Liberia in World War I
Liberia remained neutral for the first years of World War I, but on 4 August 1917, in the wake of the declaration of war upon the German Imperial Government by the United States of America (6 April 1917), Liberia joined the Allied side, and is counted amongst the war's victors.
Background
Prior to World War I, Liberia was largely impoverished and unstable, and dependent on
Participation
Following the outbreak of war, the German trade collapsed. However a German
Liberia had minimal active involvement in the war itself. Monrovia suffered shellings by a German submarine in April 1918, and once more in June 1918 – targeting their former telegraph station – and a small number of Liberian troops served in France, though they did not see combat.[1][5]
In April 1918 the Liberian government seized German assets in the country, resulting in yet further economic disruption, particularly as German companies had displaced Liberian businesses in the local economy;[1][6] this was further exacerbated by a German submarine blockade affecting Liberian ship traffic.[7]
As an Allied nation, Liberia received liberty loans from the United States, though this financial support decreased greatly after the end of the war.[1] A loan to "bolster and replace" profits lost as a result of Liberia's involvement was proposed by President Woodrow Wilson, but blocked by the United States Senate.[8]
See also
References
- ^ ISBN 978-1-85109-420-2.
- ISBN 978-3-923519-65-1.
- ^ First World War http://www.firstworldwar.com/1917_08_07.htm. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help)[dead link] - ISBN 9780850529791. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
- ^ Thomas Duval Roberts (1972). Area Handbook for Liberia. U.S. Government Printing Office.
- ISBN 978-1-134-25986-1.
- ^ Liberia. Intercontinental Books. 1952. pp. 64–. GGKEY:48KHQXGN8WR.
- ISSN 0011-1422.