Neutrality Policy Essay, Research Paper

In sum, the second decade of the 20th century saw the United States struggle with the responsibilities, which foreign investments bring. A pattern of behavior was rising. In spite of Commitment to neutrality, the United States interests were forcing involvement where they never had before.

President Woodrow Wilson wanted to keep the United States out of World War 1 in order to achieve the country s foreign policy objectives. He wanted to insure that no country gained power over Europe. If that happened American markets could dry up not only in Europe but other parts of the world because of the increased strength of the European power.

War engulfed Europe but Washington was determined to stay clear of it. The way to achieve our goals and avoid the war was through a policy of neutrality and the loyalty to certain legal principals. The United States advocated an open door policy and freedom of the seas. . Wilson believed that if all countries abided by these principals there would be a greater chance of stability in the world. On August 20, 1914 President Wilson told the people of the United States to be impartial in thought as well as action.

The first objective of Wilson s neutrality policy was to promote the economic and commercial interests of the United States without going to war. At first Wilson believed that he could trade with both sides of the war. But, Wilson soon realized that since Britain controlled the seas they might issue a proclamation that neutrals must not trade with Germany. Therefore the British would be prepared if necessary to go to war with any neutral power, even the United States, that should disregard such a proclamation. In other words, in extreme need, they might practically forbid neutrality.

On February 4, 1915 Germany announced a submarine blockage of the British Isles. Within the war zone all confrontational shipping would be destroyed without warning. Germany cautioned the United States to avoid the war zone on grounds of allied misuse of neutral flags as a cover, and the ramming of U-boats when they make a surface challenge, precluded the customary procedure of visit and search. Therefore the Germans claimed they could not always avoid accidental attacks on neutral ships. The sinking of unarmed neutral ships was a clear violation of international law, but Germany justified their policy on the ground that it was necessitated by the equally lawless British blockade. Wilson refused to accept the German declaration because he realized that it was American goods that were keeping Britain in the war. Wilson argued that United States citizens and ships had the right to use the high seas freely.

On May 7, 1915 the British passenger ship Lusitania was sunk by a German sub. 1,198 people lost their lives including 128 American citizens. The Germans did not want war with the United States. They saw that as an opponent the United States could bring almost unlimited financial strength, industrial resources, and fresh manpower into the struggle, and would greatly boost allied moral. Although the United States were attempting to stop the war through diplomacy, it was also watering down its neutrality policy in favor of Great Britain as a result of domestic pro-allied sentiments. The situation of Great Britain in the war and the violations of neutral rights at sea continued to worsen throughout 1915. While efforts could be undertaken to save the British from defeat, the sentiment was not yet strong enough to justify entering the war

On March 24, 1916 the Germans torpedoed the Sussex, an unarmed French channel steamer. Although no Americans died, the attack clearly violated the earlier German pledge. On April 18 Wilson warned the German government that he would break diplomatic relations immediately unless it halted U-boat warfare against belligerent merchant and passenger ships. . On September 1, 1916 Germany pledged not to sink passenger liners without warning and without provisions for the safety of those on board. They thought the United States, as a potential adversary was a greater threat than it s bias toward the allies. But they also thought that the submarine was the weapon that would bring victory to Germany, believing the United States would not be able to resupply Germany s enemies fast enough in the face of unrestricted submarine warfare. Field marshal Holzendorf argued for renewal of the unrestricted submarine warfare campaign, saying that there was no other choice even if it brought the United States into the war.

By February 1, 1917 unrestricted submarine warfare had recommenced. Germany announced its intention of sinking any ship regardless of flag that entered the waters designated as a war zone. As expected, unrestricted submarine warfare brought the United States into the war since it endangered all aspects of America s goals. Wilson broke diplomatic relations with Germany on February 3. In March with the United States still legally at peace with Germany, United States armed merchants went to sea with orders to fire on hostile submarines. In the same month German submarines sent four still unarmed United States flag vessels to the bottom.

On April 2, 1917 president Wilson asked congress for a declaration of war. Congress obliged, and the president declared war on April 6.

A major force behind the United States decision to forsake neutrality and bring it s military power to bear as a belligerent was the German policy of unrestricted submarine warfare against neutral merchant ships. This weak situation brought about termination of United States neutrality and, the United States could never again expect to sustain impartial neutrality where her interests were involved. In the words of Woodrow Wilson, America reached her age of majority as a world power. Even in the wake of The Hague peace conferences codification of neutral impartiality as the best legal policy to inhibit the spread of war, impartiality for the United States eventually proved impractical and untenable.