gleaming ♪ whose broad stripes and bright star s stars through the perilous fight ♪ ♪ o'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming ♪ ♪ and the rockets' red glare the bombs bursting in air ♪ ♪ gave proof through the night that our flag was still there ♪ ♪ oh, say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave ♪ ♪ o'er the land of the free ♪ and the home of the brave please take your seats. april 6, 1917, for three years the great war raged across the globe, bringing death, destruction, famine, disease and displacement of peoples across europe, africa and asia. from the atlantic to the pacific. during these years the united states of america remained neutral keeping our distance from the conflicts of the old world. four days earlier on april 2nd, president woodrow wilson addressed a joined session of congress. >> neutrality is no longer desirable where peace is involved. and the freedom of its people. to minister that peace and freedom lied in the existence of autocratic governments. we are at the beginning of an age in which it will be insisted that the same standards shall be observed among nations that are observed among the individual citizens of civilized states. >> on april 6, 1917, 100 years ago today united states congress voted to pass a declaration of war and sent it to president woodrow wilson for signature. just a few months earlier in november 1916, wilson won his second presidential term campaigning on slogans he kept us out of war and america first but developments in the early months of 1917 forced a reckoning bringing the united states to a decisive moment in its history. wilson signed the declaration when it arrived marking the end of a heated debate over competing visions of america. those in favor of joining the conflict believed in an outward looking america ready to play its role in fighting for peace and order in the world. those opposed saw only the futility of war and zealously favored inward looking homeland free from old world entanglements. president wilson's signature changed the course of history in our world and emotion. and in the destiny of a great american, before this moment, the united states had kept the rest of the world at arm's length. after she would become a key participant in events that reshape the old world. on this day 100 years later it is appropriate that we as a nation look back at the decision hear the voices spoke for and against entry of the great war, remember the devastation and suffering inflicted by the conflict and reflect on the war's impact on the world, our nation and on our people. two years before the beginning of the war, a disquieting symbol of change first appeared to me in the french sky. i was sitting in a friendly garden basking in the warm autumnal sunshine, savoring as a new englander can, the charm of being again in france. no sign of life but a solitary pony cart. no sound in the golden air but the click of garden shears among the rose bushes. suddenly an ominous word, a mysterious pulsing throb overhead. staring up i saw the long shadow of on army plane sharp against the sky. those mechanical wings left a sinister echo in the quiet garden. i became aware of the new tension, a half concealed anxiety, a subtle change in the french temper. elizabeth scheppley, sergeant, 1916. >> the start of a great war in 1914 quickly became a great unraveling, shaking the foundations of european civilization. barbara tutman, author of "the proud tower" a portrait of the world before the war writes -- >> the pride tower built up through the greating a of european civilization was an edifice of grandeur and passion of riches and beauty. its inhabitants lived with more self-reliance, more confidence, more hope, greater magnificence and elegance. more careless ease, more pleasure in each other's company and conversation. the old world had much that has since been lost. looking back on it from 1915 the belgian poet dedicated his pages with emotion to the man i used to be. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ september 1914, the germans rushed west across belgium aiming to deliver a decisive blow to france and a quick end to the war. at the first battle of the marn, 90 miles from paris, the germans suffered defeat at the hands of the allies. over a million soldiers fought over six days with more than 100,000 dead. >> after the marn, the war grew and spread until it drew in t nations of both hemispheres and entangled them in a world conflict no peace treaty could dissolve. it was one of the decisive battles not because it determined that germany would ultimately lose or allies ultimately win the war but because it determined that the war would go on. the nations were caught in a trap from which there was no exit. barbara tutman, the guns of august on the battle of marn september 1914. the new york stock exchange closes due to war in europe and won't reopen until december. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ even with the united states remaining resolutely neutral, many young americans needed no persuasion to join the war efforts. victor chapman, the viers american pilot to die in the war, was a dual citizen who enlisted with the french foreign legion a month into the war. the wounded in combat, he was not killed until june 1916, while attempting to fly a box of oranges to a fellow wounded aviator who was in the hospital. >> i get the idea that you're wearing yourselves out worrying about the danger i am in. it's all very peace and i appreciate it but i wish you would not principally because it does not benefit me or everyone. this is the first thing i've ever done that has been worthwhile. it is easier to pilot an airplane than drive an auto. and far less dangerous than an auto. >> mary akron , ohio, was among the first american red cross nurses to go to europe during the war, serving as the supervisor of nurses at the american hospital in belgrade. she wrote -- >> "the cannonating lasted all the time. there was no time in the 24 hours in the first six months that some of the guns were not fired. my room was a little whitewashed one. every time one of the big french guns would fire, it would illuminate all the wall, and then i would hear the boom of the guns. that kept up night after night until the time came that we did not hear them anymore." >> and eugene bullard, the only african-american pilot to fly in world war i, did so not for the united states, but for france. the son of a freed slave, bullard stowed away to europe in 1912, determined to escape racism in the u.s. after working as a boxer and vaudeville performer in england, bullard settled in france. when hostilities broke out he joined the infantry of the french legion. after sustaining injuries and declared unfit for infantry service, bullard earned his wings with france and joined the lafayette flying corps in 1916. his plane was decorated with the slogan "all blood runs red." when the u.s. entered the war, bullard tried to enlist as a flyer for the americans. >> i was more and more puzzled until it suddenly came to me that all my fellow countrymen who transferred were white. later