US Neutrality During World War I

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In 1914, World War I broke out between Allies and the Central Powers. The U.S did not formally join until the near end of the war. Before the U.S joined in 1917, the country adopted a policy of neutrality in 1914 because Wilson wanted to support the country’s idealism for isolation and to adhere his diplomacy. However, even though the U.S preached its neutrality, the country supported the Allies. The U.S traded with the Allies and disregarded the Germans. The country’s pursuit for isolationism and the Wilsonian system were the reasons why U.S stayed neutral.
One main reason the U.S adopted a policy of neutrality from 1914 to 1917 is due to the country’s quest for isolationism. Isolationism is when a country remains separate from other nations
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Statistically, one out of seven Americans originated from the nations participating in the war.2 To join a battle would that cause major tensions to rise within the country was not . People with different backgrounds would become hostile with each other. Citizens with the opposing place of birth would cause havoc inside the country. By remaining neutral, Wilson is able to prevent an outcome of like this from happening, and in the process, the country would not participate in the war and the country would not make any enemies, within and out of the country. The second main reason U.S adopted a policy of neutrality from 1914 to 1917 is due to President Woodrow Wilson’s diplomacy. Wilson believed the U.S should remain neutral because he wanted to keep the U.S out of the violence of WWI. Wilson placed a role on the U.S. He wanted the U.S to be the peacemaker of the world. Wilson viewed America as a nation of peace and he wanted to preserve this view. Wilson wanted the U.S to be a nation where both sides of the war can rely on for peace and negotiations. The only way for the U.S to play the role of a mediator is if the U.S remains …show more content…
Wilson did not want a war to occur nor does he want to take part of the war. On August 19, 1914, he wrote the Declaration of Neutrality; this voiced his stance of keeping the U.S out.3 This declaration followed a set of beliefs called the Wilsonian. These beliefs consisted the theme of peace, and Wilson tries to enforce these beliefs into the U.S system of morals. Wilson did not support militarism nor does he support the use of war to settle disputes. When the war ended, Wilson dedicated his time into enforcing his famous 14 points; these points were made in the hopes of preventing any future wars from breaking out. Wilson’s vision for these 14 points was that they would provide the world a guide to end the bitterness of war and the importance of democracy. This is important because this was also a reason the U.S joined the war. By claiming the U.S was neutral, this allowed Wilson to work on his expansion of Wilsosnianism. However, the U.S was not as neutral as the country claimed to be. Many leaders in White House leaned towards the Allies, this included Wilson. One of the most significant examples is the U.S trade with the Allied countries. When the war broke out, U.S trade with Britain and France skyrocketed. Trade with Germany fell to less than 1% than it previously did.3 Even though Wilson denied it, it was obvious the U.S supported the Allie. The U.S traded with Allies a considerable

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