wilson wanted 1 million soldiers, but only had 73,000 at first

Not this draft

Espionage Act of 1917

• "Whoever, when the United States is at war, shall willfully cause or attempt to cause insubordination, disloyalty, mutiny, or refusal of duty in the military or naval forces of the United States, or shall willfully obstruct the recruiting or enlistment service of the U.S. .. ." 

• The Espionage Act was used to imprison Americans who spoke or wrote against the war.

• People were arrested if they handed out leaflets speaking out against the draft or war…or if they gave speeches supporting peace. 900 people were arrested under the Espionage Act.