<P> Of greatest concern to Jews was the tsarist regime in Russia because it was notorious for tolerating pogroms and following anti-Semitic policies . As historian Joseph Rappaport reported through his study of Yiddish press during the war, "The pro-Germanism of America's immigrant Jews was an inevitable consequence of their Russophobia". The fall of the tsarist regime in March 1917 removed a major obstacle for many Jews who refused to support tsarism . The draft went smoothly in New York City, and left - wing opposition to the war largely collapsed when Zionists saw the possibility of using the war to demand a state of Israel . </P> <P> The most effective domestic opponents of the war were Irish - American Catholics . They had little interest in the continent, but were neutral about helping the United Kingdom because it had recently enacted the Government of Ireland Act 1914, allowing Irish Home Rule . However, the Act was suspended until the war ended . John Redmond and the Irish Parliamentary Party (IPP) declared that Irish Volunteers should support America's pro-Allied war efforts first; his political opponents argued that it was not the time to support Britain in its attempt to "strengthen and expand her empire". The attacks on the IPP and pro-Allied press showed a firm belief that a German victory would hasten the achievement of Irish independence . Yet rather than proposing intervention on behalf of the Germans, Irish American leaders and organizations focused on demanding American neutrality . But the increased contact between militant Irish nationalists and German agents in the United States only fueled concerns of where the primary loyalties of Irish Americans lay . Nevertheless, close to 1,000 Irish - born Americans died fighting with the U.S. armed forces in WWI . </P> <P> The Easter Rising in Dublin in April 1916 was crushed within a week and its leaders executed by firing squad . The mainstream American press treated the uprising as foolish and misguided, and theorized it was largely inspired by the Germans . Overall public opinion remained faithfully pro-British . </P> <P> Irish - Americans dominated the Democratic party in many large cities so Wilson had to take account of their views . They did not prevent him from being hostile to Germany, but they did force him to keep his distance from Britain . Indeed, Irish - American pressure influenced the United States into not accepting Britain's war aims as its own and define its own objectives, primarily self - determination . The Irish - American community thought they had Wilson's promise to promote Irish independence in exchange for their support of his war policies, but after the war they were bitterly disappointed by his refusal to support them in 1919 . Wilson saw the Irish situation purely as an internal UK matter and did not perceive the dispute and the unrest in Ireland as comparable to the plight of the various nationalities in Europe as a fall - out from World War I . The progress of the Irish Race Conventions give a flavour of the differing and changing opinions during the war . </P>

Which event led the u.s. to enter world war i in 1917