Posted on 04/23/2011 8:53:56 PM PDT by freepguy
I'm trying to get the facts that show why the USA got into WW1. As I can tell, Wilson was president. The US was neutral...did not want to get involved. Britian and the Allied Powers were losing the war against the Central Powers. The Balfour Declaration promised a Jewish state in Palestine. The Lusitana was armed and ordered to attack German U-boats. Propaganda was created to convince American populace that Germany needed to be conqered.
Can anyone help me get more info on the subject?
Thanks. FG
Too lazy to do your own research, Bub?
I think Wellington said it best when he said: “The loser is the one that makes the last big mistake.”
WWI was full of mistakes and conflicting interests. Germany’s last big mistake was the resumption of Unrestricted Submarine Warfare in 1917 - it provided the cause bella for the US to enter. Before that, Russia was out, France had mutneys in its forces, and the UK was worn out. It was fresh US troops that carried the fight in 1918...
For any who haven’t read it:
Harry Elmer Barnes
“Perpetual War For Perpetual Peace”
He had Obambi’s number.
1. We had sold an enormouse ammount of stuff to France and England on credit. If they lost American industry wasn’t going to get paid. That bolstered the support of Amerian industry to get involved when things were looking bad for the UK and France.
2. Wilson was a socialist and a war crisis allowed him to move on progressive policies. The two most destructive being Constitutional amendments that created the direct election of Senators (thus ending the first Republic) and the institution of a progressive income tax.
“If America had stayed out of the war there wouldn’t have been a German victory.”
Russia had surrendered; how would Britain & France deal with the German, Austro-Hungarian, Bulgarian, & Turkish troops that released? Victory had become impossible for the Triple Entente; France & Italy were on the verge of collapse.
“They had signed a Peace Treaty, demobilized their military, retreated behind shrunken borders, overthrown the government which had declared the war and executed its former leader. They were just as at peace with Germany as the Southern States were at peace with the Union in 1866.”
Well put.
The direct reasons were German unrestricted submarine warfare against all shipping around the British Isles (Lusitania) and the Zimmerman note that offered Mexico US territory if Mexico agreed to openly attack the US.
The indirect reasons were that Americans had a stronger cultural affinity for England than they did for Germany; the stupidity of the German army in carrying out atrocities in Belgium and Kaiser Wilhelm’s dunderheaded arrogance.
“I know of no evidence that the German High Command fostered or supported the NAZI’s.”
In fact, much of the German High Command despised the Nazis as trash; that was why Hitler needed an SS that was personally loyal to him. The army kept it’s own salute, and independence from the Nazi Party political machine, until after the bomb plot. The German aristocracy, as well as it’s military component (officers from the Prussian aristocracy, with their traditions), saw Nazis only as a counter to communism that might restore the military to a rightful place (after the harsh conditions of Versailles.
“the stupidity of the German army in carrying out atrocities in Belgium”
I don’t know about atrocities, but the violation of Belgian neutrality had happened 3 years before.
“Tried to get Poland too but lost that fight.”
I’m much more a fan of Poland than the Soviet Union, but more than a few Poles have told me that Poland was trying to get Belarus/Ukraine instead. I don’t know the truth, but the allies who went to war in 1939 to support the Poland created by Versailles didn’t see fit to join them in their “defense” against the Soviet Union in 1920 (and neither did the US).
“It was fresh US troops that carried the fight in 1918...”
In fact, when the US asked how their troops needed to be armed, the French said they could supply the weapons; they just needed men.
“The German High Command ruled Germany in WWI.”
Hindenburg & Ludendorf were running the show by then end.
It had something to do with the Germans bombing Pearl Harbor.
“I’ve often heard it stated that Hitler blamed Germany’s defeat in WWI on the German Jews, that they “stabbed Germany in the back”. Obviously Hitler was a demented lunatic, but what was he referring to?”
Hitler believed that Jews, as communists, had instigated labor strikes in Germany late in the war that cost them materiel (and morale) needed for victory. When he went about exterminating them, he included an exemption for any Jews that had received the Iron Cross during WWI; apparently he thought they couldn’t have been part of the plot (while everyone else in his lunacy must have been). By the time of the Armistice communist agitation was rampant in the German military, especially in the High Seas Fleet (which had lain idle after the draw at Jutland in 1916) and some of the troops in the East (which made the High Command reluctant to shift some of them West).
“It is simple.
The USSR planted people not only in the movie industry but also primarily into the news media ownership and control.
Their “plants” were also to infiltrate the labor unions (PRIMARILY) the Teachers Unions.”
Is this a joke? The Tsar of Russia fell to revolution in 1916.
I’m confused by your post. Sorry.
“You all joke about something being Bush’ fault, but if you were honest with yourselves, you’d know this was more likely something Cheney would do. /s “
I dig that kind of humor. You’ve earned a virtual drink on me.
“The Lusitania was not actually armed. However it was carrying a large cargo of war contraband (ammunition-millions of rounds), which the U.S. denied vehemently after it went down. Divers in recent years have demonstrated that the contraband was present.”
According to what I’ve found, On Sept 17, 1914 the huge ocean liner, Lusitania, had her armament mounts installed and entered the Admiralty fleet registered as an “armed auxiliary cruiser.” Thanks to Churchill.
Look here: http://smoter.com/america’.htm
"Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?"
The question was about WW I, not WW II, LOL.
“It’s easy for me to see how the US could have benefited from a different outcome to that war.”
I agree completely. The burning question is this: In that light, what the heck happened to get millions of American citizens to deide that Germany was evil and needed to be destroyed? What does it take to ‘convert’ a whole population in the course of a year or so? In 1915 America was totally cool with Germany. We were ‘pals’! In 1917 we decided to kill them. ALL of America changed their attitude. What kind of propaganda has the power to do this????
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.