The sinking of the Lusitania angered many people in the United States. Two years after that event, the country entered a war that had already involved many nations of the world. What forces and events led to the war?
In Chapter 17, you read about vast changes that swept through the world in the late 1700s and 1800s. Factories were built during the Industrial Revolution. Overland travel sped along with the help of railroads. Steamships crossed the Atlantic Ocean in just six days.
Countries such as Britain, Germany, and France grew economically because of the Industrial Revolution. The populations and military strength of many European countries also increased. This growth brought with it many new problems. European leaders wondered which countries would continue to strengthen. Which ones would eventually become the most powerful nations?