i learned that in world war i, negros were not accepted as flyers in the united states army. this hurt me deeply. >> when hostilities broke out in europe, thousands of americans touring the continent descended on london hoping to find safe passage home, only to find themselves unable to obtain accommodations or tickets for the few ships sailing. a 40-year-old mining engineer and financier from iowa by the name of herbert hoover, was living in london in 1914. hoover organized an american relief committee that provided food, shelter, and financial assistance to over 100,000 americans. hoover's leadership earned him the respect of the u.s. ambassador to great britain walter heinz-page. ambassador page tapped hoover to lead a relief mission to belgium after the battle of the marn, belgium faced starvation. germany had invaded but refused to take responsibility for feeding the populous. on the other side, britain's naval blockade prevented ships from entering belgian ports. on october 22nd, 1914, herbert hoover established an organization to procure and deliver food to the starving belgian population, rescuing a nation from certain ruin. >> there was no former human experience to turn for guidance. it would require that we find the major food supply for a whole nation, raise the money to pay for it, get it passed navies at see and occupying armies on land. set up an agency of distribution of supplies for everybody justly and see that the enemy took none of it. it was not relief in any known sense. it was the feeding of a nation. ♪ the nation is sad as can be a message came over the sea ♪ a thousand or more who sent from ashore have gone to eternity ♪ the statue of liberty high must now have a tear in her eye ♪ ♪ i think it's a shame someone is to blame ♪ ♪ but all we can do is just sigh ♪ some of us lost a true sweetheart ♪ ♪ some of us lost a dear dad ♪ some lost their mother sisters and brothers ♪ ♪ some lost the best friends they had ♪ ♪ it's time they were stopping this warfare if women and children must drown ♪ ♪ if they must drown ♪ many brave hearts went to sleep in the deep ♪ ♪ when the lucitania went down ♪ when it went down [ applause ] >> on the morning of may 8, 1915, the banner headline of the "the new york times" read, "lucitania sunk by submarine, probably 1,260 dead. twice torpedoed off irish coast. sinked in 15 minutes. washington believes that a grave crisis is at hand." u.s. neutrality faced numerous tests. vying for control over shipping lanes across the atlantic and through the north sea, germany and britain found themselves on a collision course with the united states. britain, in its effort to blockade commerce from the u.s. reaching germany, seized american ships. germany, in retaliation, introduced a new weapon of war, the u-boat, which could strike without warning. in 1915, german u-boats sank over 90 ships. leading up to the election of 1916, many americans favored the allies in the war, yet embraced president wilson's urging to remain impartial in thought as well as in action. at this time one-third of u.s. citizens were either born in europe or were descendents of european immigrants. sympathy for both countries on both sides of the conflict ran high. the descendents of german immigrants found themselves torn. on the one hand identifying firstly as americans, yet on the other sympathizing with their relatives abroad. when the u.s. entered the war, german-americans were labelled alien enemies and faced severe restrictions on their civil liberties. irish-americans preferred neutrality as well as the prospect of the u.s. entering the war on the side of the british was an anathema to irish nationalist sentiment. the sinking of the lucitania led many americans to call for an immediate reprisal against germany. wilson proceeded with caution, demanding an apology, compensation for the victims, and assurances that germany would cease unrestricted submarine warfare. in a speech delivered at a citizen naturalization ceremony on may 10, 1915, wilson affirmed the anti-war u.s. stance. >> america must have this consciousness that on all sides it touches elbows and touches hearts, with all the nations of mankind. the example of america must be the example not merely of peace because it will not fight, but of peace because peace is the healing influence of the world. there is such a thing as a man being too proud to fight. there is such a thing as a nation being so right that it does not need to convince others by force that it is right. >> wilson's measured response faced opposition from figures like former president theodore roosevelt, who believed germany's aggression warranted a strong military response. >> i am pretty well disgusted with our government and the way our people acquiesce in and support it. i suppose, however, in a democracy like ours the people will always do well or ill in proportion to their leadership. if lincoln had acted after the firing on sum ter the way wilson did after the sinking of the lucitania, in one month the north would have been saying they were so glad he kept them out of war, and that it all has it war should be averted. >> the words were not mere bluster. he would eventually see three of his sons off to war. only two would return alive. his youngest son quinton died when he was shot down over france in 1918. disagreement about the u.s. stance raged not only in washington, but also among intellectual circles. in early 1917, writer randolph borne would lament the shift among his left wing compatriots towards a pro war footing. >> to the american academic mind of 1914, defense of war was inconceivable. they would have thought anyone mad who talked of shipping american men by the hundreds of thousands to die on the fields of france. the nerve of the war, feeling centered, of course, in the richer and older classes of the atlantic seaboard, and was keenest where there were french or english business. it must never be forgotten that in every community it was the least liberal and least democratic elements among whom the war's sentiment was found. ♪ there's a million mothers knocking at the nation's door ♪ a million mothers, yes, and there will be millions more ♪ and while within each mother's heart they pray ♪ ♪ just hear what one brave mother has to say ♪ ♪ america i raised a boy for you ♪ ♪ america you'll find him staunch and true ♪ ♪ place a gun upon his shoulder he is ready to die or do ♪ ♪ america he is my only one ♪ my my pride and joy ♪ but if i had another he would march beside his brother ♪ ♪ america here's my boy ♪ 10 million soldiers to the war have gone ♪ ♪ some may never return again ♪ 10 million mothers' hearts must break for the ones who died in vain ♪ ♪ and bow down in sorrow in her lonely years ♪ ♪ i heard a mother murmur through her tears i didn't raise my boy to be a soldier ♪ ♪ i brought him up to be my pride and joy ♪ ♪ who dares to put a musket on his shoulder ♪ ♪ to shoot some other mother's darling boy ♪ ♪ ♪ let nations arbitrate their future troubles ♪ ♪ it's time to put the sword and gun away ♪ ♪ there will be no war today if mothers all would say ♪ ♪ i didn't raise my boy