Germany established a submarine war zone around the British Isles and said they would sink any enemy war ships that entered that proximity. Innocent American trading and merchant ships were being shot down and sunk by ruthless German warfare at sea. Germany refused to let the neutral America trade goods with their enemy countries. This dramatically impacted America because much of the American economy was controlled by trade with Britain and France, and moving forward America knew it would be impossible to keep an expanding economy without GB and France. America, despite its efforts, could not remain neutral and was forced to enter World War 1.
They needed the Americans, and they used an ingenious tactic to cause the Americans to join the war: the death of its own civilians. The civilians on the ship, warned by the Germans, refused to listen to a warning, causing their death on the Lusitania. The total number of Americans who died represented a very small portion of the United States’ total population. The American public over-exaggerated the sinking of the Lusitania and overreacted to the death of very few people compared to America as a whole. The British blockade kept all trades away from the Germans, including food (Ghost Liners 124).Yet, when the Germans retaliate, the Americans hate them for it.
Within months another British liner, the Arabic, was sunk by a U-boat torpedo. Wilson again demanded the Germans to scale down the submarine attacks, and again the German government gave only a half-hearted acknowledgment. Then, in early 1916, Germany announced that it would begin attacking all merchant ships without warning in the waters around Europe, including neutral merchants. Wilson notified Berlin that this policy was illegal according to the international rules of war and were therefore unacceptable. Germany responded only with the destruction of the steamer Sussex in March.
Before America entered World War I in April, 1917, they acted as suppliers for Europe. At the time America wanted to remain neutral until Germany became responsible for destroying several United States ships. President Woodrow Wilson warned Germany of retaliation if they continued to sink their vessels. In February, 1915 German announced unrestricted warfare against all ships, neutral or otherwise, that entered the war zones around Britain. Germany continued to violate the United States demands and continued to sink vessels and kill the innocent Americans onboard.
Even after what Germany did, President Wilson still hesitated in taking further steps. Wilson broke off any relationship with Germany, but still did not declare war with them. The Germans U-boats continued to sink million tons of Allied ships per month; the Allies told Wilson that without their supplies they have no chance in winning the war. Finally on April 2, 1917 Wilson went to the Congress and asked for a declaration of war. Wilson was real serious and dedicated in not only defeating Germany but destroying them
John (Jack) O’Connell American C. II P. Galgano 08/15/12 U.S. entry and efforts in WW1 When World War 1 erupted in 1914. Woodrow Wilson announced on August 4th, 1914 that the U.S. would stay out of the controversy and remain a neutral role in World War 1. The assassination of Archduke Ferdinand of the Austria-Hungary Empire by Serbia ignited the domino affects that lead the U.S. into WW1. The Austria-Hungary Empire had the Triple Alliance with Germany and Italy. Germany at the time was the most powerful single country in Europe, but it’s weak allies required Germany’s support on their various fronts.
After The World War 1 had ended America was finally beginning to return to normalcy. The idea of Isolationism and the outlaw of War with wall nations began to shape the foreign policy for the United States. Although the world was as peace during the 1920’s it was not soon enough that Germany, Japan, and the Soviet Union would spark another World War. Due to Political, social and economic changes during 1920-1941 the foreign policy of the United States would dramatically change. Isolationism , the made idea in the early 1920’s was changed after the course of World War 2, and urge to engage in world affairs made America the leading power in the world.
The Germans started having second thoughts about the war and urged their ally to negotiate with Russia. Russia realized that an agreement would hurt their position in the Balkans. This basically created a stand still and the countries involved could no longer back out, The Germans started their plan to gain European dominance on July 31st. The Germans sent ultimatums to St. Petersburg and Paris telling them that the Russians need to stop mobilizing their troops and demanded a pledge of neutrality from France. They did not receive a satisfactory reply and they declared war on Russia and France.
As a result, Germany retaliated with submarine warfare, and even warned that it was inevitable that neutral ships would be mistakenly targeted. So in response, Wilson ordered that merchant ships were to be loaded with U.S. Navy crews so that they could fire at German U-boats when passing through the war zone. The outcome proved to be dire, as 4 ships had been destroyed by the time Wilson went to Congress to ask for the declaration of war. John Bassett Moore, a professor of International Law at Columbia University, who later served at the International Court of Justice, argued that, “what most decisively contributed to the involvement of the United States in the war was the assertion of a right to protect belligerent ships on which Americans saw fit to travel and the treatment of armed belligerent merchantmen as peaceful vessels. Both assumptions were contrary to reason, and no other neutral advanced them”
Americans were warned by Germany though just chose to ignore their warning. Spirts of the Americans grew angry that their people were dying especially since the country was declared neutral. Lusitania, a British ship, was an example of Americans dying that brought up aggression towards the Central Power. Even though, the Germans clearly put a notice on the ticket warning Americans of the dangers of traveling on an enemy’s ship during times of war, spirts