When Americans entered World War I, they held a less than flattering image of their British, French, and Russians, allies. Since gaining their independence, Americans had frequently defined their identity against what they perceived as a tired and corrupt Old World. A recurring image in the discourse surrounding American entry into the war was that of the United States as a vigorous, dynamic force juxtaposed with the torpid, decaying European powers. Whereas the United States stood for individual liberty and unfettered initiative, Europe still represented the kind of privileged, effete society Americans had rejected in 1776.

For some Americans this image made them fearful that devious European diplomats were duping them into an imperialistic war. But for others, the image of a stagnent Europe infused their entry into the war with a crusading zeal. Henry Cabot Lodge said of the war, "We are resisting an...