As with most historical questions there are a variety of contributing factors to answer this question. One of the main arguments used is that America was acting ‘to make the world safe for democracy’ (Hugh Brogan). This argument leads one to believe that Wilson was performing in a purely democratic way by helping the more democratic governments in Europe defeat the autocratic governments, such as Germany, Austria and Turkey. At the beginning of the Great War Wilson approached the notion of America joining the war as incomprehensible, partly because of his strong feelings to resolve things by peace and partly because like many other Americans’ he felt that the war was a European affair. Up until the Pless conference it appeared that America

would therefore keep out of the war as far as fighting was concerned, however, America had helped the allies from the start by providing loans in excess of $2 billion to Britain and France whilst only supplying just under $27 million to Germany. This money lending was more of an economical manoeuvre to enable Britain and France to pay for the goods they were buying from the U.S. The ties of language, culture a

Wilson believed he was going into an ideological war to ‘make the world safe for democracy’ (freedom and liberty) and to help reshape peace. ‘Yellow press’ propaganda helped influence the American public opinion in favour of war and therefore gave Wilson ‘no alternative but war’. Without this contingent factors it is hard to say whether the U.S would have entered the war, I personally believe that America would have at some point been forced into war with Germany but it was these decisive factors which named the time of the American declaration of war i.e. the 6th April 1917. To Wilson, the German militarism was the main obstacle to peace, a ‘menace to world peace and civilisation’.

nd history also made American citizens befall more support for the allies than for the ‘militaristic Germans’, encouraged by British propaganda. Some American citizens felt that they should defend democracy and some people formed groups, such as the National Security League. Wilson was personally appalled by the German attack on neutral Belgium, which was bound to add to the persuasive factors urging him to enter into the war.

Diplomatic relations were severed however with Germany by Wilson. Wilson tried to get congress to agree to have American merchant ships armed, but congress denied this request. Wilson was aided in his desire to arm merchant ships by one contingent factor, the February Revolution in Russia. This revolution overthrew the Russian autocracy and promised democratic reforms. This meant that the Allied cause could now be seen as totally democratic and therefore in agreement with America’s own views this improved Russian relations with the U.S. Wilson was also aided by the unforeseen appearance of the ‘Zimmerman Telegram’ which is often referred to as the catalyst that was necessary for Wilson to enter the war. The telegram was from Germany to Mexico suggesting t

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