WWl essays

WWl essays There were many pros and cons of the United States getting involved in World War I. Some reasons are as follows. Economics - trade, banking, industry - all are affected by war. A permanent stance of neutrality by the U.S. would have permanently scarred our relationships with GBR and France. Possible protection of our borders, with the Zimmerman Telegram being intercepted by Britain from Germany to Mexico we knew that our country was in danger, so we had to get involved. Some propose that the US was never actually neutral, but had been supporting the British all along. Others propose that as German forces crept into the Atlantic and threatened to conquer Britain, the US felt that its defenses and the country's security were threatened, again justifying involvement in the war. It is impossible to pinpoint the entry of the United States to a number of certain events and it was most definitely a combination of many factors. Most Americans favored staying out of the conflict and P resident Wilson publicly stated that the United States would follow a policy of neutrality. However; it was just a matter of time before the United States would find itself in the middle of the Great War (Bass). The war in Europe raged on and Americans were clearly on the side of the allies. The Germans were painted as the aggressors, and Americans came to believe that the Germans were vicious and blood thirsty (social). Case in point was the way the Germans conducted their submarine attacks in the ocean. This was called unrestricted submarine warfare. On May 7, 1915 the British cruise ship Lusitania was sunk by German U-boats off the coast of England. Over 1.198 lives were lost including 128 Americans. This act set off the American people who wanted revenge. However; the Germans backed off and in 1916 the Germans agreed to the Sussex pledge which ended unrestricted submarine warfare. This put off the inevitable Ameri ...