America's Impact On The Relationship Between Germany And The United States

World War I and World War II had major impacts on the relationship between America and Germany. Though the relationship is stronger today, there was animosity between the two nations in the early and mid 1900s, commencing with World War I. With the Zimmermann Telegram as the turning point for the cause of the animosity, Germany and the United States had an acute relationship which led to the declaration of war in 1917 during World War I, leading to the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. Unrestricted submarine warfare and other unapologetic attacks on American ships from Germany increased the strained relations between the two nations. One of the worst known genocides in world history ordered and executed by Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party
The two countries have come a long way and are now one of the closest allies with strong communication, trade, and stability. World War I started the animosity between Germany and the United States with them on opposing sides of the war. Before America entered the war, they incorporated a foreign policy of neutrality, to remain neutral and not engage in the war. However, tension within the United States increased when Germany sank the Lusitania, a British submarine with over 1,900 passengers, including more than 100 Americans. The American people soon realized that Germany was the aggressor on the other side of the sea. Germany persisted with their unrestricted submarine warfare, which further angered Americans. The Zimmermann Note (Telegram), intercepted by the British, officially made the United States declare war against Germany on April 6, 1917. This telegram was sent from Arthur Zimmermann, a secretary from Germany, to a German ambassador in Mexico. It further stated that Germany and Mexico should form an alliance in case a war broke out between Germany and the United States. If a victory was ensued, Germany promised Mexico to return United States annexed territory: New
German-American relations were put on hold. Although there were many German-Americans within the United States, they remained loyal to the United States and did not agree with the decisions made by Nazi Germany. Occupied by Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party, Germany was a totalitarian state. The Nazi party took control of the daily lives of those living in Germany. Coming to power in 1933, the goals of Hitler were executed by the Nazi Party, starting with incorporating laws, known as anti semitic laws, in order to limit the rights of and persecute the Jewish citizens that occupied Germany. Although they spoke German, they were still persecuted and not accepted in society. Jobs were readily taken away from them, including very prestigious positions such as doctors, lawyers, journalists. Jews in surrounding countries occupied by Germany, including Poland and the Soviet Union, were confined in ghettos and forced to starve to death. Those who survived were sent to concentration camps such as Auschwitz and Buchenwald. At these camps, they were forced to do strenuous labor and had little to no rations of food. At these concentration camps, people were exposed to many different diseases which evidently led to their death. Once deceased, the bodies were thrown in mass graves. One notorious girl, Anne Frank, recorded her experiences in Nazi Germany including how her family went into hiding before they were