The assassination of Archduke Ferdinand was the catalyst that started World War I because —

A. he was a unifying force between Serbia and Austria-Hungary
Incorrect. Serbia resented Austria-Hungarian rule.

B. his death brought to a head the tensions underlying the alliances in eastern and western Europe
Correct! Distrust led to the formation of alliances in Europe, and it was just a matter of time before tensions surfaced.

C. his death caused Russia to rush to the defense of Austria-Hungary
Incorrect. Russia came to the defense of their Slavic brothers, Serbia.

D. his death caused Germany to rush to the defense of Serbia
Incorrect. Germany rushed to the defense of their ally, Austria-Hungary.

At the beginning of World War I, President Woodrow Wilson followed a traditional United States foreign policy by —

A. refusing to permit trade with either side in the conflict
Incorrect. The United States still traded with the countries of Europe.

B. sending troops to Great Britain
Incorrect. The United States did not send troops to Great Britain until much later in the war.

C. declaring American neutrality
Correct! Wilson followed the path previous presidents followed – resisting the urge to be part of an alliance in another hemisphere.

D. requesting an immediate declaration of war against the Germans
Incorrect. Wilson did not declare war on Germany until 1917.

Britain joined the war in 1914 when —

A. Germany declared war on France
Incorrect. Britain only declared war on Germany after the invasion of Belgium.

B. Germany invaded Belgium
Correct! Germany invaded France through neutral Belgium and the rest of the world was appalled.

C. Germany attacked Russia
Incorrect. Russia had not asked for Britain’s help at this point.

D. Russia mobilized troops to support Serbia
Incorrect. Russia and Britain were on the same side.

The key factor in the U.S. decision to enter World War I was —

A. its long-standing friendship with Britain
Incorrect. Yes, we were friends with Britain, but we resisted the urge to be involved in a foreign conflict.

B. American prejudice against German immigrants
Incorrect. While some questioned the allegiance of German immigrants in the United States, there was not full-scale prejudice and it was not enough to prompt a declaration of war.

C. the political ambition of Woodrow Wilson
Incorrect. Wilson wanted to avoid war at all costs.

D. Germany’s resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare
Correct! The United States wanted to protect merchant and passenger ships, and Germany had vowed to shoot them out of the water.