On Top of The World: The United States

France's roots can be traced to the early fifth century A.D, while England was first established in the late 1000's by a Norman expedition. France, England, and the various other states of Europe have foundations of centuries, and in some cases, millenniums. On the other hand, the United States has existed for a mere 240 years, a time period that is miniscual in the eyes of much of Europe. Yet, the United States has become arguably one of the most powerful nations of modern day, even to the point that it is the sole bearer of the "superpower" title in the 21st century. While the path to our modern day status has been long and filled with various components, World War 1 was an extremely important part of our rise to power. The reason for this is multi-fold. 

First, World War 1 put America's economy, quite literally, on top. Producing and manufacturing more products than any other country at the time, the United States skyrocketed in profit and capital and thus established itself as an economically vibrant country that could compete with other European nations. For instance, the United States produced significantly more steel than any other nation, despite being late to industrialize. In addition, the United States was able to produce various weapons and arms which it sold to Allied nations during the first few years of the war, only bolstering its economic status.This, in tandem, with the fact that many European nations were ravaged by the war lead to the United States' possessing economic dominance. It is no wonder that when the United States would later face depression, those economic woes would also affect the dependent Europe.

Moreover, World War 1 also lead to the United States reform of its military and navy. For the first time since the civil war, the draft was utilized during the war and various agencies mobilized the United States to fight. While many of these changes were not permanent, they worked to prepare the United States for future wars and establish its ability to successfully prepare for times of aggression.

Finally, the United States was established as the international mediator during and after the war. Because it was isolated from Europe, it had the advantage of being the driving force behind treaties and agreements in Europe. This role would be continued well throughout the 20th century and only further strengthen the United States's superpower status of contemporary times.

And thus, it is ironic that a war fought entirely to qualm the tensions in Europe would have such affects on the United States and its status during the 1900’s.

Source: http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/how-world-war-i-helped-america-rise-to-superpower-status-a-944703.html