World War I - Admission/Application Essay Example

World War I World War I started on July 1914 and lasted for almost four years. This was a time when people died and struggled for their ideals and rights. Resistance in this war existed among two huge alliances of powerful countries around the world. Ross suggested that there was no single dominant power and developed countries merged together with the one mutual aim (11). “Triple alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy, and the dual alliance of France and Russia” formed the oppositional camps in this fight (Ross, 13).

Later with the development of war-process a number of other countries joined these unions. Different scholars provide a number of causes for the World War I and reasons due to which people started a fight against each other. Hamilton and Herwig suggested four main reasons for the occurrence of this war (13-15). The first one was a big number of alliances that existed and, as a result, associated together in two big groups. The defense of these comparatively small unities caused an integration of the powerful countries of the world.

The next reasons were imperialism and militarism. Europe countries had intentions to increase their power on African and Asian territories, and expand their control on these areas. Moreover, Germany and Great Britain enlarged the resources of their navies in this particular period, so they had all opportunities to start a war. The last reason for this war was nationalism. This idea started from Bosnia and Herzegovina and shared rapidly through Europe countries. It should be added that the immediate reason for the war and the formal one was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, after which Austria-Hungary declared war to Serbia.

With the beginning of the war, USA remained the position of neutrality and had the intention to be isolated from the hostilities in Europe, but the reasons existed due to which America had to be involved to this war (EyeWitness to History, n.p.). The matter was that America was not prepared to the war and had no means for the military actions. Still, USA faced with German in the economic conflict connected with the trade business. In addition, “Germanys campaign of unrestricted submarine warfare, the loss of American lives on the high seas, the sinking of the Lusitania and other ships and the prospect that Germany would not change her policies compelled a reluctant Wilson to ask Congress for a declaration of war in April 1917” (EyeWitness to History, n.p.).

Hence, America joined the Allies that were in need of industrial and military help. It was worse to mention that such expectations were rather delusive. Situation enforced American people to become participants of the war, and “casualties numbered 117,000” (EyeWitness to History, n.p.). That is completely big number in any perspective. After the war people in USA came back to a calm and inward life in their continent. Wilson made a request to participate the League of Nations, but congress rejected this call (EyeWitness to History, n.p.).

America remained to stay in complacency for the next twenty years. All in all, USA participation in this war was negligible and involuntary to some perspectives. USA intended to comply a neutral position, but the circumstances had assisted to its involving in the war. Implications manifested by the loss of military force and strong people’s desire to live in peace. Reference List:"America in the Great War," EyeWitness to History. Web. 2000. Hamilton, Richard F. and Herwig, Holger H. The Origins of World War I.

UK: Cambridge University Press, 2003. Print. Ross, Stewart. Causes and Consequences of the First World War. London: Evans Brothers Limited, 2003. Print.