Why Did America Enter Ww1

As the 20th century began, all the countries were looking to upgrade their arms. The more the countries divided the more the need to increase armed forces became important. Between 1870 and 1914, the armies for France and Germany doubled, and sea master was constantly changing between Britain and Germany. It seemed that each country was coming up with different plans to attack their enemies. (World War One- Causes, 2014)

a. Wilson realized the economic advantages of remaining a neutral country, and understood that the United States’ abundance in industry and its large domestic consumer market meant that the national economy was not under any immediate threat. Furthermore, as the world’s leading manufacturer and economic power, the United States became the primary supplier of the Allied war effort. As a result trade with the Allied nations fueled America’s industrial, services, and agricultural sectors, as American exports of steel, grain, clothes, food, money, weapons, etc, and brought about the biggest economic boom in U.S. history. American banks lent billions of dollars to the Allied coalition. The United States, however, did not trade strictly with the Allied nations, and for a time exploited its status as a neutral country to conduct trade with Germany, that was until Britain harassed American goods back to English ports. In spite of this trade with the Allied nations continued, and the national economy flourished from the sale of non-contraband goods. Wilson therefore had little reason to claim any greater a stake in the European war than strictly business. Moreover, the United States, as a result of the Second Industrial Revolution, enjoyed a self-sufficient economy founded on the nation’s vast array of industry and a steady supply of valuable resources like oil and steel. America’s industries were perfectly suited to the nation’s

The United States entered World War I because of German submarine warfare against merchant ships trading with Britain and France, which led to the sinking of the RMS Lusitania in which 128 American lives were lost. [3] The US had also intercepted the Zimmerman Telegram which had been sent between Germany and Mexico, urging Mexico to declare war against the United States. [4]

President Wilson had cautioned citizens from taking side in the war in fear of jeopardizing wider US policy, during the time of neutrality. Untied States maintained this neutrality despite increasing pressure on President Wilson after the sinking of the Lusitania. This neutrality would crumble when Germany started to introduce its unrestricted submarine

On April 2, 1917 the United States entered WWI declaring war against Germany and its allies. The deciding factor for the U.S. to enter the war is due to one document, the Zimmerman Telegram. The document was sole proof to many Americans that Germany’s intentions were not only causing harm on European soil but bringing it across the seas to American soil. It stated that Germany had no intentions on slowing down its submarine warfare to which they hoped to keep the Americans neutral, but if they failed in doing so they offered an alliance among themselves and Mexico. The understanding was that Mexico would declare war on the United States and help the Germans and in return they would receive their land they had lost to America in years past,

WWI started on July 28, 1914 and ended on November 11, 1918. At the time a man named Woodrow Wilson was president at the time. President Wilson did not want to go to war. In DBQ 16: Why Did We Enter World War I?-Historical Context by J. Weston Walch, it says “People were determined to keep out of the conflict and applaud president Wilson when he asked that his fellow citizens remain “neutral in fact as well as in name.””Then Germany started unrestricted warfare and a telegram was intercepted saying that a few of our states were going to be given to mexico if they helped germany attack the U.S. These are the main reasons why the U.S should join WWI.

The United States of America, one of the most powerful and strongest countries in the world, originally had a policy of isolationism. But it's unexpected entry into World War I, still remains controversial. Many reasons are thought to be factored into the United States’ decision for entry into the war, such as the sinking of the RMS Lusitania, the Zimmerman Telegram, and the prohibition of unrestricted submarine warfare. There are many reasons why the U.S entered the war however these are the most significant ones, as they had the most impact on the United States decision of entry into World War I.

Background - Historical Context: Some people believed that wars are worth the cost but is the

Between the years of 1894 and 1914, America’s investments overseas have increased five-fold; however, German U-boats and the Great Britain’s naval blockade threaten our foreign interests. Thus, the United States must join the Allies in The Great War and defend our country, her interests and her allies overseas in Europe. In this paper the reader will be introduced to the pros and cons of America joining the fight against the Central Powers, and why it is essential that the country put up a strong fight against the enemy and become involved with the war.

By the time President Wilson asked Congress to declare war on Germany and its allies, the World War I had already been raging for four years (Doenecke, 2010, p. 1). Prior to this declaration of war, America had tried to remain neutral, while Germany, Autria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria waged war against Great Britain, France, Russia, Italy, Rumania, and Japan. Many of these belligerents joined the war at various times during this four year period, so the war continued to expand during this four year period. Wilson and a significant percentage (49%) of the American public had wanted to stay out of this conflict as possible when it first started (Doenecke, 2010, p. 20), but a series of events forced America's hand.

Second, another goal of American participation in the war was to ensure financial security. A great number of businessmen from the U.S loaned money out to Great Britain and France with the interest of helping the Allies succeed. Their total contribution was around three billion dollars, all of this was loans, however. The U.S realized that if the allies didn’t win the war against the axis powers, the likelihood of the loans being repaid to the businessmen was fairly slim. The ‘Preparedness Movement’ arose out of this concern, which stated that the U.S should enter the war and support the Allies in order to better ensure their victory. As long as the allies won, the loans would most likely be repaid. A final goal for American participation in the war was to stop unrestricted submarine warfare, which was damaging American ships and crippling the shipping industry. Protecting American shipping was a pretty major goal in entering the war. On January 9, 1917, Germany announced that it would start using unrestricted submarine warfare. The reason for Germany doing this was desperation. They

As soon as World War One broke out, Woodrow Wilson, the president at that time immediately declared the United States neutral to maintain the nation’s stability. President Wilson thought the United States should take no part in a war where they were not affected. But, as the war carried on it was evident that a stance of neutrality was just clearly not the case. Even though they were not fighting in World War I, the United States were definitely involved. Whether it be loaning goods to a party of the war or rising turmoil with a belligerent nation, America did take part in the war before their actual entry. Voluntary or involuntary, the United States involved themselves in the war in many ways , most definitely contradicting Wilson’s policy of neutrality.

The United States was thrust into the WWI because Germany was trying to become a Global power to rule the world and was going to kill, destroy anything they could to become that evil entity. Germany was at war with Belgium, France, England and declared war on Russia trying to overtake the areas. Because Germany did not want these European countries to have anything to do with the anyone else they block the borders to prevent any exports or imports of goods and even sunk ships to prevent anything coming to shore. (History.com Staff,2009)

America's policy of insisting on neutral rights while also trying to broker a peace resulted in tensions with both Berlin and London. US president Woodrow Wilson repeatedly warned that he would not tolerate unrestricted submarine warfare, and the Germans repeatedly promised to stop. In January 1917 the German military decided that unrestricted submarine warfare was the best gamble to choke British supplies before the American troops could arrive in large numbers. A proposal to Mexico to join the war was exposed in February, bringing war closer. (See Zimmerman telegram). After further U-boat attacks on American merchant ships, Wilson requested that Congress declare war on Germany, which it did on April 6, 1917 (see: Woodrow Wilson declares war on Germany on Wikisource). The House approved the war resolution 373-50, the Senate 82-6, with opposition coming mostly from German

The brutal acts the Germans were doing to innocent Americans put pressure on the President. Therefore President Wilson met with American citizens and discussed going to war with Germany and the price Americans would pay. In his speech he said, “There is such a thing as a man being too proud to fight and there is such a thing as a nation being so right it does not need to convince people by force what is right.” The speech didn’t matter America wanted justiced.