Why America Joined WWI

Why America Joined WWI

America was influenced to declare war on Germany in 1917 because they thought they could gain economic benefits. This event happened after the Progressive Era when the S enate decided to declare war on Germany in 1917, because of the destruction of the Lusitania. At the time America was an economic powerhouse and this war would allow them to have world dominance if properly executed. The German Naval Policy which was lacking is what influenced America to join the war, due to the U-Boat that destroyed the Lusitania. America had trade routes across the Atlantic ocean which made the economy massive, However the problem was European countries cut those trade routes off with Naval Blockades. Overall the war was caused due

America feared that these interferences between trade routes would cause an unstable economy. Economically dependent countries struggled as there wasn’t a way for them to receive imports. However the United States economy flourished there was an excess of jobs in factories to produce weapons and finished goods on assembly lines. The southern farmers were given opportunities to mass produce crops for the war. This was just what they needed as the past years were rough due to factories getting all the money. Wages were increased as the demand for jobs increased. Free trade which was a necessity for many foreign countries was ruined by Germany's unrestricted warfare. Secret trade from America to England was cut off by the scattered U-Boats in the English Channel. Trade for some countries was completely inaccessible as U-Boats created blockades. When trade routes were cancelled America Turned to conserving. Resources were rationed to help the war effort any excess materials were exported. War bonds allowed the United States to receive the much needed funding for the military. This allowed the economy to remain stable while corn was mass produced in the South for the war. By economically becoming independent America found a way to become a stable power that nobody could cut

However it was mainly America’s fault for forcing their ways onto many countries by imperialising for example the Spanish American War. Their trade routes were blocked, causing these economically dependent countries to be unstable and go into debt. The United States made it through the interferences by conserving their resources. By America is becoming such a dominant power it increased our thirst for more and America Joined WWI in the hope to gain more. The German Naval Policy destroyed our trade routes and caused our economy to be threatened by German U-Boats. By being conservative America Could recover our economy from the economic instability caused by the U-Boats. In the future due to these events, America Will join WWI to gain power, to fix the German Naval Policy, and to recover our