How Did Woodrow Wilson's Influence In WWI

Words: 545
Pages: 3

The reason that ultimately initiated America's entrance in the war was when Woodrow Wilson realized in the spring of 1916 that there was no possible way for the United States to be part of the peace table if they stayed neutral. By 1916, America had grown into a global superpower, and to ensure that it would benefit from the results of the war, Wilson wanted to become a chief architect of the postwar peace plan. Wilson sought to reconstruct the defeated powers and the global economy in ways that wouldn’t inhibit the growth of America. Instead of watching both sides try and destroy each other, Wilson quickly wanted to find middle ground so that everyone in some way or another would benefit from the aftermath of the war. Rather than pursue a closed economic system, which Entente powers were leaning towards, that would’ve left America isolated from economic opportunities, Wilson wanted to pursue an open market system that would have involved fair competition with minimal government intervention. The Entente powers, who had secretly been meeting in may of …show more content…
He didn't want to entangle the United States in such a massive war. His claim, however, was extremely unrealistic. “Strict neutrality” sounded good in name, but not at all in action. Any nation that is involved in both sides of the war as the United States was, had no possible way to maintain equality on both sides. There will always be benefits to one side or another, and a county as evolved and progressive as the United States was guaranteed to find them. Wilson was smart in trying to separate America from the war. When the economic opportunities arrived, however, Wilson, like any man would, jumped at them and this was the beginning of the end of his, and his country's neutrality. Unfortunately, well before the war ever began, America was doomed to find themselves involved in the war, as they were simply too powerful of a