Declaring War in 1917

The United States Congress responded to Pres. Woodrow Wilson's request for a war declaration by voting on April 6, 1917. The vote totals show strong support but certainly not unanimity.

The Senate voted to declare war 82-6 with 8 abstaining. Among those who did not support the war was progressive leader Robert LaFollette of Wisconsin, later a major third-party candidate for the presidency.

The House of Representatives voted in support of the war declaration 373-50 with 9 abstaining. Opposition to the war was bipartisan, though more Republicans than Democrats voted no. Two smaller-party representatives (a Prohibitionist and a Socialist) also voted no.

What pushed many of these elected officials to vote for war when many of them had previously campaigned as neutralists or peace candidates? The resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare by Germany in early 1917 changed minds; so did the Zimmerman Telegram (covered in class).

Below, this is what the Zimmerman Telegram looked like before British intelligence decoded it and passed the contents on to the United States government.