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Theme: WORLD WARS Topic: World War I Free Response Question: Assess the relative influence of THREE of the following in the American decision to declare war on Germany in 1917 German naval policy American economic interests Woodrow Wilson’s interests Allied propaganda American claim to world power

Introductory Paragraph World War I was the first major global war that included a majority of the powerful nations of Western Europe and the world
 * Setting**

The United States was a neutral nation in World War One, but they ended up joining the war on the side of the Allies
 * Basis for Analysis:**

The United States entered World War I because of the German naval policy, American economic interests, and the ideology expressed by President Woodrow Wilson
 * Partitions:**

Although the United States took the stance of a neutral nation at the beginning of World War I, they quickly sided with the Allied Nations in order to preserve stability worldwide.
 * Thesis:**

Partition 1: German Naval Policy • Unauthorized German submarines along the east coast of the US • Violation of Arabic Pledge- Promise by Germany to limit unrestricted submarine warfare • Violation of the Sussex Pledge- Passenger Ships would not be attacked and merchant ships would be warned of attack • Resurrection of unrestricted submarine warfare by Germany • Sinking of submarines of many countries by Germany • Sinking of the Lusitania in 1915

Partition 2: American Economic Interest • Huge economic investments with French and British- if they lost, they wouldn’t be able to pay back the loans to the United States • US economy would collapse without repayments of loans- two billion dollars to Allied nations while only 27 million dollars to Germany • France and Britain were buying arms with US money, so the US wanted to be repaid • US trade with Allied nations increased from 825 million in 1914 to 3.2 billion in 1916 • Large corporations gained large profits by trading with Britain and France

Partition 3: Wilson’s Ideology • Wilson's claim that the war was to "make the world safe for democracy" • Conflict with Germany might be last straw for Western Civilization • Wilson declared that World War I was "the war to end all wars" • Creation of Committee of Public Information established to distribute propaganda- Americans view their intervention as an angel of democracy that was saving and bringing peace to the warring European nations

General Information: • Wilson's 14 Points • League of Nations • The Committee on Public Information • War Industries Board