Pre-World War I

Before their involvement in the European conflict, the United States of America had
very little regard to the events occurring on the European continent. The United
States didn’t play the European alliance game and therefore had very few alliances
beyond economic trade agreements with nations such as Great Britain. The national
interests of the United States were focused primarily inwards via domestic policy,
meaning foreign policy followed its previous isolationist and exclusivist
tradition. The United States’ policy of isolationism allowed them to avoid
garnering many enemies, the last conflict preceding American involvement in World
War I was the Spanish-American war, the effects of which would not be seen
dramatically in the First World War. The era defining the late 19th century and
early 20th century of the United States was known as the “progressive era,” known
for its increase of social activism, advocacy and progressive economic reform in
terms of rooting out monopoly and corruption as well as promoting modernization and
industrialization after the American Civil War. The President of the United States
during World War I, Woodrow Wilson would win the presidency on the agenda of
continuing this policy of isolationism while expanding its domestic policy to grow
the United States as an economic powerhouse.

Following the outbreak of Europe’s conflict, the United States placed a great deal
of importance on political neutrality. Neutrality stemmed from the United States’
isolationist foreign policy as well as from division in public sentiment towards
the war. Many European immigrants, especially from Great Britain sympathized with
the Triple Entente while many German-Americans sympathized with the German cause.
This public division placed pressure on the President and government to remain
politically neutral and remain out of the war. The United States also had far less
to gain from joining as a belligerent of the war dissimilar from the nation states
on the European continent. The United States’ however provided food, munitions and
financial aid to the European continent, while trade with Germany was blockaded by
British naval ships, the United States exploited the war effort in Europe to trade
supplies, munitions and other manufactured goods to its partners Great Britain and
France. Business tycoons such as J.P. Morgan who rose to financial power during the
“progressive era” became powerful creditors to the European nations. The largest
foreign loan in history was given to the French and British governments by J.P.
Morgan during the First World War. These effects drastically increased America’s
status as an economic powerhouse, one of the United States’ national interests.
American neutrality also allowed the United States and Woodrow Wilson to act as
mediators for peace settlements between the Triple Alliance and Entente during
November and December of 1916. This demonstrates a new growing national interest in
the United States to become a player in major global politics after achieving
economic success throughout the war. In a speech made after officially declaring
war on Germany, Woodrow Wilson proclaimed that the United States would “make the
world safe for democracy.” Defining the vision Woodrow Wilson had for America’s
place on the world stage.

Events During World War I

The First World War is usually credited in helping support the passing of the 19th
Amendment which enshrined women’s suffrage and the right to vote in the
constitution. The role of American women during the First World War integrated them
into the positions previously held by men. When the United States’ finally became
involved in the European conflict and men were overseas, women took up roles
working in factories, as shopkeepers and as nurses. The progressive era also saw
staggering amounts of advocacy and social activism in support of women’s suffrage.
While the 19th Amendment was officially ratified after the end of the First World
War, over 15 states had already passed legislation allowing women’s suffrage before
the United States’ even got involved in the First World War. Including in Montana,
in which Jeanette Rankin was elected a Member of the House of Representatives. This
event evidently represents America’s inward focused lens during the outset of the
European conflict, defined by the “progressive era” American domestic policy was
still concentrated on social reform and improving domestic conditions rather than
the war.

While attempting to remain neutral throughout the war, events such as the sinking
of the Lusitania, unrestricted German submarine warfare in the Atlantic and the
Zimmerman Telegram drew the United States of America ever closer to joining the war
on the sides of the Triple Entente. The sinking of the Lusitania, a British
cruiseliner with 123 Americans on board by German submarines, caused outrage to the
American public and is the event usually associated with causing the United States
to declare war on Germany. However events such as the resuming of unrestricted
German submarine warfare in the Atlantic ocean most likely had a greater effect on
this outcome. Unrestricted German submarine warfare threatened American trade of
munitions and volunteers to the European continent and eventually inspired one of
Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points. The Zimmerman telegram was another event that
caused outrage and was the most recent event before the United States’ declared war
on Germany. To prevent the United States from entering the European-front of the
First World War, German diplomats attempted to establish a secret military alliance
with Mexico. These events helped shift the American paradigm from their position of
neutrality, against Germany and drew the United States into the First World War in
order to protect its security and economic interests in Europe against German
aggression as well as cement the United States’ position on the world stage.

