untries wanted to harm themselves, it might even make the U.S. more dominant in its global presence; the United States declared neutrality. However, America certainly began to feel the economic affects that the war was having on Europe. With the onset of a World War, European countries were forced to spend incredible amounts of money on arms and munitions, iron, steel, and foodstuffs, let alone their astronomical military expenditures. As a direct result, the United States received a considerable portion of European money. In a perfect world the United States would have been able to trade with all nations involved in the war; through the British blockade, Germany eventually became cut-off from American trade. Still, this did not hinder American profits. Between August 1914 and March 1917, $2.2 billion of arms were received from Britain and its allies (4).By remaining neutral during the war, the U.S. gained a considerable amount of income. With mounting debts in Europe, the nation was becoming a world power through trade while directly helping the British side. This helped launch the United States status as the leading global power. Ironically, by remaining neutral the U.S. found itself becoming part of the European conflict. In May 1915, a German U-Boat sank a British ocean liner carrying American travelers. A total of 128 American lives were lost. Obviously infuriated by the incident there was a public outcry. President Wilson sent a letter to Germany warning that the loss of American lives was not tolerated. With a growing concern in the war, President Wilson began to voice American diplomacy. In 1916, Wilson attempted to settle peace negotiations between the warring countries and called for a peace conference. Although no one really believed that anything would come of it, they attended anyway. The terms favored the allied side; although the terms were not dismissed right away, the warring nations never intended to a...
