Why the US was justified in entering WWI.
The events leading up to April of 1917 left the United States no choice but to enter the war against Germany. The United States had every intention to maintain its neutrality throughout the European conflict but Germany's actions pulled them into fighting. Germany's submarine warfare, threats to democracy, and contacts with Mexico threatened the security and honor of the United States and could not be tolerated.
The creation and deployment that Germany made of the submarines caused great havoc in the Atlantic Ocean. Germany was attempting to try and blockade Britain just as Britain had done to them. German U-boats, however, would attack any ship they believed to carry war supplies. As a result, many innocent ships were sunk without warning, regardless of the flag they carried. Officials in Berlin simply labeled these instances as "mistakes" (American Pageant, 699). The treacherous sinking of the Lusitania proved to be the last straw in provoking the American government to war. The attack came without any warning, which led to the deaths of over 1,500 people, including 150 Americans. There is no justification to sinking passenger ships or cargo ships carrying medical supplies to the European countries (Viewpoint 1, 105). Germany's blockade of Britain is, in reality, also blockading the United States. Britain is a very large and important trading partner with the United States and the German U-boats are preventing our neutral ships from reaching the European ports. "There has been no discrimination" when it comes to sinking ships, as ships from other neutral countries have been destroyed in the same manner that has been done to American ships (Viewpoint 5, 87). It is clearly seen that Germany has no intention in trying to correct their "mistakes". Even when Germany agreed to Sussex pledge, following the sinking of a French passenger ship, the conditions they required the United States to meet were impossible to follow through on. Germany agreed to not sink passenger
The creation and deployment that Germany made of the submarines caused great havoc in the Atlantic Ocean. Germany was attempting to try and blockade Britain just as Britain had done to them. German U-boats, however, would attack any ship they believed to carry war supplies. As a result, many innocent ships were sunk without warning, regardless of the flag they carried. Officials in Berlin simply labeled these instances as "mistakes" (American Pageant, 699). The treacherous sinking of the Lusitania proved to be the last straw in provoking the American government to war. The attack came without any warning, which led to the deaths of over 1,500 people, including 150 Americans. There is no justification to sinking passenger ships or cargo ships carrying medical supplies to the European countries (Viewpoint 1, 105). Germany's blockade of Britain is, in reality, also blockading the United States. Britain is a very large and important trading partner with the United States and the German U-boats are preventing our neutral ships from reaching the European ports. "There has been no discrimination" when it comes to sinking ships, as ships from other neutral countries have been destroyed in the same manner that has been done to American ships (Viewpoint 5, 87). It is clearly seen that Germany has no intention in trying to correct their "mistakes". Even when Germany agreed to Sussex pledge, following the sinking of a French passenger ship, the conditions they required the United States to meet were impossible to follow through on. Germany agreed to not sink passenger