http://www.firstworldwar.com/posters/index.htm
Neutrality?

President Wilson Declares
American Neutrality
• An attempt to stay isolated
• Despite the
Presidents plea
Americans showed support for one side or another http://www.woodrowwilson.org/info

United States Foreign Trade During World War I
With Allied Countries
With Central Powers
1914
$824,860,237.00
$169,289,775.00
1915 1916
$1,991,747,493.00 $3,214,480,547.00
$11,878,153.00
$1,159,653.00
With Northern Neutrals $187,667,040.00
$330,110,646.00
$279,786,219.00
1. With which group of countries did the United States have the strongest commercial ties in 1914?
2. Based on the table, what conclusions can you draw about the relations between the U.S. and the Central Powers during the early years of W.W.I?
3. If the U.S. had entered World War I in 1914 to protect its commercial interests, with which side would it likely have sided? Why?
4. Use the table to support or refute the following conclusion: Commercial relations between the U.S. and Germany deteriorated rapidly during the early years of W.W.I.

Notice!
TRAVELLERS intending to embark on the
Atlantic voyage are reminded that a state of war exists between Germany and her allies and Great Britain and her allies; that the zone of war includes the waters adjacent to the British Isles; that, in accordance with formal notice given by the Imperial German
Government, vessels flying the flag of Great
Britain, or of any of her allies, are liable to destruction in those waters and that travelers sailing in the war zone on ships of
Great Britain or her allies do so at their own risk.
IMPERIAL GERMAN EMBASSY
Washington, D.C. April 22,1915
1.Who placed this notice, and why?
2. Did the warning in the notice apply to the ship advertised to the right of the notice?
3. What is the main message of the notice? Who is being warned?

America Joins The Ranks
Run time 4:17

Reason #1 ies to Great Britain
• In general the
American public favored the Allied cause
Brainstorm a list of additional reasons for the American public favoring the Allies (think economic, social, and political).
http://www.greatwar.nl/frames/default-color.html http://www.greatwar.nl/frames/default-color.html

How do you think the
American public reacted to this headline?
http://www.titanicandco.com/lusitania/lusitania3.jpg

Reason #2
The Sinking of the usitania
• May 7, 1915
• The Lusitania a British passenger ship is sunk by
German Submarines off the coast of Ireland
• 128 Americans killed
• Some Americans were outraged
• Other Americans said passengers had “traveled at their own risk”

Reason #3 ussex Pledge
• March 1916 a German Uboat torpedoed a French passenger ship the
Sussex Americans injured.
• Germany did not want to strengthen Allies by drawing the US into the war.
• Germany makes Sussex
Pledge – promised not to sink merchant ships without warning.
http://www.firstworldwar.com/photos/graphics/cpe_sussex_01.jpg

Reason #4 immerman Note
• January 1917 – British intelligence intercepts a cable sent from German official to the
German ambassador in
Mexico.
• Note proposed that Mexico join the war with Germany and in return Mexico would regain its
“lost territory in Texas, New
Mexico and Arizona”
How would Mexico entering the war help
Germany?
When the contents of this telegram are published, what response from the public would you expect?

Reason #5 nrestricted Submarine Warfare
• February 1, 1917 – Germany resumed unrestricted submarine warfare.
• German believed they could starve Britain into submission in 4 to 6 months if they sank all ships in sight
• Germany knew this would draw the US into the war, but they did not think the US could mobilize that quickly
• Between Feb. 3 and March 21 the Germans sank 6 American merchant ships http://www.woodrowwilson.org/learn/learn

Congress Declares War
President Wilson goes before a special session of
Congress on April 2, 1917 to ask for a declaration of war against Germany
What do you think
President Wilson meant by “tragical character of the step I am taking”?
How do you think the public reacted to this declaration?
Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library
Click on link below to read the entire speech then click on Declaration of War http://www.woodrowwilson.org/learn/learn_s how.htm?doc_id=321375 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I#Entry_of_the_United_States

