"Property can be paid for; the lives of peaceful and innocent people cannot be. The present German submarine warfare against commerce is a warfare against mankind. It is a war against all nations. American ships have been sunk, American lives taken, in ways which it has stirred us very deeply to learn of... Our motive will not be revenge or the victorious assertion of the physical might of the nation, but only the vindication of right, of human right, of which we are only a single champion."
— President Woodrow Wilson, Address to Congress, April 2, 1917
Which of the following actions by the United States was a direct result of the situation described in the excerpt?
- AThe formation of a permanent military alliance with European powers in 1914
- BThe acquisition of overseas territories like Puerto Rico and the Philippines
- The United States decision to abandon neutrality and enter World War IAnswer
- DThe passage of the Neutrality Acts to restrict trade with nations at war
Answer
The United States decision to abandon neutrality and enter World War I
The correct answer is correct because President Wilson's address directly references the resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare by Germany, which targeted American commercial vessels and killed American citizens. This violation of maritime rights and national security led the United States to formally declare war on Germany in April 1917, abandoning its neutral stance.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
U.S. entry into World War I and the abandonment of neutrality due to German unrestricted submarine warfare.