They decided that they had made enough money out of the previous 3 years of the war and that the only way they would make more was by getting involved. The same thing happened with the Second World War.

At 8:30 on the evening of April 2, 1917, President Wilson appeared before a joint session of Congress and asked for a declaration of war against Germany in order to "make the world safe for democracy." On April 4, Congress granted Wilson's request. America thus joined the carnage that had been ravaging Europe since 1914. Germany's renewal of unrestricted submarine warfare and the revelation of a proposed German plot to ally with Mexico against the US prompted Wilson's action. In January 1917, Germany renewed its policy of unrestricted submarine warfare that it had abandoned in 1915 after the sinking of the Lusitania. All ships trading with Britain, including those of neutral countries such as the United States would be targets for their submarines and would be sunk without warning. In February, the British gave the American ambassador in London a copy of an intercepted German telegram. The telegram came from the German Foreign Secretary, Arthur Zimmermann, to the German ambassador to Mexico. Zimmermann proposed that in the event of war with the US, Germany and Mexico would join in an alliance. Germany would fund Mexico's conflict with the US. With victory achieved, Mexico would regain her lost territories of Arizona, Texas and New Mexico. Release of the telegram ignited a public furor further enflamed by the loss of four US merchant ships and 15 American lives to German torpedo attacks. Wilson realized war was inevitable but agonized over the decision for what it might do to the spirit of the nation. He feared war would change America forever, making her tougher, less humane. "Once lead these people into war, and they'll forget there ever was such a thing as tolerance ... the spirit of ruthless brutality will enter into the very fiber of our national life ... every man who refused to conform would have to pay the penalty."

I agree with Brian, they were making and selling weapons for 3 years, making hey while people were dying and finally decided to join the War after years of preparation.

Ed's correct. Have you read "The Guns of August" by Barbara Tuchman? It covers alot of detail and is very informative on the first world war. By the way, the US was not prepared for war. My grandfather talked about training with a broom stick.

The U.S. didn't provoke, and only entered out of necessity.

Your answers.

blame the victim eh?

Why did you post a deliberately provocative question like this? I would hardly have called the circumstances of the U.S. entry into WWI as the result of provoking a war with Germany.