Events such as The Selective Service Act, Espionage Act, Sedition Act and Schenck
vs.The U.S showcased the power held and abused by the American government during
their entrance into the First World War as well as serves to contradict the
American narrative in entering the war to “protect democracy.” The Selective
Service Act enforced conscription and mandatory military service for men between
the ages of 21 and 30. The Selective Service Act grew the American military from
120,000 men to over 5,000,000. The Espionage Act of 1917 outlawed the idea of
conveying or concealing ideas that may impede the “military success” of the United
States of America. Schenck vs. The U.S, a supreme court case that arose from the
Espionage Act set the precedent that freedom of speech could be suppressed or
limited if there is “a clear and present danger.” The Sedition Act outlawed “false”
or malicious statements against the United States government and its agenda,
including anti-war sentiment. The United States government also allowed itself
control of key parts of industry including agriculture, labor and transportation
through different governmental organizations as well as strong anti-German
propaganda efforts in order to control the narrative around Germany. These laws and
actions help establish the hypocritical narrative that the United States joined the
First World War in order to protect democracy in Europe while suppressing and
limiting the freedoms of its own citizens. This showcases the national interests of
the United States government, wanting to exert more influence over key areas of its
industry, controlling the narrative surrounding the First World War and Germany as
well as hastily mobilizing its military and joining the European front without
interference.

Paris Peace Conference & Post World War I

Before the armistice, on January 8, 1918, Woodrow Wilson articulated America’s

desire to “make the world safe for democracy.” and vision for the postwar world in
a speech to congress. During the speech he introduced his Fourteen Points that
would become critical to his negotiations during the Paris Peace Conference and
when drafting the Treaty of Versailles. Above all else, Woodrow Wilson wanted to
prevent another large scale global conflict and didn’t want to place sole blame on
any single country as well as burden them with reparations. Alongside these points,
Woodrow Wilson would also advocate for fair, free and equal trade conditions among
nations and to ultimately reduce European spheres of influence in disputed
territories and colonies. Many of Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points look to allow
for self-determination for individual nations within disputed territories such as
the Balkans, Turkiye, and Germany’s colonies. Woodrow Wilson was also a strong
advocate for the creation of the League of Nations and believed that American
leadership within the League could prevent another war. During the Paris Peace
Conference, Woodrow Wilson conceded many of these points to prevent reigniting
conflict. The largest concession was the staggeringly large sum of war reparations
indebted to the German government. Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points would succeed
elsewhere however, including in the establishment of the League of Nations.
American public sentiment on the Treaty of Versailles was ultimately positive
however the notion to join the League of Nations failed in the United States Senate
after the requirement to forfeit sovereignty in the form of declaring war became a
controversial choice as well as after isolationist sentiment once again reignited
in legislators. American sentiment after the First World War staggered backwards to
an area similar to before the outbreak of the First World War. Despite America’s
growth in economic strength, now becoming the sole creditor to many European
countries, the American public wanted a return to “normalcy.” An idea harnessed by
succeeding president, Warren G. Harding during his campaign. During Harding’s short
term presidency he repudiated many of the liberal reforms put in place during the
First World War on key industries such as agriculture, transportation and labor, in
favor of pro-business policies. American foreign policy shifted once again, to
embrace isolationism, the greatest perceived threat to the American public was the
rise of communism in Russia resulting in the Red Scare which fueled American
isolationism alongside the chaos on the European continent.

How did national interests change?

American national interests at the beginning of the 20th century and before the
outbreak of the first World War ultimately disregarded the affairs and events of
the European continent. The United States adopted a foreign policy of isolationism
following their exclusivist tradition. American national interests focused on
improving conditions domestically following the American Civil War and Spanish-
American War and were driven primarily by “progressive era” reforms leading to
greater social activism, industrialization and modernization. At the outbreak of
the First World War, American neutrality was heavily incentivized by isolationist
policies as well as by the sentiment of the American public. During neutrality, the
American economy was bolstered by the production and trade of supplies and
munitions to European trade partners such as Great Britain and France. The United
States and its business tycoons such as J.P. Morgan also became the sole creditors
to many financially-struggling European nations. The United States used its newly
strengthened economy and political neutrality to position itself on the world stage
as the patron of democracy, stating its intent to bring peace to the European
continent and “make the world safe for democracy.” Ultimately when negotiations for
peace fell out and German aggression to American national interests became too
great, The United States decided to take the forceful route to end the war and once
again restated its saving-the-world mentality and idealistic postwar visions in a
speech by Woodrow Wilson in which he outlined his Fourteen Points. “Saving
democracy” in Europe came at the expense of many of the American homeland freedoms,
bills such as the Selective Service Act, Espionage Act and Sedition Act forbade
anti-war movements and criticisms against the government, ultimately showcasing the
American interest to place itself in a powerful position on the world stage, rather
than defend democracy. At the end of the First World War, after only having a few
of Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points adopted into the Treaty of Versailles during
the Paris Peace Conference, American national interests shifted back to its prewar
interests. Isolationist foreign policy was adopted once again, after the threat of
the rise of communism, known as the Red Scare, consumed America. The American
public demanded a return to “normalcy” and legislation in the Interwar Years
focused primarily on repudiating and undoing wartime legislation in favor of pro-
business legislation in order to maintain the United States’ strong economy.