How U.S. Neutrality in World War I Favored the Allies

When World War I broke out, the powers of Europe were split between the Allies, led by Britain and France, and the Central Powers, led by Germany. President Woodrow Wilson swiftly announced that the United States would remain neutral. Neutrality proved difficult to maintain, however. Britain began to blockade Germany, and a German U-boat sank the Lusitania in 1915, killing 128 Americans. The United States eventually entered the war in April 1917. Although the United States officially declared neutrality and remained out of the fighting until 1917, it maintained neutrality only to a small extent, as its trade, governing policies, and treatment of Britain and Germany clearly favored the Allies.

Unequal Trade Favored the Allies

The United States was not truly neutral because its trade and supplies favored the Allies instead of remaining impartial to both warring sides. Document 4, a graph of exports to Europe, shows that trade with the Central Powers dropped from $70 million in 1914 to $1.3 million in 1916, while trade with the Allies rose from $825 million to $3.2 billion. The United States was essentially supplying only one side of the war. These profits also tied the American economy to the victory of the Allies. Document 7, a 1915 report from the American Customs Inspector in New York, shows the Lusitania was carrying 5,468 cases of ammunition, mostly for the benefit of the British government. A ship full of civilians was secretly aiding in the arming of Britain, which a truly neutral nation would not allow. This also gives reasoning for why Germany made the ship a target.

Government Rules and Responses Favored Britain

The United States government's rules and responses favored Britain more than Germany, which violated true neutrality. In Document 3, a 1914 letter to Wilson from German-born Harvard professor Hugo Munsterberg, the author explains that news sent by wireless was censored, while cable messages were not. Since Britain used cable and only Germany used wireless, the rule seemed to apply evenly, but it hurt Germany in the long run. As a result, most Americans heard only Britain's side of the conflict, which created a majority opinion favoring Britain over Germany.

Document 9, a speech given by Senator Robert LaFollette in the Senate in April 1917, shows that the US government used a double standard in its dealings with the warring nations. The speech states that the US accepted Britain's unlawful war zones while enforcing its rights against Germany. Coming from a United States senator, this is clear evidence of a double standard in American foreign policy. Being lenient toward Britain and strict toward Germany slowly swayed public opinion, and eventually the United States went to war.

Wilson's Stated Neutrality Versus Actual Policy

Some may argue that the United States remained neutral because it officially promised impartiality and kept out of the fight for three years, but its actions did not reflect that. Document 1, Wilson's message to Congress in August 1914, declares that the people of the US came from many of the nations fighting and asks the US to act "not as a partisan, but as a friend." Wilson truly wanted to remain neutral, and this policy was largely meant to keep America's citizens from being split on the issue. The US also stayed out of the war until 1917, and Wilson was even re-elected in 1916 on the campaign slogan "He kept us out of war." While this argument has some truth, it does not change the fact that the rest of the US did not follow his rules, as shown by the one-sided loans described in Document 4. American banks loaned about $2.3 billion to the Allies but only about $27 million to Germany, showing a great interest in the outcome of the war. The US economy would have taken a large hit if the Allies had lost. The United States may have remained impartial on paper and in battle, but not in money, trade, or policy.

Conclusion

The United States claimed neutrality and kept out of the fight until 1917, but it favored the Allies in more ways than not. Trade with the Allies rose sharply, while trade with Germany nearly disappeared, and policies such as wireless censorship aided Britain in ways Germany never benefited from. Although Wilson earnestly stated his intention to remain impartial, the US economy, trade, and policies told a different story. Since the United States was so heavily invested in the Allies, joining them in 1917 was only the final step on a long road.