When World War I broke out in August 1914, an overwhelming majority of Americans favored President Woodrow Wilson’s pledge that the nation would remain neutral. But less than three years later, Wilson announced that America had to enter the war “to make the world safe for democracy.” Historian Edward T. O’Donnell highlights the historical significance of this sometimes overlooked war and its aftermath.

O’Donnell examines the causes of WWI, the sources of American isolationism and the key events that drew the nation into the conflict. He explores the U.S. military mobilization and how American forces contributed to the victory over the Central Powers. Equally significant, says O’Donnell, are the Wilson administration’s use of propaganda, its suppression of antiwar dissent, and its promotion of the League of Nations and new rules for international relations.

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