what event brought the United States directly into World War I?

Answer 1

The sinking of the Lusitania was a big deal. But Zimmermann telegrams along with German saboteurs were the last straws.

Answer 2

The Lusitania was a British ocean liner built by John Brown and Company on the Clyde. She was travelling from New York to Liverpool with 1959 passengers and crew when she was torpedoed without warning, off the coast of Ireland, by the German submarine U-20 and sank within twenty minutes with the loss of 1195 lives.

The British accused the Germans of attacking an unarmed passenger vessel. The Germans claimed that The Lusitania was carrying munitions. This was probably true. Shells and rifle ammunition were imported from North America despite United States legal provisions against armaments being carried on civilian vessels.

The United States were indignant at the loss of 128 of their citizens in the incident. The Germans responded that they had given warning. German Embassy officials in New York had handed out leaflets on the dockside to passengers, stating that the Lusitania was a target.

A German metalworker struck several commemorative medals celebrating this alleged German triumph. In response, Selfridges of London produced alternative medals denouncing the German atrocity and had them distributed in aid of The British Red Cross.

The German Admiralty were obliged to suspend U-Boat activity due to the outrage of the American government. Later in 1917, when the Germans resumed U-Boat attacks, The United States joined The First World War by declaring war on Germany.

Answer 3

The answers so far are mostly incorrect opinions.

Germany did not actually begin unrestricted submarine warfare against U.S. ships in 1917, she was only thinking about it. President Wilson broke off diplomatic relations with Germany on February 3 because of its continued restricted submarine warfare, but said he would not declare war until there was some overt hostile act. What triggered the U.S. declaration of war was the Zimmerman telegram.

The British intercepted and decoded this telegram in January 1917. In it, the German foreign minister (Zimmerman) instructed his Ambassador to Mexico (von Eckert) to persuade Mexico to declare war at the same time as Germany would resume unrestricted submarine warfare. If this forced the U.S. to sue for peace, Germany's terms would include the return of large portions of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona to Mexico.

Britain told the U.S. about this late in February, and it broke in the U.S. newspapers on March 1. The situation was tense, because the Allies were desperate for American military help, and nobody wanted to accuse the British of faking the telegram, but nobody wanted the U.S. dragged into the war by a hoax. Argument flowed back and forward for a week or two, until suddenly Zimmerman himself announced "Yes, I cannot deny it, it is true". Public opinion in the States until then had not been much bothered by ships and submarines, but seeing there was a threat to their own territory, it suddenly crystallised, and on April 2 the President could confidently ask Congress for a declaration of war.

Answer 4

Not Pearl Harbour sarahbean, that was the Second World War.

Most people think of the sinking of the Lusitania as the turning point, but this occurred in 1915 and America didn't enter the war until 1917. It was important as it marked the decline in relations between America and Germany.

Germany complied with America's call not to attack passenger ships but, when the Germans announced they would resume unrestricted submarine warfare in January 1917 and then attacked several American merchant ships, sinking three, Wilson requested that Congress declare war on Germany, which it did on April 6, 1917.

Answer 5

The sinking of the Lusitania, a passenger ship, by German submarines in 1917--a hundred American civilians died, and Wilson had little choice but to enter on the Allied side.

The Zimmerman telegram--in which Germany's government attempted to form an alliance with Mexico against the US--didn't help either.

Answer 6

It was the Germans in 1917 returning to their policy of unrestricted submarine warefare and the sinking of three American merchant ships without warning after the Germans renewed this policy.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I#Entry_of_the_United_States

Good Luck!!!

Answer 7

I know alot about wars but I don't know the exact reason we decided to help in world war 1.

It's possible France and England were asking for our help and we helped, during the second world war the American people didn't want to go to war til the bombing of pearl harbor.

Answer 8

The sinking of the ship, Lusitania in 1915 by Germany enraged many Americans. 128 Americans were lost, thus igniting anti-German and pro-British feelings in the U.S. Here is a good link:
http://www.firstworldwar.com/features/lusitania.htm

Answer 9

I believe it was the sinking of the Lusitania by a german u boat. also there was the Zimmerman telegram.

Answer 10

We can't blame George Bush for that but I believe the pearl harbor incident had a lot to do with it.