Why Did The US Enter WW1

World War I is the "Great War", the war to end all wars. The United States wanted the world to know, we were NEUTRAL, but were we really?

Politically, economically and psychologically, we were not isolated by any means. The U.S. did not want to commit to a war, continents away. Let those in war's path do the dirty work, we would make money off of their involvment. It was enevitable and we were doing our part in other ways.

We sold our allies war supplies, remember the Lusitania and so many ships traveling cross-Atlantic?

We made gained ecomonic profits, we did see our young men rally, volunteer and die with our allies, and yes we provided strategic support in many realms.

Did we have a choice? Neutrality in its pure form was not an option. The Industrial Revolution bound the world together. We could not publically commit in 1914, but in 1917 we had little choice due to the losses of our allies.

The United States people saw itself as the "savior" of the righteous, but our politicians had already set us up by involving the U.S. behind closed doors.

This was a war that resulted from Industrialization, Nationalism and Imperialism. The world was changed forever. Larger countries felt a moral duty to defend and profit.

Consider this, the world was in a great depression and the world was left in a greater depression following WWI.

One thing we would never stand for was the "Zimmerman" telegraph event. The Monroe Doctorine would be defended, no matter what the cost.

The United States, led by President Woodrow Wilson, did not want to be involved in World War I. When Wilson ran for re-election in 1916, his campaign slogan was "He kept us out of the war" referring to the European conflict that was then referred to as the "Great War." However, by 1917, sentiment was changing with regard to the war.

Although the U.S. had yet to become officially involved in the war, most Americans supported the Allies and saw the Germans as aggressors. Americans felt a connection to Great Britain, in particular, because of cultural similarities. Germany angered Americans with their U-boats sinking American ships suspected of aiding the Allies. With the sinking of the Lusitania in 1915, a British cruise ship, 128 Americans were among those who lost their lives. The Germans temporarily halted such actions but in 1917 resumed unrestricted Naval warfare. At the same time, the British intercepted a message, called the Zimmerman Note, asking the government of Mexico to declare war on the U.S., if war broke out between the U. S. and Germany. The note also promised to help Mexico regain the territory of Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico if Mexico declared war on the United States. This note was the final push that Wilson needed to turn public sentiment towards war. The U.S. Congress declared war on Germany on April 6, 1917.

While the official trigger was the resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare and of course the emotional reaction to the Zimmerman note, I think more crucial was the combination of the ideological sympathy of the progressive with the Allied Powers over the Central Powers, and the strong financial incentive for American Capital for an Allied victory, of which they were heavily invested.  President Wilson also believed by entering the war on the side of the allies he could affect the terms of the peace to provide a just and lasting piece, something he did not think he could influence as a neutral observer.  While there was a sizeable population of Americans of german descent in the United States as well as those of Irish descent who were very unsympathetic with the United Kingdom, the overwhelming economic ties in Europe were to the Western Allies over the Central Powers.  Thus the British Blockade of the Central Powers did not cause the same degree of reaction as the German blockade of the U.K. and France.  Submarines were also viewed as underhanded and "sneaky" as opposed to the surface vessels used by the British in their blockade.

Since the beginning of World War I in 1914, the United States, under President Woodrow Wilson, had maintained strict neutrality, other than providing material assistance to the Allies. Even in May 1915, when a German submarine sank the British ocean liner Lusitania, killing 128 U.S. citizens out of a total 1,200 dead, the United States, though in uproar, remained neutral. 

In January 1917, Germany announced that it would lift all restrictions on submarine warfare starting on February 1. This declaration meant that German U-boat commanders were suddenly authorized to sink all ships that they believed to be providing aid of any sort to the Allies. Because the primary goal was to starve Britain into surrendering, the German effort would focus largely on ships crossing the Atlantic from the United States and Canada.

The first victim of this new policy was the American cargo ship Housatonic, which a German U-boat sank on February 3, 1917. Although Wilson tried hard to keep the United States neutral, by the spring of 1917, the situation had changed significantly, and neutrality no longer seemed feasible. Germany’s unrestricted submarine warfare was taking its toll, as American ships, both cargo and passenger, were sunk one after another.  Finally, on April 2, Wilson appeared before Congress and requested a declaration of war. Congress responded within days, officially declaring war on Germany on April 6, 1917.

Here's a video that discusses America's entry into the war:

At the start of the war, Woodrow Wilson, the President of USA, at first didn't want to be part of the war, but something drastic happened to the image of the country that forced them to emerge from darkness into war-torn countries and help repress the assault by Germany.

The year 1917 proved to be a decisive year, due to the fact that USA entered the war on the side of the Allied Powers, tilting the war to their favor and push the success of their frontal assault against Germany's push for supremacy. Germany had used submarines, or U-boats to attack ships carrying food or war supplies to the Allied Powers, to demoralize the soldiers, and unearthed a crack in the structure of the Great Powers, and give them a opportunity to counter-attack them, giving them the edge in battle. In the midst, in one of their attacks, they sank a British ship called Lusitania, which had American passengers and 128 of them lost their lives during the naval strike. This prove to be a blow to USA, and a threat to national security, and many Americans, urged their government to join the war against Germany in retaliation against the horrible carnage. So, USA declared war against Germany in April 1917, and this spark the victory of the Allied Powers.

The United States, led by President Woodrow Wilson, did not want to be involved in World War I. When Wilson ran for re-election in 1916, his campaign slogan was "He kept us out of the war" referring to the European conflict that was then referred to as the "Great War." However, by 1917, sentiment was changing with regard to the war.

