1917 Woodrow Wilson - US Enters WWI

Why did Woodrow Wilson enter us into WWI?

In 1916, Woodrow Wilson was re-elected for a second term in part because he kept us out of WWI. Shortly after his election, the same man went before the Senate and gave a speech on "Peace without Victory". In this speech, Woodrow Wilson outlined his plan for America to be the great peacemaker. In his words, "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, and would leave a sting, a resentment, a bitter memory upon which terms of peace would rest .."

America was to be the peace maker, but on May 7th, a German U-boat sank the Lusitania killing 1198 including many Americans. It was later found that the ship was carrying war munitions and was questionably justified by Germany. Germany apologized and pledged to end unrestricted submarine warfare. But just months later, German u-Boats continued attacks on merchant ships. Then on, January 31, 1917 Germany announced it would resume unrestricted warfare in war-zone waters. Three days later, America broke diplomatic relations with Germany, followed by a declaration of war on her with wide support of both the house and senate.

But, Woodrow Wilson wasn't interested in just the protection of merchant ships, he wanted a lasting peace in Europe and the world. He stated "Our present and immediate task is to win the war" and that war would be won only when "German people say to us, ... that they are ready to agree to a settlement based upon justice and the reparation of the wrongs their rulers have done". The aim was not just the defeat of German u-Boats, but in Woodrow Wilson's words he urged Americans to "push this great war of freedom and justice to its righteous conclusion".

Thus, Woodrow Wilson could not justify entering into a war against Germany only, without also declaring war on her allies.

"One very embarrassing obstacle that stands in our way is that we are at war with Germany but not with her allies. I therefore very earnestly recommend that the Congress immediately declare the United States in a state of war with Austria-Hungary ... We must meet its force with our own and regard the Central Powers as but one. The war can be successfully conducted in no other way. The same logic would lead also to a declaration of war against Turkey and Bulgaria. They also are the tools of Germany ... We shall go wherever the necessities of this war carry us."

Woodrow Wilson was going to bring peace to Europe, if not with negotiations, then by force. Now America, would need to find an army.

http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=29558
http://www.firstworldwar.com/source/peacewithoutvictory.htm
http://blogs.dickinson.edu/hist-211pinsker/2010/10/12/war-women-and-the-west-wilson’s-1916-presidential-victory/
http://images.fineartamerica.com/images-medium-large/17-woodrow-wilson-1856-1924-granger.jpg

Selective Service Act

When the US first declared war on Germany, there were only 100,000 volunteers in the army. So, 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. Within a few months, some 10 million men across the country had registered in response to the military draft. Eventually, the US sent over 2 million men to the front of the war in Europe.