America had many reasons for getting involved in World War I. Firstly there were various unauthorized German submarines on the USA east coast. I know I would be feeling nervous if an enemy (or at least not friend) country was aiming submarines near me. Also America has very strong economic ties with France and England. If they lost the war it would in turn to hurt America's economy. Also England is one of their allies and English ships were being sunk by Germans. I would have decided to help my ally if they were being attacked. Also if America did well in this war they could establish themselves as a world power.
When the war first began in 1914 Woodrow Wilson (president)refused to get involved in the war. Even after British ships were sunk by Germans America still remained impartial. They still remained neutral when the Germans tried to persuade Mexico to join the war. This put America on very dangerous ground. Finally on 1917 when Germany destroyed three American ships America decided that they should fight in the war. Russia had a huge part in calling the Americans. Angry workers had overthrown Czar Micholas the leader. Vladimir Ilich Lenin took power and put Russia into the war further increaing pressure on America. All of these are very convincing reasons to go to war
textbook
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Molly Buring
12/8/2009 04:28:52 am
At the beginning of the war, president Wilson announced he refused to take sides in the war. But overtime, different events changed the president's and the public's opinion. In 1915, a German U-boat torpedoed a British passenger boat and killed over 1,000 people including 128 Americans. That specific sinking turned many Americans against the Germans. Then about a year later, after the president was re-elected, Germany got Mexico on their side. They said if Mexico helped them, they could help Mexico gain back their lost territories of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. Then later in 1917, more German submarines sunk more American ships. Because of that, president Wilson asked Congress for a "declaration of war". A few days later, even with many "strong objections", Congress decided to go to war.
http://www.thenagain.info/webchron/world/uswwi.html American History textbook http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Which_events_brought_the_United_States_into_World_War_1
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Molly Buring
12/8/2009 04:33:18 am
In my opinion, i think America actually did have some pretty good reasons for entering the war. I mean fighting and wars are never the answer, but if we had to enter a war we had good reasons to. Like the Germans sunk a bunch of out ships and boats. And with a lot of ships sinking our sinks, and killing our people, i would get furious just like they did back then.
sources: my head the textbook
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Jessica Reed
12/8/2009 04:40:20 am
The US entered WWI for a few reasons. However, the US was very reluctant to enter the war. Yet, on May 7, 1915 a German U-boat, which is a submarine, sank a British passenger ship, Lusitania. This attack killed almost a thousand people, and included in this one thousand were 128 Americans. This angered America and was the start of America’s dislike for Germany. This is the first reason the US became involved in the war. A second reason the US entered the war was that the countries that they traded with were in the war. Therefore, the US felt that since those countries helped them out they should compensate them. Lastly, the US became involved in the war because of what was happening in Russia. Russia had recently signed a treaty that allowed Germany to take over Russia, and this made the Americans hasten their plans to get involved in the war for Americans didn’t like Germans because of the attack on Lusitania. All of these events made the US want to enter the war and being their involvement in WWI.
Personally, I think America's involvement in WWI was unnecessary. I think that America was correct in the beginning by deciding not to get involved in the war because it was Europe's war not America's.
I found a poem by an American poet named Alan Seeger. He wrote about how certain it was that he would die if he fought in the war. However, the US still fought in the war even though they knew they would lose a large number of Americans. The poem Seeger wrote is below:
Rendezvous I have a rendezvous with Death At some disputed barricade, I have a rendezvous with Death At some disputed barricade, When Spring comes back with rustling shade And apple-blossoms fill the air - I have a rendezvous with Death When Spring brings back blue days and fair.
It may be he shall take my hand And lead me into his dark land And close my eyes and quench my breath - It may be I shall pass him still. I have a rendezvous with Death On some scarred slope of battered hill, When Spring comes round again this year And the first meadow-flowers appear.
God knows 'twere better to be deep Pillowed in silk and scented down, Where love throbs out in blissful sleep, Pulse nigh to pulse, and breath to breath, Where hushed awakenings are dear... But I've a rendezvous with Death At midnight in some flaming town, When Spring trips north again this year, And I to my pledged word am true, I shall not fail that rendezvous.
The war began with the assasination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand who was the heir to the Austria-Hungary throne. He was assasinated in Serbia causing a lot of tension between Serbia and Austria-Hungary. The tension rose so high that in the same year of 1914 Austria-Hungary declared war on the Serbs. I think that it is unfair to blame the whole country for what one small group did. Franz Ferdinand knew that he would not be welcomed in Serbia but went anyway so in a way he had this coming. Russia saw thigs my way and as the protector of Serbia rushed into the war. Germany was Austria-Hungary's ally and came into the war as well. Germany attacked France bringing the French into a war. Germany was trespassing through Belgian territory which made both the Belgians and English angry. England warned Germany to stop. The warning was ignored and know England joined the allies' cause. In the next few months many of the European countries took sides and the fighting continued. Even Japan came to fight against Germany. All of this happened in 1914. The world was looking at America to see what they would do. They took a lot of German prompting. Including Germany asking Mexico to attack America which made many Americans furious. Finally America joined the war.
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