Research Paper

"U.S. Entry into World War I, 1917." MILESTONES: 1914-1920. Print.

  Throughout the history of the United States of America, there have been many changes in foreign policy. During the course of history, the United States has taken foreign policy actions that have been consistent with the national interest. One example is U.S. entry into World War I.

  One example of foreign policy was the U.S. entry into World War I, in the early years of the war the United States was neutral, although the American public generally supported the Allies. Still, most Americans agreed with President Woodrow Wilson, who did not want to become involved in the huge conflict on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. He believed that the United States should stay out of the affairs of other nations. In 1916, in fact, Wilson used the slogan "He kept us out of war" to help win reelection.
(From the book "World History Human Legacy")

  Remaining neutral was not easy when Germany attacked civilian ships. These attacks were part of a policy called unrestricted submarine warfare. Under this policy, any ship traveling in the waters around Great Britain was subject to attack by German submarines, or U-boats.

President Woodrow Wilson went before a joint session of Congress to request a declaration of war against Germany. Wilson cited Germany’s violation of its pledge to suspend unrestricted submarine warfare in the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean, as well as its attempts to entice Mexico into an alliance against the United States, as his reasons for declaring war. On April 4, 1917, the U.S. Senate voted in support of the measure to declare war on Germany. The House concurred two days later. The United States later declared war on German ally Austria-Hungary on December 7, 1917

  Germany’s resumption of submarine attacks on passenger and merchant ships in 1917 became the primary motivation behind Wilson’s decision to lead the United States into World War I. Following the sinking of an unarmed French boat, the Sussex, in the English Channel in March 1916, Wilson threatened to sever diplomatic relations with Germany unless the German Government refrained from attacking all passenger ships and allowed the crews of enemy merchant vessels to abandon their ships prior to any attack. On May 4, 1916, the German Government accepted these terms and conditions in what came to be known as the “Sussex pledge.”
(https://history.state.gov/milestones/1914-1920/wwi)


Woodrow Wilson speaking to Congress

  President Wilson refrained from asking for a declaration of war because he doubted that the U.S. public ample proof that Germany intended to attack U.S. ships without warning. Wilson left open the possibility of negotiating with Germany if its submarines refrained from attacking U.S. shipping.
On April 6, 1917, President Wilson declared war on Germany, two and a half years after the war begun. America fought with the allies in World War I until the war ended on November 11, 1918.

  (http://www.american-historama.org/1913-1928-ww1-prohibition-era/us-entry-into-ww1.htm)

  During the course of its history, the United States has taken foreign policy actions that have been consistent with the national interest. World War I was the most devastating conflict the word had ever seen. It would take years for the nations involved to recover. The war also destroyed national economies. In places such as France, Belgium, and Russia, where much fighting took place, farmland and cities alike were devastated. Economic chaos soon spread misery throughout many parts of Europe.
( From the book "World History Human Legacy")