1) What was president Wilson's initial stance towards U.S. involvement in the war?
Wilson believed that America should "act as a model to the rest of the world," and remain out of the conflict. He maintained that the U.S. should remain neutral in this conflict and let the European nations go at it.
2) Why was it difficult to maintain neutrality?
Germany was attacking both British and American vessels as a result of the British flying U.S. flags for stealth. This led to the sinking of the Lusitania, which sent ripples of hatred and anger through the public. This strong push for war made it hard for Wilson to keep the U.S. out of the war.
3) After the Lusitania sank, two groups of people criticized President Wilson's actions. Who were they, and what problems did they see with his actions?
One group was the "Pro War" group which was pushing Wilson to go to war with Germany and criticizing his decision to stay neutral. The other group was the "Anti War" group which wanted Wilson to stay out of European Wars. They criticized his decision to allow Americans to go into war territory, saying that it would inevitably drag America into war.
4) What two actions did Germany take which led Wilson to declare war?
1 - Germany announced that it was resuming unrestricted submarine warfare. This violated the agreement that Germany had with the U.S. and caused Wilson to cease diplomatic relations with Germany and arm merchant ships, in constant threat of German attack.
2 - Germany also promised to return Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas to Mexico if it joined the war on Germany's side.
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