US History

Entering the Abyss

The United States entry into WW1

World war one started as most do , with one or both sides expecting a quick much longer than expected . The war was bloodier and much more complicated than anyone expected . After more than three years , the war was at a stalemate

The United States was being prompted by a number of factors to enter the war . Prevailing public opinion was against the war . The American leadership was trapped between a number of conflicting attitudes and realities . In entering this complicated war , the

American President hoped to plant the seeds of a lasting peace

To enter or not to enter

The assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand in 1914 is regarded as the trigger that started World War I . The complex web of deeper causes runs well back into the 19th century . This is way it was not a simple war for the United States to enter

German nationalism had increased in the late 1800s (Keegan , 1999 . As Germany tried to increase its power , it clashed with France in the 1870s . Treaties ended that war , but a long-standing animosity remained between the two sides

For its part the United States had an alliance with Britain , but it was reluctant to involve itself in European roles . The British and Americans had fought each other twice . France , Spain and Germany were also both enemies and allies of the United States during its short history . There were also ethnic conflicts during the First World War , at the time America was rapidly becoming more multicultural

The Americans officially remained neutral at the onset of the conflict They did , however , send munitions and other supplies to the Allies (Gilbert , 1996 . In response the Germans declared unrestricted submarine warfare in the Atlantic Ocean in to interrupt the flow of supplies

The sinking of American merchant and passenger ships antagonized public opinion in the U .S . The complexities of the situation were lost on the American media and the propagandists . Anti-German sentiment grew rapidly during the war , fueled by a diplomatic incident in which the Germans appeared to be trying to undermine the U .S . government

American business concerns , including munitions manufacturers pressured Congress to enter the war on the side of the Allies . When German U0boat attacks increased in 1917 , the issue came to a head . The United States declared war on the Axis powers in mid-1917

Forging peace

World War 1 had been the most devastating war ever fought (Taylor 1980 . President Woodrow Wilson hoped to find a way that international conflicts could be resolved peacefully . The League of Nations was a centerpiece in his effort to ensure world peace

Wilson issued his Fourteen Points ' while the war was still being fought . His hope was to address the underlying causes of WW1 in to prevent future wars . The Points included provisions to ensure freedom of the seas , trade , self-determination and open diplomacy . It also included plans for disarmament , and for establishing an international peacekeeping organization known...