Wilson’s reelection platform was anchored by the fact that he had kept the U.S. The war was a major issue in the 1916 election. Wilson, still trying to avoid war, forced Germany to enter into the Sussex pledge, in which they promised to allow American crew members to abandon ship before it was sunk. The sinking of the Lusitania, as well as the Sussex, caused an uproar in the states. On the other side, Germany violated international law by sinking U.S. The British set up an embargo on the Germans and attempted to seize American merchant ships going to Germany. that continued throughout the war.īut neither the Allied nor Central Powers allowed goods to flow freely to the other side.

Industrial production of exports doubled from 1913-1917, as both sides had trade relations with the U.S. Morgan took the opportunity to provide financial assistance to Britain and France in the form of large loans. This policy worked very well for the American economy, helping pull the country out of a recession. would operate under a non-interventionist policy. In 1914, after the outbreak of war in Europe, President Wilson declared that the U.S. But in the end, the Central Powers arguably gave the U.S. The “Great War” had begun in 1914, and the United States had done all it could to remain neutral. On December 7, war was declared on Austria-Hungary as well. On April 6, 1917, Congress approved President Woodrow Wilson’s declaration of war against Germany by a vote of 82-6 in the Senate and 373-50 in the House, thus plunging the nation into World War I. * Editor’s Note: On April 12 at 12 p.m., historians come together at the National Constitution Center to commemorate the 100 th anniversary of the United States’ entry into World War I.

Unrestricted submarine warfare in 1917