U.S. Neutrality in World War One

U.S. Neutrality in World War One

The United States remained neutral in World War One because they saw it in their best interest. At the time the war began, the U.S. industry was struggling. Staying out of the war was a way to boost the industry in America by utilizing trade with both the Ally and Central Powers. The U.S. also had no real reason to join the war. They had close ties with both sides. Some problems, however, would arise that would question the U.S. decision to remain neutral and sway their opinions to one side of the war.

Britain had an advantage over Germany in gaining the U.S. as an ally. Although the U.S. had as many as eleven million immigrants with blood ties to the Germans and Austro-Hungarians, they shared close culture, language, and economic ties with the British. The British were also in control of most of the transatlantic cables. Therefore, they had the ability to censor war stories, which hurt the British cause in the eyes of the U.S. They instead sent only the tales of German bestiality. Also, most Americans were anti-German from the beginning because it seemed as if their government was the embodiment of autocracy. Another disadvantage to the Germans was the British interception of a secretly coded message intended for Mexico. This message, when decoded by the British, asked Mexico to join the war on the Central side if the U.S. declared war on Germany. These actions all compiled into a list of reasons why the U.S. should enter the war in Ally support.

International law was also a big part of United States neutrality during the war. Germany and Britain each sought to end U.S. trade with the other. With a series of what Berlin called "illegal" blockades, Britain gained the upper ha...

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... as long as it did because the addition of the United States to the Ally powers could only be of disadvantage to the Germans. The United States, however, benefited the most from their decision to remain neutral because they were able to avoid a long and brutal war. Their economy and industry was also boosted at the beginning of the war when they were able to trade peacefully with both sides. By remaining neutral, the U.S. was able to delay entering such a controversial war.

In conclusion, the United States' neutrality policy in World War One gradually slipped away. With many controversies surrounding international law and Germany's inability to comply with their Sussex Pledge, the neutral position gradually disappeared. The U.S. began to see just cause for entering the war on the British side. They could only hope that this war would be "the war to end war."