By 1915 events of World War I were already involving the United States

Question

By 1915 events of World War I were already involving the United States and threatening its neutrality. The sinking of the British liner Lusitania in that year by a German submarine caused great resentment among Americans. Over a hundred United States citizens were killed in the incident. President Wilson had frequently deplored the use of submarines by Germany against the United States. Since the United States was neutral, it was not liable to acts of war by another nation.

However, Wilson resolved to represent the strong feeling in the country (notably in the Midwest) and in the Democratic Party that United States neutrality should be maintained. He felt that the United States should have “peace with honor,” if possible. There were also people, mostly in the East, who wanted to wage a preventive war against Germany. Such leaders as Theodore Roosevelt bitterly attacked Wilson as one who talked a great deal but did nothing.

By 1917 Germany again used unrestricted submarine warfare and Wilson broke off relations with Germany. In February British agents uncovered the Zimmerman https://gmatclub.com/chat. This was an attempt by the German ambassador to Mexico to involve that nation in a war against the United States. And in March several American merchant ships were sunk by German submarines. His patience at an end, Wilson at last took the position of a growing majority of Americans and asked Congress to declare war on Germany. Thus, the United States entered World War I.    1 
 1. This passage tries to explain that

(A) Wilson wanted the United States to go to war against Germany
(B) Wilson tried to avoid war with Germany
(C) Germany wanted the United States to enter the war
(D) other nations were pressuring the United States to enter the war
(E) Mexico was our main enemy

2 
 2. We can conclude from the passage that most citizens of the United States in 1917 were

(A) totally opposed to war with Germany
(B) in favor of war before Wilson was
(C) willing to accept war after Wilson persuaded them
(D) neutral
(E) trying to avoid war

3 
 3. The last event in the series of happenings that led to a declaration of war against Germany was

(A) the Zimmerman Tele-Gram
(B) attacks on U.S. merchant ships
(C) Wilson’s war message to Congress
(D) a change in public opinion
(E) the sinking of the Lusitania

RC Butler 2022  -  Practice Two RC Passages Everyday.   
Passage # 77 Date: 22-Feb-2022
 This question is a part of RC Butler 2022 .  Click here for Details

gloomybison · Answer

1. This passage tries to explain that

(A) Wilson wanted the United States to go to war against Germany
In contrary Wilson tried his best to stay out of the war but Germans kept attacking

(B) Wilson tried to avoid war with Germany
 Correct

(C) Germany wanted the United States to enter the war
We don't whether Germans wanted US to declare war on them, all we know is that Germans were targeting merchant ships of US

(D) other nations were pressuring the United States to enter the war
No info given on this one

(E) Mexico was our main enemy
NO not at all,

2. We can conclude from the passage that most citizens of the United States in 1917 were

(A) totally opposed to war with Germany
In contrary the tension was growing

(B) in favor of war before Wilson was
 Correct

(C) willing to accept war after Wilson persuaded them
they were already willing to go war before Wilson decided to go war. Also we are not given whether Wilson persuaded anyone

(D) neutral
No, people were willing to go war

(E) trying to avoid war
In the beginning, yes, people were mostly siding with neutrality but towards 1917 people wanted the state to declare war

3. The last event in the series of happenings that led to a declaration of war against Germany was 
Ok so the events are as follows; Sinking of Lusitania, the Zimmerman, attacks on merchant ships, a change in public opinion, Wilson’s war message to Congress

(A) the Zimmerman

(B) attacks on U.S. merchant ships

(C) Wilson’s war message to Congress
 Correct

(D) a change in public opinion

(E) the sinking of the Lusitania

Ayushi0002 · Answer

Passage 1 - Some incident happened - people angry - Wilson Calm - 
Passage 2 - W's V/s T's bitterness ; People okay with War 
Passage 3 - G v/s The US - few more incidents - W is angry - Declares war

Main Point - How did WWI take place b't G and US

Answer 1 - B - As we know from the para 1 and 2 that Wilson was trying to avoid war.

Answer 2 - B - '' There were also people, mostly in the East, who wanted to wage a preventive war against Germany.'' - People were ready for war

Answer 3 - C - ''His patience at an end, Wilson at last took the position of a growing majority of Americans and asked Congress to declare war on Germany. Thus, the United States entered World War I.'' - The last incident. 
Though Answer 3 was tricky.

vivek_01 · Answer

please explain answer of second and third question of thus passage

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

2. We can conclude from the passage that most citizens of the United States in 1917 were

Difficulty Level:   600

Explanation

(A) Totally opposed to war with Germany: 
This option is not correct because it contradicts the information provided in the passage. The passage does not mention that most citizens were totally opposed to war with Germany. Instead, it states that there were different opinions among Americans, with some advocating for war and others wanting to maintain neutrality.

