World War 1 Dbq Essay

The Great War often referred to as World War I was a worldwide battle that lasted from 1914 to 1918. Imperialism was the motivating factor that sparked wars between nations. The Central Powers (mainly Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Turkey) and the Allies engaged in combat (primarily consisting of France, Great Britain, Italy, Russia, Serbia, the United States, and Japan). Up until 1917, when it formally declared war on Germany, the United States remained neutral in the fight. However, the United States military and financial support of the Allies' war effort changed the course of the conflict and ultimately resulted in the Central Powers' defeat. The United States entered World War I in 1917, after several years of attempting to remain neutral.

The United States had significant investments in the Allied powers and was concerned that a Central Power victory would threaten these investments. As the war dragged on, the British Blockade of Germany caused shortages of goods in the U.S. and hurt the American economy. This further fueled public opinion in favor of the war. However, the main push came from President Woodrow Wilson who believed that the U.S. had a moral duty to fight for democracy and self-determination, as well as to end the war quickly, to end the suffering caused by the conflict. For instance, in document four Woodrow Wilson had written,” We shall fight for things which we have always carried nearest to our hearts, for democracy.” As he had wanted to start the war through democracy the sinking of the Lusitania and the 1198 people killed of which 128 were Americans also impacted the decision of going to war. However, on April 2, 1917, Wilson finally asked Congress to declare war on Germany, citing the country's policy of unrestricted submarine warfare, as well as its attempts to incite Mexico to attack the U.S. Congress, declared war on Germany on April 6. In sum, the United States entered World War I primarily due to German actions that threatened American lives and interests, such as the sinking of the Lusitania, the use of submarines to attack American ships, and the Zimmermann Telegram. Additionally, economic ties, President Woodrow Wilson's belief in a moral duty to fight for democracy and self-determination, as well as to end the war quickly and end the suffering caused by the conflict played an important