Should the United States have remained neutral in World War I?

The United States was neutral at the start of World War I. However, as the war progressed the United States found it very difficult to stay neutral. As a result, we decided to join the war on the side of the Allies. There were reasons why the United States felt it needed to join World War I. The United States, as a neutral nation, had the right to trade with any nation during World War...

The United States was neutral at the start of World War I. However, as the war progressed the United States found it very difficult to stay neutral. As a result, we decided to join the war on the side of the Allies. There were reasons why the United States felt it needed to join World War I. The United States, as a neutral nation, had the right to trade with any nation during World War I. However, if we were trading or providing war materials to a country at war, the other side had the right to seize our ships or sink them after providing for the safety of the crew. Germany was using the submarine as a new weapon. It was designed to frighten countries by sinking merchant ships without warning. This violated our rights as a neutral nation. When Germany agreed to stop sinking our ships without warning, tension decreased between Germany and the United States. However, in 1917, Germany began sinking our ships again without warning. This ultimately led to the United States joining World War I.

There were other factors that made it hard for us to stay neutral. The Germans had tried to get Mexico to attack the United States. Germany wanted Mexico to attack the United States because we would then have to fight a two-front war. When the public heard that if Mexico helped Germany by attacking the United States, Germany was prepared to return the land to Mexico that Mexico gave to us as a result of the Mexican defeat in the Mexican-American War. Americans were outraged at this news. It was difficult for the President to ignore this outrage.

We also had more similarities with Great Britain than we did with Germany. Our language and way of life were similar. We had closer business ties to Great Britain. We were British colonies at one time. Our system of government was closer to Britain’s system of government than it was to Germany’s system of government. It would have been very difficult for the United States to stay neutral in World War I.