ANTI-GERMAN SENTIMENT IN THE UNITED STATES 1

Anti-German Sentiment In The United States During World War I And Woodrow Wilson’s

Influence On The Public Opinion

Lillian Waddick

Honors College: Portland State University

ANTI-GERMAN SENTIMENT IN THE UNITED STATES 2

Abstract

Topic: Anti-German sentiment in the United States during World War I

Research Question: To what extent did Woodrow Wilson’s anti-German sentiment and laws

during World War I impact the German culture in the United States?

This paper examines the extent to which the U.S. government persecuted Germans. It

examines the methods Woodrow Wilson used to target Germans. These methods include banning

German from being taught, exaggerating German war tactics in newspapers, and making a

“preparedness movement.” Although these methods made the war more successful, they

persecuted Germans and erased their culture from the U.S. The anti-German sentiment expressed

during World War I targeted all German-Americanes, making it more difficult for them to

express their culture, create community, or participate in the U.S. economy.

ANTI-GERMAN SENTIMENT IN THE UNITED STATES 3

Anti-german Sentiment In The United States During World War I And Woodrow Wilson’s

Influence On The Public Opinion

World War I sparked changes before, during, and after it occurred. Although there were

many factors playing into the war, the assasination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand caused tension

between most of the countries. Agreements between European powers, including Bosnia, the

Ottoman Empire, and Russia, lasted for years. However, once the archduke was assassinated, a

series of events, including militarism and imperialism, escalated into war. The Serbian army and

Germany invaded Czechoslovakia, Belgium, Poland, and Denmark, and eventually the United

States declared war on Germany (Rank). When the war ended, it caused the downfall of many

European monarchies, and virtually marked the end of colonialism. However, there was still

tension with Germany, which eventually led to World War II. New weapons were used

throughout World War I, which led to a shift in how countries addressed war. Although there

were many developments from the first World War, citizens were displaced, killed, and injured

because of it. One of the most impacted communities is the German community in the United

States (Wiley). Woodrow Wilson’s laws and the American government’s war propaganda

discriminated against Germans to the point at which they could not publically express their own

culture, which led to the degradation of German culture in America.

Although many Germans lived in the U.S., most German immigration began in the 17th

century and continued throughout time, with places like “Germantown” near Philadelphia.

People emigrated from Germany because 18th century Germany had many economic problems.

Small regional governments held most of the political power, and wars around Europe caused the

economy to deteriorate. German immigration strengthened German culture in the United States,
ANTI-GERMAN SENTIMENT IN THE UNITED STATES 4

and German culture became the staple of U.S. culture. When Germans first migrated to the U.S.

they moved primarily to the British colonies, including Pennsylvania, New York, and Virginia.

They also moved to the Midwest. Germans had a strong influence on the labor movement. In the

United States, U.S. and German relations during the 19th century focused on commerce and

immigration. However, after 1871, the tensions between Germany and the U.S. broke down their

positive relations (Allen).

The Kingdom of Prussia and Germany established diplomatic relations in 1871. The

Kingdom of Prussia was an independent country, but became a united power with Germany in

1871. However, the 1871 deal with Prussia and Germany led to Germany becoming a dominant

power in Europe. Then, Germany’s power intimidated the U.S., which led to the U.S. terminating

relations with Germany during the first World War in 1917. The sinking of the Lusitania

prompted the war, caused the U.S. to blame Germans for the war (Little).

War was the most influential aspect in anti-German sentiment. There was not much

discrimination against Germans before then, but the war made it difficult for all

German-Americans to function in society (Wüstenbecker). Germanophobia is “ an intense dislike

or fear of Germany and German characteristics, customs, and governmental activities”

(Merriam-Webster). This is a term used to describe the fear and discrimination of Germans.

Woodrow Wilson was the president during the first World War who supported enforced

Germanophobic customs and laws during the time in relation to the war in the U.S. His policies

he made reflected the anti-German sentiment seen throughout the country (Rosser).

Germany was a large political force in Europe before the war and during. It held power in

Europe and was respected by most countries. However, after the war, the world was divided into
ANTI-GERMAN SENTIMENT IN THE UNITED STATES 5

Allies and Central Powers, so many countries, including the U.S., resented Germany (U.S.

relations with Germany).

