How had expansion hurt the United States militarily and economically? Provide historical detail. (Impact at home. use only what I provide and use quotes from what only I provide. 4 sentences

Question

Militarization, or the buildup of warships and other armaments in preparation for war, played a significant role in World War I. By early 1915, the German navy had dispatched a fleet of U-boats, or submarines, around Great Britain to attack both merchant and military ships. Britain had already blockaded Germany when the war first broke out in order to prevent Germany and its allies from receiving imports of food and war materials. In retaliation, Germany declared the North Sea a war zone. These German U-boats acted in direct violation of international law, attacking without warning from beneath the water instead of surfacing and permitting the surrender of civilians or crew. Such attacks are known as unrestricted submarine warfare.

On May 7, 1915, the British passenger ship RMS Lusitania was attacked on its way from New York City to Liverpool, England. The German Embassy in the United States had warned that this ship would be subject to attack because it was carrying ammunition, an allegation that later proved true. Nonetheless, almost 1,200 civilians died in the attack, including 128 Americans. The attack shocked the world and tested President Wilson’s desire to stay out of what had been a largely European conflict.
War Breaks Out
A black-and-white photograph shows a man with a cane standing with two women in full-length fur-lined coats.
Archduke Franz Ferdinand (left) stands with his wife Sophie, the Duchess of Hohenberg (right), and the Countess Baillet de Latour (center).
For nearly a century, European nations had negotiated a series of alliances, or formal agreements between nations for mutual support in case of war, to secure themselves against their imperialist rivals. To expand German interests, German emperor Kaiser Wilhelm II wanted to obtain overseas colonies. Recall that imperialism is a nation’s policy of extending its power and dominion, especially by conquering territories.

By 1914, Europe had become divided into two competing sides. The Triple Entente included France, Great Britain, and Russia. Opposite them, the Triple Alliance included Germany, Austria-Hungary, and initially Italy. Later, other nations joined the war on both the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance sides. Eventually, the sides became known as the Allied powers (this is the side the U.S. joined) and the Central powers. At the same time European rivals were committing themselves to these defense pacts, they were competing for power and glorifying their own military might, an idea known as militarism.

On June 29, 1914, a man named Gavrilo Princip and his accomplices assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne in Austria-Hungary, during a trip to Bosnia. Princip was a Serbian nationalist who believed that all Slavic people should have their own homeland. Serbia and Bosnia had been annexed by Austria-Hungary. This annexation had angered Serbian nationalists. Recall that nationalism is the exalting of one’s nation above all others. The assassination set off a chain of events that caused nations to take sides and war to break out.

Following is how events unfolded:

Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated. This is considered the major triggering event of World War I because of the alliances that already existed.
Austria-Hungary blamed Serbia for the assassination. Russia was allied with Serbia.
Austria-Hungary asked its ally, Germany, for help if Russia attacked them on behalf of Serbia.
Complete the “Factors that Caused WWI” interactive activity.

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Text adapted from OpenStax U.S. History.

Answer 1

Expansion had significant military and economic repercussions for the United States. The militarization efforts during World War I increased the reliance on military expenditures, ultimately straining the economy, as "Britain had already blockaded Germany...to prevent Germany and its allies from receiving imports." This led to escalated tensions, exemplified by the attack on the RMS Lusitania, which "shocked the world" and put immense pressure on President Wilson to reconsider the U.S. position. Furthermore, the need to support international alliances created a commitment to foreign conflicts that diverted resources from domestic issues, illustrating how expansion can hinder both military preparedness and economic stability at home.