The First World War
American Involvement
Brief Chronology of WWI
1914
* Germany invades Belgium.
* Britain declares war on Germany.
* Japan joins the Allied forces:
Ottoman Empire soon joins the Central Powers.
* War spreads to the seas.
1915
* Women take up men's jobs.
* Stalemate continues on the Western Front.
* The Lusitania passenger liner is sunk, with 1,200 lives lost.
* London attacked from the air by German Zeppelins.
1916
* Conscription for men aged between 18 and 41.
* A million casualties in ten months: Germany aims to 'bleed France white'.
* At sea the Battle of Jutland takes place.
* Armed uprisings in Dublin: the Irish Republic is proclaimed.
America Declares War
Below is the formal declaration of War as presented to Congress By President Wilson
Joint Resolution Declaring that a state of war exists between the Imperial German Government and the Government and the people of the United States and making provision to prosecute the same.
Whereas the Imperial German Government has committed repeated acts of war against the Government and the people of the United States of America; Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress Assembled, that the state of war between the United States and the Imperial German Government which has thus been thrust upon the United States is hereby formally declared; and that the President be, and he is hereby, authorized and directed to employ the entire naval and military forces of the United States and the resources of the Government to carry on war against the Imperial German Government; and to bring the conflict to a successful termination all of the resources of the country are hereby pledged by the Congress of the United States.
CHAMP CLARK
Speaker of the House of Representatives
THOS. R. MARSHALL
Vice President of the United States and President of the Senate
Approved, April 6, 1917
WOODROW WILSON
Secondary Documents
U.S. President Woodrow Wilson outlined the case for declaring war upon Germany in a speech to the joint houses of Congress on 2 April 1917.
A formal declaration of war followed four days later, on 6 April 1917.
Use the link below to review a Second Order Document that further explains Wilson's views as he addresses congress
Wilson's speech followed the dispatch of a diplomatic note to the U.S. Secretary of State, Robert Lansing. In the note the German government announced a re-opened German policy of unrestricted submarine warfare (initially introduced and then rapidly abandoned in 1916 owing to U.S. protests).
http://www.firstworldwar.com/bio/wilson.htm
Germany’s Response
Germany’s response was swift and to the point. Their views are expressed in the document at the link provided.
Reproduced below is the text of German Chancellor Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg's response to news that U.S. President Woodrow Wilson was to appear before the U.S. Congress on 2 April 1917 to seek authorization for a declaration of war with Germany.
In his response von Bethmann-Hollweg reiterated the German view that war with America was avoidable and that the former's decision to renew a policy of unrestricted submarine warfare was only taken in response to Britain's continued "illegal and indefensible" naval blockade of Germany.
http://www.firstworldwar.com/source/usawar_bethmann.htm
World Views
There were many reactions from around the world as well as the US itself. I am asking you to research additional documents to either agree/disagree with the US decision to got to War.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Monday, February 9, 2009
Primary Documents
Primary Documents: U.S. Ultimatum to Germany Regarding Unrestricted U-Boat Warfare, 18 April 1916
This is an abstract of The Document below. It is copied DIRECTLY from the Website cited below to elaborate on the initial document. IT IS CITED BELOW.
Reproduced below is the text of U.S. President Woodrow Wilson's ultimatum to the German government regarding the latter's use of U-boats.
In his ultimatum, dated 18 April 1916, Wilson condemned Germany's policy of unrestricted submarine warfare, which resulted in merchant vessels being sunk without warning should they be suspected of trading with the Allies.
Wilson warned that the U.S. would not tolerate the continuation of such a policy and demanded it be revoked by the German government (a stance re-iterated in a speech to Congress the following day).
Wilson had been spurred into action by the sinking of the British passenger ship Sussex while it was in the English Channel. Several U.S. citizens were among those drowned. Germany initially denied sinking the Sussex but subsequently admitted doing so.
Alarmed by the U.S. stance the German government - in the form of Foreign Minister Gottlieb von Jagow - withdrew its policy, noting that in future a clear warning would be given before ships were torpedoed. The Naval Minister, Alfred von Tirpitz, was furious, and later attributed Germany's wartime defeat to its weakness at this time in the face of U.S. opposition.
Germany's reintroduction of the policy in February 1917 led to the U.S. breaking off diplomatic relations with Germany.
Source Records of the Great War, Vol. IV, ed. Charles F. Horne// http://www.firstworldwar.com/source/uboat1916_usultimatum.htm
This is an abstract of The Document below. It is copied DIRECTLY from the Website cited below to elaborate on the initial document. IT IS CITED BELOW.
Reproduced below is the text of U.S. President Woodrow Wilson's ultimatum to the German government regarding the latter's use of U-boats.
In his ultimatum, dated 18 April 1916, Wilson condemned Germany's policy of unrestricted submarine warfare, which resulted in merchant vessels being sunk without warning should they be suspected of trading with the Allies.
Wilson warned that the U.S. would not tolerate the continuation of such a policy and demanded it be revoked by the German government (a stance re-iterated in a speech to Congress the following day).
Wilson had been spurred into action by the sinking of the British passenger ship Sussex while it was in the English Channel. Several U.S. citizens were among those drowned. Germany initially denied sinking the Sussex but subsequently admitted doing so.
Alarmed by the U.S. stance the German government - in the form of Foreign Minister Gottlieb von Jagow - withdrew its policy, noting that in future a clear warning would be given before ships were torpedoed. The Naval Minister, Alfred von Tirpitz, was furious, and later attributed Germany's wartime defeat to its weakness at this time in the face of U.S. opposition.
Germany's reintroduction of the policy in February 1917 led to the U.S. breaking off diplomatic relations with Germany.
Source Records of the Great War, Vol. IV, ed. Charles F. Horne// http://www.firstworldwar.com/source/uboat1916_usultimatum.htm
Thursday, February 5, 2009
First Blog Back
Hello sports fans...Welcome back to Buck's Blog...I have been away for awhile but I am back. Tune in for some tasty tid bits from Education of just the basic assault on common sense that is evident every day in local and international publications...
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