The Progressive Movement: The Four Major Causes Of World War I

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Imagine growing up in the middle of rising powerhouse nation but at the same time watching the world engage in horrendous war. This was the life of children growing up in the United States at the end of the 19th century and the beginning part of the 20th century. Between the years of 1890-1920, many events of both progress and power as well as actions of war happened around the world. There were four main areas in the Progressive Movement. First, social welfare aimed to help those in need. For example, the Salvation Army assisted those in poor conditions in need of help, ranging from issues of unemployment, poverty, or starvation. Next, moral improvement attempted to uplift society by enhancing personal behavior. Prohibition was an example …show more content…

The first was nationalism, or the devotion to the interests and culture of one’s nation. Nationalism leads to competition and rivalries between nations, especially when the nation’s people believe their country is the best in the world. Imperialism was an additional cause. Imperialism is the process of extending economic and political control over weaker people to build an empire; because of this, proud European countries competed with one another for different colonies around the world. Another significant cause was militarism. Militarism is the development of armed forces and their use as a tool of diplomacy, which led to condescending, imperialist countries openly competing in a naval arms race. Last but certainly not least, alliances join the already heated cauldron full of ingredients for war. Alliances are the formal agreement countries between two or more nations for collective security. Like militarism, imperialistic arrogant countries with big armies and navies joined alliances that pulled more countries into …show more content…

To begin, the U.S. wanted to ensure that they got their money back. The U.S. had lent money to the Allies, but if the Allies lost there would be no guarantee for repayment of those loans. Also, the Germans were threatening U.S. shipping. German U-boats were destroying U.S. merchant ships beginning in 1917. As a result, the U.S. enters the war. Corresponding, there were three ways the U.S. helped win the war. To start, the U.S. provided numbers, troops, and supplies. Three million troops were drafted to fight in the war. To continue, the new soldiers were fresh. They were not tired from fighting for three years like the other countries. Finally, the new troops brought enthusiasm. Although they were inexperienced, they brought eagerness and motivation to win the war and boosted morale for the

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