to be a soldier ♪ ♪ america i raised my boy for you ♪ ♪ i didn't raise my boy to be a soldier ♪ ♪ america you'll find him staunch and true ♪ ♪ i brought him up to be my pride and joy ♪ ♪ place a gun upon his shoulder ♪ ♪ put a musket on his shoulder ♪ he is ready to die or do ♪ america he is my only one ♪ it's time to put this gun away ♪ ♪ my pride and joy ♪ if i had another he would stand beside his brother ♪ ♪ i didn't raise my boy to be a soldier ♪ ♪ america here's my boy [ applause ] >> at the other end of the political spectrum, the editors of the conservative north american review argued for u.s. participation. >> we know now what this war is. it is the last of the great battles for freedom and democracy. america fought the first a century and 40 years ago. france followed through seas of blood and tears. just lately the great charter has passed from the barrons to the people of england. japan has ceased to be a monarchy except in name. china as a republic defies the power of mite. can anyone doubt that the beginning of the end of absolutism is at hand? >> legendary newspaper reporter walter lipman offered his third way assessment of the role america could play in the war. >> in may 1916, the president made a speech which will be counted among the decisive utterances of american foreign policy. the speech was an announcement that american isolation was ended and that we were prepared to join a league of peace. it was intended to make clear to the world that if america has to fight, it would fight for peace and the order of the world. it was a great point in human history, but it was overshadowed at the time by the opening of the presidential campaign. >> the united states absorbed a massive influx of immigrants from the end of the 19th century through the war. capitalizing on the idea that immigrants traveled to distant shores seeking freedom from tyranny, recruitment efforts appealed to immigrants' indebtedness. in exchange for their freedom and their children's freedom, they were urged to show their patriotism by enlisting in the fight. ♪ ♪ to these broad shores my fathers came from lands beyond the sea ♪ ♪ they left their home they left their families to breathe more free ♪ ♪ to them it's seen with customs strange and new ♪ ♪ for to my heart knows just one dear flag ♪ ♪ the red the white the blue ♪ the red the white the blue ♪ there is no hiding in my heart what can't be cut in two ♪ ♪ oh flag of bars and silver stars i've given all to you ♪ ♪ yeah there is no hiding in my heart ♪ ♪ it can't be cut in two ♪ oh flag of bars and silver stars ♪ ♪ i've given all to you >> the 1916 election hinged on the question of america's neutrality in the war. wilson, running for a second term, built his candidacy around the idea that america ought to prepare for the possibility of war, yet his campaign slogans, he kept us out of war, and america first, persuaded the american public that a vote for the republican candidate, charles evans hughes, would be a vote for war. while many embraced the slogans, others criticized them. teddy roosevelt. >> president wilson did noble shirking of responsibility has been misclothed in the phrase of a coward. he kept us out of war. in actual reality, war has been creeping nearer and we face it without policy, plan, purpose, or preparation. >> in september 1916, wilson accepted the democratic nomination for president. >> we have been neutral, not only because it was the fixed and traditional policy of the united states to stand aloof from the politics of europe, but also because it was manifestly our duty to prevent the indefinite extension of the fires of hate and desolation kindled by that terrible conflict and to seek to serve mankind by reserving our strength and our resources for the difficult days of restoration and healing. when peace will have to build a house anew. >> the debate reached every corner of american society. voices for and against the u.s. joining the war included not only politicians, but men who would likely be called to serve, women, african-americans, and native americans fighting for an equal role in american civic life. american arthur bullard who had lived in wartime france and england, wrote in early 1917 -- >> "whatever the diplomats may like to call it, this is war. and we do not know how to fight. we have no american general whoever commanded an army corps, not one of our naval officers fought against a dread knot. none of our artillery man ever shot a shot at enemy aircraft. we must learn, the war is upon us and we must decide what we are going to do about it. we who love peace ought to keep out of war as long as possible. and when we are forced to go in, go in hard." >> for women, the prospect of war also provoked debate. many of the american red cross nurses had experienced the tribulations of war firsthand. jane delano founder of the red cross nursing service wrote in the winter of 1915 -- >> "we have learned that women can be mobilized without confusion, that their chances of illness seem to be no greater than men's. that they face danger with ek kwi -- equinimity. we should be able to guarantee a satisfactory nursing personnel, not only for national relief in times of calamity, but for efficient service should our country be confronted with that greatest of all disasters, war." >> a year later, bessy r. james for the national league for women's service wrote. >> "on november 8, 1916, the foresight of the women is something which cannot but arouse admiration. that anyone should organize to prepare half the populous of the country for war, while the president was being put back into office because of a supposed peace policy would seem ridiculous. this, however, was exactly what happened." >> in january 1969, helen keller delivered her famous strike against war speech. >> "we are facing a grave crisis in our national life. the few who profit from the labor of the masses want to organize the workers into an army which will protect the interests of the capitalists. it is in your power to refuse to carry the artillery. all you need to do to bring about this stupendous revolution is to straighten up and fold your arms. strike against all ordinances and laws and institutions that continue the slaughter of peace and the butcheries of war. strike against war, for without you, no battles can be fought. be not dumb, obedient slaves in an army of destruction. be heroes in an army of construction." >> wilson's message of neutrality appealed to american women of a dozen states where women had won the right to vote, wilson carried 11. the first years of the war coincided with the beginning of the great migration, a transformative period for african-americans who fled the entrenched races in the south for better living conditions and wages in northern cities like chicago, pittsburgh, detroit, and new york. at the outbreak of war, many african-americans viewed service in the military as an opportunity to show their willingness to serve and improve on their standing as second class citizens. others were more skeptical. in a 1917 issue of the messenger, chandler owen and a. philip randolph challenged