America's Impact on World War I Through Progressivism Many Americans today have little or no understanding of what progressivism is and why it is so important to American history. Progressivism is a broad-based reform movement that reached its peak in the early 20th century, which sought ideas, impulses, and issues arising from the modernization of American society. It arose as a response to the major changes brought by modernization, such as the growth of large corporations, railroads, and fears of corruption in American politics. People do not know that America was involved in World War I not only because of German aggression towards the United States, but also because of the mentality of Americans who believed that it was their duty to protect democracy and eliminate modernization. To understand the overall effectiveness of progressivism, one must explain why Americans wanted to intervene, what happened during the intervention, and what the consequences were. First, the United States had no intention of intervening in another country's problems because it saw no reason to make another country's problems one of its own. Once the United States realized that the Allied powers were in trouble, they knew that to protect world democracy they would have to intervene. It was expected that a victorious Germany would be more aggressive and formidable against the United States1. One of the main reasons the United States intervened was because it wanted to protect the rights of smaller nations and end international militarism. Another reason is that progressives realized that the war offered an opportunity for domestic reform and the triumph of a liberal international postwar order. Intervening meant that America had an opportunity... middle of paper... occurred after World War I there was the wave of nationalism in the colonial powers that helped Germany become a strengthened country ready for another war. 3This being the case, the United States entered World War I not because of Germany's aggression but because of the opportunity to help protect the rights of smaller nations and put an end to international militarism. The effectiveness of American intervention had both positive and negative effects. The United States helped win the war and help smaller nations gain independence. The surge in nationalism in Germany helped create the cause of the Second War. American intervention helped play a vital role in the future because of the impact it had on World War I. America understands that the world can be a much safer place if they can get involved and help other countries create their own government.