America fought hard to stay neutral in First World War
APRIL 6, 1917
THERE were plenty who didn’t want to see America enter the First World War, and it took some time for it to happen.
Many Americans within the church, Irish, Germans, Swedes and many women, were all for maintaining neutrality.
President Woodrow Wilson had also kept the States neutral for well over two years.
All of which seems a bit baffling when you learn that America felt much more love for the rest of Europe than it did for Germany after the Great War began.
When news came of atrocities committed by Germany in Belgium, and the crucial sinking of the Lusitania in May, 1915, Americans’ mistrust grew.
Wilson, though, stood firm and let his banks make huge loans to Britain and France, rather than get on a war footing and supply men and weapons.
When the Germans decided, early in 1917, to resume submarine attacks on any ships heading towards Britain, they knew this would force the US to take up arms.
By vowing to give Mexico back the territory it had lost in the Mexican-American War, it also managed to give America a real taste for revenge.
War with Germany was declared on April 6, 1917, and America also declared war on Austria-Hungary later, although President Wilson had to work hard to convince everyone to give it the OK.
He told a joint session of Congress that war involvement “would make the world safe for democracy” and that this would be the “war to end war”, which would sadly prove to be wrong.
Many believe that if Germany had won the war, and gone on to control the seas, they would have enjoyed great influence with Latin-American countries and would still dominate the United States to this day.
The declaration was passed by 373 to 50 – the war with AustriaHungary by 74 to none – and America, as in the Second World War, would play a vital role in eventual victory.
More than four million military personnel were mobilised, and 110,000 American troops would die, including 43,000 to the horrendous influenza pandemic of 1918-20.
Wilson hadn’t declared war on as Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire, so American forces did not fight everywhere.
Campaigns in Central, Eastern and Southern Europe, the Middle East, the Caucasus, North Africa, Asia and the Pacific would see no American involvement.
Considering the US had a surprisingly-small army before this year, they would build fast and make a big difference, now they were finally involved.
Many believe Germany would dominate the US to