Questions About 1917: War, Peace, and Revolution

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Why did the US enter the conflict? (The true reason)

José Arias Regardless of any conspiracy theories or ultra post-modernist-down-with-the-establishment kind of responses (Im looking at Serena and Elmer D Porter h…moreRegardless of any conspiracy theories or ultra post-modernist-down-with-the-establishment kind of responses (Im looking at Serena and Elmer D Porter here...) that you might hear abour why the Americans joined the war, it is very difficult to pinpoint a single reason of why they decided to participate.

That said, I would argue that it was a combination of different factors ranging from international pressure and a few submarine incidents where the germans sunk british ships with americans on them, to internal pressure from different political factions in the American Government. The Zimmerman Telegram does also look like a very good reason to enter the war on the side of the Allies.

Remember that the Americans were quite isolationist before joining the war. There were also factions even pushing towards joining the Germans (lots of German immigrants) But people like Theodore Roosevelt, with his war like temper and character and the pressure he exerted over the American people to join the war under the principles of tempering the nation by the fires of conflict, as well as their moral obligation to help their allies (that last bit is quite debatable I suppose) was pivotal.

When the war was raging throughout the seas, subs would have a hard time figuring out if the ships they were hunting were either british (enemy) or American (neutral). Hailing them placed the subs at risk and opened them to fire before they could attack so a quick commander might shoot first and ask questions later. That is a recipe for international incidents and that might have also contributed to provoking the Americans.

I hope this helps. Im no expert by any means necessary so please don't take my word for it. Ultimately, if you want to know more, I recommend not only reading this book (and many others on the subject) but also listening to Dan Carlin's Blueprint for Armaggedon. You will not be dissapointed.

Cheers!(less)

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