-
French renew attack on Verdun
Battle of Verdun
At Verdun, the French under General Robert Nivelle, begin an ambitious offensive designed to end the German threat there by targeting Fort Douaumont and other German-occupied sites on the east bank of the Meuse River. The attack is preceded by the heaviest artillery bombardment to-date by the French. -
Period: to
United States entering the war
-
Wilson re elected on antiwar platform; begins diplomatic initiatives
Woodrow Wilson
In November and December 1916, Wilson began a series of initiatives to broker a resolution, sending out diplomatic notes to the governments of every nation involved. -
Woodrow Wilson calls for a cease fire towards everybody.
On this day, Wilson addressed the Senate in a version of the speech he gave to the Europeans a month before, arguing for a “peace without victory.” That “victory” cited by Wilson was one of the main reasons for continuation of the war: “Victory would mean peace forced upon the loser, a victor’s terms imposed upon the vanquished. It would be accepted in humiliation, under duress, at an intolerable sacrifice.”
<a href='http://www-personal.umd.umich.edu/~ppennock/doc-Wilsonpeace.htm' >Speech -
Germany begins unrestricted submarine warfare
Germany resumes unrestricted submarine warfareGermany announced that it would lift all restrictions on submarine warfare starting on February 1. This declaration meant that German U-boat commanders were suddenly authorized to sink all ships that they believed to be providing aid of any sort to the Allies. Because the primary goal was to starve Britain into surrendering, the German effort would focus largely on ships crossing the Atlantic from the United States and Canada. -
United States learns of Zimmermann telegram
zimmermann telegramBritish intelligence intercepted a telegram from Germany that they had intercepted in January. In the telegram, sent by German foreign minister Alfred Zimmermann to his ambassador in Mexico on January 16, Zimmermann instructed the ambassador to offer Mexico generous financial aid if it would ally itself with Germany against the United States. Furthermore, the telegram promised German support for Mexico in reconquering its lost territory in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. -
Zimmermann telegram published in American press
Zimmermann Telegram
Zimmermann
The text of the Zimmermann telegram appeared on the front pages of American newspapers, and in a heartbeat, American public opinion shifted in favor of entering the war. -
Wilson asks Congress to declare war
Wilson declaration of warWoodrow Wilson's War MessageGermany’s unrestricted submarine warfare was taking its toll, as American ships, both cargo and passenger, were sunk one after another. The exposure of the Zimmermann telegram and other German subterfuge further convinced the American public that the war was threatening American interests. Finally, Wilson appeared before Congress and requested a declaration of war. -
United States declares war on Germany
World War I: Entry Of The United StatesUnited States declaration of war on Germany
President Wilson appeared before a joint session of Congress asking for a declaration of war to make the world "safe for democracy." On April 4, Congress Saying goodbye,1917 granted Wilson's request and the United States was at war with Germany. -
Creel Committee Issues the first of Propaganda to encourage enlistment
American Propaganda During World War 1The Creel Committee, was an independent agency of the government of the United States created to influence U.S. public opinion regarding American participation in World War I. Over just 28 months, from April 13, 1917, to August 21, 1919, it used every medium available to create enthusiasm for the war effort and enlist public support against foreign attempts to undercut America's war aims. -
Selective Service Act of 1917 Passed in order to randomly draft men into the Army
Selective Service Act of 1917Wilson pushed the government to adopt military conscription, which he argued was the most democratic form of enlistment. To that end, Congress passed the Selective Service Act, which Wilson signed into law on May 18, 1917. The act required all men in the U.S. between the ages of 21 and 30 to register for military service. -
First U.S. convoy to protect shipping to Europe departs
Convoys in World War IOn May 24, 1917, the British admiralty finally gave in to demands to establish a system of convoys. Under the plan, British warships would provide heavily armed escorts for all ships coming to Britain from the United States, Canada, and other countries. The plan was especially important from the U.S. perspective, as American soldiers would soon begin heading to Britain by ship in large numbers. More than half a dozen convoy gathering points were soon established along the North American coast. -
U.S. troops march through central Paris to Lafayette’s tomb
U.S. troops march through central Paris to Lafayette’s tombThe first public display of the troops came on July 4, when a large U.S. detachment held a symbolic march through Paris to the grave of the Marquis de Lafayette, the French aristocrat who had fought alongside the United States during the American Revolution. -
First U.S. war fatalities
World War IThe first American fatalities on the ground in Europe occurred on September 4, when four soldiers were killed during a German air raid. The first full-fledged combat involving U.S. troops happened on November 2–3, 1917, at Bathelémont, France; three were killed and twelve were taken as German prisoners of war. -
Wilson gives “Fourteen Points” speech before U.S. Congress
Fourteen Points Wilson's speech on January 8, 1918 laid out a policy (free trade, open agreements, democracy and self-determination). The Fourteen Points speech was the only explicit statement of war aims by any of the nations fighting in World War I.
