Figure 1.--Most Americans before World war I admired Germany and its well- ordered society, scholarship, and industrial prowess. Invading neutral Belgium and a dramatic impact on Anerica public opinion. It painted Germany as an ruthless agressor nation. The U-boat sinking of 'RMS Lusitania' firmly fixed the image that most Americans held toward the Grmans and almot led to war (1915). This was only averted when Kaiser Wilhelm promised to draw back from unrestricted submarine warfre. William Allen Rogers was the most important merican political caroonist of the late-19th and early-20th century. He had replaced Thomas Nast at 'Harpers'. From the start of the War, Rogers was highly critical of the Germans.

Given the respect that mny Americand had for Germany and the large German-American community, it is hard to understand how America public opinion turned so stringly against Germamy. But the Kaisr and the German Government managed to powerfilly shift American opinion in only a few short years. American-German relations began to deteriorate only when Germany launched World War I by invading neutral Belgium--a flagrant violation of internatinal law (1914). This was part of the long-standing German war plan, the Schliffen Plan. It was a military plan and German officials did not attach any importance to the diplomatic consequences. They believed thst it would bring a swift victory and that victory in war far surpassed the minor diplomtic consequences. It was an act, however, that firmly fixed the German image in the American mind as a lawless, aggressor nation. Chancellor von Bethmann-Hollweg referred to Germany's treaty obligations as a mere 'scrap of paper'--confirming Germany's lawless orientation. From a very early point British policy was fixated on drawing America into the War. British propganda made the most of German violation of Belgian neutrality as well as the harsh German occupation regime. German attrocities were exagerated, but were real enought and offended public opinion. Tragically they would come all too true in World War II. German use of unrestricted submarine warfare further cemented the American view of the Germans, especially the sinking of the British liner RMS Lusitania with prominent Americans aboard (1915). The submarine was a new weapon. Its effective usage required violtions of established conventions on commerce warfare. Surfacing to sink ships and allowing passengers and crew to disembark put the U-boat in danger and escorts to head for the ship and sub. This might have brought America into the War in 1915, but Germany agreed to restrict U-boat operations. Another problem was German sabatoge activities conducted under the supevision of German military attache Franz von Papen. He would later play a role in Hitler's rise to the Chancelorship.

Sources

Created: 7:22 AM 9/23/2015
Last updated: 7:22 AM 9/23/2015