German foreign minister Arthur Zimmermann considered that his country’s forthcoming policy on unrestricted submarine warfare might provoke America into the war and thus set to work on a secret plan in early January. All of these factors helped lay the groundwork for a critical development. Relations between America and Mexico were strained in 1917, but Germany and Mexico sustained a decent rapport through their business and diplomatic dealings. Needless to say, the drawn-out conflict produced strong resentment between the two neighbors.Īrthur Zimmermann, date unknown public domain. Following skirmishes with both revolutionary forces and Mexican Constitutionalist government troops, Wilson withdrew American military personnel in early 1917, thereby avoiding a full-blown Mexican- American war. The country's intervention in the Mexican War, beginning in 1914, is complicated in its own right. What’s more, the United States had recently focused significant military attention on the Mexican Revolutionary Civil War. contribution to the Allied forces would be meager at best. Despite the fact that severing such ties is often a precursor to war, Wilson remained resolved to avoid any literal conflict.Īlthough Americans maintained their aversion to entering the war “over there,” the Germans surmised that any hypothetical U.S. A message, more or less, to be interpreted as, “Get out.” Wilson was applauded nationally for his subtle yet clear termination of diplomatic relations with Germany. Wilson responded by sending Johann Heinrich von Bernstorff, the German ambassador to the United States, his passport. East Coast stalled, as American merchants were reluctant to send their ships into a war zone (including cargoes of relief supplies to countries in need). Any ship within range – merchant, passenger, or naval Allied or neutral – could be fired upon by the Central Powers. The policy was a direct threat to civilian lives and the sovereignty of neutral nations. Any prior pledge was nullified, however, when Germany announced its resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare on February 1, 1917. Public opinion aligned with this approach President Woodrow Wilson successfully won a second term in 1916, championed by the slogan "He Kept Us Out of War." However, 100 years ago today, a significant occurrence profoundly altered this attitude.Īfter the sinking of the RMS Lusitania in 1915 and the torpedoing of SS Sussex in 1916, Germany made various promises to abstain from attacks on unarmed ships of any nation, primarily with regards to passenger ships. Whereas the Great War had begun in Europe in 1914, the United States government endeavored a policy of neutrality. The My Fellow Soldiers exhibition opens on April 6, the day America officially declared war on Germany. But before we get to the end of the war, let’s look back to the origins of America’s involvement, namely one important piece of communication.Ī campaign button featuring a variation of Wilson’s refrain property of Dickinson College. “My Fellow Soldiers” is the opening line of a letter penned by Pershing following Armistice, in which he thanked all his troops for their service, sacrifice and courage. Pershing, commander of the American Expeditionary Forces overseas from 1917-1918, can be felt throughout the exhibition. My Fellow Soldiers: Letters from World War I features personal correspondence to and from the front lines, thereby illuminating accounts of love, life and death in the tumultuous time of war. The National Postal Museum will present a special exhibition to commemorate and reflect upon this anniversary. 2017 marks the centennial of America’s engagement in World War I, also referred to as the Great War.
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