World War I and American Neutrality

The U.S. aimed to avoid involvement in European wars, following Washington's recommendation.
This wasn't isolationism; the U.S. continued to engage internationally, especially economically.
The public was largely horrified by the barbaric nature of modern industrial warfare in the trenches and desired to stay out of it.

Two-pronged approach:
- Avoid European politics and wars.
- Trade extensively and profitably with all nations.
Balancing these two aspects became challenging.

Late 19th and early 20th-century international agreements sought to establish rules of war.
Key concern: defining "contraband of war," which was crucial for trade.
The British heavily favored these since they had a powerful navy consisting of surface ships and dreadnoughts.

Germans countered British naval superiority with U-boats (submarines).
U-boats were small, cheap, and posed a significant threat to enemy ships.
U-boats frequently had to surface to recharge batteries using diesel generators, requiring oxygen.
Germans adopted a policy of sinking British ships without warning.
This policy intended to shift the dynamics of the conflict, given Germany's limited options.
Germany knew this policy might provoke the U.S. to enter the war.

By 1918, Germany was heavily involved on the Western Front.
They sought to focus on the Russian heartland (Poland, Ukraine, and the Baltics) because Russia was in a civil war.
They wanted to focus their energies on winning their civil war.

In early 1917, before the radical phase of the Russian Revolution, Germany planned to resume unrestricted submarine warfare.
This decision was recognized as potentially "stupid" due to the risk of drawing the U.S. into the war.