History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 14

History - Essay Example Germany had a strategy to win the war by starving the British. So on February 4, 1915, it issued a formal declaration, warning neutral ships to stay away from the British waters or risk being sunk. Wilson strongly challenged this declaration making it clear the US government would not tolerate sinking of any of its ships. Subsequently, on May 7th, 1915, German U-boat sank the British ship Lusitania, resulting in deaths of over 100 American citizens. President Wilson lodged strong protests to the German government, which claimed that the British ship was carrying arms and ammunitions. After several months of diplomatic efforts, in April 1916, President sent an ultimatum to the German government to stop its policy of unrestricted submarine warfare. Germany complied and US entry to the Great war was put off. President Wilson was re-elected for having kept America out of war. However, in January 1917, frustrated by British naval blockade, Germany decided to reintroduce the policy of unrestricted submarine warfare. This resulted in the US severing all diplomatic ties with Germany. Also, the British intercepted the coded Zimmermann Telegram telegram sent by Germany to Mexico. In the telegram, Germany had proposed alliance with Mexico should America join the war. In return, Germany promised to help Mexico in back states of Arizona, Texas and New Mexico. When this telegram was made public in the United States there was a huge public outcry, eventually forcing President Wilson to declare war on Germany. In an address to the congress, President Wilson said that loss of civilian lives as a result of unrestricted submarine warfare was inhumane and unacceptable and hence left no choice for the US but to join the war. He said that war was against the German government, and not the German people who were not consulted in this war. He also made it clear he would only be declaring war against Germany and not with the other allies, at least for the