US Enters W.W.I
DRAWING THE FIRST NUMBER
After he had been blindfolded, Mr.
Baker, Secretary of War, plunged his hand into the large glass jar containing the 10,500 numbers enclosed in capsules. These numbers represented young men who had registered to serve in the army. He drew one and passed it to a clerk who opened it and announced the number "258."
Numbers continued to be drawn determining the recruits who were to enter into an expanded US army to fight in the war in Europe.
1917, Committee on Public Information
Text from http://www.gjenvick.com/WorldWarOne/index.html
The date was July 20, 1917.

Mobilizing for War
• Many Volunteered
• Congress passes
Selective Service Act
(Draft)
• African Americans served
• Women served
• Industry organizes
• http://www.greatwar.nl/frames/default-co lor.html
http://www.historywiz.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:African_American_Soldiers.jpg

Now let’s discover an easy way to remember what we have learned about
World War I
Go to the next slide to begin “How to Remember World War I”

MAIN

Archduke & wife Sophie
Archduke & Sophie getting into car just before assassination http://www.worldwar1.com/biohff2.htm

The assassination pictures continued
Princip
Archduke & wife Sophie bodies lie in state http://www.worldwar1.com/biohff2.htm

M
A
I
N

S L U T Z
U .
S .

S L U T Z
S
S

S L U T Z
L
L

Unrestricted
Submarine Warfare
=
Germany rescinded their promise to warn before striking ships
S L U T Z
U

S L U T Z
Ties with Britain =
The US & Britain have many close ties
(including language) which enhance the closeness of the 2 countries
T

Triple Alliance = Germany,
Austria-Hungary & Italy, and becomes the Central Powers
Triple Entente = France,
Britain, & Russia, and becomes the Allied Powers

Works Cited Page
African-American soldiers. Wikipedia. June 17,2008 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:African_American_Soldiers.jpg
America Joins the Ranks. United Learning. 2002.
unitedstreaming. 17 July 2008
<http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/>
Brainard, Jennifer. Sinking of the Lusitania. 2003. HistoryWiz. June 17,2008. http://www.historywiz.org/lusitania.htm
Brainard, Jennifer. The Zimmerman Telegram. 2003. HistoryWiz.June 17,2008. http://www.historywiz.org/telegram.htm
Brainard, Jennifer. “America Entered the War." The Great War A Multimedia Exhibit.” Oak Harbor:
HistoryWiz/ 2003. June 17, 2008.
http://www.historywiz.org/doughboy.htm
Duffy, Michael ed.. Primary Documents-1917. First World War.Com 19June2004 http://www.firstworldwar.com/source/1917.htm
Duffy, Michael ed. Propaganda Posters. First World War.com 24September2005. http://www.firstworldwar.com/photos/sea.htm
Duffy,Michael ed. Vintage Photographs- The War At Sea. First World War.com. 27May2006.
http://www.firstworldwar.com/photos/graphics/cpe_sussex_01.jpg

Hanlon, Mike. "World War I Trenches on the Web." An Internet History of the Great War.
03June2004. 17 Jul 2008 <http://www.worldwar1.com/>.
Harris& Ewing (photographers). President Wilson before Congress, announcing the break in the official relations ions with Germany. February 3, 1917. http://teachpol.tcnj.edu/amer_pol_hist/thumbnail292.html
.
This image is in the public domain .
Political cartoon “Ruthless Warfare At Sea”. February 1,1917. 1917.NARA, Washington, DC,
Center for Legislative Archives. U.S. Senate Collection. http://wwl2.dataformat.com/Document.aspx?doc=28759
Political cartoon “The Call”. March 26, 1917. NARA, Washington, DC, Center for Legislative
Archives. U.S. Senate Collection. http://www.woodrowwilson.org/learn/learn_show.htm?doc_id=321375