World War I lasted from 1914 to 1918. Which of the following is listed as a major event of WWI?

World War I lasted from 1914 to 1918. Which of the following is listed as a major event of WWI?

• A. Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand
• B. US enters the war (1917)
• C. Russia leaves the war (1918)
• D. The invention of the wheel

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is how a major turning-point event can change the direction of a war. Entering the war in 1917 is the best choice because it marks a shift in momentum on the side of the Allies. For most of World War I, the United States stayed neutral, but actions like Germany’s continued submarine warfare and the exposure of American interests to danger helped push the country toward war. Once the United States joined in 1917, it brought a huge boost in troops, industrial capacity, and resources. American forces arrived on the Western Front and, along with increased Allied production and supplies, helped blunt German offensives and contributed to the pressure that led to the Central Powers seeking an armistice in 1918. The entry also had a psychological and political impact, signaling a global commitment to victory and hastening the end of the war. The assassination of Archduke Ferdinand is a historical trigger that started the war, not a later defining event within its course. Russia’s departure in 1917–18 was significant for shifting the balance on the Eastern Front, but the direct turn that altered the war’s overall momentum, especially on the Western Front, was the United States joining the fight. The invention of the wheel is not related to World War I.

The main idea here is how a major turning-point event can change the direction of a war. Entering the war in 1917 is the best choice because it marks a shift in momentum on the side of the Allies.

For most of World War I, the United States stayed neutral, but actions like Germany’s continued submarine warfare and the exposure of American interests to danger helped push the country toward war. Once the United States joined in 1917, it brought a huge boost in troops, industrial capacity, and resources. American forces arrived on the Western Front and, along with increased Allied production and supplies, helped blunt German offensives and contributed to the pressure that led to the Central Powers seeking an armistice in 1918. The entry also had a psychological and political impact, signaling a global commitment to victory and hastening the end of the war.

The assassination of Archduke Ferdinand is a historical trigger that started the war, not a later defining event within its course. Russia’s departure in 1917–18 was significant for shifting the balance on the Eastern Front, but the direct turn that altered the war’s overall momentum, especially on the Western Front, was the United States joining the fight. The invention of the wheel is not related to World War I.