WWIWhy did the U.S. join the Allies’ Side in WWI?

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2226235/Historian-Andrew-Robertshaw-builds-60ft-long-First-World-War-TRENCH-Surrey-garden-highlight-plight-frontline-Tommies.html

Americans Have Divided Loyalties• 1/3 of Americans were foreign born in 1914• Some Americans supported the Central Powers

– German, Austrian, or Hungarian-Americans– Irish (support Irish fight for Independence against British)– Jewish (fled Russia after persecution)

• Most Americans supported the Allies– Similar government, languages– Historical connections (U.S. was a British colony; French

aided U.S. during Revolutionary War)• Americans remain neutral for the beginning of WWI

Why did the U.S. finally join the war on the Allies side?

• Let’s used documents to answer this question!

• Background Information: Germany invaded the neutral country of Belgium on its way to invade and defeat France. Attempting to move through Belgium quickly, Germany committed numerous atrocities, such as killing unarmed civilians and destroying entire towns. Americans learned about the German invasion through British journalists and propagandists who sometimes used exaggeration when describing German atrocities.

Document A1) How does the poster depict Germany? Cite specific examples found in the poster and describe what they say about Germany.

2) How do you think this affected the treatment of German-Americans in the U.S. during WWI?

3) What is the goal of this propaganda? Do you think it was effective? Why or why not?

Background information: Great Britain blockaded Germany by cutting off all trade. This prevented all military supplies from reaching Germany. In addition, Britain expanded the blockade to include nonmilitary items such as food, medicine and fertilizer. As a result, over 750,000 Germans died of starvation. To counter the British blockade, the Germans used unrestricted submarine warfare to block supplies from reaching the British Isles. German U-boats attacked any ship in the region. One ship that was sank by a German U-boat was the British passenger liner Lusitania, which sank within 20 minutes. Americans protested the killing of nearly 1,200 civilians, including 128 Americans. Germany justified the sinking by stating that it carried ammunition and that Germany had warned that it would sink any ship aiding the Allies.

Photo Source: http://www.sirdog.1hwy.com/catalog.html

German U-Boat

Document B4) According to the Wilson letter, is the sinking of the Lusitania the only event that is causing friction between the U.S. and Germany? Explain.

5) Wilson uses some powerful language to describe the U.S. perspective of the innocent Americans being killed by aggressive German U-boat attacks. Record three examples of this loaded language used in this document.

Department of State,Washington, May 13, 1915

In view of recent acts of the German authorities in violation of American rights on the high seas which culminated in the torpedoing and sinking of the British steamship Lusitania on May 7, 1915, by which over 100 American citizens lost their lives, it is clearly wise and desirable that the Government of the United States and the Imperial German Government should come to a clear and full understanding as to the grave situation which has resulted.

The sinking of the British passenger steamer Falaba by a German submarine on March 28, through which Leon C. Thrasher, an American citizen, was drowned; the attack on April 28 on the American vessel Cushingby a German aeroplane; the torpedoing on May 1 of the American vessel Gulflight by a German submarine, as a result of which two or more American citizens met their death and, finally, the torpedoing and sinking of the steamship Lusitania, constitute a series of events which the Government of the United States has observed with growing concern, distress, and amazement….

This Government has already taken occasion to inform the Imperial German Government that it cannot admit the adoption of such measures or such a warning of danger to operate as in any degree an abbreviation of the rights of American shipmasters or of American citizens bound on lawful errands as passengers on merchant ships of belligerent nationality; and that it must hold the Imperial German Government to a strict accountability for any infringement of those rights, intentional or incidental....

The Imperial German Government will not expect the Government of the United States to omit any word or any act necessary to the performance of its sacred duty of maintaining the rights of the United States and its citizens and of safeguarding their free exercise and enjoyment.

BRYAN

Value of U.S. Exports in 1914 and 1916

Allies Central Powers

1914 $824.8 Million $169.3 Million

1916 $3.2 Billion $1.2 Million

Value of U.S. Loans by 1917

Allies Central Powers

$2.5 Billion $27 Million

Value of U.S. Exports and Loans to Belligerent Countries in WWI6) According to the charts, how effective was the British blockade in stopping U.S. trade with Central Powers countries? How did this affect U.S support of the Allies?

7) If the Allies lost WWI, how would the U.S. be effected economically?

Document C

Document DThis telegram was sent from a German diplomat (Zimmerman) to Mexico and was intercepted by the British.

8) What was Germany asking Mexico to do? Why was this beneficial to Germany?

9) What would Germany offer to encourage aid from Mexico?

10) How do you think Americans responded to the Zimmerman telegram?

Document E

Excerpts from Wilson’s War Message to Congress• “Property can be paid for; the lives of peaceful and

innocent people cannot be. The present German submarine warfare against commerce is a warfare against mankind….”

• “Neutrality is no longer feasible or desirable where the peace of the world is involved and the freedom of its peoples, and the menace to that peace and freedom lies in the existence of autocratic governments backed by organized force which is controlled wholly by their will, not by the will of their people.”

• “The world must be made safe for democracy.”• “It is a fearful thing to lead this great peaceful people into

war, into the most terrible and disastrous of all wars, civilization itself seeming to be in the balance. But the right is more precious than peace, and we shall fight for the things which we have always carried nearest our hearts -- for democracy, for the right of those who submit to authority to have a voice in their own governments, for the rights and liberties of small nations, for a universal dominion of right by such a concert of free peoples as shall bring peace and safety to all nations and make the world itself at last free.”

11) Identify at least three reasons why Wilson asks Congress to declare war.

Why did the U.S. enter WWI on the Allies side?Write a paragraph that answers to the above question on a separate piece of paper. You should use the reasons found in your guided notes and provide specific documentary support to help you answer this question. Your essay should include: Topic sentence: (1 point)• Introduced the issue (U.S. entrance into WWI on the Allies side) Answer to the question: (2 points each=6 points)• Identify at least three reasons why the U.S. sided with the Allies. Be sure to explain why this would

cause the U.S. to support the Allies. Use of primary and secondary sources to support reasons (2 points each reason=6 points)• Specific document support for each reason used• Citation of document used to support [Example, “According to document A…” or (Doc A.)] Clincher/Closing: (1 point)• Ended the paragraph by connecting it back to the topic sentence or by summarizing the main

arguments Writing Mechanics: (1 points)• Complete sentences• Spelling• Grammar• Wrote in the third person (no “I” “you” “we” “our” “us” “my”) Grade ______/15 points