America in World War I
James Montgomery Flagg’s
famous “I Want You for
U.S. Army” poster inspired
millions of American men
to enlist for military service
as the United States entered
World War I in 1917.
President Wilson in France on his way
to negotiate the Versailles Treaty
Essential Questions
• Why was it difficult for the U.S. to follow a policy of
neutrality during the early years of World War I?
• What developments led the U.S. to enter the war?
• How did the U.S. make the transition from a peacetime to a
wartime society?
• Why did the government find it necessary to restrict civil
liberties during wartime?
• Why did the Senate ultimately fail to ratify the
Versailles Treaty?
• What implications did the end of World War I have in regard to
the rise of totalitarian governments during the 1930s
and 1940s?
Woodrow Wilson
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Born in Virginia in 1856
President of Princeton University
New Jersey governor
Elected president in 1912
Progressive administration,
“The New Freedom”
• Reelected in 1916
War Comes to Europe:
Fundamental Causes
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Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife are greeted
in Sarajevo shortly before both were shot
Nationalism
Militarism
Imperialism
Entangling Alliances
Diplomacy
Assassination of
Archduke Ferdinand
World War I Alliances
Triple Entente
Triple Alliance
(Allies)
(Central Powers)
• Britain
• France
• Russia
• Germany
• Austria-Hungary
• Ottoman Empire
(Turkey)
Discussion Questions
• Why did the major powers in Europe enter into such
complicated alliances? What were the consequences
of doing so?
• Which of the fundamental causes of World War I do
you think was the most important in causing the war?
U.S. Neutrality
• U.S. economic interests
tied to the Allies
• Similarities in American
and British culture
• U.S. immigrants from
eastern Europe
• Irish Americans
supported Germany
• Wilson’s philosophy favored
assisting the Allies’ cause
International Law and World War
• International Law: governs relations between
nation-states
• Developing technology and war strategies made
violations more common
• Belligerents’ violations of international law directly
affected American citizens and the U.S. government
German U-Boats
German U-Boats, such as the SM U 15 pictured
above, terrorized transport ships and passenger
liners during World War I
• Used to counterbalance
strength of British navy
• British ships attempted to
reduce threat by flying
U.S. flags
• Germans responded
with “unrestricted
submarine warfare”
• U.S. saw this as a violation
of American neutrality