The primary objective of the United States when World War I broke out was to remain neutral, and President Woodrow Wilson worked hard to ensure that the country remained so for as long as possible. While most Americans initially were of the idea, this slowly began to change after the interests of America seemed jeopardized and under threat due to the German attack on Americans. The sinking of the British ocean liner Lusitania by a German U-boat in 1915, which killed almost 2000 people, including 128 Americans, along with the news of the Zimmerman telegram threatening an alliance between Germany and Mexico finally made the country ( Brinkley, 43). The central powers between Germany and Austria-Hungary threatened the economic stability and industrialization of the US as the trade between the central powers and the US was severely curtailed. The US had also vested financial interest in the outcome of the war in Europe, and therefore American businesses and banks had made huge loans to allies; therefore, if they didn’t win, then they were unlikely to make their money back. This paper will discuss to what extent the United States achieved its objectives that led it to enter World War I.
To begin with, the US finally changed its stance on neutrality and joined the war to change the policy of unrestricted submarine warfare in the Atlantic and to stop the expansion of Germany’s Ottoman Empire. Many vital interests of the United States, including its national security, were at stake with this new policy hence their need for intervention (Lewis and Clark, 36.34.00). The Lusitania incident in May 1915, which had left New York for Liverpool but was torpedoed on the coast of Ireland, leading to the death of 1,962 passengers, including 128 Americans, topped the list of the threat to US national security. Brinkley argues that “the US involvement in the war, therefore, was to affect a reverse on the policy and after winning the war, the policy was done away with hence stabilizing the US marine and national security. Germany’s renewed submarine policy was described by President Wilson as a war against mankind. It is a war against all nations” (Brinkley, 155). It was, therefore important to put a stop to Germany’s advances to restore world peace.
Another objective that the US had going into World War I was that of regaining its global trade and strengthening its economy which was now under threat due to the war. Although the US was still importing raw products form Europe, the central powers formed by Germany had greatly paralyzed its global trade and many companies back in the US were now facing collapse and failure. The US therefore joined the war with an objective of regaining its global trade position and creating world peace which was to benefit most companies and industries back home to continue with international trade (Brinkley, 89). The US finally achieved its objective as it finally ended up becoming a world leader in industry, economics and trade despite the isolationist sentiments. The US through its activities in the war was able to create new allies such as Britain, Belgium among others which expanded the US reach to new global markets and sources of raw materials for its industries and companies.
The US also wanted to stop the crime against humanity that was being perpetrated by Germany during the war. Following Germany’s invasion of Belgium in 1914, stories had spread far and wide about the atrocities committed against Belgian civilians. These stories were both true and exaggerated hence called the “atrocity propaganda” which painted Germans as a barbaric nation and the propaganda soon swept the US firing anti-German sentiments. Global eyes were therefore on the US and what they were willing to do to end these atrocities which had claimed even lives of fellow Americans. Brinkley argues that “in order to put an end to the crimes committed by Germany, the US resolved to join the war which if could be won could lead to Germany being contained” (Brinkley, 192). The war finally came to an end and Germany was stopped from continuing with its atrocities hence Germany had achieved the objective of stopping the crimes against humanity that were being done by Germany internationally.
The US also joined World War I so as to reestablish its preparedness against war as was being rallied by the new preparedness movement after the change of public opinion on the US involvement in the war. The loss of American lives and advances by Germany had forced many Americans to pile pressure on the government to join the war and reestablish its preparedness for war as its national security was now more than ever under threat. Mengerick claims, “The push for the country to immediately build up strong land and land forces for defensive purposes was therefore to be tested by its involvement in the war” (Mengerick, Week 1 Lecture Video). The US therefore also joined the war with the objective of reassuring its citizens on its preparedness for war and its powers. In order to regain pubic trust in their country’s defense forces, the US went into the war with a mission of winning it by all means. Brinkley argues that, “therefore when the war finally came to an end the US government was able to regain its public trust as it was able to show its preparedness and might “(Brinkley et al, 98). The US ended up coming out of the war as a superpower that was not comparable to only few forces in the world. Its objective of proving and showing its preparedness against war was therefore accomplished.
In conclusion, the US went into World War I with specific interests and objectives that it aimed to achieved. By the end of the war, the US had emerged as a superpower in many areas including defense, trade and economy. The US had also been able to put a stop to dangerous policies such as the submarine policy which had been introduced by Germany. The US was also able to show its preparedness against war through its participation which helped it regain public trust. The US was also able to put to a stop the crimes against humanity that had been perpetrated by the atrocities Germany was committing in other countries such as Belgium. At the end of the war, the US was also able to increase its allies and strengthen its international policy and diplomacy which helped it in trade, industrialization and building of its economy. The US was therefore able to achieve majority of its objectives that had pushed it to join the war in the first place.
References
Lewis and Clark Movie
Mengerick, Week 1 lecture Video
Brinkley, A. (1993). The Unfinished Nation: A Concise History of the American People, Volume II (Vol. 12, p. 7229). McGraw-Hill.
Appleby, J. O., Brinkley, A., & McPherson, J. M. (1998). The American Journey. Glencoe/McGraw-Hill.
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