the hypocrisy of the american democratic ideals in relation to the african-american struggle. >> patriotism has no appeal to us. party, justice has. party has no weight with us. principle has. >> in his 1914 editorial "world war and the color line," w.e.b. dubois drew connections between the crisis in europe and the condition experienced by african-americans at home. >> "many colored persons may easily make the mistake of supposing that the present war is far removed from the color problem in america. this attitude is a mistake. the present war in europe is one of the great disasters due to race and color prejudice and it but foreshadows greater disasters in the future." >> as the likelihood of war increased in early 1917, dubois again unleashed his pen to reflect on the institution of segregated training camps. >> "we must choose in between the insult of a separate camp and the irreparable injury of strengthening the present custom of putting no black men in positions of authority. there is only one thing to do now, and that is to organize the colored people for leadership and service if war should come. a thousand commissioned officers of colored blood is something to work for. >> diplomat, lawyer, and official of the naacp james weldon johnson called for an end to what he termed the excess patriotism which had led the world's nations to war. >> it is this hot, high tempered, foolish bad-mannered patriotism that keeps further away the day for which all lovers of humanity pray. the day when men shall not hate each other because of the boundaries of domain or the differences of race, but when universal brotherhood shall be established and a lasting peace shall reign. ♪ ♪ as they sit in consultation seeking peace for all the world ♪ ♪ i wonder if their thoughts will turn to me ♪ ♪ i was at the concentration of a truce to stop the world ♪ ♪ of the kaiser in his dash towards the sea ♪ ♪ as i sit in meditation seeking solace from on high ♪ ♪ i wonder if they see i stand in awe ♪ ♪ as they plan the federation for the races for and i ♪ ♪ are they equal in the eyes of the law ♪ ♪ are they equal in the eyes of the law ♪ ♪ the black man faces death and cry hoorah ♪ ♪ his soul was pure and bright ♪ he fought a many fight ♪ no more patriotic soul you ever saw ♪ ♪ are they equal in the eyes of the law ♪ ♪ the black man faced his death and cried hoorah ♪ ♪ and cried hoorah ♪ they were the same in no man's land ♪ ♪ tell me now how do they stand ♪ ♪ are they equal in the eyes of the law ♪ >> america's native peoples overwhelmingly supported the united states during the great war. although a few leaders such as dr. carlos montezuma, an apache, objected. he wrote -- >> "they are not citizens. they have fewer privileges than have foreigners. they are wards of the united states of america. without their consent or the chance of protest on their part." >> but most indian leaders saw the conflict as an opportunity to gain recognition and to affirm tribal sovereignty as did the onendaga and oneida nations that declared war on germany. in 1917, oglala chief red fox, a nephew to crazy horse, went to washington and urged secretary of war newton d. baker to offer the services of the indians in the great war. >> from all over the west, we now stand 50,000 indians between the age of 17 and 55. we beg of you to give us the right to fight. we guarantee you, sir, our hearts could be no better cause than to fight for the land we love and for the freedom we share. >> chief red fox's sentiments were echoed by the seneca arthur parker, president of the society of american indians in 1917 who wrote -- >> "the american indian has common cause with the allies. the indian fights because he loves freedom, and because humanity needs the defense of the freedom-loving man. the indian fights because his country, his liberties, his ideals and his manhood are assailed by the brutal hypocrisy oppressionism. challenged, the indian has shown himself a citizen of the world and an exponent of the an ethical civilization wherein human liberty thrives." >> the outcome of the 1916 election reflected divisions in the country. winning by a slim electoral college margin, wilson's second term would soon face a series of crises that would determine the fate of his neutral position in the war. while debate raged in america, the slaughter continued in europe. rapid advances in the technology of weapons of war led to vast devastation. for the first time in history, the battlefield saw the use of tanks, chemical weapons, machine guns, long-range artillery, and aircraft. >> 65 million men fought in the war from 40 countries. >> 21 million were wounded. >> 8 million died, roughly 3,000 every day. >> 6 1/2 million civilians were killed, including 2 million in russia alone. >> 110,000 tons of poison gas was used, killing nearly half a million men. >> in europe alone, approximately 10 million people were displaced by the war, including 1.8 armenians forcibly deported to the syrian desert. >> 1.5 million belgians were refugees from the germans. >> in the battle of sun fought between july and november of 1916, 1.2 million men perished for a meager allied gain of 7.8 miles of territory. >> during the battle of the som, it is estimated that in the first week of fighting, over 1.5 million artillery shells were fired, almost three shells per second for 168 continuous hours. never before had humankind unleashed terror on this scale. and its effects permanently scarred the landscape and the souls of those who were there. [ sounds of war ] [ gunfire ] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> not long after the election of 1916, events would unfold at a rapid pace until the united states reached a tipping point where isolationism could no longer be an option. january 19, 1917, arthur zimmerman, foreign secretary of the german empire, sent a telegram to the german ambassador to mexico, proposing an alliance between germany and mexico in the event of u.s. entry into the war. >> we intend to begin on the 1st of february unrestricted submarine warfare. we shall endeavor in spite of this to keep the united states of america neutral in the event of this not succeeding, we make mexico a proposal of alliance. make war together, make peace together, and an understanding that mexico is to reconquer the lost territory in texas, new mexico, and arizona. you will inform the president of the above as soon as the outbreak of war with the united states of america is certain. >> the british admiralty which had cracked the german diplomatic cipher systems, decoded the message within hours. seeking to influence the american government, the british provided the americans a copy of the telegram. on the 28th of february, president wilson released the telegram to the press. the appearance of the news nationwide on march 1st galvanized american support for entry into the war. january 31st, 1917, robert lansing, secretary of state, received a note from the german ambassador to the united states. >> "a new situation has been created which forces germany to new decisions. england is using her neighbor power for a criminal attempt