2.America’s Entrance into the War

When the war began，the US president Woodrow Wilson immediately called upon his fellow countrymen to observe strict neutrality.This appeal met with general approval in the United States.And yet，by 1917，Wilson himself was leading the country into war.There were several reasons for the US to join the war so late.First，the United States was lack of military preparedness when the war began.Because of America’s traditional distrust of standing armies，the United States military power before the war was so slight that it was unlikely the country could have defended itself against foreign invasion.While the navy was the third largest in the world，the army numbered less than 100，000men.The air force had only 17planes and a yearly appropriation of＄125，000.With the war going on in Europe，America reached the point of approving national defense measures.The national Security League was founded on Dec.1，1914.In 1916，the National Defense Act was passed，which doubled the standing army，reorganized the National Guard，and provided for the military training of officers in colleges and summer camps.And also another bill was passed to expand the navy.All these measures helped the nation to join the war.

Another factor for the US to join the war was the American financial and industrial commitment to the Allied cause.By the end of 1914the House of Morgan had already lent the Allied countries much money for purchasing war material in the US.To pay for these purchases the Allied powers first gave cash，then sold bonds and stocks they held in the US and finally had to resort to large scale borrowing.Booming industries in the US were depended upon continued Allied orders，while American bankers had safes full of British and French paper that would become worthless if Germany emerged victorious.

Finally the factor that pushed the US into the war was Germany’s submarine campaign against merchant ships.That was to attack every ship that approached the British Isles.On May 7，1915，a British ship，the Lusitania，with American passengers and some munitions on board，was torpedoed by a German submarine near the coast of Ireland and 114Americans went down to death on the sinking vessel.This incident helped turning American and other neutral opinion against Germany.When the German government announced that it would renew its unlimited submarine warfare on Feb.1，1917，President Wilson cut diplomatic relation with Germany.Within two months six American ships were torpedoed and sunk.On April 6，1917，the US declared war on Germany.

The first Americans to fight in the European war were sailors，for the navy was more quickly prepared for combat than the army.By the summer of 1917the navy was playing a decisive part in beating back German U-boat attacks.By the close of the war，834American naval vessels，mostly destroyers and submarine chasers，were in service in European waters.World WarⅠsaw the first use of airplane as a war-making machine.At the beginning of the war the American army had 55planes，but at the end，the number had increased to 3，227.As American troops entered the war the Allies began to act on the offensive.In the face of combined attacks，the German government appealed to Wilson for a negotiated peace settlement to which Wilson agreed.An armistice was concluded in Nov.1918.The war was ended with the failure of the Central European Powers.