Question

Why did the united states enter the war?

The reasons for the United States entering World War I include:

A. Because the British kept "turning around" their ships going to Germany.
B. Because "the Germans announced that they would resume unrestricted submarine warfare," sinking American cargo ships going to Britain.
C. Because the Germans sunk the Lusitania, where over one hundred Americans died.
D. Because of the Zimmerman Note, a telegram from Germany sent to Mexico, intercepted by British intelligence, proposing an alliance with Mexico against the United States.

Answer 1

The United States entered World War I in part due to Germany's policy of unrestricted submarine warfare, which led to American casualties and ship losses, and because of the Zimmerman Telegram, wherein Germany proposed an alliance with Mexico if the U.S. entered the war. The British 'turning around' U.S. ships was not a reason for U.S. entry into the war. Option D is the correct answer.

Step-by-step explanation:

The United States entered World War I for several reasons, several of which are true, while one is false. Firstly, there was the sinking of passenger and merchant ships by German submarines, notably the Lusitania, which resulted in the loss of American lives. The intent to intimidate and starve Britain and France into submission through unrestricted submarine warfare was a direct threat to any nation's merchants operating in the Atlantic, including American vessels. This aggressive strategy inevitably escalated tensions between Germany and the neutral United States.

Furthermore, the Zimmermann Telegram played a critical role in swaying the U.S. decision. This secret communication revealed Germany's proposition of a military alliance to Mexico in the event of U.S. involvement in the war. The offer included German support for Mexican claims on the territories of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona that had been previously lost to the United States. British intelligence intercepted and decoded this message, delivering the disturbing news to the American government, which incited the public and persuaded the U.S. to defend its sovereignty and regional interests.

Regarding the multiple-choice question at hand, it is indeed correct that the United States entered World War I because the Germans announced that they would resume unrestricted submarine warfare and because of the Zimmerman Note, which proposed an alliance with Mexico against the United States. However, it is not accurate to say that the British kept 'turning around' U.S. ships going to Germany as a reason for U.S. entry into the war. The correct options for why the United States entered World War I are thus options B, because of unrestricted submarine warfare, and option D, because of the Zimmerman Telegram.