History

• WWI began


  1914
• U.S. initially remained neutral


  President Woodrow Wilson wanting to stay out of the European conflict
• British naval blockade of Germany


  Germans launched unrestricted submarine warfare
• Germans launched unrestricted submarine warfare


  Sinking American merchant ships like the Lusitania in 1915, killing over 100 U.S. citizens
• Zimmermann Telegram was intercepted


  1917
• Zimmermann Telegram


  Revealed Germany's attempt to persuade Mexico to attack the U.S. if America entered the war
• Allies propaganda


  Portrayed Germany as the villainous aggressor that needed to be stopped
• U.S. declared war


  April 1917
• U.S. entering the war


  1. Nation had to rapidly build up its military forces

  2. By the end of 1918, over 4 million American soldiers had been deployed to Europe under commanders like General John Pershing
• Key American contributions


  • Providing fresh troops to help beat back the German Spring Offensive
  • Marine units fighting brutal battles like Belleau Wood
  • Meuse-Argonne Offensive involving over a million U.S. troops
• Entry of the well-supplied American forces

  Crucial turning point, providing the Allies the momentum to finally defeat the Central Powers in 1918