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Difficulty: MediumWorld War I: Diplomacy, Military, and Postwar Peace

"We are going into war upon the command of gold. We are going to run the risk of sacrificing millions of our lives which will be lost, billions in money which will be wasted... and all because we want to preserve the commercial right of American citizens to deliver munitions of war to belligerent nations."
— Senator George W. Norris, Speech in the Senate, April 4, 1917

Which of the following developments during the period 1914 to 1917 most directly contributed to the perspective expressed in the excerpt?

  1. A
    The attack on the USS Maine in Havana Harbor that mobilized public support for intervention.
  2. B
    The U.S. commitment to a defensive military alliance under the Monroe Doctrine to protect European trade routes.
  3. The growth of commercial trade and loans from United States banks to Allied nations.Answer
  4. D
    The need to contain the expansion of Soviet-style communism after the collapse of the Russian Empire.

Answer

The growth of commercial trade and loans from United States banks to Allied nations.
The correct answer is correct because Senator George W. Norris was a leading progressive opponent of U.S. entry into World War I. His speech targets the idea that the U.S. was going to war to defend high moral principles, arguing instead that the nation's financial and industrial sectors had built massive economic ties with the Allies through loans and munitions sales. The British blockade of Germany meant that U.S. trade and credit flowed almost exclusively to Britain and France, making the U.S. economically invested in an Allied victory and prompting Norris's charge that the war was being fought on 'the command of gold.'

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus passage.
Senator George W. Norris argues that the United States is entering World War I to protect commercial rights and financial interests ('command of gold') linked to supplying munitions to belligerents.
This establishes that the core argument of the speaker is rooted in economic ties and trade interests during the period of U.S. neutrality.
2
Evaluate historical developments between 1914 and 1917 regarding U.S. commerce.
During the neutrality period, U.S. banks and manufacturers dramatically increased trade and extended massive loans to the Allied powers (Britain and France) while trade with Germany was cut off due to the British blockade.
This unbalanced economic relationship aligns directly with Norris's criticism of fighting a war to preserve commercial rights and loans.
3
Select the option that matches this development.
The option regarding the growth of commercial trade and loans from U.S. banks to Allied nations matches this analysis.
It identifies the specific economic reality that critics believed compromised U.S. neutrality.

Key Concept

World War I Neutrality and Economic Ties
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Topics

World War I: Diplomacy, Military, and Postwar Peace

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