(A) The sinking of the Lusitania
(B) ** The sinking of the USS Maine
(C) The Zimmerman Telegram
(D) Germany’s unrestricted Submarine Warfare
EXPLANATIONS BELOW
Concept note-1: -President William McKinley sends the battleship USS Maine to Havana to protect U.S. interests in Cuba. The Maine explodes in Havana Harbor, killing 266 men. An inquiry conducted by the U.S Navy concludes that the explosion was caused by the detonation of a mine under the ship.
Concept note-2: -The USS Maine was in Cuba, officially, on a mission of friendly courtesy and, incidentally, to protect American lives and property in the event that Cuba’s struggle for independence from Spain might escalate into full-blown warfare.
Concept note-3: -Many people in the United States blamed Spain (Today, however, many historians believe a malfunction in the ship caused the explosion). The relationship between Spain and the U.S. became so strained that they could no longer discuss the situation. By the end of April, the Spanish-American War had begun.