During 1914, when World War I broke out across Europe, it was President Woodrow Wilson who declared that the United States would remain impartial in action (Keene). The United States managed to uphold its official neutrality throughout the first three years of 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 part.
The United States was experiencing a period of colonization and industrial expansion during the period when there started the World War I. 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 was supplying them to both sides. It was good for it to remain impartial and gain the economic advantage during the war.
But it could not keep its neutrality all through the war and was drenched in the war. 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 Americans partiality and was objecting over the sale of weaponries 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 sinking 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.
