THE UNITED STATES IN
WWI
WORLD WAR ONE
• World War I was fought between the Allies
and Central Powers from 1914-1918. The war
began when Austrian Archduke Franz
Ferdinand was assassinated in Serbia.
• Allies: Great Britain, France, Russia, Serbia
• Central Powers: Germany, Austria-Hungary,
Ottoman Empire
UNITED STATES
• Neutrality: The United States initially stayed
neutral in the war. They did not want to be
drawn into a bloody European War.
Neutrality Tested
• Lusitania: On May 7, 1915, a German U-boat sank a
British passenger ship called the Lusitania killing 128
Americans.
• Unrestricted Submarine Warfare: German submarines
attacked all ships traveling to Britain including
American ones. This angered the US greatly.
• Zimmerman Telegram: In 1917 the British intercepted a
message from Germany asking Mexico to attack the
United States.
• Declaration of War: The US declared war on April 4,
1917.
Western Front
• Western Front: Stretch of land in Europe
where the war in the west stalemated.
• Trench Warfare: A method of warfare where
both sides dug trenches and slaughtered each
other.
American Contributions
• Fresh US soldiers: Though American soldiers
were inexperienced, they were fresh and
weren’t as worn down as European soldiers.
• General John Pershing: He was the
commander of American forces in Europe.
• Meuse-Argonne: An offensive launched in
September of 1918 in which the Americans
helped the Allies end the war
Home Front
• Liberty Bonds: People are encouraged to buy
bonds to help the United States fight the war.
• Rationing: The government encourages
people to conserve food and resources to
make sure there were enough for the war
effort.
• Women: Women began performing jobs in
factories that were once only open to men.
Home Front
• Espionage and Sedition Acts: These acts made
it illegal to interfere with the draft and also to
criticize the government or war effort.
• Schenck v United States: A socialist arrested
for opposing the draft challenged the laws in
court. In the Supreme Court, they said
freedom of speech may be restricted if there
is a “clear and present danger”.
Peace
• Peace: On November 11, 1918, Germany
agreed to a cease-fire and a truce.
• Wilson’s 14 Points: Wilson’s fourteen points
aimed to eliminate the causes of war and
establish a League of Nations.
• Treaty of Versailles: The treaty sought to
punish Germany for “causing” the war. It also
protected the empires of the victors and
created the League of Nations
Resistance to the Treaty
• Rejection: Congress, led by Henry Cabot Lodge
rejected the treaty because they feared the
League of Nations could pull the United States
into another war.