Declaration of War with Germany
On April 2, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson asked a special joint session of the United States Congress for a declaration of war against the German Empire. Congress responded with the declaration on April 6. President Wilson's speech to Congress[edit]President Woodrow Wilson in 1919 President Woodrow Wilson asking Congress to declare war on Germany on April 2, 1917.
Text of the declaration[edit]
Senator La Follette's response[edit]Sen. Robert La Follette in 1912 During Senate debate on April 4, Senator Robert M. La Follette of Wisconsin, a leader of the progressive Republicans (and the Progressive Party's presidential candidate in 1924) delivered a long speech in opposition to a declaration of war,[3] during which he said:
Votes[edit]In the Senate, the resolution passed 82–6 (8 not voting) on April 4.[4][5][6] In the House of Representatives, the resolution passed at 3 a.m. April 6 by a vote of 373–50 (8 not voting). [7][5][6] One of the dissenters was Republican Rep. Jeannette Rankin of Montana, who later became the only member of either chamber of Congress to vote against declaring war against the Japanese Empire on December 8, 1941 . Breakdown by political party and geographical region[edit]Senate[edit]
Forty-four (44) Democratic and 38 Republican Senators voted for the Declaration. Three Democrats and three Republicans voted against it. Seven Democrats and one Republican did not vote. In the U.S. Senate, the negative votes were cast by Republican members Asle Gronna (N. Dakota), Robert M. La Follette (Wisconsin) and George W. Norris (Nebraska), together with Democratic members Harry Lane (Oregon), William J. Stone (Missouri), and James K. Vardaman (Mississippi). One Republican Senator (Nathan Goff of W. Va) of did not vote, nor did seven Democrats: John H. Bankhead (Alabama), Thomas Gore (Okla.), Henry F. Hollis (N.H.), Francis G. Newlands (Nevada), John Walter Smith (Maryland), Charles S. Thomas (Colo.), and Benjamin Tillman (S. Car.) House of Representatives[edit]
Sixteen Democrats, 32 Republicans, the only Prohibitionist and the only Socialist in the House voted against the Declaration. On the other hand all three Progressive Party members and the only Independent Republican member voted for it — as did 193 Democrats and 176 Republicans. (Five Republicans and three Democrats did not vote on the question.) Of the 50 members who voted against the resolution, 42 represented Western and Midwestern states (as did five of the six Senators who had voted against it in their own chamber). Only three (a Michigan Republican, an Ohio Democrat and a New York Socialist) [nb 1] came from Northern states east of Illinois[nb 2] and only five (Democrats from Alabama, Texas and the Carolinas)[nb 3] from the Southern states.[nb 4] (No Representative from New England[nb 5] or from the Border States east of Missouri[nb 6] voted against the declaration.) The three Northern Representatives out of 168 who voted against the declaration represented 2% of the Northern delegations, while the five Southern members who voted Nay constituted only 4% of the 128 Representatives from Southern and Border states. However, nine out of 33 Representatives (27%) from the Far West[nb 7] voted against the declaration: three (1 Democrat, 1 Republican & 1 Prohibitionist) out of California's 11 Representatives; two of Washington state's 5; two of Colorado's 4; one (Jeannette Rankin) of Montana's 2; and Nevada's sole Representative. So did 33 out of 102 (32%) from the Mid-West:[nb 8] 9 out of 11 members from Wisconsin, 4 out of 10 from Minnesota, 6 out of 27 from Illinois, 4 out of 15 from Missouri, 3 out of 6 from Nebraska, 3 out of 11 from Iowa, 2 out of 3 from South Dakota and 2 out of 8 from Kansas. (All but six of the 33 Midwestern opponents of the declaration were Republicans; but the 9 Far Western votes against the declaration were evenly divided between four Democrats, four Republicans and one Prohibitionist.)[nb 9] Signatures[edit]Immediately after the resolution was passed by the House, it was signed by House Speaker, Champ Clark. About nine hours later, at 12:14 p.m., it was signed by Vice President Thomas R. Marshall. Less than an hour later, President Wilson signed it at 1:11 p.m., and the United States was officially at war against the German Empire.[8] See also[edit]
Notes[edit]Footnotes[edit]
Citations[edit]
Sources[edit]
External links[edit]
Why did America declare war on Germany in April 1917?The US entered World War I because Germany embarked on a deadly gamble. Germany sank many American merchant ships around the British Isles which prompted the American entry into the war.
What reasons did President Wilson cite for the US declaring war on Germany?On April 2, President Wilson asked Congress to declare war against Germany specifically citing Germany's renewed submarine policy as “a war against mankind. It is a war against all nations.” He also spoke about German spying inside the U.S. and the treachery of the Zimmermann Telegram.
What is the significance of April 2 1917 to ww1?On April 2, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson delivered this address to a joint session of Congress and called for a declaration of war against Germany. The resulting congressional vote brought the United States into World War I.
What were the events that led the US to declare war on Germany in 1917 quizlet?Americans entered the war in 1917 by declaring war on Germany. This was due to the attack on Lusitania, the unrestricted submarine warfare on American ships heading to Britain, and Germany encouraging Mexico to attack the USA.
|