USA HISTORY

AMERICAN IMPERIALISM(1890 1919)

THE UNITED STATES IN WORLD WAR I

[SOURCES]
Which of the following had the most influence on the United States’ decision to enter World War I?

(A) The entry of the Ottoman Empire

(B) The capture of Paris by the Germans

(C) ** Unrestricted submarine warfare by the Germans leading to the sinking of the U.S.S. Lusitania

(D) Mexico’s insinuation that it would ally itself with Germany

EXPLANATIONS BELOW

Concept note-1: -Germany’s resumption of submarine attacks on passenger and merchant ships in 1917 was the primary motivation behind Wilson’s decision to lead the United States into World War I.

Concept note-2: -The US entered World War I because Germany embarked on a deadly gamble. Germany sank many American merchant ships around the British Isles which prompted the American entry into the war.

Concept note-3: -Answer and Explanation: The main result of Germany’s use of unrestricted submarine warfare during World War l was the entry of the United States into the conflict. Submarines had been attacking the ships of neutral countries, as well as, ships that carried civilian passengers.

Concept note-4: -The sinking of Lusitania didn’t directly cause the United States to enter the war. It did, however, fuel virulent anti-German sentiment in Britain and the United States and hinder diplomatic relations between Germany and the United States.

Concept note-5: -The main reasons were Germany’s decision to resume the policy of unrestricted submarine warfare (sinking of the Lusitania), the intercepted Zimmerman telegram in which Germany floated the idea of an alliance with Mexico, and that the balance of power was threatened.