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Why Did The Us Enter World War 1 Essay

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Why Did The Us Enter World War 1 Essay
The United States entered World War I due to a series of events. These events sparked public outrage, causing President Wilson to move towards war. The U.S. remained neutral until 1917, when it officially declared war on Germany. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand caused conflict between alliances, ultimately leading towards Germany’s implementation of unrestricted submarine warfare. Although the Unites States had a strict policy imposed on interfering with foreign affairs, the homefront eventually became at risk, causing measures to be taken. On June 28, 1914, a Serbian terrorist, Gavrilo Princip, assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand, leader of Austria. On the same day, Austria declared war on Serbia in reaction to the attack …show more content…
They were to sink all ships in their war zone, including the United States. President Wilson broke diplomatic relations with Germany and announced we would only enter the war if acts against American lives or property took place. Wilson asked Congress for authority to arm merchant ships. Filibuster blocked the measure. This was to serve as a reminder of the strength of American isolationism. On March 1, 1917, a note sent to Mexico from Germany was intercepted by the United States government. Germany proposed an secret alliance with Mexico to invade the U.S. Germany promised Mexico recovery of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. This note was sent by German foreign minister Arthur Zimmermann, thus the note was remembered as the Zimmerman Note. Once the news was discovered, American citizens become enraged and sought revenge. Shortly after, German U-boats sank 4 unarmed American merchant vessels. As shown in Document 1, the Imperial German Embassy posted a notice to warn others not to invade their waters, unless wished to be fired upon. Also they warned others to travel carefully in Allie waters. This notice in the New York Times showed Germany had the power to be destructive, and would expend force if necessary. On April 2, 1917, President Wilson asked Congress for a declaration of war against Germany. 6 senators and 50 representatives voted against war. In

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