Page 13 - PowerPoint Presentation

Bahria Town School and College (Girls Campus) Lahore
United States in WWI Remaining Neutral
Although World War I began in 1914, the United States did not join When war broke out in 1914, the United States had a policy of neutrality.
the war until 1917. The impact of the United States joining the war Many people in the U.S. saw the war as a dispute between "old world"
was significant. The additional firepower, resources, and soldiers of powers that had nothing to do with them. Also, public opinion on the war
the U.S. helped to tip the balance of the war in favor of the Allies. was often split as there were many immigrants who had ties to both sides.

Zimmerman Telegram Sinking of the Lusitania

In January of 1917, the British intercepted and decoded a secret telegram sent from German When the Germans sank the Lusitania in 1915, a
Foreign Secretary Arthur Zimmerman to the German ambassador in Mexico. He proposed passenger ocean liner with 159 Americans on
that Mexico ally with Germany against the United States. He promised them the territories board, the public opinion in the United States
of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. toward the war began to change. This act killed
1,198 innocent passengers. When the United
Declaring War States finally entered the war two years later, the

The Zimmerman Telegram was the final straw. President Woodrow Wilson gave a speech to cry "Remember the Lusitania" was used on
Congress on April 2, 1917 asking for them to declare war on Germany. In his speech he said recruitment posters and to unite the people
that the U.S. would go to war to "fight for the ultimate peace of the world." On April 6, 1917 against the Germans.
the U.S. officially declared war on Germany.

The U.S. army in Europe was under the command of General John J. Pershing. At first, the
U.S. had few trained troops to send over to Europe. However, the army was quickly built up
through the draft and volunteers. By the end of the war around 2 million U.S. troops were in
France.
The U.S. troops arrived just in time to turn the tide of the war in favor of the Allies. Both
sides were exhausted and running out of soldiers. The influx of fresh troops helped to boost
the morale of the Allies and played a major role in the defeat of the Germans.

After Germany was defeated, President Wilson pushed for his Fourteen Points to be followed

Dua e Sehar by the rest of Europe and the Allies. Wilson wanted all of Europe to be able to recover
quickly from the war, including Germany. France and Britain disagreed and placed harsh
reparations on Germany in the Treaty of Versailles. The United States did not sign the Treaty
of Versailles, but established their own peace treaty with Germany. 13