Why Did America Join World War I?

When America joined World War I, due to America’s economic strength, it helped to solve the financial problems of the Allies and hence win the war of attrition by defeating the financially exhausted Germany. However, had America not joined the war, Britain might have succumbed to financial problems. It was known at that time that the British was struggling to keep up with military expenditures, even with booming trade with America. If America had not joined the war, the Allies might have lost the war without the backing of America’s vast economic strength.

Before 1917, the neutrality of America was kept stable under the helm of Woodrow Wilson, who was determined to keep America out of the war. The only time America came moderately close was

Many of these civilians shared anti-war sentiments and even voted for Wilson, who campaigned on the slogan “He kept us out of war.” Furthermore, after the Philippine Insurrection from 1899-1902, the Spanish-American War of1898 and the horrors of the American Civil War, the people were not willing to go to another war of such a large scale. Participating in World War One would only lead to more deaths and the possibility of another civil war, due to the various nationalities of Americans.

The public was one of the main factors America was lending so much economic help to Britain and France. Due to Britain’s large fleet of merchant ships and strong navy, American exports to Britain and France reached $$2.75 billion in 1914 from $750 million in 1916, while American exports dropped from $345 million to a mere $2 million. Most of this exports was provided by banks such as J.P Morgan & Co. (which was also the sole underwriter of war bonds for UK and France). This economic help to the Allies already established America as an opposing country in the Germans’ eyes, playing a huge part in Germany’s aggressive