Answer :
Final answer:
Woodrow Wilson strove to keep the U.S. neutral as World War I began, swayed by both moral principles and practical concerns. However, increasing threats to American interests, including unrestricted submarine warfare, led to the U.S. joining the war in 1917.
Explanation:
Woodrow Wilson's Stance at the Outbreak of World War I
When World War I erupted in Europe in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson initially committed to a stance of neutrality. His administration believed that the United States should avoid entanglement in international military conflicts unless there was a moral imperative to intervene. However, the situation in Europe was deteriorating, and neutrality became more complicated with unrestricted submarine warfare and economic ties with the belligerents. Despite public resistance and his previous re-election campaign's pledge of 'He kept us out of war,' Wilson's approach shifted due to escalating aggression and threats to American interests, leading to the U.S. joining the war on the side of the Allies in 1917.
Wilson's early foreign policy efforts were aimed at reducing American intervention abroad in favor of a more moralistic approach, contrary to the expansionist policies of his predecessors. The diverse immigrant population in America, which included many from European belligerent countries, also contributed to Wilson's reluctance to enter the war for fear of internal division. However, Germany's aggressive tactics, especially the renewal of U-boat attacks and the interception of the Zimmermann Telegram, challenged Wilson's neutral position and eventually compelled the United States to enter the conflict, shifting his presidency towards a wartime footing.