to force germany into submission by starvation. in brutal contempt of international law, the powers led by england, by ruthless pressure compel neutral countries either to altogether forego every trade not agreeable to the powers, or too limited according to their arbitrary decrees. from february 1st, 1917, sea traffic will be stopped with every available weapon and without further notice." >> this message from the german ambassador directly contravened the german guarantee to wilson that ended unrestricted warfare after the sinking of the lucitania in 1915. germany's renewed aggression decisively changed american's attitudes about the war. on february 3rd, 1917, the united states formally ended diplomatic relations with imperial germany. on february 25th, 1917, the canard line ship laconia was struck by german torpedoes. the chicago tribune was on board and lived to describe the scene. >> at 10:30 p.m. there was a muffled noise. five sharp blasts, a signal to abandon. we walked hurriedly down the corridor to the lounge which was amid ships. we moved fast, but there was no crowding and no panic. we looked down the slanting side of the ship and noticed her water line was a number of feet above the waves. the life boats rested against the side of the ship. i could see that we were going to have difficulty in the descent to the water. lower away, someone gave the order, and we started down toward the seemingly hungry swells. the stern of the boat was down. the bow up, leaving us at an angle of about 45 degrees. the tiers of lights dimmed slowly from white to yellow, then to red, and nothing was left but the murky morning of the night. the ship sank rapidly at the stern until at last its nose stood straight in the air. then it slid silently down and out of sight. >> allston, a chicago machinery company executive in london cabled president woodrow wilson after the sinking of the liconia. >> my beloved mother and sister, passengers on the laconia have been murdered. i call upon my government to preserve its citizens' self respect and save others of my countrymen from such deep grief as i now feel. i am of military age, able to fight. if my country can use me against these brutal assassins, i am at its call. if it stullifies my manhood by remaining passive under outrage, i shall seek a man's chance under another flag. >> events abroad also served to tip american opinion. the fall of the russian czar's regime on march 15th, 1917, resulted in a greater moral clarity for the allied cause. the war was now a struggle of democratic nations against autocratic empires. but despite the passions aroused by the zimmerman telegram and the resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare, wilson himself had no personal desire to bring the u.s. into conflict in europe. wilson told a journalist off the road -- >> if there is any alternative for god's sake, let's take it. ♪ ♪ little mary's bow said i've got to go ♪ i must fight for uncle sam ♪ standing in the crowd mary called aloud my loving man ♪ ♪ all the girls were nice and tall ♪ ♪ mary answered yes and that's not all ♪ ♪ if he can fight like he can love ♪ ♪ what a soldier boy he'll be ♪ if he's just half as good in a trench as he was in the park on a bench ♪ ♪ then every one had better run and find a great big dream ♪ ♪ i know he'll be a hero over there ♪ ♪ cause he's a bear ♪ and if he fights like he can love ♪ ♪ why then it's good night germany ♪ ♪ every single day all the papers say mary's beau is oh so brave ♪ ♪ with his little gun chasing every hun he is behaving ♪ ♪ little mary proudly shakes her head and says do you remember what i said ♪ ♪ if he can fight like he can love ♪ ♪ oh what a soldier boy he'll be ♪ ♪ if he's just half as good in a trench as he was in the park on a bench ♪ ♪ then every hun had better run and find a great big lemon tree ♪ ♪ i never saw him in a real good scrap ♪ ♪ but you're a goner when you're in his lap ♪ ♪ and if he fights like he can love ♪ ♪ why then it's good night germany ♪ [ applause ] >> march 20, wilson confers with his cabinet. they unanimously vote for war. march 21, wilson calls congress into special session for april the 2nd. on the evening of april 2nd, 1917, president wilson addresses a joint session of congress asking for a declaration of war. >> while we do these momentous things, let us make clear to all the world what our motives are. our object now as then is to vindicate the principles of peace and justice as against selfish and autocratic power. neutrality is no longer feasible or desirable where the peace of the world is involved and the freedom of its principles. and the menace to that peace and freedom lies in the existence of autocratic governments. we have seen the last of neutrality. we are at the beginning of an age in which it will be insisted that the same standards of conduct and of responsibility for wrong done shall be observed among nations and their governments that are observed among the individual citizens of civilized states. >> the congress rose to its feet and applauded enthusiastically, cheering crowds lined the streets as wilson departed from the capital. as author byron farwell wrote -- >> "it was the greatest speech of wilson's life. at about 10:00, when the president had returned to the white house, he and his wife had dinner with friends after which wilson wandered into the empty cabinet room. his secretary, joseph tumulty, found him there. think what they were applauding, he said to him. my message today was a message of death for our young men. how strange it seems to applaud that. he put his head down on the table in the cabinet room and sobbed." >> still in the face of aggression, there were voices of opposition. arkansas senator george norris. >> "the sea would benefit only the class of people who will be made prosperous should we become entangled in this present war. who have already made millions and who will make hundreds of millions more if we get into the war. to whom does the war bring prosperity? not to the soldier, not to the broken hearted widow, not to the mother who weeps at the death of her brave boy. i feel that we are about to put the dollar sign on the american flag." >> the senate passed the war resolution with only three republicans and three democrats opposed. the house voted 373 for, with 50 opposed. jeannette rankin, the first woman to serve in congress and the lone female representative voted against the resolution. the improved declaration of war was sent to president wilson on april 6, 1917, at 1:00 p.m. that day he signed, approved, 6 april 1917, woodrow wilson. >> announcer: ladies and gentlemen, please stand for a moment of silence. [ moment of silence ] [ moment of silence ] [ chimes ] [ canons fired ] [ canons firing ] [ canons firing ] >> please, sit. as the country mobilized, we leave you with the voices of two soldiers. >> major general john j. pershing to president woodrow wilson april 10, 1917. dear mr. president, as an officer of the army, may i now extend to you as commander in chief of the armies, my sincere congratulations upon your soul-stirring patriotic address to the