What major event prompted the U.S. to reconsider its stance on World War I?

The sinking of the Lusitania was a significant event that swayed American public opinion and government policy towards involvement in World War I. The Lusitania, a British ocean liner, was torpedoed by a German U-boat in May 1915, resulting in the loss of 1,198 lives, including 128 Americans. This attack highlighted the dangers of unrestricted submarine warfare that Germany was employing and raised concerns about the safety of American citizens and commercial interests at sea.

The incident generated outrage in the United States and intensified anti-German sentiment. It was pivotal in shifting the U.S. stance from strict neutrality toward a more interventionist approach, as the administration began to consider the implications of defending American lives and the economic interests tied to the Allied powers. The sinking contributed to a series of diplomatic tensions between the U.S. and Germany, ultimately leading to the U.S. joining the war in 1917.

Unlike other options, such as the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand, which primarily triggered the war in Europe, or the Bolshevik Revolution, which influenced U.S. perceptions later in the conflict, the sinking of the Lusitania directly impacted U.S. public sentiment and government policy at a crucial moment in the war. The Treaty