Why did the US get involved in World War 1

[Bravo20 Commander in Chief Find all posts View Profile Close Bravo20]

Watching a discovey channel program on world war 1 the other day I began to wonder to myself why exactly did the US get involved in that war? After all it was a war between 2 empires for supremacy. I know that the sinking of the Lusitania supposidly brought them in but that was just the excuse. What exactly was the motive? Any suggestions?

[yellowjacket Potential Liability Find all posts View Profile Close yellowjacket]

http://www.worldwar1.com/dbc/reasons.htm

[rod and serpent In Arduis Fidelis Find all posts View Profile Close rod and serpent]

They were doing the dress rehearsals for Iraq.

[Groundhog Chief of the Diet Tribe Find all posts View Profile Close Groundhog]

The Lusitania was sunk in May 1915. The US declared war in April 1917. So that theory is a washout. Were the Germans dabbling in Mexican politics at the time?

[yellowjacket Potential Liability Find all posts View Profile Close yellowjacket]

There was an incident where a telegram supposedly from Germany encouraging the Mexicans to declare war on the US was intercepted, many suspect the telegram was in fact a British setup.

The Germans also began unrestricted submarine warfare in the Atlantic just before the Yanks declared war.

[paul g C/S Find all posts View Profile Close paul g]

Zimmerman telegram if I remember correctly.

There was also the issue of the massive financial aid that the allies recieved prior to 1917, from American financiers, (organised by J.P.Morgan), and it has been suggested that the Americans entered the war because they wished to secure their financial intrests in Europe.