A broad ocean reinforced the notion that European affairs could be left at a distance. He saw the oceans as conduits of a new era, not a barrier. Wilson was already embracing a more robust international order. He explained that Americans had no quarrel with the German people but only with their government.
For Wilson, the German Empire was part of an outdated world order,. The use of U-boats as a weapon of terror represented the manner in which autocratic governments threatened their own people and the wider world. Neutrality gave way to defiance. His call for war received acclaim from the daily newspapers, including The New York Times, which printed the entire text of his speech on page one. More importantly, Congress declared war on Germany on April 6. American neutrality had been replaced by a substantial commitment of troops and resources, the first of which arrived in France that June.
His aggressive campaign to lobby for this new peace and his League of Nations left him exhausted. He suffered a massive stroke in and died in Wilson should be remembered for the contradictions. He struggled with popular demands for American isolationism, but helped lay the foundation for the 20th-century vision of American leadership.
Over Americans, including women and children, were among the nearly 1, casualties. Despite their outrage, however, the American people, Congress, and Wilson still wished to remain out of the conflict. Wilson declared that the U. Fearing war with Germany, he chose to resign his position as Secretary of State rather than sign Wilson's note. The Germans understood the request, but only partially respected it.
Within months another British liner, the Arabic, was sunk by a U-boat torpedo. Wilson again demanded the Germans to scale down the submarine attacks, and again the German government gave only a half-hearted acknowledgment.
Then, in early , Germany announced that it would begin attacking all merchant ships without warning in the waters around Europe, including neutral merchants. Wilson notified Berlin that this policy was illegal according to the international rules of war and were therefore unacceptable. Germany responded only with the destruction of the steamer Sussex in March. At this point, Wilson threatened to end all diplomatic relations with Germany, an act that would surely bring the United States into war against Germany.
To prevent this—the German Emperor knew he could not defeat the combined strength of the Entente powers and the United States—Germany agreed to respect certain shipping lines. War had been averted, but only for a time. SparkTeach Teacher's Handbook. Summary Neutrality in the Great War: — The spirit of the nation in this critical matter will be determined largely by what individuals and society and those gathered in public meetings do and say, upon what newspapers and magazines contain, upon what ministers utter in their pulpits, and men proclaim as their opinions upon the street.
The people of the United States are drawn from many nations, and chiefly from the nations now at war. It is natural and inevitable that there should be the utmost variety of sympathy and desire among them with regard to the issues and circumstances of the conflict.
Some will wish one nation, others another, to succeed in the momentous struggle. It will be easy to excite passion and difficult to allay it.
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