congress on april 2nd. your strong stand for the right will be an inspiration to humanity everywhere. but especially to the citizens of the republic. it arouses in the breast of every soldier feelings of the deepest admiration for their leader. i am exultant that my life has been spent in soldier in camp and in field that i may more worthily and more intelligently serve my country and you. great respect your obedient servant, john j. pershing, major general u.s. army. >> and from the diary of my great grandfather, sergeant alvin c. york, serialized in "liberty" magazine in 1927. >> "i had no time to bother much about a lot of foreigners quarreling and killing each other over in europe. i just wanted to be left alone to live in peace and love. i wasn't planning my life any other way. i figured that if some people in the wolf river valley were quarreling, it wasn't any of my business to go and interfere. and europe was much further away. i never dreamed we'd go over there to fight. so, i didn't pay much attention to it. i didn't let it bother me until i received from the post office a little red card telling me to register for the draft. that's how the war came to me, in the midst of all my peace and happiness and dreams, which i felt all along were too good to be true and just couldn't last. >> i have a rendezvous with death at some disputed barricade, when spring comes back with rustling shade and apple blossoms fill the air. i have a rendezvous with death when spring brings back blue days and fair. it may be he shall take my hand and lead me into his dark land and close my eyes and quench my breath. it may be i shall pass him still. i have a rendezvous with death on some scarred slope of battered hill when spring comes round again this year and the first meadow flowers appear. god knows we're better to be deep pillowed in silk and scented down where love throbs out in blissful sleep, pulse nigh to pulse and breath to breath, where hushed awakenings are dear. but i have a rendezvous with death at midnight in some flaming town, when spring trips north again this year, and i to my pledged word, am true. i shall not fail that rendezvous. ♪ dreams from my childhood are with me ♪ ♪ i'm in the lot behind our house upon the hill ♪ ♪ a spring day sun is setting ♪ mother with tom in her arms is coming towards the garden ♪ ♪ the lettuce rows are showing ♪ green rows of smoke for the town stronger comes the breeze from the ridge ♪ ♪ 'tis after 6:00 the whistles have blown ♪ ♪ the milk train's gone down the valley ♪ ♪ the winds coming up the hill from the hill ♪ ♪ we run down the lane to meet him ♪ ♪ ♪ but today in freedom's cause tom sailed away ♪ ♪ for over there over there over there ♪ ♪ scenes from my childhood are floating before my eyes ♪ >> announcer: ladies and gentlemen, please welcome our international guest. [ applause ] >> the strangest political leaders in april 1917 were focused on strained recruitment in the bitterly divided debate. prime minister william hughes delivered a speech on conscription in victoria on the 27th of march, 1917, noting the probability of american entry into the war. events had moved with great strides. the furry of the titanic conflict has indeed so far from abating gathered fresh strength with every passing day. until now, at this very moment, the whole world threatens to be engulfed. america is trembling on the verge of war. we are today so far from having won our way out of the into the peace. the sydney morning herald reported 6th of april, 1917, there is nothing in the history of war more remarkable than the enthusiasm with which the american people have received the president's advice to declare themselves at war with germany. great britain will find part of a burden taken off her hands by the united states. an australian at the front line, private james joseph macon, wrote to his mother and father in london on the 9th of april, 1917. "i suppose you are following all the latest operations with much interest, and you should be exceptionally glad america has come in, at last." >> from a diplomatic message sent by the foreign minister of the austria-hungarian empire in reaction to the u.s. declaration of war against germany." since the united states of america has declared a state of war exists between it and the european government, austr austria-hungary has decided to break off diplomatic relations with the united states and the imperial and royal embassy at washington has been instructed to inform the department of state to that effect. while regretting under these circumstances to see a termination of the personal relations which he has had the honor to hold with the charge de affairs of the united states of america, he offers passport, at the same time the undersigned aveils himself the opportunity to reveal the charge de affairs. the u.s. declared war on austria-hungary. though there had hardly been any hostilities between the two countries, america's entry into the war and its subsequent diplomacy contributed greatly to austria-hungary's demise. >> the belgium prime minister and minister of war sent the following message by cable to president wilson. the belgian government decided in august 1914 to make an unprecedented application to your excellency. it was an act of faith and hope in the moral blunder of a republic friendly to belgium. our moral leader strong in number foreseen that in the american people and in you were its noblest expression -- we would find support for its honor and avenging arm for its martyrdom. it has clearly distinguished between those groups that have directed the assault against the rights peoples and those who have deemed is necessary to follow them, moved perhaps by a false understanding of solidarity that had been accepted for other objects than the gratuitous aggression of which civilization was the victim in 1914. the royal government has contracted an unforgettable debt to the generosity of the united states of america. as in 1914, it counts to those whose only fault was to be free. an honest man acted rather as thor e er -- the belgian government salutes with joy, emotion and respectful admiration the act that through the intermediary of your excellency honors the man, the nation and humanity. >> following is an excerpt of the great honorable sir robert bordon may 18, 1917. the great kindergarted neighbor embarked on war. the fact that citizens of the united states are to fight side by side with the soldiers of our empire cannot, but ha but hav n splendid influence on our two nations. [ speaking foreign language ] >> there are in this canadian eggs pe digsary force more th than,000 men who give their next of kin as resident in the united states of in eshg. i do not say that all of these men have come directly from the united states. some of them may have immigrated to this country leaving their relatives or next of kin on the other side of the line. but 9,000 who were undoubtedly born in the allegiance of the united states are now fighting in the canadian expeditionary force. although the united states has entered the war, we do not know how long it will be before the tremendous