Houghton Mifflin Social Studies
Chapter 18, Lesson 3: America at War (pp. 541-546)
I. War Sweeps Europe
B. European nations formed two main alliances, the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance, and members of each alliance agreed to fight on the side of any other member that was attacked.
C. After the heir to Austria's throne was assassinated, Austria declared war on the kingdom of Serbia, and the European nations were drawn into the war because of their alliances.
II. Entering the War
B. The German sinking of Lusitania, a British passenger ship that carried over 100 Americans, increased pressure on President Wilson to prepare for war with Germany.
C. "The Zimmerman Telegram," a message that Germany sent to Mexico asking for support against the United States, finally led the U.S. to declare war on Germany in 1917.
B. Deadly new weapons made World War I the bloodiest in human history, while the tactic of fighting from trenches meant that both sides fought for long periods of time without gaining much ground.
C. Although they were inexperienced, the fresh American troops and supplies enabled the Allies to win the war in 1918.
Lesson at a Glance Outline
A. Because of strong rivalries between many European countries, many of these countries built up large military forces.
A. For the first three years of the war, the United States remained neutral and stayed out of the fighting.
III. Fighting the War
A. By the end of 1917, millions of American men had registered to be drafted into military service and nearly every part of American society was focused on the war effort.
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