In the United States, there was anti-German propaganda, including newspapers,

pamphlets, flyers, books, and articles. These were handed out at stores, train stations, the side of

streets, and anywhere else someone could receive one from. In the propaganda, Germans were

referred to as “Huns,” and they were given very little respect. A reporter wrote, “‘The Nazis'

crimes had been far worse,’ Der Spiegel wrote in a lengthy article in 2011, ‘but the suffering of

ethnic Germans was immense.’” (Taylor). Not only were Germans discriminated against, but

those who were previously in concentration camps were forced to stay in internment camps with

poor conditions.

One of the key strategies for promoting anti-German sentiment were newspapers.

Newspapers, including the New York Times, local newspapers, and national headlines all targeted

Germans. They used propaganda to insight fear against anyone with German heritage. Laws and

policies in the United States made it easy for newspapers to target Germans and make them “the

enemy.”

Andree J. Rathemacher, a professor at the University of Rhode Island and an alumni at

Brown university, is head of the library at the University of Rhode Island. He has authority to

screen and verify what sources are appropriate for college level students. While studying at

Brown University, he studied the difference between American and German newspapers in the

United States.

The Providence Journal and the Providencer Anzeiger are two newspapers that

Rathemacher focuses on. These two papers played into how Germans were viewed during and
ANTI-GERMAN SENTIMENT IN THE UNITED STATES 6

after the war. The two papers reflect how Germans were persecuted because they reflected the

anti-German sentiment of citizens during the time. The English journal, The Providence Journal,

depicted Germans in a negative light, whereas Providencer Anzeiger depicted Germans with a

more sympathetic point of view. Germans were portrayed in the media as “evil,” which

contributed to the anti-German sentiment in the U.S.

As the text states,

“All Germans were now seen as evil; the Germans in Germany were no longer victims of

a repressive Prussianism, and the Germans in America were no longer loyal citizens. ‘It is

impossible to conclude,’ read one editorial, ‘that the Kaiser’s people are a

mild-mannered, modest breed, whose unwilling participation in the war is a result of their

wicked oppression by Potsdam and Berlin’” (18).

The papers, during Woodrow Wilson’s presidency, purposely reduced the significance of German

culture in the United States. People believed that Germans were not fit for America and were not

American citizens. They were seen as degenerates who did not deserve the same rights as other

Americans. Germans were banned from speaking their language in many cities, and if a person

was discovered to be German, they could be arrested or even lynched.

The newspapers targeted Germans in the beginning, according to Rathemacher:

“On August 22, a lengthy editorial complains that ‘These newspapers have had unfriendly

and hostile opinions against Germany from the very beginning... Our Anglo-American

newspapers pick out the most untrue parts from the most untrue reports, and the more

unfavorable they sound to Germany, the more prominent a place they’re given... That’s
ANTI-GERMAN SENTIMENT IN THE UNITED STATES 7

such utter nonsense that one can hardly understand how it's possible that a newspaper

that’s not printed in a madhouse can send forth such reports’” (10).

Not only did the newspapers target Germans, but they painted an untrue picture. The articles

were based on opinion rather than fact. Germans were not all hostile, even though the

newspapers made them out to be.

The U.S. newspapers were not the only way the U.S. government targeted Germans.

Woodrow Wilson created an atmosphere for war and harbored anti-German sentiment before the

war as well. He swayed the public into believing Germans were the enemy long before the war

started through “Wilsonianism.”

In a paper by Jason C. Flanagan, Flanagan begins by describing how Woodrow Wilson

created an atmosphere for the war. Jason C. Flanagan is a doctoral candidate in the School of

History, Philosophy, Religion, and Classics at the University of Queensland in Brisbane,

Australia. He has written about President Woodrow Wilson, and has done extensive research on

the topic of German representation in the United States. Flanagan highlights how Woodrow

Wilson created Wilsonianism as a way to sway the American public towards his ideals. Wilson

used tactics to convince the public that they need to be concerned about the American “self.” The

article describes how Wilson remained neutral for the beginning of the first World War, which

removes the need of sympathy for either side of the war. The sinking of the Lusitania provided a

basis for the U.S. government to blame the Germans for the war. They did not directly persecute

Germans, but they started swaying in that direction.

“The Lusitania crisis marked the beginnings of a divergence in images of the American

‘self’ and the German ‘other,’ a divergence that would see the transformation of the
ANTI-GERMAN SENTIMENT IN THE UNITED STATES 8

United States into a global champion of democracy and the rights of mankind and

Germany into the autocratic enemy of such rights.”

After the sinking of the Lusitania, the government began to crack down on Germans everywhere

in the U.S. They depicted Germans as cruel and barbaric rather than accepting the immigrants for

who they were. Some Germans were lynched, many were arrested, and others were persecuted.

