The Great War Dbq Analysis

The beginning of the 20th century saw many changes: industrialization, mass immigration, and a conflict so large it earned the name “The Great War”. World War I was a time of desperation for many. The decisions made by the United States government during World War I were effective in that it avoided war as much as possible, stood firm in its policies, and when time came supported its troops. First and foremost, the United States government attempted to remain neutral during the war for as long as possible. The United States was growing more diverse due to immigration and entering war would only alienate those said immigrants. President Wilson made his stance on the issue clear, that “the people of the United States are drawn from many nations, and chiefly from the nations now at war. It is natural and inevitable that there should be the utmost variety of sympathy and desire among them with regard to the issues and circumstances of the conflict” (Document A). The United States was also heavily involved in trade with European nations and …show more content…
During the early years of the war, Germany notoriously attacked passenger vessels without warning. In those vessels were US citizens that had no involvement in the war. The US subsequently responded with “all diplomatic relations between the United States and the German Empire [being] severed and that the American Ambassador to Berlin will immediately be withdrawn” (D). Many governments, including America, were taken aback when “the German Government did not declare and effect an abandonment of the methods of submarine warfare which it was then employing and to which it now purposes again to resort” (D). The United states government had to “hold the Imperial German government to a strict accountability for any infringement of those rights, intentional or incidental” (B). The government held firm on its stance and would not condone Germany’s