U.S. Entry Into World War I

Paper Summary:

The paper refers to Graham T. Allison's article, "Conceptual Models in the Cuban Missile Crisis" as a basis for examining the conditions in the United States preceding WWI and President Woodrow Wilson's personal and political rational behind becoming involved in the war. The paper focuses on the inability of international actions to provide a strong rational for going to war and concludes that the United States' entry into World War One was a rational decision not based on international actions but motivated by political pressure and a fledgling sense of national identity among the state's most wealthy.

Outline:
Conditions in the United States Preceding the War
Woodrow Wilson's Personal and Political Rational for Becoming Involved in the War
The Inability of International Actions to Provide a Strong Rational for Going to War
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"In 1969, Graham T. Allison's article, "Conceptual Models in the Cuban Missile Crisis," made a monumental contribution to the field of foreign policy. By establishing three conceptual models that seek to explain the reasoning behind foreign policy decisions-the Rational Policy Model, Organizational Process Model, and Bureaucratic Policy Model-Graham seeks to establish that a variety of influences can result in a state's entry into an international conflict. Each of these models offers a different rationalization for a nation's involvement in conflict, including self-interest, the influence of leaders and organizations, and political compromises. Although Allison applied the three models he created to the Cold War Cuban Missile Crisis, scholars have acknowledged the models' applicability toward a variety of conflicts, including World War One. In fact, Allison himself cites reputable scholar Hans Morgantheau's assessment of the origins of the First World War as falling within one of his conceptual models, the Rational Actor Model (692)."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Allison, Graham. "Conceptual Models and the Cuban Missile Crisis." American Political Science Review. 63.3 (1969): 689-718.
• Brewer, Paul. "The Journey To War: Woodrow Wilson and American Pacifism." History Today. (2007): n.p.
• Dwight, Eleanor. "Edith Wharton's World: Portraits of People and Places." National Portrait Gallery. n.d. Smithsonian. 17 July 2008.
• Dwyer, John J. "The United States and World War One." Lew Rockwell. 2004. Lew Rockwell. 17 July 2008.
• Latham, James. "Technology and 'Reel Patriotism' in American Film Advertising of the World War I Era." An Interdisciplinary Journal of Film and Television Studies. 36.1 (2006): 36-43.

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