Lusitania & Zimmerman Telegram: US s entry into WW1 World War I started in 1914. The first declaration of war was July 28, 1914. -The US remained neutral at the beginning. -The Lusitania was sunk by German U-Boats on May 15, 1915. There were Americans aboard this sunken ship. -The Zimmerman Telegram was sent January 16, 1917. Both of those events took place after the war started. What the sinking of the Lusitania did was to begin to turn American public opinion against the Germans. Originally, Americans decided to be neutral. Of the 1,198 people killed, 124 Americans died when the ship was sunk. The ship was a passenger liner and was not supposed to be fired upon. On May 1,1915, the Germans printed a warning that said travelers sailing the war zone on ships of Great Britain or her allies do so at their own risk. International law had required that a sub surface to warn its target. Passengers and crewmembers were supposed to be allowed to get into life boats before the ship was sunk. Instead, the German U-boat struck without warning on May 15 th. US President Wilson demanded Germans to apologize, pay damages, and promise not to attack any more passenger ships. In the next months, Germany did attack more ships carrying Americans. President Wilson threatened to break off relations with German if they did not end the attacks on passenger and cargo ships. In the Sussex Pledge, the ruler of German promised only to shoot ships that were part of the enemy s navy. February 1, 1917, Germany took a risk in order to try to win the war, They informed the US that their subs would now sink all ships, neutral or not, in waters off of England and France. On February 25, 1917, Britain informed the US of a secret telegram intercepted. The Zimmerman telegram was sent by Germany to Mexico, telling the Mexicans that if they declare war against America, they would have an ally in Germany. They also said they would resume unrestricted submarine warfare in the telegram. When the US found out about it (the British told them), public opinion was almost unanimous against the Germans and their Allies. On April 6, 1917, the US declared war on Germany and its Allies as a result of the telegram.
Lusitania & Zimmerman Telegram (US s entry into WW1) NAME: (google the answers to these questions unless there are instructions to go to USE a specific link!) 1. What were the names of two sides in World War 1 (one start with A & one starts with C )? 2. At the beginning of the war, why did the US stay neutral? 3. Who was the US President during WW1? 4. What is a WW1 German U- Boat? 5. Germany declared Unrestricted Warfare, what is this? 6. USE: Lusitania What was the Lusitania? (give a general description) 7. USE: Lusitania & Titanic Comparisons Make 3 comparisons between the Lusitania and the Titanic: USE: Lusitania An Epic Tragedy 8. What was the disaster that occurred in 1915? 9. What caused this disaster? 10. How many people out of the 1,959 on board died?
11. What was the problem with the life boats? 12. How many Americans died on the Lusitania? 13. What does the NOTICE warn? 14. Would you still have still ridden on the Lusitania after reading this notice? 15. How is the sinking of the Lusitania an example of German s unrestricted submarine warfare? 16. The US was neutral at this time. Why do you think this would lead them to think about entering WW1 against Germany? 17. What is a cryptograph (google what this is)? USE: Zimmerman Uncoded 18. What do you think this document is? 19. What two countries do you think this document was between? What year? 20. How is this document an example of a cryptograph? USE: Zimmerman Decoded Message 21. What will Germany begin on February 1 st? 22. If the US does not stay neutral, what is Germany proposing to Mexico? 23. What does Germany say they will help Mexico re- conquer? USE: The Zimmerman Telegram 24. Why do you think this telegram helped push the US into the war?
USE: Zimmerman Political Cartoon 25. Describe in detail how Germany is depicted in the above cartoon? 26. Describe how Mexico is depicted? 27. Where do you think this cartoon is set? 28. What is being offered? 29. Why do you think such an offer was being made? 30. What do you think the American reaction was to the offer? 31. When did the US get into WW1? (google this) 32. What side did they enter on? (google this) RECAP: 33. What was Germany s unrestricted warfare? 34. What was the Lusitania? 35. What happened to the Lusitania that angered Americans? 36. What was the Zimmerman Telegraph? 37. Why did this anger Americans? 38. Name two main reasons why the US entered WW1 in 1917 on the side of the Allies.