United States Participation in World War I

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The First World War was one that the American people did not want to fight. Disagreement over territory, boundaries, among other conflicts brought countries to clash heads. At the time, President Woodrow Wilson was alongside the American people, as he did not want to enter the war, but negotiate instead. Germany did not care for negotiations. In 1915, the British passenger liner the Lusitania was sunk by a German submarine, killing 128 Americans and further heightening tensions1 . In 1917, German U Boats sank 3 American Merchant Ships without warning. President Wilson then declared that the United States was entering the war. According to Wilson, the United States was not fighting as an Allied Power alongside the Allied Nations, but as an “Associate Power”. War is controversy at its finesse, and those who despise it have many reasons to. Because the United States needed more power and rank, they needed more soldiers. The solution to this was the Draft. Over 3,000,000 young men were drafted into the war. Those from the North were very supportive of Wilson and his bill. Wilson passed anti war bills, which included the Espionage Act, and created committees, such as The Committee On Public Information, all to lessen the impact on the American people. The people's definition of war seems to be: “An expensive fight that could've been avoided”. In part they are right, as war is rather heavy on the wallet. It does create debt and it is composed of nations fighting to resolve their conflicts. War is much more than a high cost fight, as it can be the symbol to peace in the end, it can unite forces, people, and countries together. Not to mention, war is the original “Economic Stimulus Plan”. War stimulates the economy i... ... middle of paper ... ...ica went through numerous events which would change the citizen's way of life, and the economy. With the underlying causes and conflicts drawing the States into the World War, money and troops were being used without stop. War is extremely expensive, and troops being sent over seas did not create the best environment in the nation. The rise of the economy, inflation and the depletion of the gold standard were all background causes for something much bigger, the Great Depression. Loans being handed out freely and money not being handled correctly, the stock market crashing, bankruptcy being declared, were all part of the dark days. Farmers lost their homes, people lost their jobs, and the struggle was harder than ever. Widespread economic prosperity in the 1920s brought about the complete collapse leading to the Great Depression through monetary forces.

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