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world war 2 history
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world war 2 history
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Why the United States fought in World War 1 on the side of the Allies
INTRODUCTION
World War I (WWI) has been argued by most history scholars to be the most significant event of the twentieth century. The war exposed the adverse consequences, which "miscommunication … and misunderstanding" ("America at War: World War I" Digital History, July 27, 2011) among nations, could have on the entire world. In approximately five weeks, following the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the imperial Hapsburg throne, on June 28, 1914, by 19 year old Gavrilo Princip, the fate of over 11 million people – men, women and children - to die, and another 7 million - to be disabled, had been sealed.
Though the war had begun in 1914, it was not until 1917 that America, which hitherto had maintained neutrality between the Allies (Britain, France, Russia and Japan) and the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire), was nudged by a series of events into the war on the side of the Allies. As a result of its involvement, America lost over 100,000 thousand of its citizens to the war.
The essence of this discourse is to highlight the factors that necessitated America's involvement in WWI and to probe into the reasons why America fought on the side of the Allies.
AMERICA IN WWI: Prior to its involvement in the war, America, under the presidency of Woodrow Wilson had maintained neutrality – remaining uninvolved in the conflicts. President Woodrow Wilson explained in his address to the 63rd congress that since "the people of the United States are drawn from many nations, and chiefly from the nations now at war" it must remain "neutral in fact" (Woodrow Wilson, Message to Congress, 63rd Cong., 2d Sess., Senate Doc. No. 566 (Washington, 1914), pp. 3-4). However, subsequent events would prove wrong; America's ability to maintain neutrality in the war. Consequently, Wilson would have to approach 65th Congress again, three years later, requesting approval for America to go to war. Several factors have been linked to America's involvement in the war; however, two stand out – the sinking of the Lusitania and the Zimmerman Telegram.
In order to crush each other militarily and economically; more specifically to prevent the shipment of supplies and arms from America to either Britain or Germany, both countries (Britain and Germany) had declared naval blockade of ships from America to each other's water territories.
However, Germany went a step further to launch submarine warfare against all ships plying British ports. Then in May 1915, "a German submarine sank the British liner Lusitania … causing the death of 1,198 passengers, including 124 Americans" (Eric Foner, 726). This event caused great agitation from the American public for a war against Germany. In response, Wilson worded a strong letter to Germany, warning its government to desist from any further attacks on ships with American interest, in addition, he "embarked on a policy of preparedness … to expand the American army and navy" (Eric Foner, 726). In essence, America had begun preparation for war.
Though, Germany initially responded to Wilson's letter and promised to avoid any further hostility on ships and vessels of non-combatants, it soon resumed submarine warfare and sank several America ships. It was already evident that America's cherished sovereignty is being challenged and likewise insulted by Germany.
Two years after the sinking of the Lusitania, the strongest factor that precipitated America's involvement in the war surfaced – the exposure of a planned invasion of America by Germany via what came to be known as the "Zimmerman Telegram". The term "Zimmerman" was derived from the name of the German Foreign Minister, Arthur Zimmerman, who sent a confidential telegram to his colleague, the German Minister to Mexico, Von Eckhardt. The telegram contained cryptic messages about Germany's offer to help Mexico recover lands that it had lost to America in the Mexican War (1846-1848). Mexico was to requite the favor by joining Germany in invading America.
On January of 1917, British intelligence intercepted the telegram and later had it decrypted and presented to Woodrow Wilson. It is believed that the British had a special interest in bringing America into the war, hence the timing of the disclosure of the telegram to America was strategic; "the British waited until February 24 to present the telegram to Woodrow Wilson" (Alexander, Mary and Marilyn Childress. "The Zimmerman Telegram." Social Education 45, 4 (April 1981): 266, www.archives.gov). On March 1, the content of the telegram was published in the American press and on April 6, 1917, the United States Congress formally declared war on Germany and its allies. Other factors responsible for the US' participation in the Great War include the following:
Economic Interests: It is believed that American banks that had lent over two billions of dollars to the Allies during the Great War speculated that if the Allies (especially Britain and France) were defeated in the war, they (Britain and France) would not be able to pay off their debts, hence, American Banks supported the Allies to win the war in order to protect their own economic interests.
