what factors led to the united states involvement in ww1
Milestones: 1914–1920
U.S. Entry into Earth State of war I, 1917
On Apr 2, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson went earlier a joint session of Congress to request a announcement of state of war confronting Germany. Wilson cited Germany'south violation of its pledge to append unrestricted submarine warfare in the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean, too as its attempts to entice Mexico into an alliance confronting the U.s., equally his reasons for declaring war. On April 4, 1917, the U.S. Senate voted in support of the measure to declare state of war on Frg. The House concurred two days later. The United States afterwards declared state of war on German ally Austria-hungary on December vii, 1917.
Globe War I Trenches in France
Deutschland'due south resumption of submarine attacks on passenger and merchant ships in 1917 became the primary motivation behind Wilson'southward decision to lead the United States into World State of war I. Following the sinking of an unarmed French boat, the Sussex, in the English Channel in March 1916, Wilson threatened to sever diplomatic relations with Germany unless the German Government refrained from attacking all rider ships and allowed the crews of enemy merchant vessels to carelessness their ships prior to any assail. On May four, 1916, the German Government accustomed these terms and conditions in what came to be known as the "Sussex pledge."
Past Jan 1917, however, the situation in Germany had changed. During a wartime conference that month, representatives from the German Navy convinced the military leadership and Kaiser Wilhelm Two that a resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare could help defeat Great Britain within 5 months. High german policymakers argued that they could violate the "Sussex pledge" since the U.s.a. could no longer be considered a neutral party after supplying munitions and financial assist to the Allies. Frg also believed that the United States had jeopardized its neutrality by acquiescing to the Allied blockade of Frg.
German Chancellor Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg protested this decision, assertive that resuming submarine warfare would draw the United States into the state of war on behalf of the Allies. This, he argued, would atomic number 82 to the defeat of Germany. Despite these warnings, the German Authorities decided to resume unrestricted submarine attacks on all Allied and neutral shipping within prescribed war zones, reckoning that German submarines would finish the state of war long before the showtime U.S. troopships landed in Europe. Accordingly, on January 31, 1917, German Ambassador to the The states Count Johann von Bernstorff presented U.S. Secretary of Land Robert Lansing a note declaring Germany's intention to restart unrestricted submarine warfare the post-obit day.
German language Chancellor Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg
Stunned by the news, President Wilson went earlier Congress on February three to denote that he had severed diplomatic relations with Germany. Withal, he refrained from asking for a declaration of war because he doubted that the U.S. public would support him unless he provided aplenty proof that Germany intended to attack U.S. ships without warning. Wilson left open the possibility of negotiating with Germany if its submarines refrained from attacking U.S. aircraft. Nevertheless, throughout Feb and March 1917, German submarines targeted and sank several U.S. ships, resulting in the deaths of numerous U.South. seamen and citizens.
On Feb 26, Wilson asked Congress for the authorization to arm U.S. merchant ships with U.S. naval personnel and equipment. While the measure would probably have passed in a vote, several anti-state of war Senators led a successful filibuster that consumed the remainder of the congressional session. As a result of this setback, President Wilson decided to arm U.S. merchant ships by executive social club, citing an old anti-piracy law that gave him the authority to practice so.
While Wilson weighed his options regarding the submarine issue, he also had to address the question of Germany's attempts to cement a surreptitious alliance with Mexico. On January 19, 1917, British naval intelligence intercepted and decrypted a telegram sent by German language Strange Minister Arthur Zimmermann to the German Ambassador in Mexico Metropolis. The "Zimmermann Telegram" promised the Mexican Government that Germany would assist Mexico recover the territory information technology had ceded to the United States post-obit the Mexican-American War. In render for this aid, Germany asked for Mexican support in the war.
The "Zimmermann Telegram"
Initially, the British had not shared the news of the Zimmermann Telegram with U.S. officials considering they did non want the Germans to notice that British code breakers had cracked the German code. However, following Federal republic of germany'southward resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare in February, the British decided to use the note to help sway U.S. official and public opinion in favor of joining the state of war. The British finally forwarded the intercepted telegram to President Wilson on February 24. The U.S. press carried the story the following week.
Despite the shocking news of the Zimmermann Telegram, Wilson nevertheless hesitated asking for a declaration of war. He waited until March 20 before convening a Cabinet coming together to broach the matter—almost a month later he had offset seen the telegram. The precise reasons for Wilson'south determination to choose war in 1917 remain the bailiwick of debate among historians, particularly in low-cal of his efforts to avoid war in 1915 after the sinking of the British rider liners Lusitania and Arabic, which had led to the deaths of 131 U.South. citizens.
However, by 1917, the continued submarine attacks on U.S. merchant and passenger ships, and the "Zimmermann Telegram'due south" implied threat of a High german set on on the United States, swayed U.S. public stance in support of a declaration of state of war. Furthermore, international law stipulated that the placing of U.S. naval personnel on civilian ships to protect them from German submarines already constituted an act of war confronting Federal republic of germany. Finally, the Germans, by their actions, had demonstrated that they had no interest in seeking a peaceful finish to the disharmonize. These reasons all contributed to President Wilson'south determination to enquire Congress for a declaration of war confronting Germany. They also encouraged Congress to grant Wilson's request and formally declare war on Germany.
Source: https://history.state.gov/milestones/1914-1920/wwi