Question
Why did it take the United States until 1917 to enter World War I?
Europeans asked the United States to remain neutral.
The majority of Americans supported a policy of neutrality.
Congress rejected President Wilson’s proposal to start fighting.
The government did not have enough money to fund mobilization.
Europeans asked the United States to remain neutral.
The majority of Americans supported a policy of neutrality.
Congress rejected President Wilson’s proposal to start fighting.
The government did not have enough money to fund mobilization.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The primary reason it took the United States until 1917 to enter World War I was that the majority of Americans supported a policy of neutrality. Initially, the US public and many political leaders were generally opposed to involvement in what they saw as a distant conflict that did not directly threaten American interests. This sentiment was influenced by the problems of the past, including the Civil War, and a desire to avoid foreign entanglements.
Although there were calls from some quarters to assist the Allies, it took a combination of events—including unrestricted submarine warfare by Germany, the interception of the Zimmermann Telegram, and economic ties to the Allies—that shifted public opinion and eventually led to the US declaring war on Germany in April 1917.
The other options you mentioned (Europeans asking the US to remain neutral, Congress rejecting President Wilson’s proposal to start fighting, and financial constraints on mobilization) were not the principal reasons for the delay in US entry into the war.
Although there were calls from some quarters to assist the Allies, it took a combination of events—including unrestricted submarine warfare by Germany, the interception of the Zimmermann Telegram, and economic ties to the Allies—that shifted public opinion and eventually led to the US declaring war on Germany in April 1917.
The other options you mentioned (Europeans asking the US to remain neutral, Congress rejecting President Wilson’s proposal to start fighting, and financial constraints on mobilization) were not the principal reasons for the delay in US entry into the war.