On January 22, 1917, the German government gave notice that unrestricted submarine warfare would be resumed. When five U.S. vessels had been sunk by April, Wilson asked Congress for a declaration of war. Immediately, the government set about mobilizing its military resources, industry, labor and agriculture. "By October 1918, on the eve of Allied victory, a U.S. army of over 1,750,000 soldiers had been deployed in France." (http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/facts/history/ch9.htm#war).
The United States in the early 1900's were far from in favour of getting involved in European Affairs. In fact before war broke out in 1914 government leaders and business leaders devoted much effort to development international peace among nations to avoid outbreak of war and with the events that unfolded in 1914 all of that hard work and dedication seemed to vanish overnight. The U.S remained neutral in the war at the beginning but found herself slowly getting sucked into something most people dreamed could ever happen.
Why did the United States get involved? There are several reasons as to why they did. In the start of world war I the United States declared herself neutral. A neutral country is a countr which favours no side in a conflict between warring neighbours. Although many americans felt the United States should remain neutral many americans felt sympathetic for the allies due to similar democratic ways of life while others with german and similar backgrounds favoured the axis powers to win.(Triumph of The American Nation.) The United States was sending war supplies and materials to Great Britain in the early years of the war. Germany however did not see eye-to-eye with this and tried to blockade Great Britain with submarines. The German government believed that this blockade would starve Great Britain and force a serrender. However American merchant vessels were still being attacked by Germany after several talks about abandoning submarine warfare.