power of that nation can be translated into military effort. it cannot be done in a few weeks. it cannot be done fully in a few months. we know that from our own experience the british government know it from their experience, and therefore, it must not lead to any relaxation on the part of the empire or any part of the allied nations. >> before reading my text i think we should have -- to our soldiers right now on most difficult, trying battlefields shoulder to shoulder, side by side are fighting for the defense of our liberty and our civilization. [ applause ] on april 5th, 1917, the french president of the council of ministers in addressing the french senate, what particularly touches us is that the u.s., as always, capitalize that friendship towards us which is sealed with our blood. we recognize with joy that the u.s. flag is going to float beside ours. our hands show joy and our hearts shall beat in unison. president wilson makes it plain to all that the conflict is totally one between the liberty of modern society and the spirit of the domination of military d despotism. it is a message of deliverance to the whole world. the people who in the 18th century made the declaration of rights and are the inspiration of the writings of our fellow sufferers, the people who placed washington among the foremost of its heroes, the people who in the last century liberated the slaves is well worthy to give the world such an exulted example. for us, after such death and win, such heroic suffering, the words of president wilson mean that you all of the sentiments which have sustained us for this long trial. the powerful and decisive assistance which the u.s. brings us will be not matter your aid alone, it will be moral aid above all. as we see the conscience of the whole world stilled it mighty protest against the atrocities of which we are victims, we feel that we are fighting not only for ourselves and our allies but for something immortal that we are striving to establish a new order. and so our sacrifices have not been in vain. the blood powers out so generously by the sons of france have been shared in order to spread liberty and justice which are necessary for the establishment of concord among nations. in the name of france, in the name of the government of the french republic, we address to the government of the people of the united states an expression of our gratitudes an our most ardent gradings. >> letter of the prime minister of hungary to his excellency, am of t ambassad ambassador. did mr. penfield, may i draw your attention in a quite private way to a short declaration made in our house of commons yesterday concerning the address of president wilson. its two essential points are, one, that the conditions of peace as sketched in the answer of our enemies involve the humiliation of germany and the dismemberment of also hungary and turkey. they are equivalent to a war of destruction. compel us to fight for existence with the utmost energy and our inflagrant contradiction with the views of president wilson about the peace to be concluded. second, that the ideal of the free development of all nations in states leaving their national character cannot be fully realized in countries with a mixed population, especially in the southeast of europe. no other solution can approach this ideal so near as the political system of the dual monarchy. you would render a great service to the mutual good understanding between our countries and the cause of peace if you could bring these facts nearer to the minds of responsible statesmen and public opinion of the united states. believe me, dear mr. penfield. very sincerely yours. response of the u.s. ambassador, vienna, january 29, 1917. my dear count, it was a pleasure to receive your letter of the 25th instant and portions of it seemed so vital to the purpose for which president wilson is working that i cabled them in confidence to the department of state at washington. your address in the parliament is attracting great attention throughout europe and the united states. i see by the newspapers that come to me. pray accept my best wishes for your continued success. prayfully yours, frederick c. penfield. the wounds caused by the lack of proper respect for these principles in the decisions after world war i goes scars that hurt, pain and aching hearts to all hungarian families to this very day. >> an address received by president wilson from former prime minister of italy and 67 other member of the parliament after president wilson's speech on april 2nd, 1917. your message with its ideal beauty and its political contents bring us back to the dawn of civilization when the united states inspired by george washington, gave to the oppressed people of europe and of the two americas the fruitful example of their redemption. your message is not addressed in united states alone but to all humanity and awakens the noblest instincts among free nations. your message is the hymn of freedom. italy, having experienced bitterness of able governments, long for the liberation of all governments grown under its party rulers. thank you and and acclaims you, great republic of the united states. >> prime minister david lloyd george to the american people, 6th of april, 1917. america hat in one bound become a world power in a sense she never was before. she waited until she found a cause worthy of her traditions. the american people held back until they were fully convinced that the fight was not a sworded scrimmage for power and possessions, but an unselfish struggle to overthrow a sinister conspiracy against human liberty and human rights. once that conviction was reached, the great republic of the west has leaped into the arena and she stands new, side by side with the european democracies who, bruised and bleeding, after three years of grim conflict, are still fighting the most savage foe that ever menaced the freedom of the world. the gold phrases of the president's noble deliverance illuminate the horizon and make clearer than ever the goal we are striving to reach. there are three phrases which will stand out forever in the story of this crusade. the first is that the world must be safe for democracy. the next, the menace to peace and freedom lies in the existence of autocratic governments, backed by organized force which is controlled wholly by their will and not by the will of their people. and the crowning phrase is that in which he declares that a steadfast concert for peace can never be maintained except by the partnership of democratic nations. these words represent the faith which inspires and sustains our people in the tremendous sacrifices they have made and are still making. they also believe that the unity and peace of mankind can only rest upon democracy, upon the right of those who submit to authority to have a voice in their own government, upon respect for the rights and liberties of nations, both great and small, and upon the universal dominion of public right. the imperial war cabinet, representative of all the peoples of the british empire, wish me, on their behalf, to recognize the chivalry and courage