Answer :
Use of unrestricted submarine warfare.
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Final answer:
The USA entered WWI primarily due to Germany's resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare, which included the sinking of ships carrying American citizens, and the Zimmerman Telegram, which proposed a German-Mexican alliance against the U.S.
Explanation:
The USA's decision to enter WWI was influenced most directly by the Germans' use of unrestricted submarine warfare. When Germany resumed this practice in February 1917, it resulted in the sinking of multiple ships, including those carrying American civilians, which notably included the British passenger liner Lusitania. The reaction to these events, coupled with the provocative Zimmerman Telegram, which revealed a German proposal of a military alliance with Mexico against the United States, galvanized public opinion and pushed the U.S. government towards war.
Despite initial reluctance to enter the fray, the strategic necessity and the direct challenge to American neutrality posed by these German actions led President Woodrow Wilson to ask Congress for a declaration of war on April 6, 1917. This decision was made in the context of a broader struggle involving submarine blockades, deep ethnic divisions within the U.S., and the perception of a potential German victory radically altering the balance of power in Europe. Thus, unrestricted submarine warfare stands out as the most direct cause for the U.S. entry into World War I.
