What is the most interesting or surprising thing you learned about US involvement in World War I?

One of the most interesting aspects of US involvement in World War I is the timing and reasons behind it. The US initially maintained a policy of neutrality when the war broke out in Europe in 1914. President Woodrow Wilson and the American public were not eager to get involved in what they saw as a European conflict.

However, several factors led to a shift in this stance. One of these was the sinking of the British passenger ship Lusitania by a German submarine in 1915, which resulted in the deaths of 1,198 passengers, including 128 Americans. This event caused a public outcry in the US and increased pressure on the government to enter the war.

Another factor was the Zimmerman Telegram, a secret diplomatic communication issued from the German Foreign Office in January 1917 that proposed a military alliance between Germany and Mexico in the event of the United States entering World War I against Germany. The telegram was intercepted and decoded by British intelligence and its contents shared with the American government, further pushing the US towards war.

Despite these provocations, it wasn't until April 1917 that the US officially declared war on Germany. This decision was influenced by Germany's resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare, a policy in which they would sink all ships trading with their enemies, including those from neutral countries.

The US involvement in World War I was significant despite its late entry. More than 2 million American soldiers fought on the battlefields of Western Europe, and over 100,000 lost their lives. The war also marked the beginning of the US's status as a global military power.

So, the surprising thing about US involvement in World War I is the shift from staunch neutrality to active involvement due to a series of provocations, and the significant impact this had on the war and the future role of the US on the global stage.