which call the people of the united states to dedicate the whole of their resources to the greatest cause that ever engaged human endeavor. good morning. i'm bob spear, the acting secretary of the army. as we reflect on the first world war and its lessons, i think of the many ways in which our modern army was created in this conflict. our units, our methods of leadership and organization, and even how we fight really came into being as america for the first time, projected and sustained millions of its sons and daughters for years of warfare. as the army center for military history has pointed out, a soldier in the late 19th century would have been thoroughly disoriented by the vast changes just 20 years later in 1918. but a soldier from today would feel at home in the same army from a century ago. it was the first war alongside many of the now-traditional allies, and would never fight alone again. and although the army, and our country, was deeply mired in segregation and racism in the early 20th century, the first world war laid the initial groundwork that enabled to implement a long overdue integration nearly two decades before the rest of american society. and so with nose thoughts those minds, let's hear the words of calvin coolidge spoken on this spot in commemorating the sacrifices of over 243,000 american casualties and what earned on his behalf. this memorial erected in memory of those who defended their homes and their freedom in the world war stands for service in all the service implies. reverence for our dead, respect for our living, loyalty to our country, devotion to our humanity. consecration and religion, all of these and more, is representative in the towering monument in its massive supports. it has not been raised to commemorate war and victory, but rather the results of war and victory which are embodied in peace an liberty. we have little need to inquire how the war began. its day of carnage is done. but we should never forget that we were asserting our rights in main fataining our ideals. that at least we shall demand as our place in history. no one can doubt that our country was inspired by this experience. it attained a conscious national unity which it never before possessed. that unity ought always be cherished. this is all one country. we had revealed to us in our time of peril the unity and spirit of our people. they might speak with different tongues, come from most divergent quarters of the globe. but the essentials of our hour, they were moved by a common purpose, devoted to a common cause, and loyalty to a common country. we should not permit this spirit which was such a source of strength in our time of trial, to be dissipated in a more easy days of peace. we need it then, and we need it now. but we ought to maintain it, not so much because it is our advantage as because it is just inhuman and right. our compilation is composited of many different racial strains. we sha we shall use the combination of the power which derived from them all many of our soldiers were foreigners by birth, but they were americans in the defense of the common interest. there were ample opportunities for every nationality and every talent. the same condition should prevail in our peace time, social and economic organization. this great lesson in democracy, this great example of equality which came to us at the experience of war, ought never be forgotten. it was a resurgence of the true american spirit which combined our people through a common purpose in to a harmonious hole. when armistice day came in 1918, america had reached a higher and truer national spirit than it ever possessed. we last realized in a new vision we are all one people. there are irreparable losses which will go forever, in vacant homes, in orphaned children, in the wit doed women, in the bereaved parents. to the thousands of youth who are gone forever, must be added to the thousands of maimed and disabled. we recognize the courage, the loyalty, and the devotion that are displayed in war and realize that we must hold many things more precious than life itself. while we recognize the obligations arising from the war and the common dictates of humanity which ever bind us to friendly consideration for other people, our main responsibility is for america. the margin of safety in human affairs is never very broad. if american spirit fails, what hope has the world? these dead we here commemorate had placed their trust in us. their living comrades have made their sacrifice in the believe that we would not fail. in the consciousness of trust, this memorial stands as our pledge to this faith in a holy testament that our country will continue to do its duty under the guidance of the divine province. >> from the common book of prayer for sailors or soldiers, 1917. almighty god who has gin us this good land for our heritage, we humbly beseech thee that we may always prove ourselves of people mindful of thy favor and glad to do thy will. bless our land with honorable industry, sound learning and pure manners. save us from violence, discord and confusion, from pride and arrogancy and from every evil way. defend our liberties and fashion into one united people the multitudes brought hither out of many kindreds and tongues. that there may be justice and peace at home and that through obedience to thy law we may show forth thy praise to thy nations on earth. in the time of prosperity, fill our hanks with thankfulness and in the day of trouble suffer not our trust in thee to fail. >> crow chief who spoke of the dedication to the tomb of the unknown soldier on november 11th, 1921. i feel that in honor to the redman that he takes part in this great event because it shows that the thousands of indians who fought in the great war are appreciated by the white man. i am glad to represent all the indians of the united states in placing on the grave of this noble warrior this war bonnet, every eagle feather represents a deed of valor by my race. i hope that the great spirit will grant these noble warriors have not given up their lives in vain and that there will be peace to all men hereafter. this is the indians' hope and prayer. >> "rouge bouquet." in a wood any call the rouge bouquet, from is a new made grave today, bimt uilt by never spade, nor pick, yet covered with earth ten meters thick. there lie many fighting men, dead in their youthful prime, never to laugh nor love again, nor taste the summertime. for death came flying through the air and stopped his flight at the dugout stair and touched his prey and left them there, clay to clay. he hid their bodies stealthily in the soil of the land they fought to free, and fled away. now over the grave abrupt and clear three volleys ring. and perhaps their brave young spirits hear the bugles sing "go to sleep, go to sleep." ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ johnny get your gun get your gun get your gun ♪ ♪ take it on the run on the run on the run ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ you're watching american history tv. all weekend, every weekend on

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