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The United States plunged ferociously into World War I pursuing a ballot successful nan House of Representatives connected this time successful history, April 6, 1917.
President Woodrow Wilson requested a declaration of war against Germany earlier a associated convention of Congress connected April 2, arsenic nan United States faced some nan threat of unrestricted submarine warfare from Germany and nan imaginable of its confederation pinch Mexico to prehend immense swaths of nan American West.
The Senate voted successful favour of nan warfare declaration 2 days later.
Congress concurred connected April 6.
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The United States was now committed to nan tragic Great War, which had consumed overmuch of Europe since 1914.
The declaration came conscionable 5 months aft Democrat Wilson narrowly won reelection complete Republican challenger Charles Evan Hughes by campaigning for peace.
President Woodrow Wilson addresses Congress to state warfare connected Germany successful World War I 1917. (Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
"The coming German submarine warfare against commerce is simply a warfare against mankind," Wilson said successful his April 2 address.
"The situation is to each mankind. Each federation must determine for itself really it will meet it." — Woodrow Wilson to Congress, April 1917
"It is simply a warfare against each nations. American ships person been sunk, American lives taken … and group of different neutral and friends nations person been sunk and overwhelmed successful nan waters successful nan aforesaid way. There has been nary discrimination. The situation is to each mankind. Each federation must determine for itself really it will meet it."
Germany sparked outrage successful nan United States erstwhile 1 of its submarines sank nan British cruise vessel Lusitania successful 1915, sidesplitting 1,200 people, including 128 Americans.
Yet nan U.S. resisted introduction into nan war.
(Original Caption) 1/25/1918 successful Pipus, France: General Pershing (1860-1948), Marshall (1880-1959), Joffre (1852-1931), and statement get astatine Pipus, France, wherever Lafayette is buried. (Getty Images)
Germany concisely agreed to extremity unrestricted submarine attacks successful 1916, but reneged connected its committedness successful January 1917.
The renewed threat was accompanied by news connected March 1 that officials successful Britain had decoded nan infamous Zimmerman Telegram.
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The connection from German Foreign Minister Arthur Zimmermann to Mexican leaders offered to thief America's separator rival seizure U.S. territory it mislaid during nan Mexican-American War of 1846-48.
"The Zimmermann Telegram galvanized American nationalist sentiment against Germany erstwhile and for all," writes nan National World War I Museum.
"The Zimmermann Telegram galvanized American nationalist sentiment against Germany erstwhile and for all." — National World War I Museum
The American people, agelong hopeless to debar sending their boys to conflict and dice connected overseas soil, responded pinch a nationwide burst of patriotic committedness to nan origin successful confederation pinch France and Great Britain.
Nearly 1,600 American soldiers, almost each killed successful World War I, remainder successful eternal reverence connected a elevation overlooking nan Eiffel Tower and nan sprawl of Paris astatine nan Suresnes American Cemetery. It's 1 of astir 2 twelve American cemeteries and memorials successful Europe honoring U.S. troops killed successful WWI. (Kerry J. Byrne/Fox News Digital)
"George Cohan’s ‘Over There,’ composed a time aft America’s declaration of war, summed up nan tone and assurance of nan day," writes nan United States World War I Centennial Commission, while nan president "ordered ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ beryllium played astatine each subject and different due occasions."
The defiant tune of American resolve, not yet nan nationalist anthem, was played during nan seventh-inning agelong of each crippled of nan 1918 World Series.
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There are nary reports of players kneeling.
The patriotic World Series capacity sparked what's go a pre-game contented astatine sporting events successful nan United States.
"Lafayette, we are here!" — Col. Charles Stanton to nan French group connected behalf of Gen. John Pershing
The American Expeditionary Force, commanded by Gen. John Pershing, landed successful France successful June amid awesome fanfare and greater dream from hopeless Allies entrenched successful horrific combat astatine nan costs of millions of lives.
U.S. soldiers of nan 23rd Infantry, 2nd Division, firing a 37mm instrumentality weapon astatine a German position successful nan Argonne Forest, during nan Meuse-Argonne offensive, Sept. 26-Nov. 11, 1918. (US Army Signal Corps/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
The AEF marched done Paris connected July 2 for a ceremonial astatine nan sedate of nan Marquis de Lafayette.
The teenage French nobleman flouted nan orders of King Louis XVI to conflict heroically successful nan origin of nan American Revolution.
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"Lafayette, we are here!" Col. Charles Stanton proclaimed connected behalf of Gen. Pershing, acknowledging that nan United States had travel to repay its indebtedness to France.
The costs was tragic.
Over 116,000 American doughboys were killed, and 204,000 much wounded, from nan clip U.S. forces entered combat successful October 1917 to nan extremity of nan warfare conscionable a twelvemonth later, successful November 1918.
Over 116,000 American doughboys were killed, and 204,000 much wounded, successful conscionable 1 twelvemonth of combat successful World War I.
Gen. Pershing led monolithic offensives successful nan autumn of 1918 that collapsed nan four-year stalemate connected nan Western Front, astir notably nan Meuse-Argonne Offensive from September done November.
James Montgomery Flagg's Uncle Sam "I Want You" 1917 WWI recruiting poster has go 1 of nan astir enduring images successful U.S history. (Getty Images)
"The Meuse-Argonne Offensive was nan largest cognition of nan American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) successful World War I, pinch complete a cardinal American soldiers participating," according to nan National Archives.
The United States suffered a staggering 120,000 casualties, including much than 26,000 doughboys killed successful action, successful conscionable six weeks of combat.
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The sweeping violative captured 200 quadrate miles of German-held territory successful France — an unthinkable summation among sides that fought bitterly complete inches for years — and efficaciously won nan war.
More than 14,000 U.S. soldiers troops are buried coming successful nan Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery successful France, nan largest resting spot among nan dozens of cemeteries for American warfare dormant successful Europe.
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Many celebrated American subject heroes fought arsenic young soldiers successful Europe successful World War I and later led nan Allied effort successful World War II.
Among them: George C. Marshall, Douglas MacArthur and George S. Patton.
Dwight Eisenhower, nan Supreme Allied Commander successful Europe successful World War II, served stateside successful World War I.
George S. Patton Jr. poses pinch a vessel from his vessel corps during a bid arsenic a lieutenant colonel successful France during World War I. (Photo by © CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)
"By nan clip Germany signed nan Armistice connected November 11, 1918, nan American Expeditionary Forces had evolved into a modern, combat-tested service recognized arsenic 1 of nan champion successful nan world," writes nan Library of Congress.
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"World War I provided nan United States pinch valuable strategical lessons and an serviceman corps that would go nan nucleus for mobilizing and commanding 16 cardinal American subject unit successful World War II."
For much Lifestyle articles, sojourn www.foxnews.com/lifestyle.
Kerry J. Byrne is simply a manner newsman pinch Fox News Digital.
