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 the war. After this period, the 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 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 was supplying 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 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 objected to the sale of weapons by the United States to the Allied powers. It 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’s lives. It was supplying weaponry, 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 to remain 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.
Cite This Work
To export a reference to this article please select a referencing stye below:
