USA IN THE WAR: 1917-18

The Americans Join the War

From the outbreak of the war in August 1914 until April 1917, the Americans under the Presidency of Woodrow Wilson declared that the USA were in a position of neutrality and therefore took a distant and isolated position in relation to WW1. The American people watched with horror the long drawn out trench battles and the huge loss of life and made it clear that they did not wish for American troops to become involved.

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However, whilst the war was mostly fought on land in Belgium and France, there were many sea-based engagements between the Allies and the Germans. Germany decided to create a zone in which any ship found whatever it’s Nationality would be attacked. The U.S. government made it clear that if U.S ships were attacked then the USA would enter the war.

The sinking of the Lusitania on 7th May 1915, although not a U.S ship caused the death of over 120 Americans. Later other vessels would come under attack to the point at which Woodrow Wilson approached Congress to request that America joined the war.

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On the 6th of April 1917 Congress supported this request and America gradually brought over 1 million fresh soldiers into the European conflict. It would however take more than 12 months for the U.S troops to become involved in the various engagements.

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The most famous battle involving the U.S. troops is known as the Battle of Belleau Wood which was an important German stronghold protecting the route to Amiens and also Paris. Although the approach to Belleau Wood involved travelling over open fields and then into well protected woodland, the U.S. Marine Corp repeatedly attacked the wood and eventually, after a huge loss of life, secured the woodland area. It would be a key turning point for the Allies. Many of the fallen U.S. soldiers are buried in the nearby Aisne-Marne American cemetery (see below).