1. Change in policy
a. Consistent vs inconsistent with values b. Statement is true or false
i. Back with reasons for true or false
Doc 1: Context- two years before the war ended and just months after Germany takes back their submarine warfare policy (May of 1916)
-Inconsistent with American traditional values-we only believe in the power of military now. -Military is now not subordinate to the people and protecting our government and way of life. Doc 2: Supports that Wilsons reasons for entering the war were that it would boost American economy.
Doc 3: POV of W. Wilson on his reasons for entering the war
-Says that they serve no selfish ends… supports the statement is false and that his reasons were consistent with American values of promoting liberty
-Bias is possible because W. Wilson would never admit that his reasons are for selfish gains and inconsistence with Amer. values.
Doc 4: Audience: senate
-Says reason for entering the war is not what Wilson said but the real reason is for gold
-Doc 6: POV of a pacifist…naturally against the war
-By going over to free other countries we are forfeiting our own rights to freedom and that goes against the traditional values of America
Doc 7: Audience- the American people
Were the ideals used to justify U.S. involvement in World War I a disguise for the real reasons Wilson’s change in policy from neutrality to war and were these reasons a violation of the traditional values of America? Unfortunately, the facts show that Wilson’s reasons for entering the war were not because of the sinking of the U.S. ships by German U-boats or the threat of the Zimmerman Telegram. These were just the items that Wilson publically used to stir American fears and help him gain the support he needed to go to war. Woodrow Wilson wanted war because of the economic gain that they could make; the U.S. was already supplying armaments to European countries and the results were a great economic boost to America, Wilson figured that entering the war would be an even greater economic boost to America; these reasons were inconsistent with American traditional values as they were for pure economic gain and not the spreading of peace and democracy like common Americans were led to believe.
American gains so he continues to hide behind the false pretense that his decision to go to war is all for the betterment of the world (Doc 3).
Wilson used the threat of German U-boats and the Zimmerman Telegram, a telegram from Zimmerman to Mexico that urged Mexico to take back their land in America, as a disguise for his real reasons for entering the war, money. Senator George Norris stated that, “we are going into war upon the command of gold.” Norris’s underlying message is that Truman’s real reason for entering the war was to boost the American economy. Norris targeted senate with his speech because they were partly at fault for this entrance to war on the account of gold and also because he believes that senate might be able to influence an American removal from the war (doc 4). This view is also supported by the numbers from the Bureau of the Census. It shows that even before the U.S. entered the war the U.S. was profiting greatly from the war in Europe. Truman figured that if they entered the war they would boost the economy in America by increasing industry and creating more jobs for citizens and it would also increase exports because the allied countries would pay America for Arms and food. Also if America was on the winning side then it could demand reparations from Germany and Japan which would further increase U.S. revenues. In short this graph proves that the war increased U.S. exports and imports after they entered the war and that it was the real reason for Truman’s entrance into the war. This graph targets all Americans as it shows the export and import increase during World War I (Doc 2).
back their submarine warfare policy (May of 1916) and two years before the war ended, Oswald reminds Americans that the military should always be subordinate to the citizens and that the government is flipping the roles of military. He claims our morals have always believed in an unarmed policy and in democracy but that these reasons for entering the war are totally against what the forefather thought (Doc 1). Norman Thomas shows the point of view of a pacifist on the reasons for entering World War I. Being a pacifist he is naturally against the war, but instead of just arguing that the war is wrong he claims that by bringing war to a country in order to free it we are forfeiting our own right to freedom by sacrificing our own freedoms. In America one of the rights that Americans hold most dear is the right to freedom. By entering this war we release our right to that freedom and that is against the values of all patriots across the country (Doc 6). These two men address the public reasons that Truman gave for the entrance to World War I. They show that even these reasons are against the traditional moral standards and values of Americans. Truman’s true reason for entering the war is even more against these American values. If entering a war to bring freedom forfeits our own freedom and goes against American value then how can pure economic gain stand up to the high values that Americans have?
