The United States and World War I

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Recommended: To what extent did the US follow a policy of neutrality in the years before its involvement in World War 1

A. Plan of the Investigation
When the First World War erupted in Europe on July 28, 1914; President Woodrow Wilson formally proclaimed that the United States would remain neutral on August 4, 1914. However, the United States did not stick to this proclamation, and eventually became involved in the war efforts. This investigation aims to evaluate the reasons the United States violated their neutrality in order to join the war. In inquiring into the reasons of the United States’ entry into the war, the Zimmermann telegram will be assessed. Primary sources, Message to Congress., 2d Sess., Senate Doc and War Messages, 65th Cong., 1st Sess. Senate Doc. No. 5 by Woodrow Wilson will also be assessed. Online sources, for example http://history.state.gov/ http://wwi.lib.byu.edu/ will be evaluated. After analyzing these sources, a conclusion will be on why the United States entered the war even after pledging neutrality.
Part B– Summary of Evidence
President Woodrow Wilson delivered a message to Congress on August 19, 1914, declaring the neutrality of the United States in World War I (Wilson). The British ocean liner, Lusitania, was sunk by a German submarine off the coast of Ireland on May 7, 1915. The ship was carrying munitions for the Allies, although it was unarmed. The attack resulted in the loss of more than 1,100 passengers and crew, including 124 Americans (Wilson). On March 26, 1916, an unarmed French boat called the Sussex was sunk by German forces. Wilson threatened to sever diplomatic relations with Germany, unless the German Government refrained from attacking all passenger ships, and allowed the crews of enemy merchant vessels to escape from their ships prior to any attack (Office of the Historian). On May 4, 1916, the Ger...

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...nd violating their declaration of neutrality.

Works Cited

Alexander, Mary and Marilyn Childress. "The Zimmerman Telegram." Social Education 45,
4 April 1981. Web 12 November 2013.
Charles F. Horne. Source Records of the Great War, Vol. V, ed., National Alumni 1923.
Mintz, S., & McNeil, S. (2013). America at War: World War I. Digital History. Web. 12
November 2013.
Office of the Historian. "American Entry into World War I, 1917" History.state.gov. United States
Department of State, n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2013.
Record Group 59: General Records of the Department of State. Zimmermann Telegram–Decoded
Message. 1756 - 1979 National Archives and Records Administration.
Wilson, Woodrow. Message to Congress, 63rd Cong., 2d Sess., Senate Doc. No. 566
Wilson, Woodrow, War Messages, 65th Cong., 1st Sess. Senate Doc. No. 5, Serial No. 7264,
Washington, D.C., 1917; pp. 3-8.

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