Ww1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ww1 - Essay Example The consequence of WWI, besides millions of dead soldiers, was the imbalanced provisions of the Versailles Treaty which humiliated the German people and wrecked its economy setting the stage for WWII. All wars have complicated explanations and grave consequences maybe none more so than WWI. It has been often said if you want to know the source of a person or country’s interest, follow the money trail. Both private and public U.S. financial concerns were involved in the war long before troops were sent â€Å"over there.† Money from famous banker and entrepreneur J.P. Morgan and the U.S. Treasury flowed to many European nations to help finance their war efforts. Many have said the war would have been over three years earlier without the financial aid provided by U.S. sources. Prior to 1914, the year the war began, the U.S was in the midst of a recession but from 1914 to 1918, the economy was significantly boosted due to the weapons and other supplies purchased from the U.S. by several countries engaged in the war. Unemployment, at 7.9 percent in 1914 decreased to 1.4 percent by 1918. (Lozada, 2012) German Foreign Minister Arthur Zimmermann sent a coded telegram to the German ambassador to Mexico in early 1917 telling him to form an alliance with the Mexican government. Germany knew that U.S. involvement in the war was immanent and it surely would be beaten if hundreds of thousands of fresh American troops along with more weapons and equipment landed on European shores. To prevent this, Germany wanted to enlist Mexico to keep America busy fighting a war in its own country. â€Å"If Mexico waged war against the United States, thereby distracting Americans from the conflict in Europe, Germany would lend support and help Mexico reclaim Texas, New Mexico and Arizona.† (Gambino, 2012). Great Britain’s Naval Intelligence intercepted and broke the coded message then shared this important information with U.S. President Woodrow Wilson who, in