Explain what caused the United States to go from a neutral position to an active combatant? What was the President's, and the nation's, ultimate goal for entering the war?
After the outbreak of war, the United States chose to remain out of the Great War, another European conflict. Americans chose a neutrality policy and elected a President in 1916 who promised to keep America out of the war. However, by the early spring of 1917, President Wilson went before a joint session of Congress to request a declaration of war on Germany, which was overwhelming approved by Congress.
Explain what caused the United States to go from a neutral position to an active combatant? What was the President's, and the nation's, ultimate goal for entering the war?
The US, throughout the first world war, maintained a neutral stand. With the US's entry on the allies' sides, the balance of power shifted, leading to the victory of allied forces and the central powers' defeat.
Explanation
The US had to enter the war(April 1917) due to the following reasons -
- Germany had broken its pledge by using the German U-boat campaign. By practicing unrestricted submarine warfare, the Germans caused the British ocean liner Lusitania to sink, killing more than 120 US citizens.
- The Americans discovered that Germany was trying to persuade Mexico to declare war on the USA.
- The Tsar's overthrow in Russia meant the end of autocratic rule, and now they had no problems in siding with the Russians.
President Wilson stated that the ultimate goal for entering the war was to stop Germany and make the world a safe place for the growth of democracy.
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