WHAT SPARKED IT ALL?

WHY DID WE JOIN THE ALLIES?

WOODROW WILSON

1917

• 1916- won re-election "he kept us out of war"
• Zimmerman note- unrestricted submarine warfare
• April 2, 1917- Wilson asks Congress to declare war on Germany
• 4 days later... We enter WW1

OVER THERE...

WESTERN FRONT

• Between Belgium & France
• Defensive technology= better than offensive technology

SELECTIVE SERVICE ACT

• May 1917
• Conscription/draft
• Random lottery- can't buy a sub
• 2million Americans- sent to the trenches of France
• US & Britain- join naval forces- no troops die on their way to Europe

THE AMERICAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCE

• Arrive in France- June 1917
• Russia quit the war-Germany can move troops to the West
• Germany looked to surely win... But the US showed up
• Gen. John Pershing- led all US troops
• US troops in Paris... Not good...VD

AFRICAN-AMERICANS

DEFEATING THE GERMANS

OVER HERE

• Total war=costs more than ever=total support
• The Committee on Public Information
• Groups still protested-Socialists, Irish-Americans
• German & Hungarian Immigrants