“In a manner reminiscent of the Declaration of Independence, Wilson went on to

document these ‘extraordinary insults and aggressions,’ depicting the German

government as a militaristic and tyrannical cabal that relied on treachery and intrigue, one

that had not only killed American citizens abroad, but had attempted to corrupt those

remaining at home.”

This sentiment ruined the lives of many Germans, making it harder for them to work, provide for

their family, and function in the U.S. Their lives were more difficult because of the stain put on

them by Wilson’s aggression and sentiment.

Over time, Germans became more prominent in the war, and Wilson started a

preparedness movement. This categorized Germany as “the enemy,” and further separated them

from the American public. In this nature, Wilson’s presidency continued to separate Germans

and Americans, instead of accepting both. People started viewing Germans as “others,” and

Americans as “self.”

Wilson addressed the nation through letters during World War I. On July 26, 1918,

Wilson spoke to the nation about the current state of the war, and how the nation should address

it. He speaks about German influence in the United States, and says, “Every mob contributes to

German lies about the United States what her most gifted liars can not improve upon by the way
ANTI-GERMAN SENTIMENT IN THE UNITED STATES 9

of calumny” (Wilson). Although he motivated U.S. citizens to help in the war effort, he

portrayed the entire German population as liars, even though that is far from the truth.

As the war progressed, German language was erased from the U.S. culture. Prior to the

war, many people spoke German as a common language, but after the war, most schools banned

it from being taught. It was a repression of German culture, and it harmed the German heritage in

the U.S.

Terrence G. Wiley is a Chief Executive Officer for the Center for Applied Linguistics in

Washington D.C., a professor at Arizona State University, and a member of the College of

Education at the University of Maryland. He went to school at California State University, Long

Beach, and he has done research about politics and language. He wrote a chapter in a book of

compiled works about the relationship between language and politics.

Wiley wrote this article as part of a book, Language and Politics in the United States and

Canada: Myths and Realities, and the chapter he wrote focuses on English-only policies

affecting the fate of the German culture in North America. He begins by describing how most of

America was composed of German ancestry. Many Germans learned English, but still spoke

German as a way of retaining their culture. During the American Revolution, German documents

and ideals were translated into English for all Americans to read. German was about as

prominent as Spanish is today. The Catholic Church removed German from the school system in

the late 1800s and early 1900s. Then, a number of state laws passed anti-German laws,

preventing the German language from being taught in schools. “Largely because of its

association with the Catholic education, the German language increasingly became a target of
ANTI-GERMAN SENTIMENT IN THE UNITED STATES 10

Anglocentric school legislation in the East and Midwest during the 1800s” (218). By banning

German, school systems targeted an entire culture, and tried to suppress knowledge.

Initially, there were pro-German marches during the first World War. However, as time

went on, most German-Americans were unprepared for the anti-German attitude that would be

presented towards them around 1917. Germans were unable to express their culture or language

after the war.

As one woman recalls,

“However, the plea of one Nebraskan woman is telling. Writing directly to President

Wilson in 1918, she implored: ‘I beg you with all my heart not to make us destroy our

language which we have learned from parents and grandparents’” (224).

Most Germans were innocent and wanted to keep their culture. However, with Wilson’s

regulations and rules, they were unable to do that.

The conditions of German-Americans in the United States during WWI were worse than

many people expect. Many Germans were misunderstood during the war, and they were

discriminated against as well. People tend to shift the blame to a certain group of the population

instead of addressing the root cause. Although the United States fought against Germany,

Germans deserved the same basic human rights as everyone else. Instead of respect, Germans

faced mistrust, anger, and suspicion (The Evolution Of German-american Culture In The United

States). Shortly after the war, Germans were still persecuted by the laws at the time. Schools still

did not teach German, and people were fueled with suspicion every time they heard a German

name.

Today, German culture is almost erased in the United States. There are not many German
ANTI-GERMAN SENTIMENT IN THE UNITED STATES 11

speaking towns or a strong connection to the German past. Many people do not realize that

German-Americans were also discriminated against during the first World War, even though they

were. Although there was less German culture after the first World War, many citizens in the

U.S., as many as 44 million, have German ancestry. For almost 50 years, German culture was

erased, but in 2010, a German-American congressional caucus was created. As time passes,

German culture is becoming more accepted, but it will still take education and integration to

fully accept it again.

ANTI-GERMAN SENTIMENT IN THE UNITED STATES 12

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