During 1914, when World War I broke out across Europe, President Woodrow Wilson declared that the United States would remain impartial in action (Keene). The United States upheld its official neutrality throughout the first three years of the war. After this period U.S. realized that participation in WWI was unavoidable. This paper will discuss the pros and cons of American neutrality and will discuss its neutral position as an untenable decision on America’s part.
The United States was experiencing a period of colonization and industrial expansion when World War I started. The U.S. was doing well, and its aim was not to get involved in the war. The U.S. was the main dealer of materials and goods and supplied them to both sides. It was good for it to remain impartial and gain an economic advantage during the war.
But it could not keep its neutrality throughout the war and was drenched in it. There were actions on both flanks of the Atlantic that were bordering the country nearer to the rim of war (Ryan). Germany was not willing to accept the American’s partiality and objected to the sale of weapons by the United States to the Allied powers and was trying its best to stop the U.S. shipments of supplies to the Allies. In 1917, when Germany announced the sinking of more ships (Ryan). Then President Wilson declared war and participated formally in World War
Thus, America should have entered earlier in the war as it had done so after losing a large number of its people lives. It was supplying weaponries, but it could also have these while remaining in the war. In that case, all the disadvantages that it had before entering the war could be minimized. America gained a very strong position after the war which is a clear indication of its wrong decision of remaining neutral.
Works Cited
Keene, Jennifer D. The United States, and the First World War. Routledge, 2014.
Ryan, David. The United States and Europe in the twentieth century. Routledge, 2016.
