Was American entry into world war one inevitable?

Answer 1

Close consideration of the facts themselves, or of thoughtful histories of the facts, strongly suggests that World War I was in fact not at all inevitable. As with most significant historical events, the change of one or two pieces of the overall (usually highly complex) puzzle could have resulted in a profound change in the actual course that was taken. With World War I, for example, the decisions by Austria-Hungary, Russia, or Germany to threaten (then to make) war were not pre-determined. Even more importantly, the timing of the decisions made by these countries, if even slightly changed, could have avoided a world-wide conflict or resulted in a merely regional war.

Answer 2

== == Avoidable.

Avoidable as long as Germany held off on unrestricted subnmarine warfare - indeed most unlikely to happen without that. Once that decision had been taken, much harder to avoid. To avoid it, President Wilson would have to either ban US merchantmen from entering European waters. or else turn a blind eye to American ships being sunk by U-Boats. In 1917, either would have been seen as a tremendous national humiliation. It is just conceivable (though far from certain) that had William Jennings Bryan been President, he might have swallowed this rather than go to war, but very hard to think of any other likely Presidnet who would have done so. Alternatively, Germany might have avoided war by limiting "unrestricted" warfare to armed merchantmen only, something which Wilson had indicated that he could accept. This would have made little difference in regard to Allied ships, which by Spring 1917 were nearly all in process of being armed when not already so, but the German Navy also wished to frighten away neutral merchantmen and keep them from supplying the Allies. They overlooked that once the US was in the war, along with quite a few South American and other countries likely to come in with her, there would be so few neutrals left that any neutral shipping lines remaining would have to choose between trading with the Allies (regardless of the U-Boat danger) or else going out of business. The Allies would be "the only game in town". As a result, though neutral trade with the Allies dropped off for a few months, by the middle of 1917 it was actually greater than it had been in January. Far from choking off this trade, unrestricted U-Boat warfare had actually increased it. One other possibility is that the Russian Revolution might have come a few months earlier. Had the Tsar been overthrown in late 1916 rather than March 1917, Chancellor Bethmann could have argued that, with Russia weakening and perhaps soon to drop out of the war, unrestricted U-boat warfare (which he never liked) was an unnecessary risk, and might have secured at least a delay in it, but this is less certain.

In short, US intervention was not inevitable, but to prevent it would have required different decisions in Berlin rather than in Washington. The course Germany followed made war with the US all but certain.

Answer 3

There are diverse points of view on this question, but personally I think that we can say that it was both inevitable and avoidable at the same because America at the origin, was very neutral in the conflict but at the pocess of sinking many of their ships the Germans did not aid themselves in keeping the Americans on their good side. America thn joined the war. After this, you can make up your own point of view.

Answer 4

Close consideration of the facts themselves, or of thoughtful histories of the facts, strongly suggests that World War I was in fact not at all inevitable. As with most significant historical events, the change of one or two pieces of the overall (usually highly complex) puzzle could have resulted in a profound change in the actual course that was taken. With World War I, for example, the decisions by Austria-Hungary, Russia, or Germany to threaten (then to make) war were not pre-determined. Even more importantly, the timing of the decisions made by these countries, if even slightly changed, could have avoided a world-wide conflict or resulted in a merely regional war.

Answer 5

no it wasnt are u kidding me no it wasnt are u kidding me

Answer 6

You will have to be much more specific as to which war you are referring to.