The Great War - History Book Chapter Page 16
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26Desperate for an advantage over the Allies, however, the Germans returned to
unrestricted submarine warfare in 1917. They knew it might lead to war with the
United States. They gambled that their naval blockade would starve Britain into
defeat before the United States could mobilize. Ignoring warnings by President
Wilson, German U-boats sank three American ships.
In February 1917, another German action pushed the United States closer to
war. Officials intercepted a telegram written by Germany’s foreign secretary,
Arthur Zimmermann, stating that Germany would help Mexico “reconquer” the
land it had lost to the United States if Mexico would ally itself with Germany.
The Zimmermann note simply proved to be the last straw. A large part of the
American population already favored the Allies. In particular, America felt a bond
with England. The two nations shared a common ancestry and language, as well as
similar democratic institutions and legal systems. More important, America’s eco-
nomic ties with the Allies were far stronger than those with the Central Powers. On
April 2, 1917, President Wilson asked Congress to declare war on Germany. The
United States entered the war on the side of the Allies.
War Affects the Home Front
By the time the United States joined the Allies, the war had been raging for nearly
three years. In those three years, Europe had lost more men in battle than in all the
wars of the previous three centuries. The war had claimed the lives of millions and
had changed countless lives forever. The Great War, as the conflict came to be
known, affected everyone. It touched not only the soldiers in the trenches, but civil-
ians as well.
Governments Wage Total War
total war
World War I soon became a
. This
meant that countries devoted all their resources to the war effort. In Britain,
Germany, Austria, Russia, and France, the entire force of government was dedi-
cated to winning the conflict. In each country, the wartime government took con-
trol of the economy. Governments told factories what to produce and how much.
The Influenza Epidemic
In the spring of 1918, a powerful
new enemy emerged, threatening
nations on each side of World War I.
This “enemy” was a deadly strain of
influenza. The Spanish flu, as it was
popularly known, hit England and
India in May. By the fall, it had spread
through Europe, Russia, Asia, and to
the United States.
The influenza epidemic killed
soldiers and civilians alike. In India, at
least 12 million people died of
influenza. In Berlin, on a single day in
October, 1,500 people died. In the
end, this global epidemic was more
destructive than the war itself, killing
20 million people worldwide.
City officials and street cleaners in
Chicago guard against the Spanish flu.
853
The Great War
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