The Origins of American Intervention in the First World War

5524. The Origins of American Intervention in the First World War, by Ross Gregory (read 9 Jan 2018) This is a slim but carefully compiled study of how the U.S. came to enter World War One. Since it was published in 1972 it draws on the many studies on that subject which had been done prior to that

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date and does an excellent job in setting out the events which led to the U.S. entering the war on April 6, 1917. I have at times been influenced by studies which say we should have stayed out of the war in which case Hitler would not have happened and there something to be said for that but this book convinces me that as a practical matter Wilson had to do what he reluctantly decided to do. The book concludes that Wilson did not recommend war because of British propaganda nor because of other ignoble reasons but because he became convinced he had to stand up for American rights. I feel the book shows that under the circumstances existing it was what Wilson sincerely believed was the right thing to do. Before he decided to ask for war Wilson strove as best he could for a peace without victory because he knew the loser would do what Hitler did--strive to reverse the result of the war, but one must conclude that Wilson did what was right when he did what he did in 1917.

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