Why did the United States finally join WW1?

Background information

• WW1 started in 1914• US joined in 1917• US had been aiding the Allies (GB and France)

by giving them weapons and money long before they joined. Germany was not happy with the US aiding the allies

1. German Submarine Warfare

• German U-Boats sinking ships without warning.

• US felt this was unfair and unjust

2. British influence

• Britain had destroyed the transatlantic cable connecting the US and Germany so all communication had to go through Britain.

• The information was biased so the attitudes of the US was in favor of the British

• For example, a common story in Britain was that the Germans would cut off the hands of Belgian babies. Story was later proved untrue.

3. Sinking of the Lusitania

• British passenger ship carrying Americans. • Germans spotted it in the open sea and

torpedoed the ship.• Ship sunk and 128 of the people that died

were Americans.

4. Zimmerman Telegram

• A telegram intercepted by the British telling about a plot by the Germans to help the Mexicans gain back territory from the US.

• (We will look more into the telegram)

5. Russian Revolution

• A revolution in Russia caused the Russians to pull out of WW1.

• Russians had suffered HUGE casualties from WW1 and the Russians were upset with their government.