Us in World War I

US Entry into World War I Review

Ms. Okafor

Neutrality

• The state of not supporting or helping either side in a conflict, disagreement, etc.

• The United States remained neutral while battles raged in Europe.

• The United States finally entered the war in 1917, but why....?

Multiple Choice

The sinking of ships without restriction or warning is known as -

• battlefield

• unrestricted submarine warfare

• total war

• torpedoes

Unrestricted submarine 

warfare

Unrestricted submarine warfare is the practice of using submarines to attack and sink all forms of enemy shipping, whether they are military or civilian. 

Multiple Choice

A British passenger liner that was sunk by a German U-boat.

• Titanic

• Mayflower

• Lusitania

• Santa Maria

The Sinking of the Lusitania

• The sinking of the passenger ships Lusitania in 1915 by German submarines had brought the United States to the brink of war.

• To keep the United States out of the conflict, the German government agreed to give warning before sinking ships.

• However, Germany resumed submarine warfare without restrictions.

Sinking of the Lusitania Newsletter

Zimmermann Telegram

• This secret message from Germany’s foreign secretary to the Mexican government proposed a Mexican-German alliance if the United States declared war on Germany.

• The intercept and publication of the telegram caused outrage and pushed the United States toward war.

Zimmerman Telegram

Multiple Choice

The telegram promised to reward Mexico with Texas, ___, and Arizona if Mexico should become Germany’s ally.

• New Mexico

• California

• Puerto Rico

• Arkansas

Mexican Alliance with Germany

• On January 16, 1917, Zimmermann sent a coded message to the German minister in Mexico.

• The telegram promised to reward Mexico with “her lost territory in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona” if Mexico should become Germany’s ally.

Mexican Alliance with Germany

• The proposal came at a time when relations between the United States and Mexico were very strained.

• In November 1916, Mexico had offered bases off the Mexican coast to the Germans for their submarines.

• The alliance between Germany and Mexico now seemed very possible.

Message Intercepted

Zimmermann’s message was intercepted and decoded by the British.

Then, on March 1, the telegram was published in the American press.

For the first time, the public cried out for war with Germany.

Poll

If Mexico had received the message, do you think they would have formed an alliance with Germany?

• Yes

• No

• Unsure

Multiple Choice

Who was the US president at the time during World War I?

• Franklin Roosevelt

• Dwight Eisenhower

• Harry Truman

• Woodrow Wilson

Woodrow Wilson

He had hoped to keep the United States out of the war.

However, The telegram caused Wilson to lose all faith in the German government.

Congress declared war against Germany on April 6.