Question

The American reaction to Germany's announced intention of resuming unrestricted submarine warfare, violating the Sussex Pledge, was to __________.
a. implement the policy of appeasement
b. declare war on Germany
c. negotiate another treaty with Germany
d. send the Zimmermann Note to Germany
e. intern German immigrants in the United States

Answer 1

Hint: The unrestricted submarine warfare was used in World War I for the first time in the year 1915 when Germany declared that the area around the British Isles was a war zone in which all merchant ships, including those from neutral countries, would be targeted by the German navy. This received a lot of backlash from both America and Britain.
Complete answer: a. A British ship carrying 1200 people and ammunition was attacked by the Germans, there were about 130 Americans on board that ship who died in the attack.
 b. After this attack the American government sent a warning to the German government that unrestricted submarine warfare had to be abolished, after pressure from the international community the German navy had to comply and suspend unrestricted warfare.
 c. In 1917, the German navy commanders were able to persuade the government to allow unrestricted warfare as it could make them victorious against the British. On 31st January 1917, U-submarine warfare was officially allowed by the German government.
 d. Then in April 1917, President Woodrow Wilson of the United States called for a declaration of war against Germany before a joint session of Congress.
The reason Wilson gave for declaring war on Germany was that they had failed to keep their promise of stopping the use of unrestricted submarine warfare.
Thus, the correct option is (B).

Note: On April 4, 1917, the U.S. Senate voted in support of the decision to declare war on Germany. The House agreed two days later. The United States of America later also declared war on Austria-Hungary on December 7, 1917.