The Kaiser's most loyal subjects? The German view of America and German-Americans during World War I

In the fading evening light of August 4, 1914, Great Britain launched its first attack of World War I—the H.M.S. Telconia was sent to sever the five transatlantic cables linking Germany and the United States. Thus began the most decisive battle of World War I: the battle for American public opinion fought on American soil; first the struggle for accurate information, then subsequently for tangible assets. Without American shipments of munitions, material, and money to the Allies, the war would have undoubtedly taken a different course. For both the British and the Germans, the most important question was: "Will the United States enter the war?" By failing to obtain true American neutrality, the German government could not hope to stem the Allied tide for the duration of the war, even without the impact of American soldiers on the continent. This dissertation analyzes the attempts of the German Foreign Ministry, German organizations, the German-language press, and German-American activists to counter the ever-increasing pro-Allied stance of the American media after August 1914 in a desperate struggle to keep the United States out of the war. This project explores German reactions to American non-neutrality and Allied propaganda through archival records, newspapers, and "official" propaganda to assess the cultural impact of Germany's political mission within the United States. By revealing the reactions and behavior of German-Americans, this project further explores the experience of immigrants in American society, the impact of World War I on both American and European society, and the perception of American life in Europe.