Why Did the United States Enter World War I?.
World War I was a military conflict from 1914 to 1918. It began as a local European war between Austria-Hungary and Serbia on July 28, 1914. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand on June 28, 1914 sparked the war. Senator George Norris of Nebraska felt that the United States remain neutral. In his speech, he stated that war only brought [prosperity to the stock gambler on Wallstreet.] It was not until three years after the assassination, that the United States declared war in April 16, 1917. The United States entered World War I with the Allies due to economic, social, and political conflicts. .
Economically, the United States "entered" the war by the increase of exports to Great Britain and France. Trade quadrupled from 1914 to 1917. According to statistics, from 1914 to 1917, exports to Great Britain rose by about $1.5 billion dollars. Exports to France rose by about $500 million dollars. In 1914, Secretary of State, William Jennings Bryan, wrote a message to President Wilson saying that giving loans to the Allies would make the United States [all more difficult to maintain neutrality.] Despite Bryan's message, by 1917 American banks loaned $2.3 billion dollars to the Allies and only $27 million to the Central Powers.
Politically, the United States "entered" the war because of unrestricted submarine warfare from Germany that affected exports to Britain. In January 1917, President Wilson stated in his war message to Congress that [German submarine warfare against commerce is warfare against mankind.] On May 17, 1915, an Unterseeboat [German for submarine] sank the Lusitania, a British liner, killing 1,198 people, including 128 Americans. Two months later another U-boat sank another British liner, the Arabic, drowning two Americans. After these two liners sank, Germany agreed not to sink any more. In March 1916, Germany broke its promise and torpedoed the Sussex (not sinking), a French passenger steamer killing 80 passengers, including Americans.