The Difficulty in American Neutrality WWI Activity.notebook. March 05, 2014

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4 Merchant Ships of nations at war might arm themselves to defend themselves against attack from enemy ships Some ways that merchant ships can prove that they are not war ships are: 1. Caliber of the guns are less than 6 inches 2. The small arms and guns are few in number 3. No guns mounted on the front of the ship The document shows the difficulty of the United States remaining neutral because we have to check these ships as they come in to our ports to determine if they are at war or not. If one violates and we treat it as a war ship then that country would get angry at us. 4

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6 Britain has been seizing and detaining American ships which is having negative effects on the American economy The United States wants fair access to European ports because Britain has always been the ones pushing for freedom of the seas and the rights of traders. The seizing of these merchant ships is a violation of American citizens rights on the high seas. This primary source shows how it was difficult for the United States to remain neutral because the seizing of goods and detaining of ships was having a negative effect on the United States economy. 6

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8 The Lusitania (a British steamship) was sunk on May 7, 1915 by a German U boat (submarine) The United States wants Germany to stop using submarines to destroy merchant ships because noncombatants (innocent people on the ships) aren't supposed to be put in jeopardy. It is impossible for a submarine to check and claim merchant ships as a prize because their crews aren't large enough. 100 of these noncombatants on the Lusitania were American Citizens. This primary source show the difficulty of the United States to remain neutral because the United States is angry that innocent American citizens as well as innocent citizens from other countries are dying just because Germany refuses to verify if a ship is a war ship or a merchant ship before firing on it. 8

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10 Wilson is threatening to break off diplomatic relations with Germany because they continue to use unrestricted submarine warfare to sink merchant ships and kill innocent people. The United States cannot ignore Germany's use of submarines because America is afraid that their ships and the ships that they are trading with will be taken down having a negative effect on trade. This primary source shows the difficulty of the United States remaining neutral because the war will disrupt trade with other countries and have a negative effect on our economy. 10

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12 Wilson believes the United States must help end the war because that is what the United States has prepared themselves for since they fought for their independence. They have tried to remain peacemakers and not get involved in wars. What Wilson means by "peace without victory" is that the war needs to come to an end peacefully by both sides agreeing to end it without declaring a winner or loser. There shouldn't be a shift in the balance of power, nobody should be punished for the war; everything goes back to the way it was and return to peace. This primary source shows the difficulty of the United States remaining neutral because ever since America was created it tried to remain a peaceful nation. The United States wanted to help other nations keep peace but in this case it seems the only way to end the war to reach peace is to get involved in the war to make it end quicker. This means us losing peace. 12