THE FIRST WORLD WAR’S INTOLERABLE ACTS

The most crucial factors which broke American neutrality in World War I were the German naval policies, Allied propaganda, and Woodrow Wilson’s idealism. The Europe that existed before and during World War I has been compared to a powder keg for good reason. A condensed plethora of nations webbed with complex alliances, enemies, and neutrality, Europe was precariously unstable and could be detonated by the slightest bump in any direction. An assassination of a Austrian duke initiated the war, the tremors and shock waves traveled like greased lightning through the web of national ties, and, ultimately, Europe exploded into a full-blown war in mere days. Convinced that its civil war had been its last large-scale conflict, America immediately proclaimed neutrality. This neutrality was wisely broken, however, by these several key factors.

With the mobilization of Russia and France to aid Serbia, Germany, allied with Austria-Hungary, felt trapped between the two pro-Serbian countries. Fearing invasion, Germany decided to strike first by declaring war on Russia and France and marching through neutral Belgium to destroy France before Russia could act. England, allied with France, was forced to join the fight against Germany. Caught between France, England, and Russia, Germany was seemingly trapped and desperate. Disobeying national law, Germany unleashed its fleet of 27 submarines around the waters of England, declaring it a war zone. The first and most notable aggression by the German "U-boats" was by submarine U-20: the sinking of the British passenger liner Lusitania, which sunk in 18 minutes with 1198 people on board, including 128 Americans. The liner had flown the US flag to appear neutral, but was nevertheless carrying 4200 cases of small-arms ammunition and 1250 cases of shrapnel. Naturally, Americans were inflamed, and the US had taken another step towards breaking neutrality.

As with every war, propaganda fueled nationalism, patriotism, and pride. "Most Americans, including the President, were drawn by powerful unseen forces toward the British cause. We spoke the English language and read the English classics. Our laws and customs were built on English foundations." (A History of the United States, p. 549) British did their best to prevent any news from Germany and its allies to reach the United States. Early in the war, the British "disconnected" a transatlantic cable which ran directly from the United States to Germany. England used the German Kaiser’s military statements against him by circulating misinterpretations of them throughout the United States. The British also initiated rumors and articles about German soldiers’ atrocities committed against Belgium women and children during their invasion of Belgium to reach France. Despite English efforts, many Americans with roots in Germany, Austria, Hungary, or Ireland, however, favored the Central Powers. In effect, because neutral is defined by not supporting either side of a war, Americans falsely claimed neutrality.

One word can easily describe Woodrow Wilson’s ideas about the First World War: confused. Wilson could easily speak his "too proud to fight" phrase, condemn the Germans submarine warfare, and applaud the British in the same breath. He insisted on American neutrality up until war was declared on the Central powers and ignited many pacifists. On the other hand, some crafty politicians led by Theodore Roosevelt successfully used Wilson’s confusion against him by insisting on the president’s "abject cowardice and weakness." Patriotism was stirred up by these individuals, and eventually Wilson began to build up the military under this pressure while still calling for neutrality.

Breaking neutralism is rarely a hard task, due to the fact that it is simply easier to take sides than to appease both. Despite the United States’ strong tradition to back its word, several factors contributed to its collapse of neutrality during World War I. The death of Americans traveling on British boats which were sunk by German submarines fueled anger felt by many Americans toward the Germans. Malicious planting of horrible rumors about Germans by Britain was also a giant reason for hatred felt by the misinformed and somewhat ignorant Americans. An extremely weak executive leadership, marked by an exceedingly fluctuating, confusing, and feeble opinion, certainly did not help delineate the American standpoint in the war. These are three representatives of the countless intolerable acts committed by all sides, which caused the inevitable collapse of America’s neutral integrity during World War I. The three reasons are examples how each side of the conflict (in this case Germany and England), the neutral party (the United States), military forces (German submarines), the press (English-spread rumors), and even high executives (Woodrow Wilson) can be offenders when fueling a deterioration of neutrality.