The United States was very different from what it became subsequently. During the era of World War I., America was reluctant to be a part of the war and intended to stay out of the conflict. It had little choice and tipped the power balance against Germany and Austria-Hungary. U.S. entered the war as a subordinate and not as a helper. Thousands of civilians died not just because of war, but hunger and disease (Macmillan 2014). Majority lived in poverty and the issues of racisms were running high. Gradually, U.S. challenged a divided Europe for the leadership of the world, and the financial dominance moved over to New York from London as the U.S. became the world's major creditor. The war boosted American industry and economy, plus strengthened its diplomatic and military power. By the end of the war, the U.S. carried the largest stock of gold and became its most major manufacturer. Its navy became superior to British, which was the world’s biggest then. The postwar peace conference showed contempt for old Europe and the Congress wanted the U.S. to remain away from any foreign entanglements. Americans felt that they had bene sucked into a wrong conflict, as the postwar problems piled on in Europe. There was a focus on creating free and democratic societies and yet U.S. gave in to harsher terms for Germany after the war was over, as the British and the French were insisting. The country became intolerant of immigrants and foreigners, and anti-immigration laws were put in place. World War I led also to a changed the status of women. Moreover, they were given the right to vote after the 19th Amendment. The United States had become a world power and gained new economic strength post-war. The foreign investments continued to rise and by the end of World War One, the United States manufactured more goods and services than any other country in the world. America's economic strength left an impact on the European policies during the 1920s, and the Allied countries borrowed millions of dollars during the war. The United States, now a world power needed a strong national military force, but the conservative military leaders were reluctant to raise the budget for military equipment. It was apparent that the United States could no longer stay away from the world events.
Works Cited
Macmillan, Margaret.”World War I: The War That Changed Everything.” The Wall Street Journal. 2014. Web. 4 March. 2016.
