Why the U.S. should not have entered World War I

Essay by chrisdanHigh School, 10th gradeA+, March 2004

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5. The United States should not have entered into the war.

In 1914 war broke out across Europe. It began with the assassination of Francis Ferdinand, the archduke and heir to the Austria-Hungarian throne. His assassinators were Serbian revolutionaries. Soon Austria-Hungary was in conflict with Serbia and alliances were being drawn up left and right. Just like that, a Europe that had been industrializing and militarizing for years, was ready to go to war with its self. Each nations' reasons for becoming involved in the war vary, but it was strictly a conflict that involved the continent of Europe and it's possessions.

In 1915 a ship carrying American passengers had nearly finished crossing the Atlantic when it was torpedoed without warning. Out of all the passengers who died, one hundred and twenty eight of them were United States citizens. The ship was called the Lusitania and it was destined for Britain when a German U-boat sank it with all but one torpedo.

Now the Lusitania was a passenger ship traveling in neutral waters when it was attacked. So the people of the U.S. were understandably upset over the German's aggressiveness, but one needs to look at this for what it is.

Before the ship even left port, before the tickets were even bought, warnings were posted explaining the potential risk people were putting themselves in. Even if the passengers happened to miss the warnings that were posted, they surely could not have missed the news. The war was all over the media, the passengers knew about the dangers and the deadly U-boats that patrolled the northern Atlantic. Why was it such a shock? Why was it so devastating to the American public when they heard the news?

Regardless of the sinking, the United States continued to remain neutral. The U.S.