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November 19, 2008What were the concerns of war and why did some question neutrality?Map QuizAmericans Question NeutralityThe War Hits Home
Homework: Section 2 Notes and the Zimmerman Note
MarneYpresVerdunSommeTennenburg
Battle of the MarneSeptember 5–9, 1914Marne River, East of ParisStopped Germany’s rapid advancePrevented the fall of ParisSet the stage for trench warfare
Battle of Ypres: The first time Germany used chemical weapons on a large scale on the Western Front
Battle of VerdunFeb. 21–Dec. 18, 1916Verdun, France, 120 miles east of
ParisDemoralized both sidesFirst extensive use of the
flamethrowerLongest Battle
Battle of the SommeJuly 1–Nov. 18, 1916Somme River, FranceDrew Germans away from VerdunTactics became more sophisticated
and supply lines became more efficient
First use of tanks (British)
Battle of TannenbergRussian Empire Versus German Empire
17 August and 2 September 1914.
The battle resulted in the almost complete destruction of the Germans
Series of battles keeping stalemate on Eastern Front.
“No Man’s Land”Long strip of land pounded by artillery (the space between the trenches
Armies dug rat infested trenches
Soldiers charge enemy to be attacked by machine gun fire
fighting for yards of land for 3 years
Why not go to war:no reason to go to war 3,000 miles away
American lives or property not threatened
indifferent to who won the war
Socialists: War is capitalist & imperialist struggle between Germany & England
Pacifists: (William Jennings Bryan) war was evil & the U.S. should set an example of peace to the world
Many Americans simply did not want their sons to experience the horrors of warfare
Naturalized U.S. citizens followed war b/c of ties to home nations
Americans felt close to Britain (common ancestry & language as well as similar democratic institutions & legal systems)
Germany’s aggressive sweep through Belgium increased American sympathy for Allied Powers
America had closer economic (trading) ties with Allies
American trade with Britain & France was 2X more than with Germany
Allies flooded American orders for war supplies
By 1915, U.S. was experiencing labor shortage for war items
British Propaganda
Americans support Allies but don’t want to go to war.
1917, American get ready for war for 2 reasons: ensure repayment of debts to the U.S.
prevent Germans from threatening U.S. shipping.
Britain makes use of navy powerblockaded German coast to prevent weapons & other military supplies from getting through
Extended blockades and Mined the North Sea
American ships refused to challenge the blockade & seldom reached their destination (Germany)
Germany couldn’t import foodstuffs & fertilizers for crops(famine strikes)
Americans angry about the blockade, which threatened freedom of the seas
Germany responded to the British blockade with counter blockade by U-Boat
Any British or Allied ship found in the waters around Britain would be sunk
May 7, 1915, U-Boat sank the Lusitania off the southern coast of Ireland
128 of the victims were AmericansGermans defended action saying the liner carried ammunition
Americans outraged with Germany b/c of loss of life, but Wilson still ruled out military response
August 1915, a U-Boat sank another British liner, the Arabic, drowning 2 Americans
Again the U.S. protestedGermany agreed not to sink any more passenger ships
March 1916 – Germany broke its promise and torpedoed an unarmed French passenger steamer, the Sussex
80 were killed or injured (including Americans)
U.S. warned it would break all diplomatic ties with Germany unless they changed their tactics
Germany agrees, with a condition: if the U.S. couldn’t persuade Britain to lift the blockade against food & fertilizers, Germany would renew unrestricted submarine warfare
Woodrow Wilson v/s Charles Evans Hughes (Supreme Court Justice)
Wilson: “I kept us out of war”Hughes: “Fight for freedom of the seas”
Wilson wins in close race
Wilson wanted to set up “league of peace” and end the war by talking and laying down weapons.
German’s ignored Wilson’s calls for peace
Kaiser announced that U-Boats would sink all ships in British waters (unrestricted submarine warfare)
The U.S. now has to join the war BUT are still waiting for a direct attack
The Zimmerman note was intercepted by British agentsProposed alliance b/w Mexico and Germany & German support of Mexico in recovering “lost territory”
Russian monarch was replaced with a representative government
War is now democracy versus brutal monarchy
April 2, 1917, president Wilson addressed Congress
U.S. Troops and Munitions go to war against Central Powers.
Wilson & many Americans believed the U.S. needed to make the world safe for democracy
