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The U.S. Declaration of War

Although Wilson tried hard to keep the United States neutral, by the spring of 1917, the situation had changed significantly, and neutrality no longer seemed feasible. Germany’s unrestricted submarine warfare was taking its toll, as American ships, both cargo and passenger, were sunk one after another. The exposure of the Zimmermann telegram and other German subterfuge further convinced the American public that the war was threatening American interests. Finally, on April 2, Wilson appeared before Congress and requested a declaration of war. Congress responded within days, officially declaring war on Germany on April 6, 1917.

The Convoy System

By the time the United States entered the war, German submarines were causing catastrophic damage to the supply of food and other resources coming into Britain from abroad. On May 24, 1917, the British admiralty finally gave in to demands to establish a system of convoys. Under the plan, British warships would provide heavily armed escorts for all ships coming to Britain from the United States, Canada, and other countries. The plan was especially important from the U.S. perspective, as American soldiers would soon begin heading to Britain by ship in large numbers. More than half a dozen convoy gathering points were soon established along the North American coast.

The convoys had an immediate and dramatic effect. The number of ships, supplies, and men lost to German submarines plummeted, virtually nullifying Germany’s effort to force Britain’s surrender. There was a downside, however, as it meant that Britain now had far fewer naval assets available to protect its coast or to engage the German navy at sea.

Arrival of U.S. Troops in Europe

All through the summer of 1917, U.S. troops were ferried across the Atlantic, first to Britain and then on to France, where they came under the leadership of General John J. Pershing. The first public display of the troops came on July 4, when a large U.S. detachment held a symbolic march through Paris to the grave of the Marquis de Lafayette, the French aristocrat who had fought alongside the United States during the American Revolution.

First U.S. Combat Involvement

Though U.S. leaders had not planned major military involvement until the summer of 1918, some forces saw combat in the fall of 1917. The first American fatalities on the ground in Europe occurred on September 4, when four soldiers were killed during a German air raid. The first full-fledged combat involving U.S. troops happened on November 2–3, 1917, at Bathelémont, France; three were killed and twelve were taken as German prisoners of war.

Wilson’s Fourteen Points

On January 8, 1918, President Wilson gave a speech before the U.S. Congress in which he defined a total of fourteen distinct requirements that he saw as necessary in order to restore and maintain peace in Europe and the rest of the world. The requirements soon came to be known simply as Wilson’s “Fourteen Points.”

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