The Us and Wwi

The United States and World War I

The United States of America entered World War One on April 6Th, 1917. When war was officially declared in 1914, Woodrow Wilson insisted that the U.S. adopt a neutral stance along with popular opinion. It would be the United States involvement in the war that would eventually become the decisive factor in the allied victory.
America choose neutrality because it was widely accepted that we had no business being involved in European power struggles. The Monroe Doctrine, introduced in 1823, was a policy that stated America would not meddle or intervene with European concerns. Trench Warfare was seen by Americans as being horrific and futile. Wilson officially announced that America would be neutral on August 4th, 1914. He declared that trade with both sides during the war would be permitted and that loans could be dealt to both sides as well. This was very profitable for the US. Wilson used his neutral position and the ability to keep the US out of war to help him win re-election in 1916.
The British maintained a naval blockade of Germany’s coastline which made it difficult for Germany to trade with America. Germany declared that it would begin using unrestricted submarine warfare in 1915. This would allow German U-boats to sink any ship sailing in declared war zones, including merchant ships, without any warning. Wilson warned Germany that it would become accountable for any loss of life. When a German U-boat sank the Lusitania without warning, killing 128 Americans, it upset America and Wilson. German Foreign Secretary, Arthur Zimmerman, dispatched a telegram to Mexico asking them to declare war on the United States if the United States entered the war. Germany proposed that if they did this, when the war was over that Mexico would be given back land that it had lost in the Mexican-American war. It also stated that Germany would resume Unrestricted Submarine Warfare in February of 1917. This telegram was intercepted and...