He appealed to both sides to try to settle the war by diplomatic means but was unsuccessful. In February 1917, the Germans announced an unrestricted submarine warfare campaign. They planned to sink any ship that approached Britain whether it was a military ship, supply ship or passenger ship. On April 3rd 1917, Wilson made a speech declaring that America would enter the war and restore peace to Europe. The United States declared war on Germany on April 6th 1917.
5). America was neutral and on one ship 1,260 were dead which showed that Germany didn’t care about neutrality by destroying any ship that wasn’t theirs. Many Americans were outraged at the fact they had sunk an American boat since we were neutral at the time. The Lusitania was later found out to be a ship that carried weapons and passengers. On January 10, 1917 just a few months before America went to war, America got a telegram from Great Britain.
Blockades Both countries used their navies to blockade the enemy ports to stop supplies getting through. Britain relied on other countries to bring in food and supplies and Germany knew if their u-boats stopped this trade then Britain would starve. February 1915 Germany said that all merchant ships entering/leaving Britain would be sunk. This was optimistic as there were 15000 sailings a week to and from British ports and the Germans had only 21 u-boats. However by 1917 the Germans had 200 u-boats and were sinking 1 in 4 of the ships heading to Britain.
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
Zimmerman promised to help Mexico regain lost territory that the United States took away (all of Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico). Unfortunately for Zimmerman, the British intercepted the message and decoded it. Then the British eagerly delivered it to President Wilson. To persuade Congress to give him the power to wage an undeclared naval war and protect American merchant ships against German submarines, Wilson published the Zimmerman note. A wave of anger swept through the United States and the Armed Ship bill was passed.
The American entry into WW1 grew out of the navel conflict between Germany and Great Britain. The Germans were using submarine warfare to cripple the British naval forces and on May 7, 1915, more than a hundred Americans were killed during a German strike on the British ship Lusitania. Because of this, the German government suspended unrestricted submarine warfare in September 1915. German naval officers later convinced the German government to let them return to submarine warfare. The return of this led to the U.S. entering the war on April 6, 1917.
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”
tried to remain neutral, their efforts were conceded for the war did not only affect the countries involved in the bloody battles. At the time, Germany was heavy in its usage of submarine warfare, which targeted all merchant ships even from neutral countries. The sinking of the Lusitania, a British passenger liner, on May 7th, 1915 enraged Americans as 128 U.S. citizens were killed. American trade rights were also violated when Germany decided to reverse the Sussex pledge. Primarily trading with Britain and France, commercial shipping became difficult if not almost impossible, but likewise setting off a more anti-German feeling whilst improving relations with the Allies.
He did support some of the countries in Europe, but without sending them any army reinforcements and war supplies. Germany started to sink American merchant ships and killed hundreds of American civilians. After about dozen of American ships were sank, Wilson had no chance but to declare war on Germany. Immediately after the war ended, he made the Fourteen Points, which would make the Great War the last one ever. Today’s United Nations is based on some of Wilson’s ideas like the League of Nations, which was included in his Fourteen Points.
They wanted to get revenge on Germany for killing their men. Britain demanded that the United States flag was not allowed to be flown at war. The captain of the Lusitania was Captain Turner. Before the night the Lusitania sank, the captain was trying to figure out ways to leave. He figured a U-boat was trying to scope his ship out.