Motives that Forced the US Join World War - Essay Example

Why did the US join World War Several simultaneous and diverse motives forced the U.S. into the FirstWorld War. Two reasons stand out to historians more so than the others though, the sinking of the Luisitania and the Zimmerman telegram. This discussion will focus primarily on these two factors in addition to a brief overlook of other important aspects that pushed the U.S. to closer the brink of war. General opinion is split between the Zimmerman telegram and the Luisitania incident being the deciding episode. Both will be examined as well as events leading up to and following these events. Other issues such as political, ideological and economic motivations were also important as they added increased dynamics to both these major events. In this discussion, it is necessary to note why the U.S. waited to enter the war as this explains U.S. opinion and helps support the reasoning for finally succumbing to war. This is briefly reviewed along with political ideologies of the time. These aspects together with lesser incidents combined to bring the U.S. closer to war and, along with the Luisitania sinking and the Zimmerman incident, pushed America’s fateful decision to end its neutrality. The U.S. never planned to intervene in the war in Europe and played no role during the conflict initially. President Woodrow Wilson was, at first, unyielding in his determination for the U.S. to remain neutral throughout the war. At the war’s inception (August, 19 1914), Wilson, along with congressional and public opinion was adamantly opposed to intervention by U.S. military personnel. In 1916, Wilson won re-election principally as a result of the campaign slogan ‘He kept us out of war.’ (Duffy, 2002). “Between 1914 and the spring of 1917, the European nations engaged in a conflict that became known as World War I. While armies moved across the face of Europe, the United States remained neutral” (Duffy 2003). Because of diplomatic, economic and cultural ties to the U.K., the U.S. began supplying the military needs of the allied forces. Public opinion had swayed toward the allies during the war as word spread of alleged horrific acts committed by German troops. U.S. exports to the U.K. and France rose quickly and sharply while U.S. shipping to Germany decreased by similar proportions during this same time. Germany viewed this action as all but an act of war though the U.S. was officially neutral and still strongly opposed to sending its troops (Duffy 2002). The U.S. delayed direct involvement in the war as there were still many issues to be considered. The economy of the U.S. was being positively affected by the still distant war and neutrality was thus politically advantageous. Since industry and trade were affected by the war, the U.S. was reluctant to take definitive steps that could alter a booming economy (Blum, 1973). If ships were sent to aid the allies in the conflict, they may be lost to German U-Boat attack. Yet, if the allies lost the war, then they would not be able to repay the debts owed to the U.S., about two billion dollars, while Germany had only borrowed 27 million (Whitten, 2006). The U.S. had enormous economic investments with the British and French and if allies could not repay the loans made to them by the American bankers, the U.S. economy could have collapsed. “France and England were financing their war with US loans. In addition, they were buying massive amounts of arms from the U.S. on credit. The U.S. wanted to ensure that it got paid back. Germany also purchased arms, but in a much more limited fashion” (Whitten, 2006). Political and ideological reasoning had an impact on the decision to enter the conflict. Wilson did not want to go to war but felt threatened and announced that there would be a preparedness program and possibly that the country would go to war when Teddy Roosevelt decided to run for another term. By entering the war, the U.S. was able to show its might for the first time on the world stage and establish itself as a world power. “After both sides of the Mexican civil war demanded that our troops leave and public opinion badly swayed against US intervention in Mexico, Wilson had no choice but to withdraw. By having the threat of Germany helping Mexico fight back against him, Wilson knew he had to take action. He couldnt go back into Mexico because the American people would not allow it. He really had no beef with Germany, he just wanted to save face before Mexico could fight back” (Whitten, 2006). As stated in his War Address to Congress, Wilson sought to make the world safe for the spread of democracy. The German’s brutal occupation of Belgium and the sinking of the Lusitania had served to form negative American public opinion of the German position. The sinking of the Lusitania was the official and legal reason for declaring war, but had it not been for an effective propaganda campaign by the allies depicting the Germans as evil, that incident may not have prompted U.S. troop involvement. “Over time a moral sense had developed that Britain and France were fighting the good fight for freedom against a genuine evil. If that sense had not existed, the U.S. would have let the Lusitania pass. As it was, it was nearly two years after she was sunk that we finally did declare war” (Whitten, 2006). Until 1917, the war seemed and was very far away. Early in that year, Germany was trying to form an alliance with Mexico. This brought the war suddenly closer generating additional political and public support for increased U.S. involvement. “Then we knew we had to get involved even if we initially did not agree with what they were fighting over” (Blum, 1973). The case can be equally made for either incident being the main contributing cause for the U.S. commitment to war. The sinking of the Lusitania is the easiest answer to this question as this was the official reasoning although the sinking occurred two years prior to U.S. troop involvement. The Mexican crisis was at least equal to the sinking for the ultimate decision to go to war. Germanys policy of unrestricted submarine warfare caused much ill-feeling in the U.S.  “The sinking of the Lusitania in May 1915 and the Sussex in April 1916 nearly brought the U.S. into the war, and it was Germanys continued submarine policy that ultimately brought about Wilsons War Address to Congress on April, 2 1917” (Duffy 2002). On May 7, 1915, 1198 people died aboard the Lusitania when the passenger ship was torpedoed by a German submarine. This death toll by such a ship was exceeded in history only by the Titanic. The sinking angered the American public and brought attention to the war in real terms. Of the 197 Americans passengers, 128 lost their lives. “This was after many protests of Germanys unrestricted submarine warfare, in which many neutral ships, including those of the United States, were sunk, and some without warning” (Duffy, 2001). The propaganda machines were running full steam after this incident with everything from formal protests in the form of four documents to Germany from Wilson, to cartoon caricatures of the evil German menace in American and allied newspapers. “Germany tried to defend itself against these attacks and protests.  It claimed that the Lusitania was armed and that it was carrying munitions for the destruction of German soldiers.  The first claim was a false claim, and although the British denied it, the second claim was proven to be true many years later in secret British documents” (Duffy, 2001). A year and a half had passed since the sinking of the Lusitania and Americans still had hope that their young men could stay out of the fight, but events in early 1917 would alter that hope.  In February of that year, Germany broke its promise to utilize only limited submarine warfare after constantly being thwarted by an effective British naval blockade. The United States severed diplomatic relations with Germany in response to the breaking of the Sussex pledge. Another incident played into the game at that point as well. “In January of 1917, British cryptographers deciphered a telegram from German Foreign Minister Arthur Zimmermann to the German Minister to Mexico, von Eckhardt, offering United States territory to Mexico in return for joining the German cause.  Zimmermann himself dispelled initial suspicions regarding the telegrams authenticity by giving a speech in which he confirmed its existence” (Duffy 2003). This message, dated January 19, 1917 from Berlin stated, in part: “On the first of February we intend to begin submarine warfare unrestricted.  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” (Duffy 2003). This communication helped lure the U.S. into the war as it was now a border concern. The British government delayed until February 24 to submit the telegram to Wilson in an apparent effort to take advantage of the mounting anti-German attitude in the U.S. and to safeguard their intelligence from exposure. “The American press published news of the telegram on March 1.  On April 6, 1917, the United States Congress formally declared war on Germany and its allies” (Duffy, 2003). When the U.S. Congress approved Wilsons decision to declare war; there was just one vote against. German military officials knew renewed submarine warfare would almost certainly give the U.S. grounds to declare war on them but they gambled on defeating Britain and France before the U.S. military could arrive in force to oppose them. “The alliance with Mexico, as proposed in the Zimmermann Telegram, was intended to create a new Pacific and Central American Front, greatly distracting the U.S. and aiding the German war effort” (Wilde, 2006). Indeed, after submarine warfare resumed severing U.S. diplomatic relations with Germany a serious debate began in America regarding its entry into the war. Political, economic and ideological reasoning were all a part of America’s entry into the conflict. The addition of the growing mistrust and fear of the Germans coupled with the Lusitania incident then culminating with the German-Mexican connection revelation pushed an unwilling nation into what became a world war. It was a combination of all these events that add up to the reasoning behind U.S. involvement. It is hard for anyone to say for certain which one catalyst was the most important cause as the context of time and public opinion factors into the weight given each event. For example, if the Lusitania had reached safe harbor, the Mexican situation may not have stirred public outcry as much as it did. If the American economy would have benefited from a German victory instead of the other way around, history may well have been written much differently. One has to wonder how U.S. propaganda would have played out in that scenario. History views U.S. participation as a noble call to arms in an effort to protect democracy with the sacrifice of American blood. Upon closer inspection, many other motivating factors played a significant role in that decision. Was the U.S. acting upon purely unselfish motivation or was the commitment of troops and heavy equipment entirely a self-serving mission? Possibly some of both explanations would suffice but to just what extent either way is arguable. Thus, as in any war, economics, idealism, propaganda and fear played an important role in the structuring of the combatants and the outcome of the conflict. Works Cited Blum, John M. “Progressivism in Crisis and Triumph.” The National Experience. [Third Edition]. New York: Wadsworth Publishing, 1973, p. 555. Duffy, Michael. “Feature Articles: RMS Lusitania: The Fateful Voyage.” August 11, 2001. First World War. March 1, 2006 Duffy, Michael. “Feature Articles: The Planning of the War.” August 11, 2002. First World War. March 1, 2006 Duffy, Michael. “Primary Documents: Zimmerman Telegram, 19 January 1917.” December 20, 2003. First World War. March 1, 2006 Whitten, Chris. “Why the United States Entered World War I.” 2006. FAQ Farm. March 1, 2006 Wilde, Robert. “The Zimmerman Telegram.” 2006. About European History. March 1, 2006 < http://europeanhistory.about.com/cs/americainww1/p/przimmermantele.htm> Read More