How Allies and Enemies Affected U.S.

Our enemies during World War I were called the Central Powers. The Central Powers consisted of: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, and Turkey. Our Allies during the war consisted of: France, Great Britain, Russia, Italy, and Japan.

The alliances that were formed during World War I were built since 1882 when a Triple Alliance was formed between Germany, Austria, Hungary, and Italy to counter the powers of Russia and France. However, Italy never joined the central powers when World War I started, but later joined the allies.

In 1904, Britain and France signed the "Entente Cordiale" to check German colonial ambitions and became allied with Russia in this agreement. What Germany did, sending troops into Belgium, and declaring war in France, affected the United States because France was a strong ally to us, as was Britain. America's factories and farms produced weapons for Britain and France, and their purchases contributed to our wealth.

When a British boat had been sunk, killing both British and American people, the U.S. President, Woodrow Wilson, declared an end to America's neutral policy. President Wilson then declared war on Germany on April 6, 1917.