Nothing less than war
Subtitle: a new history of America's entry into World War I
By: Justus D. Doenecke
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
Published: 2011
Place of publication: Lexington, KY
Language: eng
Number of pages: 394
ISBN-13: 9780813130026; 9780813130033
Subjects: Politics and government; World War, 1914-1918; Public opinion; Diplomatic history
Description: When war broke out in Europe in 1914, political leaders in the United States were swayed by popular opinion to remain neutral; yet less than three years later, the nation declared war on Germany. In this book, the author examines the clash of opinions over the war during this transformative period and offers a fresh perspective on America's decision to enter World War I. He reappraises the public and private diplomacy of President Woodrow Wilson and his closest advisors and explores in great depth the response of Congress to the war. He also investigates the debates that raged in the popular media and among citizen groups that sprang up across the country as the U.S. economy was threatened by European blockades and as Americans died on ships sunk by German U-boats. The decision to engage in battle ultimately belonged to Wilson, but as the author demonstrates, Wilson's choice was not made in isolation. This work provides an examination of America's internal political climate and its changing international role during the seminal period of 1914-1917.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 349-367) and index.
Table of contents: title: Setting the stage; title: The earliest debates : August 1914-March 1915; title: In peril on the sea : February-August 1915; title: Toward the Arabic crisis : January-August 1915; title: Frustrating times : August 1915-March 1916; title: Tensions with Germany and Britain : January-September 1916; title: Preparedness debates and the presidential election : March-November 1916; title: To end a conflict : October 1916-January 1917; title: The break with Germany : January-March1917; title: And the war came : March-April 1917.