When the Great War broke out in 1914, the U.S. was clear that they wanted no part in this “European quarrel” (1). The U.S. would remain neutral throughout numerous German prods until 1917 when they join the Allies. This paper will review why joining World War I was the right choice for the U.S. and how, despite all of our losses in the war, it ultimately benefited us.
During the first year of the war, most Americans had little reason to be rooting for a particular side in the war other than personal feelings, instead, many focused on trying to profit off the war through exports and loans to the battling countries (1). This would change as the war progressed, starting in 1915 when Germany sank three passenger liners and killing over a thousand …show more content…
had shown its strength and gained some reputation as a serious country on the world stage, but it was the United States’ involvement in World War I that propelled it into a position as a world leader. If we had backed down from the war, it is unlikely we would have the same relationship with Europe that we have today or at the very least it would have taken longer to grow. It is this author’s opinion that even if the U.S. had not entered the war, the Allies (particularly Britain) would have defeated the Central Powers. Britain was fairly protected, particularly after the Battle of Jutland where they fought the German naval fleet and gained control of the North Sea (4). This allowed the British to isolate themselves and reduce the possibility of all attacks except the air. Because of the amount they had borrowed from the U.S., the British were in a slightly better position financially than the Germans (1). So, while the Germans would most likely have been defeated if the U.S. had not entered the war, it would have been a much closer war and there is a fairly high chance that France would be completely decimated after Russian left the war and Germany were able to focus on one front. By stepping in, the U.S. would lose roughly 116,000 soldiers from combat and diseases, but it is extremely likely that by becoming involved, the U.S. kept the war-weary France from falling to …show more content…
involvement in the war was the resulting policy changes for the United States. Some of these changes were restrictions put on the First Amendment in the name of patriotism. Both the Espionage Act and the Sedition Act imposed harsh fines, imprisonment, or even deportation on anyone heard or suspected of being critical of U.S. policies (1). While the Sedition Act was repealed after only 5 years, the Espionage Act remained a thorn in the side of free speech throughout the 1950s and the 1960s (3).
While entering into World War I ended up costing the U.S. many lives and caused first amendment rights to be restricted for decades to come, it also made Europe consider the U.S. a major player in the world. More than that, it strengthened the U.S. bond with Britain and made the U.S. start spending time and money improving its army. While the end of the war did not bring the lasting peace that was hoped for, overall the U.S. was better for its involvement in World War
During the first year of the war, most Americans had little reason to be rooting for a particular side in the war other than personal feelings, instead, many focused on trying to profit off the war through exports and loans to the battling countries (1). This would change as the war progressed, starting in 1915 when Germany sank three passenger liners and killing over a thousand …show more content…
had shown its strength and gained some reputation as a serious country on the world stage, but it was the United States’ involvement in World War I that propelled it into a position as a world leader. If we had backed down from the war, it is unlikely we would have the same relationship with Europe that we have today or at the very least it would have taken longer to grow. It is this author’s opinion that even if the U.S. had not entered the war, the Allies (particularly Britain) would have defeated the Central Powers. Britain was fairly protected, particularly after the Battle of Jutland where they fought the German naval fleet and gained control of the North Sea (4). This allowed the British to isolate themselves and reduce the possibility of all attacks except the air. Because of the amount they had borrowed from the U.S., the British were in a slightly better position financially than the Germans (1). So, while the Germans would most likely have been defeated if the U.S. had not entered the war, it would have been a much closer war and there is a fairly high chance that France would be completely decimated after Russian left the war and Germany were able to focus on one front. By stepping in, the U.S. would lose roughly 116,000 soldiers from combat and diseases, but it is extremely likely that by becoming involved, the U.S. kept the war-weary France from falling to …show more content…
involvement in the war was the resulting policy changes for the United States. Some of these changes were restrictions put on the First Amendment in the name of patriotism. Both the Espionage Act and the Sedition Act imposed harsh fines, imprisonment, or even deportation on anyone heard or suspected of being critical of U.S. policies (1). While the Sedition Act was repealed after only 5 years, the Espionage Act remained a thorn in the side of free speech throughout the 1950s and the 1960s (3).
While entering into World War I ended up costing the U.S. many lives and caused first amendment rights to be restricted for decades to come, it also made Europe consider the U.S. a major player in the world. More than that, it strengthened the U.S. bond with Britain and made the U.S. start spending time and money improving its army. While the end of the war did not bring the lasting peace that was hoped for, overall the U.S. was better for its involvement in World War