World_War_I

World War I The United States Enters the War (1914-1917) Summary When war broke out in 1914, America's traditional isolationist tendencies took Hold. President T. Woodrow Wilson charted a neutral course, focusing on the maintenance of the rights of neutral countries on high seas. Sea rights were crucial to the United States because neutrality allowed American businessmen to trade with needy Allies and, to a lesser extent, Germany. By 1916, US trade with the Allies had jumped from US$825 million just two years before to US$3.2 billion. If the American merchant marine was in jeopardy, American business could make no profit. That is probably why the unrestricted submarine warfare practiced by Germany U-boats angered Wilson so much. In late 1915, a German U-boat sunk the merchant ship Lusitania, killing one hundred and twenty Americans. One year later, the Sussex was sunk, similarly without warning, as had been the custom prior to World War I. Americans were outraged at the violation of their rights on the high seas and enmity toward Germany increased considerably. Still, isolation ruled the day. In November 1916, President Wilson was re-elected to a second term under the slogan "He kept us out of war", suggesting the continued war, german, germany, american, wilson, united, states, 1918, over, out, however, back, america, allied, world, troops, thousands, rights, one, november, make, known, july, high, general, allies, zimmermann, washington, warfare, unrestricted, under, trade, took, through, sunk