To commemorate the 100th anniversary of America's entry into WWI, PBS's American Experience will premiere a three part series titled 'The Great War.'
On April 6, 1917, the United States entered World War I after the House of Representatives voted 373–50 to declare war on Germany. The vote came after President Woodrow Wilson asked a joint session of Congress to declare war on April 2 and a Senate vote of 82-6 on April 4.
'The Great War' draws on the latest historical research, as well as unpublished diaries, memoirs and letters to explore the largely forgotten aspects of America's involvement in World War I.
"The series explores the experiences of African-American and Latino soldiers, suffragists, Native-American "code talkers" and others whose participation in the war to ‘make the world safe for democracy,’" according to PBS’s description of the series.
The series will also examine the behind the scenes events that led America out of neutrality and into war.
"‘The Great War’ also explores how a brilliant PR man bolstered support for the war in a country hesitant to put lives on the line for a foreign conflict; how President Woodrow Wilson steered the nation through almost three years of neutrality," writes PBS.
The series will also look at how America’s efforts to bring freedom and liberty abroad ended up bringing large scale oppression to civil liberties at home.
For a sneak peak of the documentary, PBS released this clip from the series about the start of the war for America:
‘The Great War’ premiers with part one on Monday, April 10 from 9:00-11:00 p.m. ET (check local listings) on PBS. Parts two and three will air at the same time on April 11 and 12.
