Three reasons why the United States entered World War I:
• Germany's use of unrestricted submarine warfare.
• The sinking of the Lusitania
• The Zimmerman Telegram
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Before World War I, Germany pledged to the United States that they would no longer use unrestricted submarine warfare. Although they knew it might trigger the United States into entering the war, they wanted to take the chance anyway. Numerous ships, including U.S. cargo ships were sunk, angering the United States.
The Lusitania was a cruise ship with over a thousand people on board, including Americans, Germany attacked the Lusitania using a u-boat. This angered many people, including civilians, who wanted Germany to pay for killing many people. Many people wanted the United States to join World War I after this, but President Woodrow Wilson was more of a pacifist who wanted peace and didn't want his country to join the war.
The Zimmerman Telegram was the final straw for President Woodrow Wilson and after this caused the United States to join World War I. Germany tried sending a telegram to Mexico, stating that if they attacked the United States, they would be promised American territories when Germany won the war. This was a major threat, so President Woodrow Wilson declared war on Germany.
The human cost in WWII was over 75 million in total. 40 million civilians were brutally killed due to Genocide, diseases,massacres, mass-bombings, and starvation. The effect on comptempery society allowed the rise of the Soviet Union and the United States. For both their international involvement increased severely.
Answer: GERMANY
<u>Explanation</u>:
The Zimmerman telegram was a note sent by Germany's foreign minister to the ambassador of Mexico, seeking alliance with Mexico against the United States if the US entered the war. Learning of the telegram increased concerns by the US about Germany's intentions, and led to declaration of war.
Further detail:
The reasons that led to the US declaring war against Germany in 1917:
- In January, 1917, Germany had resumed its policy of unrestricted submarine warfare. Germany had halted its attacks on non-military vessels (which it suspected of carrying military supplies) after the furor over the sinking of the Lusitania in 1915. But now Germany was resuming attacks by its U-boats.
- In February, 1917, the "Zimmerman Telegram" was intercepted by British intelligence and shared with the US. Germany's foreign minister, Arthur Zimmerman, had telegraphed an offer to Mexico's ambassador seeking Mexico's support in war vs. the United States in exchange for getting land back from the US.
- On April 2, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson made a powerful speech to Congress in which he argued that the nation needed to enter the war "to make the world safe for democracy." Wilson's speech was powerfully convincing, and four days later, Congress declared war.
At this time the US went to Defcon 2
A.
