You probably know by now that the US was involved in World War I. But do you know when we got involved and why? Well, no, obviously that's why you're here. To tell the truth, there was no one event that gave America the urge to join the Great War, but rather a series of events that slowly made our country madder and madder at the Central Powers. You will find these events listed below.
The Sinking of the Lusitania
On May 7, 1915, a German U-Boat torpedoed and sank the British passenger ship RMS Lusitania. Of the 1,959 people of board 1,198 people died, including 159 Americans. Germany had promised earlier not to attack passenger ships, so when they broke their promise, we were obviously very upset. Americans were very angry at Germany, and most of the country wanted to go to war with them. However, President Wilson managed to keep America neutral for another two years.
The Zimmermann Telegram
In January of 1917, Germany sent a telegram to Mexico offering them an alliance against the U.S. In the telegram, Germany promised Mexico that they would win back the land lost in the Spanish American War (Arizona, Texas, and New Mexico) in exchange for a military and financial alliance. However, Britain intercepted the telegram, decoded it, and sent the message on to the U.S. The telegram was soon published in newspapers all around the U.S.
The Selective Service Act
The Selective Service Act was published on May 18, 1917, and it allowed the U.S. Government to raise a national army so it could enter World War I. The act stated that all men ages 21-30 were required to register for military service. However, extreme propaganda about the war caused many even younger men (who were not required to join by law) to enlist as well. Propaganda posters and movie clips stressed the importance of serving your country, and showed many pictures of young men (just like you! they noted) becoming war heroes on the battlefront. To put it in simpler terms, the government basically used exaggerated pictures of what war was actually like to almost bribe men into joining the war. No one, except the soldiers who survived the war and came home, told the truth about what life in the war was really like. Instead of being a fun adventure like the government made it out to be, it was a rough, dangerous life. Food was often scarce, and what was left was moldy and disgusting. Giant rats would flood the trenches from time to time, and they would devour corpses in front of your eyes. The trenches were often covered with dead bodies, and because of this the smell was awful. Disease spread especially quickly from these unsanitary conditions, and nearly all of the soldiers became infested with lice. SO, If you knew about these conditions, would you think twice about joining the war?