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When World War 1 started, President Wilson wanted the United States stay out of it. He wanted the country to stay neutral and let the other countries handle their problems. Wilson did not even want to build up the United States’ military because he thought it might provoke war.
Then on May 1, 1915, Germany placed an ad in American newspapers warning anyone traveling the Atlantic Ocean that there was a war going on between Germany, Great Britain, and their allies. The ad warned that any ship flying a flag for Great Britain or her allies could be attacked. On May 7,1915, a German submarine torpedoed and sank the British passenger ship Lusitanian. More than 100 U.S. citizens were killed. Some Americans called for President Wilson to declare war. Instead, President Wilson wrote a letter to the German government telling them the U.S. objected to attacks on passenger ships. Germany agreed not to attack passenger ships. For one year Germany kept its promise.
Then in early 1917, the U.S. learned that a telegram had to be sent from Germany to Mexico. The telegram asked Mexico to form an alliance with Germany against the United States. In return, Germany promised Mexico money and to help Mexico get back lands it had lost in the United States. President Wilson still kept the United States out of the war. Germany began attacking any ship that tried to sail to Great Britain. They attacked the ships to try to cut off all supplies going to Great Britain. Then between March 12 and March 21 the German submarines sank 5 U.S. trade ships. President Wilson felt the United States had no choice but to go to war. On April 2, 1917, President Wilson asked Congress to declare war on Germany. On April 6, 1917, Congress declared war.
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