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Tampico Incident
In April 1914, some U.S. sailors were arrested in Tampico, Mexico. President Wilson used the incident to send U.S. troops into northern Mexico. His real intent was to unseat the Huerta government there. Germany sent military supplies to Veracruz (Huerta support)
Columbus, New Mexico Raid
Villa & Troops crossed the Rio Grande into NM, where they raided the town. Seventeen were dead, and Villa & Co were escorted back to Mexico -> let to Pershing's Punitive Expedition
Germany's Blank Check
Pledge of Support to help Austria
German U-boats
German submarines in WWI and WII which were most effective during naval blockade against enemy shipping, primary targets were from Canada, British empire and the US to Great Britain
Wilson, Hughes
Election of 1916:
-Democrats:"New Freedom" and "He kept us out of war"
-Republicans:Opposes his opponents tariffs and anti-trust policies; he says his opponent was weak on Mexico and Germany
Veracruz Incident (1914)
When Mexico refused to comply, Wilson ordered a fleet to Veracruz without congressional approval in April 1914. 100 dead as a result
John J. Pershing
Commander of American forces in Europe
Germany declares war on Russia
August 1914 after Russia mobilized for possible war, attacks France soon after, dragging Russia, France, and Britain into the war
Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
A policy that the Germans announced on January 1917 which stated that their submarines would sink any ship in the British waters
German Gamble
Idea that the US would take months to mobilize troops if they entered the war, and Germany could force allies out of war before they were fully mobilized -> resumes unrestricted submarine warfare
Venustiano Carranza
He became president of Mexico in 1914. He succeeded President Huerta. President Carranza at first supported Wilson's sending General Pershing into Mexico to look for the criminal Pancho Villa, but when he saw the number of troops he became outraged and opposed Wilson.
Pershing's Punitive Expedition
expedition to find Villa, led by John J. Pershing. Tanks and planes were even used, but Villa was never found. Pershing & co. eradicated forces & eventually ran into Mexican Troops.
WW1 US involvement
Financial Entanglement, Unrestiricted Submarine Warfare, & the Zimmerman Telegram
Lusitania
A British passenger ship that was sunk by a German U-Boat on May 7, 1915. 128 Americans died. The sinking greatly turned American opinion against the Germans, helping the move towards entering the war.
Zimmerman Telegram
A telegram Germany Sent to Mexico to convince Mexico to attack the U.S. Intercepted by British intelligence in January 1917, US received this in February, and Wilson released this to public in March 1917
Poncho Villa
A leading general of the Mexican Revolution who became angry at the U.S. for recognizing his opponent as new Mexican leader. Wanted to pull US into war
Near-war with Mexico
Wilson had thousands of troops & the national guard on standby at the possibility of war, and even drafted a letter to congress for permission to declare war. Meditators talked, but never reached agreement. In January 1917, talks ended. Troops withdrawn for WW1
Why was the U.S. initially neutral?
The US prospers with European wars & there was a large immigrant population in the US
Gore-McLemore Resolution
Prohibit Americans from traveling on armed merchant vessels or ships with contraband-anything illegally imported or exported; Legislation to protect Americans in foreign water; Unsuccessful; Wilson stops the bill in Congress because he wants to go to war because of his fourteen points for peace
Special Congress Session (1917)
Called by Wilson to ask for a declaration of war, after 4 days of debate Congress (reluctantly) granted the declaration on April 6th, 1917
Mexico City Incident
Villa & his troops stopped a train on it's way to Mexico City with 18 American engineers . They killed 17 and left the one to tell the tale
Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand
assassinated by Serbian terrorists, immediate cause of WWI
Financial Entanglement
Europe had blockades on German trade, and the US had more trade with the Allies
Sussex Pledge (1916)
Enacted after the sinking of the French liner "Sussex"; Germany promised not to sink enemy vessels without warning, while the Allies had to modify their "illegal blockade"
How long was the US actually in WW2?
The US was only involved for 18 months, and only 6 of those were in intense fighting