Woodrow Wilson's League of Nations: Furthermore, Wilson intended to promote the ideology of democracy to European governments and to involve in the war could serve that purpose. Though this turned out not to be as Wilson had planned, for his League of Nations idea was rejected at the Treaty of Versailles, however, it helped form the United Nations, in which America commands the highest ranking.
Pro-British Sentiments: Pressure from pro-British members of the American public and notably Theodore Roosevelt, who believed in "stronger military establishment" (Eric Foner, 726), contributed to Wilson's resolve to engage America in the war. In his letter to Sir Edward Grey, British Foreign Secretary, Roosevelt explaining his stand against Wilson's neutrality and on the inevitable war stated, "You know that I am as little in sympathy with President Wilson and Secretary Bryan as regards their attitude in international matters" (WWI Document Archive , 1915 Documents, Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Sir Edward Grey, paragraph 7). In this letter, Roosevelt expressed a strong support for America's waging war on Germany.
AMERICA ON THE SIDE OF THE ALLIES: After Germany surfaced as a direct threat to the United States, it did not come as a surprise why America had to fight on the side of the Allies. Even Wilson, a strong advocate of neutralism was described to have had "pro-British sympathies and viewed Germany as the natural foe of liberty" (Eric Foner, 726). In his address to the 65th Congress, Wilson explained that it was his constitutional duty, under the current threat from Germany to advise "that the Congress declare the recent course of the Imperial German Government to be in fact nothing less than war against the Government and people of the United States … and that it take immediate steps not only to put the country in a more thorough state of defense but also to exert all its power and employ all its resources to bring the Government of the German Empire to terms and end the war" (Woodrow Wilson, War Messages, 65th Cong., 1st Sess. Senate Doc. No. 5, Serial No. 7264, Washington, D.C., 1917; pp. 3-8). In essence, Germany's indirect assault and intended invasion were the chief reasons for America's fighting on the side of the Allies.
In conclusion, America's was drawn out of its neutral stand into the war by series of events that posed a threat to its sovereignty and ideology. The fact that Germany, a Central Power ally had attacked American interests and shown interest in invading the United States was the reason America joined the Allies in the war against Germany.
References:
Eric Foner – Give Me Liberty! An American History, Second Edition
Digital History –www.digitalhistory.uh.edu
Alexander, Mary and Marilyn Childress. "The Zimmerman Telegram." Social Education 45, 4 (April 1981): 266, www.archives.gov
WWI Document Archive , 1915 Documents, Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Sir Edward Grey, paragraph 7
Woodrow Wilson, Message to Congress, 63rd Cong., 2d Sess., Senate Doc. No. 566 (Washington, 1914), pp. 3-4. WWI Document Archive, Official Papers, President Wilson's Declaration of Neutrality. http://wwi.lib.byu.edu)
About the Author
Nelson Oluwabukola Michae has an Associate Degree in Mass Communication and a Professional Diploma in Public Relations from the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR). He has served as the Editor-in-Chief of The Precision Newspaper, a community Newspaper that is committed to sensitizing the man at the grassroot on the occurences in his environment. Also, he was the Editor-in-Chief, LASPOTECH Watch, a campus magazine he headed during his National Diploma studies at the prestigious Lagos State Polytechnic in Nigeria. He currently worked as Assistant Public Relations Officer and a Part-Time Lecturer (Public Relations) at the Lagos State Polytechnic, Ikorodu, Nigeria. He is committed to contributing to the growth of businesses through offering professional advise on communication and relationships. He also contributes to the field of International Relations and History. He is currently undertaking studies in Computer Information Systems. He is based in the United States. He is happily and fruitfully married.
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