at the onset of world war 1 what was united states official policy regarding involvement
unit 2 from reconstruction through world war 1
To understand the United States' official policy regarding involvement at the onset of World War I, we need to look at the historical context of the time. The period from Reconstruction through World War I is generally referred to as "Unit 2" in American history.
During this time, the United States pursued a policy of neutrality. The country aimed to stay out of international conflicts and maintain peaceful relations with all nations. This approach was largely influenced by President George Washington's farewell address, where he advised against entangling alliances.
The official policy of the United States, as declared by President Woodrow Wilson, was one of strict neutrality when World War I broke out in 1914. Wilson emphasized that the United States should remain impartial and not take sides in the war. This neutrality policy was supported by a majority of Americans who saw the European conflict as a distant and unrelated matter.
However, maintaining neutrality proved challenging as the war progressed and circumstances changed. The United States faced difficult situations such as German submarine warfare targeting American ships and the British blockade of German ports that affected American trade. These incidents eventually pushed the United States closer to involvement in the war.
In 1917, the United States officially abandoned its policy of neutrality and entered World War I on the side of the Allied powers (including Britain, France, and Russia). This decision was prompted by a combination of factors, including the unrestricted submarine warfare conducted by Germany, the Zimmermann Telegram (in which Germany proposed an alliance with Mexico against the United States), and a desire to shape the post-war world order based on Wilson's principles of self-determination and democracy.
So, to summarize, at the onset of World War I, the United States' official policy was one of strict neutrality, aiming to stay out of the conflict. However, as the war progressed and circumstances changed, the United States eventually abandoned its neutrality and entered the war in 1917.