A Level History - America - Practice Exam

What event led to a significant outrage and pushed the US closer to entering WWI?

1. Sinking of the Lusitania

2. The Russian Revolution

3. The signing of the Treaty of Versailles

4. The interception of the Zimmermann telegram

The correct answer is: Sinking of the Lusitania

The sinking of the Lusitania was a pivotal event that significantly outraged the American public and contributed to the U.S. moving closer to entering World War I. The Lusitania was a British ocean liner that was torpedoed by a German U-boat in 1915, resulting in the loss of 1,198 lives, including 128 Americans. The incident ignited a wave of anti-German sentiment in the United States and raised serious concerns about Germany's unrestricted submarine warfare policy, which threatened American lives and commercial shipping. Public opinion shifted dramatically in favor of joining the Allies against Germany. The Lusitania incident symbolized a larger conflict in which American ideals of freedom and the safety of its citizens were directly challenged. Therefore, this event served as a catalyst for the U.S. government's eventual decision to enter the war in 1917, motivated by both moral outrage and a desire to protect American interests. The other events mentioned, while significant in their own right, did not provoke the same immediate and widespread public reaction or urgency that characterized the outrage following the sinking of the Lusitania.