HIST101 American History For the German Forces

1. How did the European powers interpret America's contribution to the war effort, and why did they form this interpretation? Do you think the contributions made by America were underestimated in this interpretation? Why or why not?  

2. What economic effects were experienced domestically due to the American mobilization for World War I? Name and thoroughly discuss these factors. 

Answers:

1. The United States of America has always followed a policy of isolationism (Brock, 2015). When the First World War broke out, it was mainly contained within the European continent; the United States simply observed it from afar. This stance of the United States was expected since many of its people were immigrants, especially from various countries of Europe, so it was difficult for them to pick a side. However, the United States was compelled to enter the War when due to the notorious activities of Germany. Germany launched an aggressive submarine warfare against the enemy countries and this resulted in the sinking of several American merchant ships as well (King, 2016). This angered the United States who then decided to join the Great War on the side of the Allied Powers in 1917. America’s entry into the First World War was significant as it had several important repercussions for the European countries. The fresh infusion of American military into the long tiring War titled the War in favor of the Allies (Brock, 2015). This greatly demoralized the German forces, The United States provided the immediate relief to the Allied Forces by giving them the requisite ammunitions and food rations.

The contributions of the United States was not only limited to the provision of food and armaments, but, the inclusion of a new powerful country in the War greatly boasted the morale of the Allied forces. Thus, the United States’ contribution to the Great War was severely underestimated to just physical help (Brock, 2015). It failed to take into account the emotional support which is the most important kind of support in a battlefield. 

2. The involvement in the Great War had significant repercussions for the United States of America. The country was involved in the War for only a short period of time, from 1917 to 1918 (Simpson, 2014). During this time, a significant portion of the American military was mobilized to fight in the war; some one million armed military went to serve in Europe, to help the Allied Powers. Involvement in the War also proved to be beneficial for the United States in the short run. The export of trade increased to unimaginable levels and the country experienced a high level of economic growth (Simpson, 2014). The food rations and medical aid provided to the European powers had a burden on the domestic economy of the United States. There was regular supply of medical facilities, food items and transportation was required for this purposes. Moreover, after the war, America helped in the reconstruction of the European Powers which were left ravaged due to the activities of the War.

 Soon, in the late 1920s, the dollar currency faced huge devaluation, resulting in the dreaded Great Depression (Longrigg, 2017). The Greta Depression was an off shoot of the First World War itself where the huge expenditures incurred by America started to have adverse repercussions. The European countries were unable to pay back their loans on time and the value of dollar kept decreasing. The Great Depression had a resonating effect on all the economies of the world. 

References:

Brock, P. (2015). Pacifism in the United States: From the Colonial Era to the First World War. Princeton University Press.

King, J. C. (2016). First World War. Springer.

Longrigg, S. (2017). The Great Depression. Routledge.

Simpson, B. P. (2014). The Great Depression. In Money, Banking, and the Business Cycle (pp. 187-219). Palgrave Macmillan, New York.