1947
In signing the National Security Act of 1947, President Harry Truman established a unified military command for the United States which was originally known as the National Military Establishment under the leadership of a Secretary of Defense. In 1949, the name of the National Military Establisment was changed to the Department of Defense.
<u>Answer for question 1</u>
Two of the reasons the United States finally decided to join the war on the side of the Allies were:
- Germany broke his promises of suspending unrestricted submarine warfare in the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean on February 1, 1917. And two days later they provoked the sinking of the American cargo ship <em>Housatonic</em>.
- The <em>Zimmermann Telegram</em> was intercepted and deciphered by British code breakers and later sent to the U.S. on February 20 of the same year, and released to the media on 28th. The telegram was a secret message in which the German foreign secretary, Arthur Zimmermann, proposed Mexico an alliance in the case of war between the U.S. and Germany, promising Mexico financial and territorial rewards for its support.
<u>Answer for question 2</u><u> </u>
Woodrow Wilson's plan for world peace was called "The Fourteen Points".
The Fourteen Points speech, given on January 8, 1918, was a statement that set out fourteen separate points describing the essential elements and proposals for a peaceful settlement in WW1.
Its main goal was to achieve peace between nations by bringing justice to all nationalities, which included to not treat too harshly the defeated <em>Central Powers. </em>
Some of the proposals stated in the peace plan included: to eliminate the general causes of the war (Disarmament, free trade, freedom of the seas, the adoption of open diplomacy in Europe instead of secret agreements, etc.), the evacuation of the <em>Central Power</em> from the countries invaded during the war, the <em>League of Nations</em> (a peace-keeping organization to guarantee the political and territorial independence of countries) and the establishment of the conditions for the Armistice that brought an end to World War I.
Two of the reasons the plan failed:
- England, France, and Italy disagreed in some of the Fourteen Point's proposals since their intention after the war was to regain what they had lost by harshly punishing Germany, through <em>The Treaty of Versailles</em>, in which Germany was forced to sign.
- Even though, Wilson campaigned throughout the U.S. trying to convince Americans to accept to be part of the <em>League of Nations</em>, the Senate and American people never accepted. They believed that such foreign participation could lead them into another war.
It grew mostly because of its trade with the ancient Romans and with India;at the height of its power, the empire was strong enough to create its own money.
