America Enters the War
Contents
- Introduction
- Background of World War I
- The Beginning of the War
- Fronts of World War I
- The Russian Revolution
- America Enters the War
- The End of Fighting
- Consequences of World War I
- Peace Settlement
- Aftermath of World War I
At the beginning of World War I the USA declared that they would not get involved. But the sinking of the "Lusitania" and other German actions made it almost impossible to stay out. The Germans attacked American ships that were en route to Europe to bring supplies to the British.
After it became known that the Germans wanted to persuade Mexico to start a war with the United States President Woodrow Wilson declared war on Germany.
Many Americans felt that the US should not get involved in the war. The American government, however, did everything it could to convince the American public that war against Germany was important. Production of goods and services were focused on the war in Europe. Americans had to make sacrifices so that food and other items could be sent to Europe.
The American government ordered all young men between 21 and 30 to do military service. A lottery was organized to choose who was to take active part in the war. By 1918 the Americans had sent 2 million soldiers to Europe, most of them, however, were untrained for such a big task.
The Allies wanted the American soldiers to group together with their own forces and fight side by side, but the Americans wanted to stay independent because they did not want the bad morale of the Allies to spread to their own troops.
World War I- Online Exercises
Words
- Allies = the country that fought against Germany and Austria-Hungary
- attack = strike with an army , hit
- bad morale = bad feelings that you have when you do something ; you do not think you will succeed or win
- convince = to make someone believe something
- declare = to say officially
- declare war on = to say that you are officially at war with a country
- en route = on the way to
- focus on = concentrate on
- forces = soldiers, army
- goods = products
- government = the people who rule a country
- group together = get together with
- however = but
- impossible = not possible
- independent = on their own, by themselves
- involved = to take part in the war
- lottery = to choose people's names by chance
- military service = army
- persuade = to talk someone into doing something
- public = all the people in a country
- sacrifice = if you give up something that you need so that someone else can have it
- services = work that you do for someone
- supplies = food, machines, weapons and everything else you need to fight a war
- take active part = to go to Europe as a soldier and fight there
- task = job
- troops = soldiers
- untrained = not ready ; without real practice