US ENTRY
INTO WWI
ISOLATIONISM
Why does Woodrow Wilson keep the US out of the war?
The USA did not want to go to war because there were other
nation’s people in the USA and did not want to anger them.
What are two reasons the video gives for why the US entered
WWI?
1.unrestricted submarines ship sinking
2.the telegram interception
ISOLATIONISM
“The United States must be neutral in fact, as well as in name, during these days that are
to try men's souls. We must be impartial in thought, as well as action, must put a curb
upon our sentiments, as well as upon every transaction that might be construed as a
preference of one party to the struggle before another.
The people of the United States are drawn from many nations, and chiefly from
the nations now at war. It is natural and inevitable that some will wish one
nation, others another, to succeed in the momentous struggle
Such divisions among us would be fatal to our peace of mind and might seriously
stand in the way of our duty as the one great nation at peace, the one nation
ready to play a part of mediator and counselor of peace. The United States must
be neutral in fact, as well as in name, during these days that are to try men's
souls. We must be impartial in thought, as well as action.
Highlight a reason given by Wilson in the quote above
ISOLATIONISM
Examine the chart of US Exports from 1913 to 1921. Drag the explosion to the year that the US entered the war.
What do you notice about US exports
over this period?
They go up then they go down
The exports go up right after the
war.
Great Britain was getting the most
goods from U.S.
Germany was getting very little
THE LUSITANIA
May 7, 1915: Lusitania sunk by German U-Boat off Irish coast
In the New York Harbor on Saturday, May 1, 1915, some 1,900 passengers and crew boarded the British luxury
ship Lusitania and headed for a war zone. The ship’s destination was Great Britain. A spokesperson for the ship’s
company reassured nervous passengers, “The Lusitania…is too fast for any Germany submarine.”
In the early afternoon of May 7, 1915, the Lusitania approached the British Isles. Crew member Leslie Morton
spotted threatening air bubbles and streaks in the water below. He grabbed a megaphone and shouted, “Torpedoes
coming!” But it was too late. A torpedo slammed into the ship’s right side. Passengers scrambled for life jackets and
lifeboats when the ship began to lean and take on water. As the Lusitania slid beneath the waves, parents tried to hold
their children above the water. Some even tied their children to deck chairs and wreckage in an unsuccessful attempt to
save them. As Morton later described the scene, “The turmoil of passengers and life jackets, many losing hold on the
deck and slipping down and over the side…[created] a horrible bizarre orchestra of death.”
The Lusitania sank only 18 minutes after it was torpedo. About 1,200 people died. Among the dead were 128 Americans.
1
1
What do the hand and sword
represent?
4
To make them angry and want to fight to save others from the
sinking of ships.
It represents the german
control over the sea’s
3
2
How does this propaganda piece convince someone to “elist”?
What is the symbolism in this
propaganda piece?
3
That someone is shown
drowning due to the sinking of
the ship
2
Who is the menace?
German u-boats
4
ZIMMERMAN NOTE
Who is the Speaker in the note?
zimmerman
What is the Occasion of the note? (Date and context)
1917 to convince Mexico to become an allied with Germany
Who is the Audience of the note? (For whom is it intended)
President of Mexico
What is the Purpose of the note? (Why was it written?
To let them know if they will help them to win the war
What is the Subject of the note? (What is being written about?)
It is written about make a alliance to mexico to attack the USA
What is the Tone of the note? (What emotion does it carry?)
Urgency
Berlin, January 19, 1917
On the first of February we intend to begin submarine warfare
unrestricted. In spite of this it is our intention to keep neutral the
United States of America.
If this attempt is not successful we propose an alliance on the
following basis with Mexico: That we shall make war together and
together make peace. We shall give general financial support, and it is
understood that Mexico is to reconquer the lost territory in New
Mexico, Texas, and Arizona. The details are left for your settlement.
You are instructed to inform the President of Mexico of the
above in the greatest confidence as soon as it is certain there will be
an outbreak of war with the United States, and we suggest that the
President of Mexico on his own initiative should communicate with
Japan suggesting adherence at once to this plan; at the same time
offer to mediate between Germany and Japan.
Please call to the attention of the President of Mexico that
the employment of ruthless submarine warfare now promises to
compel England to make peace in a few months.
Zimmerman.
US ENTRY INTO WWI
Why was it so hard for the US to continue the policy of isolationism/ neutrality?
● Define isolationism in your response.
● Explain 2 reasons why the US entered the war.
Isolationism is when you are separated from a country
1.The sinking of the lusitania
2.The german’s promise to warn ships before sinking but then they start
to sink ships in a unprovoked manner