Comments by "Ralph Bernhard" (@ralphbernhard1757) on "WoodrowWilsonCenter" channel.

The USA declared war because the Allies owed US banks so much money. That has finally made it way into the US school curriculum. http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/6/29/1310387/-How-Wall-Street-bankers-got-the-U-S-into-WWI So. We have two sets of reasons why the USA voluntarily joined WW1. The first set of reasons, for 'Joe the plumber', is nasty nasty submarines sinking goody goody ships, and nasty nasty Krauts inciting Mexico to invade the USA. The second set of reasons was for the establishment. Economical reasons, and the need to ensure that Germany would lose, so that US banks would be paid back. Fact is, if the USA had not joined in 1917, the war was certainly expected to last indefinitely, with the two sides roughly equal in strength, and with an uncertain outcome. Which 'set of reasons' played the biggest role?
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Nyctasia Yes, that is correct. What is also correct, is that the USA's actions (or inaction) resulted in citizens of the Central Powers dying. Also, Wilson turning a blind eye to GB's policy of the long distant blockade (instead of the coastal blockade sanctioned by the Hague Convention), resulted in grave implications to more than 30,000,000 neutral citizens in the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark, who by 1918 were suffering health problems due to the RN's unjustified and hard-handed activities. The USA should, and could have remained completely neutral, and also not chosen sides, as was the wish of almost all US citizens. As always, it was big business ('follow the money') which dragged America into a war not desired by its population...
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