(B) In favor of war before Wilson was:  
This option is correct. The passage indicates that there were people, mostly in the East, who wanted to wage a preventive war against Germany. These individuals, led by figures like Theodore Roosevelt, were in favor of going to war with Germany even before President Wilson changed his stance and asked Congress to declare war. This suggests that there was a segment of the population that supported war before Wilson did.

(C) Willing to accept war after Wilson persuaded them: 
This option is not supported by the passage. While the passage mentions that Wilson eventually asked Congress to declare war on Germany, it does not provide evidence that he persuaded the majority of Americans to accept war. Instead, it mentions a growing majority of Americans supporting war as Germany's actions escalated, but it doesn't attribute this change solely to Wilson's persuasion.

(D) Neutral: 
This option is not correct. While the United States was initially neutral, the passage clearly states that the country eventually declared war on Germany. This indicates that neutrality was not maintained, and the citizens' stance shifted from neutrality to supporting war.

(E) Trying to avoid war: 
This option is partially correct but not the best answer. As mentioned earlier, most citizens were initially trying to avoid war, especially in the Midwest and within the Democratic Party, where there was strong sentiment in favor of maintaining United States neutrality. However, the passage also highlights that there were people, particularly in the East, who wanted to wage a preventive war against Germany. Therefore, the option (B) is a more accurate representation of the different sentiments among Americans.

In summary,  option (B)  is correct because it aligns with the passage's mention of individuals who wanted war with Germany before President Wilson's change in stance, while the other options either do not have sufficient support or contradict the information provided in the passage.

Answer: B

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

3. The last event in the series of happenings that led to a declaration of war against Germany was

Difficulty Level:   750+

Explanation

To answer the question correctly, we need to identify the last event in the series of happenings that led to a declaration of war against Germany based on the information provided in the passage.

Let's analyze the events chronologically:

1915:  The events of World War I were involving the United States and threatening its neutrality. The sinking of the British liner Lusitania by a German submarine caused resentment among Americans, and President Wilson frequently deplored the use of submarines by Germany against the United States.

President Wilson's stance: Wilson wanted to maintain United States neutrality, representing the strong feeling in the country, notably in the Midwest and the Democratic Party, that neutrality should be maintained. However, there were people, mostly in the East, who wanted to wage a preventive war against Germany, and they attacked Wilson for his inaction.

1917:  Germany resumed unrestricted submarine warfare. In February, the Zimmerman https://gmatclub.com/chat was uncovered, revealing Germany's attempt to involve Mexico in a war against the United States.

March 1917:  Several American merchant ships were sunk by German submarines.

Wilson's action:  As a result of the escalating events and a growing majority of Americans supporting war, Wilson asked Congress to declare war on Germany.

The correct answer is  (C)  Wilson's war message to Congress. This event represents the final action that led to the declaration of war against Germany. The Zimmerman https://gmatclub.com/chat and the sinking of American merchant ships were important events that contributed to the shift in public opinion and increased tensions between the United States and Germany. However, it was Wilson's request to Congress to declare war that marked the official entry of the United States into World War I.

To summarize:

(A) The Zimmerman https://gmatclub.com/chat: 
Occurred in February 1917, before Wilson's war message to Congress.

(B) Attacks on U.S. merchant ships: 
Occurred in March 1917, before Wilson's war message to Congress.

(C) Wilson's war message to Congress:  
This was the final event that led to the declaration of war against Germany.

(D) A change in public opinion: 
This is not a specific event mentioned in the passage, but it is true that a change in public opinion played a role in the decision to go to war.

(E) The sinking of the Lusitania: 
This event occurred in 1915 and was an important incident that contributed to tensions between the United States and Germany but was not the last event before the declaration of war in 1917.

Answer: C

Prob2303 · Answer

Hello Sajjad,

Can I get a brief summary of the passage?

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Long story short is that in 1915, the sinking of the Lusitania by a German submarine, resulting in over a hundred American deaths, led to resentment in the United States. Despite President Wilson's initial efforts to maintain neutrality, Germany's unrestricted submarine warfare and the Zimmerman https://gmatclub.com/chat's revelation prompted Wilson to break off relations. In 1917, after further provocations, Wilson asked Congress to declare war on Germany, marking the entry of the United States into World War I.

By 1915 events of World War I were already involving the United States

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By 1915 events of World War I were already involving the United States

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