1. The U.S. got involved in WWI because of the international commitments and obligations that the country had decided to take on. Several allies of the United States were in the war because they were becoming exhausted and felt the need to get involved. There were also other factors such as trade with European countries, the sinking of the Lusitania, being blocked off, and the heavy immigrant population in America that felt like it was their duty to protect their home country. In 1914, the United States had been deeply involved in the life of the world since at least the Spanish-American War, and in the early years of the twentieth century (under three internationally active presidents) the nation took on many more international commitments and obligations, which also helped prepare them to participate in modern warfare overseas. As a result, it should not have been a surprise that the United States entered WWI in 1917.
2. The question of whether America should make military and economic preparations for war provided the first issue over which pacifists and interventionists could openly debate. Another debate was between politicians, including Theodore Roosevelt, and President Wilson. Roosevelt argued that a voluntary recruitment process to raise the needed additional forces was necessary, while Wilson believed that only a national draft could provide the needed men.
3. American involvement in WWI was brief, decisive, and without great cost. Only 112,000 U.S. soldiers died in the conflict, half of them from influenza and other diseases rather than in combat. Economically, it was the source of a great industrial boom, which helped spark the years of prosperity that would follow. Also, the war propelled the United States into a position of international preeminence,
4. WWI had profound effects on the U.S. government, economy, and society. Mobilizing an industrial economy for total war required an unprecedented degree of government involvement in industry, agriculture, and other areas. It also required a strenuous effort to ensure the loyalty and commitment of the people.
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