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What should a country do when it is trying its best to stay away from war? America tried to stay out of the Great War, but at what cost? In the end, it too was absorbed into an overseas conflict that it sought to avoid. What forced the Americans' hand? Let's explore together!
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Team US Entry into WW1 Teachers
| Date | Event |
| 1914 | Woodrow Wilson announced that the U.S. would remain neutral in the European conflict. |
| 4 February 1915 | Germany announced unrestricted submarine warfare. |
| 7 May 1915 | The RMS Lusitania was sunk by the German submarine SM U-20. |
| January 1917 | The Zimmerman Telegram was decoded by British intelligence. |
| 6 April 1917 | The U.S. declared war on Germany. |
| April 1917 | German ships sank over 200 American vessels off the coast of North Carolina. |
| June 1917 | U.S. forces land in Europe. |
When the First World War broke out in 1914, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson publicly announced that the United States would do everything in its power to remain neutral and not interfere in the European conflict. From 1914 to 1917, the war was contained on the European continent. An ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, stood between the United States and the bloodshed taking place in Europe.
It would seem as if President Woodrow Wilson's hope of staying neutral was truly a possibility. Neutrality, however, was not a luxury the United States could afford.
We will discuss now the two causes of US Entry into WW1:
sinking of the Lusitania
Zimmermann telegram
Fig. 1: Woodrow Wilson
On 7 May 1915, RMS Lusitania was a ship that was sunk off the southern coast of Ireland. German U-boat SM U-20. was the vessel responsible for its sinking.
Germany was aware that the United States was on good terms with the United Kingdom and as soon as the Great War erupted, the U.S. began sending supplies to Britain. The only way the goods could be delivered, however, was through maritime transportation.
The Germans were aware of this and tried to cut off the United Kingdom from American support. On 4 February 1915, Germany defined British maritime areas as war zones and U-boats began operating within these zones. This was called 'unrestricted submarine warfare' and the Germans sank many ships using their U-boats, including some civilian vessels.
The More You Know...
As the German unrestricted submarine warfare became more prominent, the Germans began sinking more and more civilian vessels. When confronted, their response was always similar, in that, they claimed that civilian ships were just a facade for the allies to trade weapons and goods.
U-Boat
Submarine
The destruction of vessels both military and civilian angered the United States which still was trying to remain neutral.
Why did the United States want to remain neutral during the First World War?
President Woodrow Wilson firmly opposed the U.S. joining the First World War. This decision was made on the basis of an isolationist foreign policy that the U.S. sought to pursue, in addition to Wilson's indifference to European alliances. In addition, the First World War was driven by four main factors: continental (European) balance of power, historical grievances, localised nationalism and colonial desires.
None of the four points had anything to do with the U.S. or its foreign policy, however. It wasn't until Germany challenged U.S. shipping and sought to establish a secret, though ultimately ill-fated, alliance with Mexico that the Americans joined the war in Europe.
Put simply, the United States did not concern itself with events and alliances in Europe and thus stayed out of the war. Wilson was firmly opposed to war and believed that the key aim was to ensure peace, not only for the United States but across the world.
RMS Lusitania is the best example of the victims of unrestricted submarine warfare. The sinking of this vessel not only resulted in 1,198 people on board drowning, which included 128 Americans but also the loss of over 173 tons of ammunition. The sinking of the Lusitania forced America to reconsider its pledge of neutrality.
Fig. 2: Engraving of the Sinking of RMS Lusitania
Germany's master plan at once was to enlist help from two states which would make it possible for Germany to have allies not only in Europe but also beyond the continent in conflict. To gain these allies they first would need to be contacted. Arthur Zimmermann, Germany's foreign secretary sent a secret telegram to Mexico and Japan. The telegram dealt with Zimmermann requesting forming an alliance with both Mexico and Japan and, in turn, offering both of these countries territories of the United States if were they to assist the German cause.
The telegram was ultimately intercepted by the British intelligence cryptanalysis group Room 40. Though the telegram reached both Mexico and Japan, officials of both countries denied Germany any aid as it was obvious to them that their countries were either not ready to challenge the United States, nor did they want to.
Cryptanalysis
The study of cyphers and cryptography (secret or encoded messages).
The Zimmerman Telegram was sent out in January 1917, as Germany was fully pursuing unrestricted submarine warfare and as it looked, it did plan on stopping. The Zimmerman Telegram in turn became the turning point of the First World War, as it infuriated the United States enough to declare war on Germany and break its neutrality.
It was obvious that the U.S. took the suggestion of an attack on it as a direct provocation from Germany. Paired with thousands of tons of supplies being devastated by German U-boats, it was time to go to war.
U-Boats? Near North Carolina?
Crazy as it may sound, after the United States declared war on Germany in April 1917, that same month, German U-boats visited the Coasts of North Carolina and began sinking American vessels. By November 1918, these U-boats had sunk. over 200 American ships in total.
Fig. 3: The Zimmermann Telegram as Decoded by Room 40
Fig. 4: Caricature depicting the Zimmermann Telegram
On 6 April 1917, the U.S. declared war on Germany and Austria-Hungary in December. American forces landed in Europe in June 1917. What was more important was that the United States could now fully concentrate on supplying the U.K and other allies. with goods and ammunition. In just a year, the combined forces of the United States, France and the United Kingdom managed to stop the Germans and subsequently their allies in Europe.
Although the U.S. entered the First World War closer to its end, the fact that it did laid the foundation for future British-American relations. It was clear that an American military presence in Europe was seen not only as a positive but as an absolute necessity.
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Why did the US wait to enter ww1?
The U.S. sought to pursue an isolationist foreign policy which included complete seclusion from European internal affairs.
What was the reason for US entry into ww1?
The chief reason for U.S. involvement in the First World War was the Zimmermann Telegram and the German sinking of U.S. shipping as well as the British Lusitania.
How did the US entry into ww1 affect its outcome?
The United States Expeditionary Forces proved to be a great help to the European Allied forces on the western front. The American involvement in the First World War ultimately aided the European Allies to defeat the German Empire and its allies.
When was the US entry into ww1?
The United States declared war on Germany on 6 April 1917, joining the First World War.
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