America and World War I: A Brief Overview

By Riley Hubbard

America did not formally enter World War I until April of 1917 although the Great War, as it was called in Europe, officially started in 1914.  The assignation of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary on June 28, 1914 by a Serbian led to the Austria-Hungary Empire declaring war on Serbia one month later. Austria-Hungary was backed by an alliance with Germany. Germany declared on Russia, who had had an alliance with France. France started to mobilize their troops. By August, Great Britain had declared war on both Germany and Austria-Hungary. This formed the Allied Powers of France – Russia and Great Britain against the Central Powers of Germany and Austria-Hungary.

Archduke Franz Ferdinand Source: Wikimedia Commons

United States President Woodrow Wilson took a stance of neutrality when war in Europe broke out. By the choosing neutrality President Wilson was keeping friendly ties with both sides, however, trading between the two sides did change. Trade with Great Britain and France almost doubled while trade with Germany did decrease.

The war in Europe was not just fought in Europe but also in Africa in German held territories there. During World War I, soldiers not just from the major countries but also their empire from all over the world joined the war. Great Britain called on Australia, New Zealand and Canada, while France called upon India and territories in Africa to join the effort.  Japan, fresh off a win against Russia, helped launch attacks against Germany in the Pacific.

World War I was a new kind of war, different from what many soldiers had experienced before.  During this war new kinds of tactics were being used such as poisonous gases.

America (President Wilson) had a gradual change from neutrality towards the Allied powers. This change came from the sinking of passenger boats by German submarines known as U-Boats. In May of 1915, a German U-Boat sank a passenger boat, the Lusitania, killing more than 1,200 people including at least 128 Americans. In 1916, the United States came to an agreement with Germany known as the Sussex Pledge after the sinking of the unarmed Sussex. With the Sussex Pledge, President Wilson threatened to cut all diplomatic ties with Germany if they continued to sink unarmed ships. By January of 1917, Germany was violating the pledge in hopes to win the war faster.

President Woodrow Wilson addressing Congress.

This did not lead to an automatic entry of the United States into the war. On February 3, 1917, President Wilson addressed a joint session of Congress stating that diplomatic ties with Germany had been cut. On February 26, the President asked Congress for the ability to arm United States merchant ships with Navy personal and equipment. This request was filibustered in the Senate until the end of their session. President Wilson passed the act through an executive order.

In an attempt to get the United States to join the war, Great Britain passed along a telegram they had decoded sent to Mexico known as the Zimmerman Telegram. The telegram was sent from Germany to Mexico promising Mexico that Germany would help them get their land back from the United States in exchange for support in the war. This was the first time an attack on US soil could be seen as a possibility.

The Zimmerman Telegram decoded. Source: Wikimedia Commons

On April 2, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson addressed a joint session of Congress  asking them to declare war on Germany. The Senate passed the act on April 4th; the House of Representatives passed the act just 2 days later. The United States has officially entered the war. Finally on December 7, 1917, the United States declared war on Austria-Hungary.

In July 1918, the Allied Powers launched the One Hundred Days Offensive; it was a series of attacks against German. The attacks slowly pushed the Germans east. Before Germany was invaded, an armistice was signed leading to a cease fire on November 11, 1918. That date is now remembered as Veterans Day in the United States. Official peace came in 1919 with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles.

Not all of the American forces returned home right away. Some stayed during the time of demobilization in Germany as well as helped to occupy the region around neutral Koblenz. The United States Congress rejected the Treaty of Versailles, and the United States did not actually sign the peace treaty. The United States was still technically at war with Germany until 1921 when a separate peace was signed and all troops were withdrawn by the end of January 1923.

Poppys in the Tower of London
Poppy Flowers in the Tower of London. Remembering all those who died during World War I. Photo by Author

Bibliography and Works Cited:

United States Department of State. “U.S. Entry into World War I, 1917.” Accessed November 15, 2015. https://history.state.gov/milestones/1914-1920/wwi

United States Army Europe. “WWI.” Accessed November 14, 2015. http://www.eur.army.mil/organization/history.htm

BBC. “Word War One: The Global Conflict that Defined a Century.” Accessed November 14, 2015. http://www.bbc.co.uk/timelines/zqbhn39

U.S. History. “America in the First World War.” Accessed November 10, 2015. http://www.ushistory.org/us/45.asp

United States Department of State. “U.S. Entry into World War I, 1917.” Accessed November 15, 2015. https://history.state.gov/milestones/1914-1920/wwi

United States Department of State. “U.S. Entry into World War I, 1917.” Accessed November 15, 2015. https://history.state.gov/milestones/1914-1920/wwi

United States Army Europe. “WWI.” Accessed November 14, 2015. http://www.eur.army.mil/organization/history.htm

BBC. “Word War One: The Global Conflict that Defined a Century.” Accessed November 14, 2015. http://www.bbc.co.uk/timelines/zqbhn39

BBC. “Word War One: The Global Conflict that Defined a Century.” Accessed November 14, 2015. http://www.bbc.co.uk/timelines/zqbhn39

U.S. History. “America in the First World War.” Accessed November 10, 2015. http://www.ushistory.org/us/45.asp

U.S. History. “America in the First World War.” Accessed November 10, 2015. http://www.ushistory.org/us/45.asp