Journal+7+-+Peter+Lee+-+Homework,+Reasons+for+Entering+WWI

__Reason 4 - Because it was good for business__

This was one of my top choices why I think that America went into WWI. Many wars throughout history, from the wars fought for control over Constantinople, to wars today, such as the Iraq War, have been fought for money. The temptation and prospect of becoming rich was probably on President Wilson's and many other peoples' minds when Wilson decided to join World War I. World Wars were the times when American really emerged as the world's most powerful country. Before the two world wars, America was just another one of those powerful countries, on par with Russia, UK, France, and Germany. However, after the two world wars and the invention of nuclear weapons, it was clear who the world's superpower was.

__Reason 5 - Because of cultural, historical, and economic ties to Great Britain + Reason 6__

Although the US and UK have had a long history of fighting with each other, I tend to think of the two countries more as brothers rather than rivals. Why? Brothers often fight each other. However, when there is another person, or group of people that threaten the two brothers, the brothers will join together and fight together. It has happened in both World Wars, and even today, when Britain was the biggest supporter of the US-led Iraq War.

Furthermore, the US and UK speak the same language, and have more similar cultural backgrounds than those of Germany. If you had to pick a side in a war, you would probably pick the side that is most similar to you, and has the most in common with you, which in this case was the UK.

__Why I don't think why some of the other reasons don't work as well as the two above__

__Reason 1__ - Well, the Germans had the right to attack the ships, because the ships attacked had secret supplies and weapons that would aid the Allies. So in essence, the Americans weren't really neutral from the start.

__Reason 2__ - This reason didn't really come out that much until after World War II, when there was that whole thing between the US and the USSR

__Reason 3__ - So if the rest of the Allies potentially can't pay the US back, why would this be a reason to join the war?

__Reason 7__ - What kind of country in the right mind would want to send its soldiers to unavoidable death, especially in WWI, which had unprecedented death rates. If they want to spread weaponry, they could just sell it, as they were doing during WWI.