The document summarizes key events leading up to the United States entry into World War 1 from 1917-1918. German U-boat attacks on merchant vessels caused the sinking of the British passenger ship Lusitania and the death of American citizens in 1915, further straining German-American relations. Unrestricted submarine warfare and the intercepted Zimmerman Telegram proposing a German alliance with Mexico against the US led President Wilson to declare war on Germany in April 1917. American troops then helped halt a major German offensive in 1918 and participated in the final Allied counteroffensive that ended the war.

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THE UNITED STATES
ENTRY INTO WWI

2. STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO:
• Explain the causes of US entered the WWI

4. GERMAN WEAPONRY
• In addition to fighting
on land, Germany had
effective weaponry on
the ocean
• U-Boats (submarines)
patrolled the Atlantic
Ocean trying to prevent
supplies from coming
into enemy ports

5. • https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-i/u-s-entry-into-
world-war-i-1

6. EFFECTIVENESS OF THE U-BOAT
• Estimated 5000
enemy merchant
ships are sunk by the
end of WWI
• Estimated 15,000
enemy sailors killed in
U-Boat attacks by the
end of WWI
• 12 million tons of
shipping supplies lost
in the attacks

7. SINKING OF THE LUSITANIA
• British passenger ship
carrying American
citizens
• May 7, 1915- The ship is
torpedoed by a German
U-boat
• 124 Americans die
• Sunk because the
Germans believe it is
carrying war supplies

9. ANTI-WAR SENTIMENT AT HOME
• News of the brutal trench
warfare in Europe leads
many Americans to protest
US involvement in Europe
despite Lusitania incident
• Presidential Election of
1916
• Sitting President Woodrow
Wilson runs his campaign
with the slogan “He kept us
out of the war”
• Wins reelection with his
neutrality stance
• Has the US actually been
neutral since the war has
started though?

11. GERMAN UNRESTRICTED
SUBMARINE WARFARE
• May 1916: Sussex Pledge
• Germany and US- No sinking of non-war ships
as long as peace and neutrality between them

13. Activity Time

14. Activity Title: "Lusitania Investigation"
Objective: To explore the events and consequences of the sinking of the
Lusitania during World War I, encourage critical thinking, and engage
students in group discussions.
Assign each group a specific aspect of the Lusitania sinking to
investigate. For example:
Group 1: Explore the background and context of the Lusitania's voyage.
Group 2: Investigate the warning messages and advertisements
published by the Germans.
Group 3: Examine eyewitness accounts of the sinking.
Group 4: Research the response of the U.S. government and public to
the sinking.
Group 5: Analyze the impact of the Lusitania sinking on international
relations.
Group 6: Investigate the role of submarines and naval warfare during
World War I.

15. ZIMMERMAN TELEGRAM
• Who sent it and
where was it going?
• What did it say?
• Impact on the war?

16. To the German Minister to Mexico
Berlin, January 19, 1917
On the first of February we intend to begin submarine warfare unrestricted. In
spite of this, it is our intention to endeavour to keep neutral the United States
of America.
If this attempt is not successful, we propose an alliance on the following basis
with Mexico: That we shall make war together and together make peace. We
shall give general financial support, and it is understood that Mexico is to
reconquer the lost territory in New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona. The details are
left to you for settlement...
You are instructed to inform the President of Mexico of the above in the
greatest confidence as soon as it is certain that there will be an outbreak of
war with the United States and suggest that the President of Mexico, on his
own initiative, should communicate with Japan suggesting adherence at once
to this plan; at the same time, offer to mediate between Germany and Japan.
Please call to the attention of the President of Mexico that the employment of
ruthless submarine warfare now promises to compel England to make peace in
a few months.
Zimmermann
(Secretary of State)

17. RUSSIA’S EXIT FROM THE WAR
• Russia was hit hard with
personnel losses due to
trench warfare
• Unrest within Russia has
taken hold by 1915 and a
civil war has started
• Czar Nicholas v. The
Bolshevik Party
(Communists)

20. RUSSIA’S EXIT FROM THE WAR
• By 1917, the czar had
been overthrown and
Lenin had taken over
as leader
• Lenin’s 1st order of
business was to stop
Russian fighting in the
war no matter what
the cost

21. TREATY OF BREST-LITOVSK
• Treaty signed between Russia and Germany
• Substantial loss of land by the Russians
• Russia now officially out of the war and focused on
internal issues
• Germany can now focus efforts on the Western Front

23. US ENTRY INTO WWI
• Wilson’s “Peace Without Victory”
• Reasons why the US would join the war?
• There are a lot of US troops but they are not very well
trained
• “Doughboys”

24. LUDENDORFF’S OFFENSIVE
• Final German Offensive Attack
• March-April 1918
• All out German attack in the attempt to
capture Paris
• American troops arrive and provide aid for
the ailing British and French troops
• Germans stopped about 75 miles from Paris
• About 270,000 German causalities

25. 100 DAYS OFFENSIVE
• Allied counter-offensive
• Allies simply outmatch and outmuscle the weakened
German troops
• Germans are pushed back into German territory
• Germany no longer able to launch a successful offensive
attack