Objective: To examine the causes of America’s
involvement in World War I and the conclusion of WWI
American
Neutrality
Officially, the U.S.
was a neutral
country.
However, we traded
food, weapons, oil,
steel, and other
goods far more with
the Allied Powers
than with the
Central Powers.
Both the Allied
Powers and Central
powers used
propaganda (one
sided information
used to persuade) in
order to support their
cause by making their
enemies seem savage.
Freedom of the Seas
The U.S., as a
neutral nation,
claimed the right to
trade with either
side in the war.
However, Britain
and Germany set
up blockades
around the British
and German coasts.
German submarines, called U-boats, torpedoed enemy
ships and neutral ships trading with the enemy.
A German U-boat Torpedoes a Steamer, circa 1916
· In 1915, a German submarine (U-Boat) torpedoed the
Lusitania, a British passenger ship, killing approximately
1,200 people, including 128 Americans.
· Americans were infuriated with the destruction of the
Lusitania.
Moving Toward War
Zimmermann telegram:
– secret message from
Germany to Mexico
urging Mexico to
attack the U.S. if the
U.S. declared war on
Germany
– Germany promised to
help Mexico regain
land it lost to the U.S. in
the Mexican War.
* The U.S. declared war
on the Central Powers
in 1917.
“SWOOPING IN FROM
THE WEST”
• Russia’s withdrawal from WWI: Russia
signs Treaty of Brest-Litovsk w/Germany
• This led to increased German troops in
Western Front
• By late May of 1918 German troops were
weakened from their push to claim Paris
• Allies sensed weakness, US helped with
arrival of 2 million troops
• Central Powers began to crumbleGerman soldiers turned on Kaiser
Wilhelm II
Peace at Last
At 11 a.m. on
November 11, 1918,
Germany agreed to
an armistice, ending
World War I.
* Approximately 13 million people died and 20 million were
wounded in the war.
Mandate System
• During World War I, Great Britain and France
agreed to divide large portions of the Ottoman
Empire in the Middle East between themselves.
• After the war, the “mandate system” gave Great
Britain and France control over the lands that
became:
• Iraq, Transjordan, and Palestine (British
controlled)
• Syria and Lebanon (French controlled).
• The division of the Ottoman Empire through the
mandate system planted the seeds for future
conflicts in the Middle East
Highlight – Britain
Highlight – France