WWI: Just or Unjust
The main reason World War I started when Archduke Ferdinand was assassinated and Austria-Hungary retaliated. This caused other countries to come into play, such as Britain and France. America was neutral at the time. They wanted to stay out of the war as long as possible. But they did still traded with the countries that were at war. One of the reasons America joined the war was when the British ocean passenger liner, the Lusitania, was torpedoed by Germany and sank. Germany claimed the reason for attacking the Lusitania was because it was an enemy ship carrying munitions. 159 Americans died in that attack. The attack caused tensions between America and Germany. Another reason America joined the war was because of the Zimmerman Telegram. Germany offered a military truce with Mexico. If Mexico agreed to join Germany, Germany would help them claim the lands in the southwest, which were Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. Mexico did refuse this offer since at the time they were in a revolutionary war and they had less military and political power than America. The British intercepted the telegram and showed it to Edward Bell, who was the secretary of the United States embassy in Britain. Bell then sent this information informally through a letter to the US ambassador. Once this information was released to the public, the news outraged the American public, only making them want to go the war with Germany even more. Woodrow Wilson, who was president at the time, outlined the case for declaring war on Germany in a speech to the joint houses of congress. He explained the reasons of going to war to the congress with his speech. The reasons in his speech were that Germany wouldn't negotiate with America peacefully and Germany stated that they were going to attack every ship that was in Europe’s waters. This proposal was told on April 2, 1917. On April 4, 1917, two days later, the United States Senate voted to support the measure to declare war on Germany. The House concurred this on April 6, 1917, four days later. There are many arguments about World War one and if the war was just or not. There is a lot of evidence that this war was just and unjust. This includes the casualties of war and the legitimate authority at the time. Points in this will include the principles of war and if World War I was just or not. But it all comes down to the facts. Was World War I just or unjust?
The main reason World War I started when Archduke Ferdinand was assassinated and Austria-Hungary retaliated. This caused other countries to come into play, such as Britain and France. America was neutral at the time. They wanted to stay out of the war as long as possible. But they did still traded with the countries that were at war. One of the reasons America joined the war was when the British ocean passenger liner, the Lusitania, was torpedoed by Germany and sank. Germany claimed the reason for attacking the Lusitania was because it was an enemy ship carrying munitions. 159 Americans died in that attack. The attack caused tensions between America and Germany. Another reason America joined the war was because of the Zimmerman Telegram. Germany offered a military truce with Mexico. If Mexico agreed to join Germany, Germany would help them claim the lands in the southwest, which were Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. Mexico did refuse this offer since at the time they were in a revolutionary war and they had less military and political power than America. The British intercepted the telegram and showed it to Edward Bell, who was the secretary of the United States embassy in Britain. Bell then sent this information informally through a letter to the US ambassador. Once this information was released to the public, the news outraged the American public, only making them want to go the war with Germany even more. Woodrow Wilson, who was president at the time, outlined the case for declaring war on Germany in a speech to the joint houses of congress. He explained the reasons of going to war to the congress with his speech. The reasons in his speech were that Germany wouldn't negotiate with America peacefully and Germany stated that they were going to attack every ship that was in Europe’s waters. This proposal was told on April 2, 1917. On April 4, 1917, two days later, the United States Senate voted to support the measure to declare war on Germany. The House concurred this on April 6, 1917, four days later. There are many arguments about World War one and if the war was just or not. There is a lot of evidence that this war was just and unjust. This includes the casualties of war and the legitimate authority at the time. Points in this will include the principles of war and if World War I was just or not. But it all comes down to the facts. Was World War I just or unjust?