Although the U.S. had yet to become officially involved in the war, most Americans supported the Allies and saw the Germans as aggressors. Americans felt a connection to Great Britain, in particular, because of cultural similarities. Germany angered Americans with their U-boats sinking American ships suspected of aiding the Allies. With the sinking of the Lusitania in 1915, a British cruise ship, 128 Americans were among those who lost their lives. The Germans temporarily halted such actions but in 1917 resumed unrestricted Naval warfare. At the same time, the British intercepted a message, called the Zimmerman Note, asking the government of Mexico to declare war on the U.S., if war broke out between the U. S. and Germany. The note also promised to help Mexico regain the territory of Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico if Mexico declared war on the United States. This note was the final push that Wilson needed to turn public sentiment towards war. The U.S. Congress declared war on Germany on April 6, 1917.

Yes, the ZIMMERMANN TELEGRAM, was the 9/11 of the year 1917, once the U.S. Public learned through the 1917 Mass Media, [NEWSPAPERS], what was taking place, in respect to, the main cause of why the U.S. entered World War One on April 6, 1917.

The issue of sinking ships from U.S. Ports, were mentioned, but were NOT key notes, to justify entering World War One, because it was rumored ships leaving U.S. ports to travel over the Atlantic Ocean to England, were bringing war supplies to use against the Germans, and the Germans advertised in local U.S. Port Newspapers this concern, and the intentions of the German Navy to sink such ships.

ZIMMERMANN TELEGRAM Main Points:

• The secret use of the 'Western Union Telegraph Service,' to send messages to conspire with a foreign nation, "MEXICO", to attack the United States along the U.S.-Mexico Boarder, on a telegraphed service which was American owned, which the United States was allowing the German Embassy to use, because officially the U.S. was a Neutral Nation up until April 6, 1917, and was allowing the British to use the same service.
• The threat to the safety-sovereignty of 3 to 5 U.S. States, and U.S. Citizens, from a possible armed invasion, with the use of an American owned Telegraph Service, to negotiate with the Mexican Government, to make a second war with the United States, with the goal of re-taking Mexican Lands, which were now owned by America, due to the 1846-1848 U.S.-Mexican War.  

the reason why we had world war one is because Franz ferdinand the arch duke of spain got killed and thats what started world war one.

Since the beginning of World War I in 1914, the United States, under President Woodrow Wilson, had maintained strict neutrality, other than providing material assistance to the Allies. Even in May 1915, when a German submarine sank the British ocean liner Lusitania, killing 128 U.S. citizens out of a total 1,200 dead, the United States, though in uproar, remained neutral. 

In January 1917, Germany announced that it would lift all restrictions on submarine warfare starting on February 1. This declaration meant that German U-boat commanders were suddenly authorized to sink all ships that they believed to be providing aid of any sort to the Allies. Because the primary goal was to starve Britain into surrendering, the German effort would focus largely on ships crossing the Atlantic from the United States and Canada.

The first victim of this new policy was the American cargo ship Housatonic, which a German U-boat sank on February 3, 1917. Although Wilson tried hard to keep the United States neutral, by the spring of 1917, the situation had changed significantly, and neutrality no longer seemed feasible. Germany’s unrestricted submarine warfare was taking its toll, as American ships, both cargo and passenger, were sunk one after another.  Finally, on April 2, Wilson appeared before Congress and requested a declaration of war. Congress responded within days, officially declaring war on Germany on April 6, 1917.

True,true...add me.

They entered the Worl War I because they did so. they wanted to purchase the dictators, and restor peace in the world. But it was mainly in europe that the war raged. But the answers above are all of better quality.

No they entered because of a telogram that had been messed with from Germany, them finding out the some if the countries in Europe had tried to turn Mexico and Canda agenst them, and the sinking of a ship from U-Boats that Germany had made that killed several American people on it.

1.) The US of A only wanted to preserve its freedom.

2.) Most of its friends in Europe (the Allies) are in war with the Central Powers.

3.) For the lives that German people killed.

*Germany having lost the war felt bitter beacause of the "Treaty of Versailles"

FDR, who was at that time appointed as Assistant Secretary to the Navy by Wilson and was on record as concluding there was a conspiracy in the United States. In a letter to Colonel Edward Mandell House, FDR wrote, "The real truth of the matter is, as you and I know, that a financial element in the larger centers has owned the government ever since the days of Andrew Jackson, and I am not wholly excepting the administration of W.W. (Woodrow Wilson.) The country is going through a repetition of Jackson's fight with the Bank of the United States—only on a far bigger and broader basis."

Once one understands the financial history of our country and the world, only then can they know the treachery and control elite bankers had.

“If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy.” – James Madison

“War against a foreign country only happens when the moneyed classes think they are going to profit from it.” – George Orwell

• There were unauthorized German submarines along the US East coast. Germany's resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare in the spring of 1917 provided the final straw for US politicians, and America declared war.

• The first and foremost answer would be the sinking of the Lusitania, an British cruise/transport ship, bound for Britain from New York. The German U-boat ring sought to sink all supply ships headed for Britain in order to starve the island. It sank the Lusitania as part of its efforts. 1195 people died, including 128 Americans.

• The Lusitania's sinking was the biggest influence on the American decision to enter the war. German submarine warfare (the Lusitania is included in this) sunk many ships over several years.

• Had it not been for the Lusitania, the US would have stayed out of the War.

They also entered the WWI because they wanted to get the recognition of European nations which, at that time, deeply despised the USA

they entered the WWI because of the attack on the pearl harbor in hawaii